Good stuff: looks way better than all the previous seasons of Doctor Who combined. More people in the TARDIS has the potential to be awesome. Jodie Whitaker seems alright, Doctors take a while to grow on you anyway. The idea for the era, time period and events was much better than most other historical locations (esp. Pompei and Shakespeares london). Also they got loads of small details right about Rosa and the segregation at the time.
People have already mentioned that the villain is bad, and he is. But the racist white people are worse. They just don't behave like human beings. The whole point of racism, the reason it is so dangerous, is that you can be an otherwise decent, well-balanced human being and still be a total racist. The bus driver getting all emotional when Rosa wont move is stupid. It would have been so much more shocking if he'd seemed like a normal human doing his job, dealing with an 'insolent' customer. But no. According to Chibnal all racists are psychotics on the verge of breaking as soon as they have to interact with a black person.
Then there's the supporting characters... why are they such insufferable people? They are so painful to listen to, constantly moaning, zero jokes. Why are they so bored? First time time traveling, and all they can do is complain. Rose was my least favorite companion, but at least she was excited to go places and even enjoyed chatting to people. This is not hard stuff, have someone be upbeat, someone be fascinated, someone be in shock, and then if you must, have someone who is just a bit sick of the whole space thing. But three people who don't want to be there? Are you deliberately trying to get people to hate this show?
Finally, please don't hate me for this one, but it has to be said. The plot is stupid. No historian (ever) is going to tell you that Rosa Parks was integral to the civil rights movement. It is actually quite funny that the racist-from-the-future is trying to stop Rosa in a town that also has MLK in it. People still quote 'I have a dream' to this day. It is unintentionally funny when the grandson is introduced to MLK and looks suitably impressed, when before he didn't even know what Rosa did. To be clear, I am grateful that her story is being told, but don't lie and pretend that we would still have segregated buses in the US if she hadn't stood up that day. Give her her due, don't make her out to be someone she isn't, it discredits whatever message you were trying to peddle.
People have already mentioned that the villain is bad, and he is. But the racist white people are worse. They just don't behave like human beings. The whole point of racism, the reason it is so dangerous, is that you can be an otherwise decent, well-balanced human being and still be a total racist. The bus driver getting all emotional when Rosa wont move is stupid. It would have been so much more shocking if he'd seemed like a normal human doing his job, dealing with an 'insolent' customer. But no. According to Chibnal all racists are psychotics on the verge of breaking as soon as they have to interact with a black person.
Then there's the supporting characters... why are they such insufferable people? They are so painful to listen to, constantly moaning, zero jokes. Why are they so bored? First time time traveling, and all they can do is complain. Rose was my least favorite companion, but at least she was excited to go places and even enjoyed chatting to people. This is not hard stuff, have someone be upbeat, someone be fascinated, someone be in shock, and then if you must, have someone who is just a bit sick of the whole space thing. But three people who don't want to be there? Are you deliberately trying to get people to hate this show?
Finally, please don't hate me for this one, but it has to be said. The plot is stupid. No historian (ever) is going to tell you that Rosa Parks was integral to the civil rights movement. It is actually quite funny that the racist-from-the-future is trying to stop Rosa in a town that also has MLK in it. People still quote 'I have a dream' to this day. It is unintentionally funny when the grandson is introduced to MLK and looks suitably impressed, when before he didn't even know what Rosa did. To be clear, I am grateful that her story is being told, but don't lie and pretend that we would still have segregated buses in the US if she hadn't stood up that day. Give her her due, don't make her out to be someone she isn't, it discredits whatever message you were trying to peddle.