The thing everyone's going to talk about with Rosa is its politics. Doctor Who has always implied political messages, but it's never made them such an explicit and integral part of an episode. Fortunately, Rosa picks a political message we can all get behind (I hope). The Doctor and friends find themselves in 1955 Alabama, the day before Rosa Parks essentially kick-started the Civil Rights Movement. It's a difficult setting for such a diverse cast to be in and the episode doesn't shy away from that fact. Historical racism has been tackled before, particularly with Martha in the Human Nature/The Family of Blood story. However, it's never felt as horrific as it does here. Especially in contrast to the previous series, which attempted diverse representation without delving too deep into actual issues of prejudice, the horrors of racism are depicted with shocking efficacy.
Naturally, the issue of racism drives this episode's character development. Yas and Ryan are the focus, as they find themselves victims of an explicit and unashamedly racist society. Even if you didn't care about these characters, the scenes when they're forced out of a diner or hiding from a racist cop are tense and difficult watches. Considering how much we've grown to care about them over the past two episodes, these moments are even more upsetting. There's also a particularly thoughtful moment of dialogue when Yas and Ryan connect these incidents to their experiences with the more insidious and implicit racism of today. It's easily the episode’s most challenging moment, provoking us to consider how far we've come and how far we've still got to go. Graham, as the grandfather of Ryan, is challenged as an ally. He finds himself with a particularly difficult dilemma at the end of the episode, when he feels like he's sacrificing his values for the greater good.
Amidst all of this, it could've been easy for the episode to forget to be Doctor Who. Fortunately, it doesn't. Rosa is Thirteen's first historical episode, a familiar concept for Doctor Who fans, but writers Malorie Blackman and Chris Chibnall have ensured it feels fresh. Blackman and Chibnall have taken us to a notably recent period of history, arguably making the episode feel more relevant, which the plot takes full advantage of. Rather than changing the past, the Doctor and friends are trying to keep it the same. The tension is heightened by the relative modernity of the setting, as we can more easily picture the impact it would have on our present. There's also the frequent humour that never undermines the harsh portrayals of racism, but provides an alternative attitude that proves how much better it is when we get along. Particularly lovely moments include a gag about the Doctor being Banksy and Ryan's reactions to interacting with Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King Jr.
Unfortunately, I did notice a couple of missteps. Maybe because the rest of the episode is of such a high standard, the flaws stand out a bit more. I've been raving about Segun Akinola's score and for the most part, it's still solid. However, during Rosa Parks’ moments of defiance, there's an oddly on the nose choice of music. In particular, a disappointingly cheesy pop song means the already inspirational moment Parks refuses to give up her seat can't speak for itself. The antagonist, who appears to be some sort of time traveling Tommy Robinson, is also more of a plot device than a character. However, I do think that's sort of the point. The real villain isn't just one bloke doing naughty things, but the evil, bigoted racism that Rosa Parks stands up against. If anything, it's one of the scariest Doctor Who villains in a long time.
Sadly, even though its message should be a universal one, this episode is probably still going to be divisive. However, I think that only bolsters how successful and necessary it is. Rosa is an impressively daring episode that isn't afraid to tackle difficult, relevant issues whilst still maintaining everything we love about Doctor Who.
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