You Can’t Terminate Doctor Who — And This Episode Demonstrates It

Doctor Who is eternal — in both a literal and figurative sense. That’s the definitive takeaway from “The Story & the Engine,” the fifth episode of Season 2 in the series’ Disney+ phase. Even if the swirling speculations about Disney withdrawing from its co-production agreement materialize, the 61-year-old BBC sci-fi icon will merely regenerate, just as its namesake character has always done.

As the Doctor (portrayed by Ncuti Gatwa) articulates in his inaugural six-word memoir: “I’m born. I die. I am reborn.”

Predominantly set in a barber shop in Lagos, Nigeria, “The Story & the Engine” exemplifies Doctor Who’s remarkable versatility. The episode, scripted by Nigerian-British playwright Inua Ellams, draws influence from his celebrated stage work Barber Shop Chronicles. Ellams, who researched 60 Black-owned barber shops across the UK and Africa, brings the episode a profound cultural authenticity — all while incorporating a sci-fi twist akin to American Gods.

This episode signifies a groundbreaking moment for the series: Ellams is the first Black individual to write for Doctor Who, and the cast consists entirely of BIPOC actors — aside from a short flashback involving companion Belinda Chandra (Varada Sethu) in a UK hospital.

However, Ellams is already familiar with the Whoniverse. A lifelong enthusiast, he remembers watching iconic 1970s episodes as a child in Nigeria, displayed on a large screen — a memory that inspired the enchanting projection screen seen in the Lagos barber shop. In a clever self-referential moment, this screen becomes the first in-universe presentation of the show’s legendary opening titles.

“As a child, I was frightened by this show,” Ellams expressed to Doctor Who Magazine. “Hiding behind the sofa, peeking… it felt like a movie in my living room.”

The Doctor’s Uncommon Visits to Africa

Although the Doctor has technically been to Africa before, those instances were brief and mostly overlooked. In “The Chase” (1965), the First Doctor (William Hartnell) finds himself in a haunted house attraction, revealed to be in Ghana — set in the then-futuristic year of 1996. In “The Pyramids of Mars” (1975), the Fourth Doctor (Tom Baker) is transported to a tomb in Egypt while confronting the foe Sutekh.

However, “The Story & the Engine” marks the first occasion the Doctor intentionally lands the TARDIS on the African continent. The rationale? Lagos acts as a communications center that could aid the Doctor in returning Belinda to her rightful time. Yet there’s a deeper, more personal drive as well: the Doctor, in his current Black form, feels more at home in this barber shop once owned by his old companion Omo — a place where he can simply be himself.

The Impact of a Six-Word Narrative

The episode’s main conflict centers around a mysterious barber who has taken Omo and his patrons hostage. This barber is leveraging their stories to power a journey through the Nexus — a kind of story-space engine. The Doctor’s remedy? Infusing his own “never-ending story” into the engine, utilizing merely six words.

The concept of the six-word story is frequently attributed to Ernest Hemingway, who supposedly penned: “For sale: baby shoes, never worn.” In a humorous twist, the Doctor asserts he inspired Hemingway’s idea, merely to evaluate his narrative skills.

Although Hemingway’s renowned line isn’t quoted in the episode, the notion of condensing a lifetime into six words becomes a potent narrative mechanism — and an apt metaphor for the Doctor’s own repetitive existence.

A Future That’s Perpetually in Motion

Irrespective of what unfolds with Disney’s participation, Doctor Who’s future is assured. Its persistent popularity in the UK and around the world — including in regions like Nigeria — guarantees that the show will keep evolving. Ncuti Gatwa’s Doctor will eventually regenerate, and the narrative will carry on.

Doctor Who Season 2 debuted on April 12 on Disney+ and BBC. New episodes are released every Saturday at 3 a.m. ET.