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Doctor Who S02E02: "Lux" Celebrated Fans in a Very Special Way

Doctor Who S02E02: "Lux" broke the Fourth Wall to celebrate fans in a meta moment that was gently satirical but also poignant and true.

The second episode of this season's Doctor Who, "Lux" did something the show never did, which was to have the Doctor (Ncuti Gatwa) and his companion Belinda (Varada Sethu) break a Fourth Wall within the show and meet fans of the show, played by Bronté Barbé, Samir Arrian and Steph Lacey as uberfans Lizzie, Hassan and Robyn (no last names because they were fictional within the show). You might think the scene would make fun of fans, but it was a gentle ribbing that celebrated them and the series. Showrunner Russell T. Davies said, "I'm one of them!" It was a unique and special moment for the series for the current era of very active fandom, which haters will of course hate, but fans were pleasantly surprised to discover. The latest Doctor Who Magazine interviewed the actors while filming the episode.

"It's an honour to be part of it, really," said Bronté Barbé. "When I got the audition and I read it was for a Doctor Who fan, I thought, 'Oh my goodness, there's so much riding on this'. It has to be pitched so perfectly. I hope we've done it justice. I just want these people to seem real, and to honour the writing. I think that is exactly what Doctor Who does. It lights up everybody's living room, and it transports you. It's complete escapism, and that's what we're trying to capture in this scene. My character says she's seen every single episode. And I would've been pushed to get that in before I started. But I've done a lot of cramming. There's a big responsibility to it. It's not about doing a 'mad fan' thing. It's about what the show means to people. So we've tried to be really careful with that."

Samir Arrian wasn't just playing a diehard Doctor Who fan – he is one. "For my self-tape audition, I wore my own Doctor Who scarf exactly like this one," he said. "My entire family are massive Doctor Who fans. My sister is going to be so excited when she finds out I'm in it."

How Doctor Who Embraces Its Fandom

"I am a disabled actor," said Steph Lacey. "I use a wheelchair. I was cast as Robyn, who in the script is a wheelchair user, which doesn't come up that regularly anyway. Then, to cast a genuine wheelchair user, another step. But also then for it to not have a key part in the storyline – to be something that's just part of the experience and part of the textures and the nuance and the make-up of the Doctor Who fandom… I think that's so exciting. And with Ruth Madeley, who plays UNIT scientific adviser Shirley Anne Bingham as well, having such a big, amazing part… She's had her wheelchair adapted, and the TARDIS has been adapted – the TARDIS is now this space that genuinely is welcome for everybody. I think that's a massive stride forward in terms of authenticity of experience, but also just who we're seeing on our screens."

"It's a huge community to represent, so there is a lot of pressure," said Arrian. "But it's a lovely portrait of fans. You really see their passion and their love for the Doctor in this scene. And they're heroic. They're prepared to die for him."

"We've spoken about it, Bronté, Samir, and I – about how much this means to these characters," says Lacey. "And actually, to be able to do that for the Doctor, and for the world, is an incredible thing."

"It's the biggest sacrifice," nods Bronté. "These are very warm characters, who are really human. And Doctor Who is their happy place. It's their safe place. And that's not just about Doctor Who… it's anything that you might attach yourself to that makes you feel happy, and makes you feel you've found your tribe. You can really tell that they've found each other, they've found their people – they're willing to do anything for the Doctor, and for each other.

"I wanted to find that level of joy for Doctor Who fans, discovering that the Doctor is real. And also to show how much they're prepared to give for him," said Davies. "I keep watching it and thinking, 'I could have written this for half an hour. Or a 90-minute stage play… I'm actually a bit sad the experience has to be condensed down to a three-minute scene. Maybe I'll go back to that living room one day…"

There's Always a Twist at the End

Contrary to what Lizzie said, she and her friends mattered, and it turns out they got full names in the end credits: Hassan Chowdry, Lizzie Abel, and Robyn Gossage. Because, as far as Davies was concerned, they didn't fade from existence, and they earned it.

Doctor Who is streaming globally on Disney+ outside the UK.

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