Random fact I just realised about this episode — the “spooky kid” Belinda saw in the alley as she was running through Lagos? She’s played by Sienna-Robyn Mavanga-Phipps, who was Captain Poppy in “Space babies”. The character is even credited as “Poppy” in “The story & the engine”.

Please don’t @ me about your great intense love (or otherwise) for “Space babies”… but let’s just sit for a second with what a deep, weird cut this is. I have no idea how or if it’s going to tie in with anything, ever.

  • Value Subtracted@startrek.websiteMEnglish
    4·
    16 hours ago

    Goodness, that is hilarious.

    Best guess…Mrs. Flood is collecting side-characters from the Gatwa run. Time to do a quick draft!

    • The Church on Ruby Road: Davina McCall

    • Space Babies: Poppy

    • The Devil’s Chord: Ringo Starr

    • Boom: Mundy Flynn (gotta keep Varada busy)

    • 73 Yards: Roger Ap Gwilliam

    • Dot & Bubble: Lindy

    • Rogue: One of the bird people, I guess

    • The Legend of Ruby Sunday: Colonel Chidozie

    • Empire of Death: That woman with the imaginary baby

    • Joy to the World: The hotel manager

    • The Robot Revolution: Alan

    • Lux: The kid who worked at the diner

    • The Well: Mo

    • Lucky Day: Conrad

    • The Story & The Engine: The merchant played by Inua Ellams

    Extraneous Avengers Assemble!

    Okay, I jest in a lot of cases, but I think a few of those are actually potential candidates to reappear…

    • haverholm@kbin.earthOP
      1·
      14 hours ago

      Ringo Starr

      Starring as Atouk the Caveman, but shunted into a later episode of An unearthly child?

  • Vittelius@feddit.orgEnglish
    5·
    19 hours ago

    (Possibly slightly bigger spoilers)

    One additional piece of information Dobson shared at Comic Con Cardiff is that season 2 will recontextualize “Space Babies,” an episode that currently holds the lowest rating on IMDb for last season. What could the Notting Hill resident have to do with a spaceship in 21506? It seems only time will tell.

    https://doctorwhowatch.com/anita-dobson-promises-season-2-will-reveal-about-mrs-flood

    • vaguerant@fedia.io
      4·
      19 hours ago

      That is interesting. I guess as long as we’re talking about characters whose stories are unfinished and leaking between stories and reality, the Who fans from “Lux” are another reference point. They expected to stop existing as soon as their part of the story was over, but they did not. Maybe that’s because they also have a part to play in (a) future episode(s).

      You could sort of tie these ideas together by saying “Space Babies” was a fan fiction story written by those characters, hence recontextualising the story. I might be tipping my hand a bit about how much I like that episode, though.

      • Vittelius@feddit.orgEnglish
        5·
        18 hours ago

        Another theory that I have been seeing floating around is that Poppy is the Timless Child and space babies was the doctor bootstrap paradoxing their own morality

  • vaguerant@fedia.io
    3·
    20 hours ago

    I think there’s some potential there for this to be a one-off appearance that won’t be revisited. The Doctor did say “the stories were leaking out, getting mixed up.” So this could just be that and nothing else. Otherwise, who knows … Poppy for next companion? It does seem like a very odd inclusion if they have no intention of following it up.

    If there were multiple callback characters leaking out of the story, I’d be more inclined to say it’s just a fun visual reference to see them again–and I guess it’s possible there are more returning characters hidden in the crowd scenes–but having just one character leak out and then do nothing impactful in the story points to them having specific intentions for the character in future episodes.

    Per your request, I am withholding my excitement or otherwise for the prospect of more space babies.