Doctor Who season 12, episode 3 recap: Orphan 55

Doctor Who dives into climate change and global warming–and it’s jarring.

Doctor Who went all in during this week’s episode as it tackled global warming and climate change. The Doctor and her companions score an all-inclusive resort getaway which takes them to Tranquility Spa.

What’s the deal with this place? It’s not as perfect as it seems–right? Absolutely. Nothing on Doctor Who is ever safe or quiet, and although we may think what’s happening here, things change very quickly.

While everyone is off trying to get some rest and enjoy their vacation, the Doctor is busy researching their current location. This leads her to finding out that the planet they are on now is an “orphan planet”, a planet that was once thriving but was depleted of its resources over time. What’s left now is just what it’s become, and it’s not in great shape.

On this planet, the humans that were left behind mutated into creatures known as Dregs. They’re rather frightening, and not exactly the type of thing you want to think about when it comes to what could happen in the future.

Over the course of the episode, the Doctor and her companions meet new people, who help them face off with the Dregs and figure out a way off the planet. But that isn’t what sticks out during this Doctor Who episode, in fact, it is a very jarring reveal about the planet they are on.

It turns out Orphan 55 is Earth–our planet Earth. It ended up in this state as a result of global warming and climate change. And Doctor Who is intentionally asking its viewers to take notice of what’s going on in the real world. This is something this series thrives on, and it’s not surprising that they chose to take it on.

Whatever might happen in the future, we surely need to avoid becoming Dregs.

What did you think of this Doctor Who episode? Tell us what you thought below!