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Doctor Who – Season 2, Episode 5 The Story and the Engine

Play trailer Doctor Who – Season 2, Episode 5 The Story and the Engine Aired May 9, 2025 Sci-Fi Fantasy Adventure Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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92% Tomatometer 12 Reviews
In Lagos, the Barber reigns supreme; the Doctor discovers a world where stories have power, but can he stop the Spider and its deadly web of revenge?
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Doctor Who — Season 2, Episode 5

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Cast & Crew

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Ncuti Gatwa

The Doctor

Varada Sethu

Belinda Chandra

Ariyon Bakare

The Barber

Sule Rimi

Omo Esosa

Michelle Asante

Abena

Stefan Adegbola

Rashid Abubakar
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Doctor Who — Season 2, Episode 5

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Critics Reviews

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Caroline Siede Episodic Medium (Substack) May 23
When it comes to Doctor Who, I’ll take messy ambition over streamlined competence any day of the week. And “The Story & the Engine” is another example of the big, exciting swings the show is taking in this overall strong second season for Ncuti Gatwa. Go to Full Review Isobel Lewis AV Club May 12
A-
“The Story & The Engine” is an equally vibrant, exciting adventure, and one that shows the potential of Ncuti Gatwa’s Doctor as the TARDIS lands in Nigeria. Go to Full Review Jennifer Zhan New York Magazine/Vulture May 12
5/5
Fittingly, the episode about stories ends in a pretty storybook way... Go to Full Review Emmet Asher-Perrin Reactor Jul 28
Mechanically, it’s one of my favorite types of TV episodes: A locked room with a few people just talking and gargantuan stakes in the background. Emotionally and contextually, it’s a tour de force that I’m sure I’ll revisit again and again. Go to Full Review William Tucker But Why Tho? May 18
7.5/10
Doctor Who Season 2 Episode 5 makes huge strides for the sci-fi show. It feels like theatre, a genuine merging between Ellams’s play and the sci-fi show. Go to Full Review Robert Anderson IGN Movies May 12
7/10
An ambitious and often striking exploration of myth and meaning, “The Story & The Engine” showcases inventiveness on a modest scale. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Episode Info

Synopsis In Lagos, the Barber reigns supreme; the Doctor discovers a world where stories have power, but can he stop the Spider and its deadly web of revenge?
Director
Makalla McPherson
Executive Producer
Russell T. Davies, Jane Tranter, Phil Collinson, Julie Gardner, Joel Collins
Screenwriter
Inua Ellams
Network
Disney+
Rating
TV-PG
Genre
Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Adventure, Drama
Original Language
British English
Release Date
May 9, 2025