REVIEW: Doctor Who, Series 11 Episode Three 'Rosa'
REVIEW: Doctor Who, Series 11 Episode Three 'Rosa'
Continuing my look-back through Doctor Who's eleventh series, here are my thoughts on the award-winning episode 'Rosa', originally written during the time of broadcast.
Well Rosa was certainly an interesting episode - and not just because its title is highly reminiscent of Series 1's opening episode from 2005, exchanging the 'E' in 'Rose' for an 'A' to create the first name of its titular protagonist, Rosa Parks (Vinette Robinson). The American civil rights movement was not a historical topic covered when I was at school, so I knew nothing about any of this before the episode aired, and I must say I am utterly disgusted at the way those of colour were treated in America during this period of time.
It is extremely brave of the show to cover something that must still be quite a delicate subject for many black Americans, given that racism is still very much prevalent in modern society - even if on a much smaller scale - but I applaud Chris Chibnall and Malorie Blackman for choosing to tackle this disturbing piece of history. We as a species can only grow if we are aware of humanity's darkest hours, and so it is important that historical events such as this are shown to a mainstream audience. The writers of this episode certainly did not shy away from it either - almost immediately we see Ryan (Tosin Cole) and Yaz (Mandip Gill) subjected to racist abuse, and the issue is dealt with repeatedly throughout the episode. The Doctor (Jodie Whittaker) and Graham (Bradley Walsh), for instance, find themselves having to smuggle their friends into the hotel room because Ryan and Yaz are not allowed inside, and later Ryan struggles to encourage members of the public to board the bus where Rosa Parks made her iconic stand, purely because they are scared of his skin colour.
This episode also does an amazing job at establishing just how much of a truly inspirational figure Rosa Parkes must have been for the black community. The fact that a black woman sitting on a bus was such a big deal to begin with is disheartening to say the least, so to see this woman be so brave and courageous so as to refuse to move from where she is sat, in the face of an extremely hostile environment, is incredible to witness, and the episode captures this punch-the-air moment perfectly. Vinette Robinson makes Rosa an instantly relatable and compelling guest character; for somebody unaware of her story I was instantly sold on this remarkable woman, thanks to this actor's endearing take on the historical figure.
Another thing this episode did extremely well was managing the ensemble nature of the main cast. Compared to the previous two instalments, this week it felt as though each member in 'Team TARDIS' had something to do. The Doctor manages the group and confronts Krasko (Josh Bowman). Yaz provides the information she learnt about Rosa Parks at school and ensures that she gets to the bus on time. Graham makes sure the correct driver James Blake (Trevor White) is behind the wheel of the bus. Ryan sets out to guarantee that the right number of passengers are sitting on the bus so that it is full, and Rosa Parks is asked to move from her seat, giving her a reason to refuse to give it up. In Rosa we really get to see each team member's core strengths, and how they work together as a unit in order to save the day.
Speaking of the main cast, each one of the actors truly shines in this third instalment of the series. We're only three episodes in and Jodie Whittaker already feels like one of the show's greatest Doctors. She is simply phenomenal in the role, and I cannot wait to see more of her portrayal in later episodes. Bradley Walsh as usual brings so much humour and heart as Graham, but it's Tosin Cole and Mandip Gill who impress the most here with their portrayals of Ryan and Yaz, as they face the harsh world of ethnic minorities in 1955 America. You really feel for them as they are forced to confront historic racism, and it just seems so unfair that the TARDIS decided to take them here rather than back to Present Day Sheffield. Everything about this period of history seems unnecessarily unfair and restrictive on these two people who really don't deserve this kind of treatment, and it makes you appreciate Rosa Parks' bravery even more.
It is extremely brave of the show to cover something that must still be quite a delicate subject for many black Americans, given that racism is still very much prevalent in modern society - even if on a much smaller scale - but I applaud Chris Chibnall and Malorie Blackman for choosing to tackle this disturbing piece of history. We as a species can only grow if we are aware of humanity's darkest hours, and so it is important that historical events such as this are shown to a mainstream audience. The writers of this episode certainly did not shy away from it either - almost immediately we see Ryan (Tosin Cole) and Yaz (Mandip Gill) subjected to racist abuse, and the issue is dealt with repeatedly throughout the episode. The Doctor (Jodie Whittaker) and Graham (Bradley Walsh), for instance, find themselves having to smuggle their friends into the hotel room because Ryan and Yaz are not allowed inside, and later Ryan struggles to encourage members of the public to board the bus where Rosa Parks made her iconic stand, purely because they are scared of his skin colour.
