Posted in: BBC, Disney+, Doctor Who, TV | Tagged: doctor who

Doctor Who: No, Those Deleted Scenes Wouldn't Make Season 2 Better

An elaborate ARG has revealed two deleted scenes from Doctor Who Season 2, prompting fans to argue whether they would have made it better.

The second season of the Disney+ era Doctor Who was released this year, and everyone is treating it like it was ages ago, with the show being perceived as dead, as fans and pundits pick over it like an autopsy, trying to find blame or reason for its perceived failure. Now, the BBC has stealth-released two deleted scenes in the most niche, elaborate way possible: an Augmented Reality Game on the U.N.I.T. section of the Doctor Who website that leads to the uncovering of two deleted scenes from Season 2. These scenes were obviously cut for time to keep the episode runtime within its proscribed limit. That has led to debate over whether including those scenes might have improved the season. Short answer: NO.

The Doctor and Belinda's Longer Confrontation in "The Robot Revolution"

The earlier deleted scene is a longer version of Belinda's (Varada Sethu) conversation with the Doctor (Ncuti Gatwa) at the end of the first episode of Season 2, "The Robot Revolution." In this version, Belinda is even more directly confrontational with The Doctor. It's a good exercise in storytelling, characterisation, and dramatic conflict. The uncut version of the scene shows a battle between The Doctor and Belinda's worldviews. The Doctor is trying to seduce her into the romance of traveling with him, but what she sees is a lonely manipulator trying to entice her into his way of life. She sees the danger she would be facing. All this is already in the shortened version that was broadcast. There are little character details, such as Belinda discussing the fortune she was told in her life chart, which is part of her Hindu upbringing, and the Doctor trying to claim it might be destiny that they travel together. It's a nice detail, but not necessarily needed.

The uncut scene has the feel of Russell T Davies discovering his characters for the first time as he writes, enjoying their interaction and conflict to establish Belinda's dynamic with The Doctor. You can see why certain lines and moments were cut, as they repeated beats, themes, and emotions that were already established.

Conrad Meets Ruby's Family in "Lucky Day"

The other deleted scene is from "Lucky Day," where Ruby (Millie Gibson) brings Conrad (Jonah Hauer-King) home to meet her family. It shows Ruby's awkwardness as her mothers and grandmother fuss over her new boyfriend. It's the kind of quirky domestic comedy scene that fans often loved about Davies' revival back in the mid-2000s. Many lamented the lack of scenes like this to show more about Ruby's home life in the Disney+ era series, as the show often leapt to the next big setpiece and plot point. This scene was cut because it didn't advance the story, and Ruby's awkwardness with relationships had already been established. This was two minutes omitted to make the runtime again. (Why does U.N.I.T. have surveillance cameras in Ruby's house, though? Do they have them in every member's home…?)

Scenes are Always Deleted for a Reason

When good scenes are cut from a movie or TV show, it's usually because they don't move the story forward. Including these scenes might have made the episodes feel a bit fuller in terms of characterisation, but not necessarily better. A few lines that reveal a little bit more about the characters aren't going to make entire flawed seasons better. What the fans are really hoping for is the release of the original ending of Season 2, featuring the return of Susan. There's already a minor #ReleasetheSusanEnding movement chipping away.

The reason fans seize on every little tidbit that comes out from season two is really about their dissatisfaction at the writing in the Disney era, the over-reliance on old series lore that includes continuity from the Classic series that they didn't grow up on or feel invested in; the lower episode count that they felt rushed the characters without establishing the relationships enough, the overly whimsical creative choices and out-of-nowhere plot points; the lack of new ideas and over-reliance on memes for attention. There may be more deleted scenes to come now that the Disney deal is over. Still, it's just going to emphasise the creative failures of the last two seasons, and people will debate endlessly about whose fault it is, while painting Davies as the villain who didn't give fans what they wanted.

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