Doctor Who ‘The Story and the Engine’ review: Just a trim, thanks

“ The Story and the Engine ” is a stellar episode and a sign of what Doctor Who could look like a year or two from now.

The episode is about a Black man living in Lagos , Nigeria .

The Doctor saves the day by saving a woman's life by playing a six word story.

“ The Story and the Engine ” is a phenomenal debut from British-Nigerian poet and playwright Inua Ellams .

The narrative and thematic density here includes nods toward folklore versus the mechanical reproduction of storytelling.

The episode is just begging for more time to allow its textures to be better explored.

The 2020 season of Doctor Who made a number of controversial changes to the foundation of the series.

Showrunner Chris Chibnall opted to dump the series’ original deliberately ambiguous backstory in favor of something a little more stock sci-fi.

The show’s first four seasons build to the moment when the Doctor says “There are some corners of the universe which have bred the most terrible things. Things which act against everything we believe in. They must be fought.