This episode also does an amazing job at establishing just how much of a truly inspirational figure Rosa Parkes must have been for the black community. The fact that a black woman sitting on a bus was such a big deal to begin with is disheartening to say the least, so to see this woman be so brave and courageous so as to refuse to move from where she is sat, in the face of an extremely hostile environment, is incredible to witness, and the episode captures this punch-the-air moment perfectly. Vinette Robinson makes Rosa an instantly relatable and compelling guest character; for somebody unaware of her story I was instantly sold on this remarkable woman, thanks to this actor's endearing take on the historical figure.
Another thing this episode did extremely well was managing the ensemble nature of the main cast. Compared to the previous two instalments, this week it felt as though each member in 'Team TARDIS' had something to do. The Doctor manages the group and confronts Krasko (Josh Bowman). Yaz provides the information she learnt about Rosa Parks at school and ensures that she gets to the bus on time. Graham makes sure the correct driver James Blake (Trevor White) is behind the wheel of the bus. Ryan sets out to guarantee that the right number of passengers are sitting on the bus so that it is full, and Rosa Parks is asked to move from her seat, giving her a reason to refuse to give it up. In Rosa we really get to see each team member's core strengths, and how they work together as a unit in order to save the day.
Speaking of the main cast, each one of the actors truly shines in this third instalment of the series. We're only three episodes in and Jodie Whittaker already feels like one of the show's greatest Doctors. She is simply phenomenal in the role, and I cannot wait to see more of her portrayal in later episodes. Bradley Walsh as usual brings so much humour and heart as Graham, but it's Tosin Cole and Mandip Gill who impress the most here with their portrayals of Ryan and Yaz, as they face the harsh world of ethnic minorities in 1955 America. You really feel for them as they are forced to confront historic racism, and it just seems so unfair that the TARDIS decided to take them here rather than back to Present Day Sheffield. Everything about this period of history seems unnecessarily unfair and restrictive on these two people who really don't deserve this kind of treatment, and it makes you appreciate Rosa Parks' bravery even more.
Unfortunately the episode's villain Krasko falls a little flat. Josh Bowman does the best he can with the material he is given, but he never feels like much of a threat to the TARDIS crew. Krasko is poorly developed and his motives are generic at best. He is essentially a two-dimensional racist criminal from the future, and we never find out why exactly he displays such prejudiced attitudes. What exactly happened in his past that led him down this path, and why would anybody from the future want to change history so Rosa Parks doesn't refuse to give up her seat? What would lead you to want to regress the world back to how racist it used to be?
It is also a shame that the episode doesn't explore the gender politics of the 50s. You would assume that upon landing in the past the Doctor would immediately be stripped of all authority, but the episode never touches upon this. We never even see Yaz experience the sexism of the time period as you would expect her to, and this can lead to the time period feeling a little unrealistic. I get that the episode's focus was primarily on racism in the 50s, but surely it wouldn't have been too hard to throw in the odd line referencing the sexist attitudes that were also prevalent during this time period?
Overall, 'Rosa' is a truly an inspirational story that shows how one person can sometimes make all the difference. Rosa Parkes is a historical figure who seems to possess the principles that Doctor Who has preached from the very beginning, the idea that you should always make a stand against those who challenge you over your differences, and that even the most ordinary person can become important by the actions they take to usurp those who seek power over the oppressed. Unfortunately its choice of villain - rogue time agent Krasko - lacks a convincing motive, and it makes you ponder whether the episode even needs a traditional antagonist as such. Surely the real threat is racism, and the way it sneaks into society like a nasty plague that is yet to be fully cured?
It is also a shame that the episode doesn't explore the gender politics of the 50s. You would assume that upon landing in the past the Doctor would immediately be stripped of all authority, but the episode never touches upon this. We never even see Yaz experience the sexism of the time period as you would expect her to, and this can lead to the time period feeling a little unrealistic. I get that the episode's focus was primarily on racism in the 50s, but surely it wouldn't have been too hard to throw in the odd line referencing the sexist attitudes that were also prevalent during this time period?
Overall, 'Rosa' is a truly an inspirational story that shows how one person can sometimes make all the difference. Rosa Parkes is a historical figure who seems to possess the principles that Doctor Who has preached from the very beginning, the idea that you should always make a stand against those who challenge you over your differences, and that even the most ordinary person can become important by the actions they take to usurp those who seek power over the oppressed. Unfortunately its choice of villain - rogue time agent Krasko - lacks a convincing motive, and it makes you ponder whether the episode even needs a traditional antagonist as such. Surely the real threat is racism, and the way it sneaks into society like a nasty plague that is yet to be fully cured?
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What are your thoughts on Rosa? Let me know in the comments section.
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