grassangel | Fan panel response for Demons

I don’t know what this means about the reactions to the Tsuranga Conundrum.

A strong core cast with more complex dynamics make for a more interesting watch!
Doctor Who fans LOVE a mix of monsters, both familiar and new.

Starts as usual, did I watch it, how do I rate it, free space for my opinion

An affecting episode on an overlooked period of history about family and family history. Through my own curiosity I already knew a tiny bit about the Partition and how it literally divided families. This episode poignantly illustrated that fact, as well as illustrating those of different faiths can and do reach understandings with each other and even fall in love. Even if that understanding can be so easily destroyed. I also enjoyed the understanding the Doctor came to about the Thijarians and the role they play in witnessing the deaths of the unwitnessed. Knowing the Doctor has experienced a similar loss to them, and the respect she pays them by mirroring their gesture of mourning, was also a powerful part of the story for me. (And made all the more poignant by the fact the team could not interfere or witness Prem's death.) I liked Graham's interactions with Yasmin and Prem too, as well as the Doctor's delight (and joke) at experiencing henna for the first time.

Ratings out of ten for:

Charming, For people like me, Topical (covers topics and themes I care about), Easy enough to follow, Emotional, Adventurous, Gripping, Funny, Warm, For all the family, Shareable (stories I want to share & discuss), Scary, Fresh
Fresh and emotional got the highest scores

Ratings for: Villains (i.e. Manish), The location: Punjab, 1947; The other characters; The core cast (The Doctor, Ryan, Yasmin & Graham); The storyline, Aliens (i.e. The Thijarians)
A very tight cluster, with storyline just winning out

And again out of ten: The Thijarians, Graham, The Doctor, Young Umbreen, Manish, Ryan, Prem, Yasmin, Present Day Umbreen
Prem is my highest rated, but the Thijarians, Graham and the Doctor are very tight on his heels

Words for characters! I said dutiful for the Thijarians, radicalised for Manish, loving for Present Day Umbreen, steadfast for Prem, and idealistic for Young Umbreen

Then how likely to watch further episodes and the requisite how much Doctor Who have you watched, do you want more surveys and free space.

I loved the Doctor's speech about love being a form of hope. Doctor Who talks a lot about both love and hope, and this reminded me of an observation from a previous series about hope being hard to resist and how love is a promise. It's a gorgeous speech, but also held the same ethos as those previous eras. I am a bit disappointed with some of the scenes at the starts and ends of episodes where the Graham, Ryan and Yasmin are just standing around, talking in the TARDIS with the Doctor, and doing nothing except being talking torsos. (Also, wow. Just wow. Having that shot of the poppies in the field and Prem having served in WWII on an episode that aired on Armistice day.)