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The Devil’s Chord is the second episode of (ahem) Season 1.
Since she can go anywhere in time and space, Millie wants to see the Beatles record their first album. Nah, that one was awful. Should’ve chosen their late ’60s period, where they had far more interesting tunes.
But, the plot (such that it is) opens with a music lesson in 1925, the pointless title referring to a tritone, where three notes are played together for a dissonant chord.
This episode also goes back to the nonsense of ‘preferred pronouns’ – a products of the American Left, who started inserting them into their Twitter bios, around five years ago. These were created to make people feel important about themselves for five minutes.
And if you’re wandering how to refer to me, you can call me what the fuck you like, as long as you’re about to present me with a pint of lager.
As such, the pair suddenly get shouted at by Maestro (Jinkx Monsoon), who looks like Hyacinth Bucket having been fused with Mick Hucknall in the Brundlefly pods. Maestro is apparently a ‘them’, despite only existing in the singular form.
However, in this universe, music is very dull. However, if they’re there to fix it, isn’t that more like Quantum Leap? And what’s causing it? Of course, it’s the shouty one we encountered, early on.
We don’t know yet whether Ruby likes men or women, but her offscreen friend, Trudy, is into women. Thanks, RTD! We really needed to know!
Meanwhile, there’s a group of neighbours who look out of their windows to hear a piano being played at one point, and some of them are actually white! Yes, in London! Shock horror!
The Devil’s Chord drifts on and on without any plot, the Beatles quickly disappear from the story, and we just get Maestro in a bunch of weird outfits, talking about wanting to steal the Music of the Spheres, to make the world stop turning. So, a references to a brief 2008 interlude when David Tennant was first around.
Perhaps if RTD took the time he spends to think about sexuality and gender references – and crowbarring them into the script, spent that on the plot, instead, there might’ve been something worth watching in this episode. But, no.
What the fuck was Disney thinking? …and that was before I suffered the song-and-dance number!
So, yes, the second of two completely shit episodes.
Now, when’s the new incumbent going to decorate his TARDIS interior? It’s awfully bare.
You can watch The Devil’s Chord on the BBC iPlayer.
You can also pre-order Season 1 on Limited Blu-ray Steelbook, Blu-ray and DVD, ahead of the release date of August 12th 2024.
Director: Ben Chessell
Producer: Chris May
Writer: Russell T Davies
Music: Murray Gold
Cast:
The Doctor: Ncuti Gatwa
Ruby Sunday: Millie Gibson
Maestro: Jinkx Monsoon
Timothy Drake: Jeremy Limb
Henry: Kit Rakusen
Tea Trolley Lady: Sherinne Kayra Anderson
George Martin: Ed White
Paul McCartney: George Caple
John Lennon: Chris Mason
George Harrison: Philip Davies
Ringo Starr: James Hoyles
Studio Producer: Chan Shoker
Cilla Black: Josie Sedgwick-Davies
Tea Lady: Susan Twist
Vinnie: Simon Jason-Smith
Elderly Woman: Laura June Hudson
Real people: Murray Gold, Shirley Ballas, Johannes Radebe
Reviewer of movies, videogames and music since 1994. Aortic valve operation survivor from the same year. Running DVDfever.co.uk since 2000. Nobel Peace Prize winner 2021.