Warning: Spoilers ahead forDoctor Whoseason 15, episode 1, “The Robot Revolution.“Doctor Who’s big villain twist near theend of “The Robot Revolution"may initially seem like it comes out of nowhere, but the season 15 premiere’s opening scene quietly lays a solid foundation for the last-minute revelation. Played by Jonny Green, Alan Budd - who becomes the cybernetic dictator referred to as the AI Generator - is the primary antagonist in “The Robot Revolution.” The character is revealed to be thoroughly unlikable for several reasons, but some very relevant clues near the start of the episode are highlighted when you know about the twist.
Alan is brought into the story due to his old romantic connection to Varada Sethu’s Belinda Chandra- Sethu’s second character within the show’s canon after debuting as Mundy Flynn in theDoctor Whoseason 14 cast. Green’s character becomes pivotal tothe complex timeline in “The Robot Revolution,“folding himself into Missbelindachandra One’s societal and political structure by becoming its malevolent dictator. Interestingly, certain traits that foreshadow the development arise in a seemingly innocuous exchange between Alan and Belinda before the opening titles roll.
Doctor Who’s “The Robot Revolution” Drops A Big Alan Hint In Its Opening Seconds
Alan unfairly lambasts the math skills of all women
“The Robot Revolution” begins with a 17-year flashbackto when Belinda and Alan were dating, and Green’s character is explaining the scale of the universe to his then-girlfriend. Although the scene seems largely like a semi-romantic way of celebrating Belinda’s birthday, he drops the misogynistic comment: “I know girls aren’t good at maths, but that’s a long way.” It seems unusually cruel at the time, but it’s easy to forget in a sequence of what is essentially quite a nice gesture.
Doctor Who Season 15’s New Companion Does Something I Never Thought The Modern Show Would
The Doctor’s companions often fall into similar categories, but season 15’s new TARDIS passenger is something the post-revival era hasn’t seen.
Afterit’s revealed that Alan is a massive misogynist near the end of the episode, his suggestion that all girls are bad at math takes on a different meaning. By comparison, subjugating an entire planet and starting a war as the AI Generator is far worse than what he says to Belinda at the beginning of “The Robot Revolution,” but it does at least plant the seed of Alan being a toxic character and gives Belinda even more of a reason to break up with him.
Other Clues That Alan Is The Real Villain In Doctor Who’s “The Robot Revolution”
Jonny Green’s character displays other worrying characteristics during the flashback
Alan’s unfair appraisal of Belinda’s numerical skills isn’t the only sign that he’ll turn out to be the main villain inDoctor Who’s season 15 premiere. For starters, he mentions that the night sky is so beautiful, that he wants to “capture” it. He ultimately turns out to do just that by naming a star after Belinda, but it implies a level of control he goes on to display. When presenting her with the ownership certificate, he even criticizes the way she opens the present, which aligns with Belindra’s declaration that all he ever did was try to correct her.
Alan gets visibly annoyed when Belinda questions why the document has to say “Miss” Belinda Chandra, and he gives the short, snarky, and rhetorical reply of “Are you married?”
Plus, Alan gets visibly annoyed when Belinda questions why the document has to say “Miss” Belinda Chandra, and he gives the short, snarky, and rhetorical reply of “Are you married?” Furthermore,his obvious discomfort with moving in to kiss Belinda suggests a lack of experience with women. While this obviously isn’t a villainous trait in isolation, paired with his very clear and misguided idea of what he thinks a woman should be, it allows Belinda’s accusation of him being an incel at the end ofDoctor Who’s season 15 premiere to be far more accurate.
1
2
3
4
5
“The Story and the Engine”
6
7
8
