top of page
Search

A Doctor Who a Day - Day 23 - Review: Love & Monsters

Updated: 2 days ago

Abzorbaloff chasing Elton
@BBC

Doctor Who Series 2, Episode 10, Love & Monsters

Original Air Date: 17th June 2006


"She tastes like chicken."


Is it even a hot take anymore to like Love & Monsters?


Is it a classic? No.


Does it have a slightly ropey villain? Well yes. A very ropey villain if we're being honest with ourselves.


But is it a fun episode with something to say? Hell yeah!


It is common knowledge that RTD wrote this with certain Whovians in mind, maybe even just one Whovian in mind actually. I wonder what Victor Kennedy would look like in 2026 though…


He would infiltrate online now. He would have a YouTube account, claiming to be the show's biggest fan up until its ‘death’ in 2017. He would love saying RIP Doctor Who 1963-2017. He would post YouTube videos with thumbnails of unflattering pictures using AI of RTD, Jodie or Ncuti, then splash bright yellow proclamations in bright yellow and red across them saying how woke the show is. Woke will be Victor’s favourite word in the whole wide world. It won’t just be Doctor Who that is woke, because Tesco is woke, Christmas is woke, London is woke, everything will be bloody woke. 


Victor would post his videos slating episodes that he blatantly hasn’t watched. He will use some shit nickname to describe Jodie or Ncuti, because that is what Victor’s orange idol does with anyone who disagrees with him. Victor would be a pathetic little man that profits on hate. Victor would be a cunt!


I would rather live in Peter Kay’s arse cheek than listen to one of those pathetic shits.


Love & Monsters then? First up, Marc Warren does a great job carrying the episode. I was a fan of his when he was in Hustle, and he has the same sort of vibe here, just with a bit more innocence. I must watch Hustle some time, I have dipped in and out of it, but never seen it all the way through.


I guess time has been kind on Elton. It must have been jarring when this was first broadcast, because what do you mean the Doctor and Rose are barely in it? But now we have seen how good the Doctor and companion light episodes can be. Love & Monsters walked so Blink could run. Not just Blink either, how about Midnight, Turn Left and 73 Yards?


The elephant in the room is of course the Abzorbaloff. Picked as the winner from a Blue Peter competition and in my opinion, a pretty bloody good idea. Maybe if the Abzorbaloff was played less for laughs then it wouldn’t have been an issue. Oh, and potentially remove the loin cloth as well. This is nothing against Peter Kay, he did what he was told to do.


I actually enjoyed the change in tone and pace. The last couple of episodes were heavy, and you don’t have to hide behind the sofa every week. This episode is also unique, and that is why I like it. I love that about this show. Peter Kay absorbing people in a loin cloth one week, a monster drawn by a little girl the next, with a scary arse devil possessing people the week before. You gotta love it haven't you?!


LINDA is a fun part of this, and I enjoyed seeing their friendships grow. They were all very likeable characters. But one person I am struggling to like in series 2 is Rose. I need series 1 Rose back. Series 1 Rose wouldn’t have been so nasty to Elton, it seemed out of character to me. Thank fuck she consoled him at the end. There you are Rose, I knew you still had it in you.


One thing I noted during this is Jackie seemed even keener for cock than Amy was in Flesh and Stone. She was even trying to force alcohol onto Elton to seal the deal. Which in hindsight, probably isn't a good look.


Elton and Jackie's relationship in this episode is really good though, and Camille, as always, steals the show. Her flirting before her total devastation at finding out Elton is just after the Doctor is really well played. Jackie is an icon! It also helps us like Elton more as well, because even though Jackie doesn't know it, we know that he is a good egg who just wanted to be mates and have a pizza.



On a sidenote, I am all for the paving slab scene, it was only a throwaway line, why so much hate? Who wouldn't wanna get noshed off by a block of concrete?


My final thought is this was a fun episode that was better than I remembered.


Is Love & Monsters now getting the respect it is due? Or should it be forgotten about? Let me know in the comments below.





Comments

© by Matty James

Powered and secured by Wix

All opinions are my own

​

bottom of page