Ncuti finally finds his momentum

There was a poignant cameo from Sian Clifford along the way as a kindly woman on a post-apocalyptic planet with the last spoon in existence (don’t ask), but the quality dropped off in the final act. The revelation of Ruby’s birth mother proved a letdown, as did the way they defeated the all-powerful hellhound Sutekh – basically by putting him on a leash and dragging him outside like a bad dog that had soiled the carpet. The Barbara Woodhouse school of plot resolution.

Still, this was a wild ride of impressive scale, rapid pace and plenty of plot twists. Ruby, reunited with her long-lost mother in a scene that leaves her with a lump in her throat, bid farewell to the Doctor and stayed on Earth, bowing out (for now) as a decent companion with more to give. Mrs Flood (Anita Dobson) provided a grim epilogue, setting up the festive special like a Christmas Cruella de Vil.

Overall, Gatwa’s first full series seemed weak and passive. He has a nice face, as people keep pointing out, but we don’t know who his Doctor is. Since he cried almost every week, we know he’s emotional. We know he’s gay (thanks to the kiss in Rogue) and rightly angry about racism (thanks to the unexpected twist in Dot and Bubble).

However, due to the inconsistent script and too many episodes with Doctor-lite elements, you still don’t get the feeling that he’s fully settled into the role. The fact that, for the first time in Who history, the Doctor wears a different outfit every week doesn’t help much. How are kids supposed to dress up as their hero when even he can’t decide which costume to wear?

The production may be financed with Disney dollars, but showrunner Russell T. Davies’ second term has not been as successful as his first, which revived the franchise. We need less whining, more saber-rattling. Fewer costume changes, more consistency. Less preaching, more suspense. Then it will truly be a Happy Whomas.

Episode eight of Doctor Who is available now on BBC iPlayer and Disney+ and airs on BBC One on Saturday 22 June at 6.40pm.