Rosa - Press Reaction

Press reaction to Doctor Who's Third episode of 2018, Rosa, is once more overwhelmingly positive, with most commentators praising the subject matter and the way it was handled.

Radio Times felt by tackling historical subjects the series was returning to its roots. "What’s pleasing is that there are no Clever Dick solutions. The time travellers work hard to keep time on track. Who’d have thought that getting a tweedy seamstress and a driver on the right bus at the right time would provide dramatic tension? And there’s a sharp beat when the Time Lord realises she and her team are part of history: “We have to not help her."

The Mirror considers the episode a very important one for the series. "It may surprise some for the series to tackle racism head-on rather than with veiled allegories, but with Chibnall promising to bring back the educational element of the series, the show has proved that the showrunner is keeping to that promise, and it is refreshing for the long-running show to offer some vital social commentary - not just on the past but also issues today."

The Independent singles out the lead actress for much praise. "As with her previous adventures, Whittaker’s Time Lord is the best thing about “Rosa”. The actor has finally started to tone down the overenthusiastic tics that threatened to bubble over early on. True, she is once again a gregarious human space-hopper, with a winning line in self-referential zingers – she half-jokes about being Banksy – however, a rumination on Jim Crow oppression calls for a restrained performance, and she delivers. "

The Telegraph disliked the episode thinking it stodgy "When allowed to riff on history rather than be confined by it, Doctor Who(BBC One, Sunday) can be a ludicrous romp (Let’s Kill Hitler) or deeply poignant (Vincent and the Doctor). Barring a couple of good gags about Elvis and Banksy, however, Chris Chibnall and Malorie Blackman’s episode felt overawed by the history it was depicting, short-changing some imaginative direction from Mark Tonderai and bearing a score weighed down by French horns straight from the gloopier end of The West Wing."

Den of Geek praised the actress taking on the difficult role of Rasa Parks. "Rosa is played by Vinette Robinson, who manages to embody Parks with apparent ease. Robinson exudes both a quiet strength and a weariness at the continued injustices thrown her way. There’s a fire in her when she meets the TARDIS team, as she tells them in no uncertain terms to leave Montgomery or face the consequences."

Digital Spy praised the way the episode tackled difficult issues. "Doctor Who manages to tackle her story without feeling glib, treating it with the respect and deference it deserves and resisting the urge to pit Parks against monsters from outer space."