Doctor Who: The Devil's Chord: Preview

The second episode (technically the third counting the Christmas special) of the Doctor Who reboot is likely to be the most polarising among long-term fans.

It's also the hardest to preview, as most of the shocks and surprises come from some truly brazen moments committed to screen, most of which are too spoiler-heavy to reveal in a preview.

When Ruby's given the choice to go anywhere, she chooses Abbey Road in 1963 to see the Beatles at work. But when the Doctor takes her there, the pair discover the world is in danger and sits on the brink of chaos thanks to the intervention of Jinkx Monsoon's Maestro, an enemy the Doctor does not believe he can defeat...

The Devil's Chord takes some big, big swings - but it opens in a way that both shows off how Who works best by making the most mundane of things as menacing as possible. In the way that plastic was irrevocably made evil way back in The Terror of the Autons, Russell T Davies makes a simple piano lesson one of the darkest and most terrifying moments thanks to the show's opening scenes.

With the production design catching all the elements of the era with ease, it's the details that makes The Devil's Chord shine. 

But this episode is easily Jinkx Monsoon's time to shine - and they seize with incredible gusto, bombast and occasionally moments of OTT scenery-chewing.  It's like the Cheshire Cat crossed with the Joker.

Yet when Maestro needs to flip to malevolence, the speed at which Monsoon changes pace is utterly enthralling. Matched up against Gatwa's charisma, the screen is filled with the kind of characters that make the show what it is.

With mentions of Totters Lane, Susan and the Doctor being scared about his soul being torn in two after bigeneration, there's much to sink your teeth into here. And that's before the question of Ruby Sunday's existence comes under the spotlight again and an apparent issue with the TARDIS. Davies is throwing a lot out in subtle ways throughout; hopefully the episodes stick the landing.

Yet if Monsoon is the star of this episode, it's not to detract from Millie Gibson and Ncuti Gatwa's partnership again, which here feels like mates in space but also gives pauses to consider their characters' vulnerabilities.

There will be much to discuss about The Devil's Chord after its aired (that ending) but for now, suffice it to say that the second episode very much sets the tone after the first - it's big on brassy bold moves and shows every inclination that the series is once again strenuously rebooting and expanding, while staying true to its roots.

Doctor Who: The Devil's Chord premieres on Disney+ on May 10.