Warning: Contains spoilers, and elements not suitable for those with arachnophobia. Like, well… me. DAMMIT, DOCTOR WHO!

As is my usual style, I don’t want spoilers for anyone who hasn’t yet watched the episode, so I’ll put in a little spoiler space. In the interests of staying thematically appropriate for jump scares…

• That was… uncomfortable watching. I was curious to see how they’d follow up last week’s excellent Rosa, and the concept of Spiders had me thinking all sorts of thoughts, mostly around the classic Planet of the Spiders.

• Watching Bluey on ABC HD right before Doctor Who is downright weird. OK, maybe that’s a very specific, ABC only problem, but still… watching a small blue dog pretend to repair an imaginary car is quite out there. Possibly even a good antidote to the fact that I want to hide UNDER the sofa right now. Except that there are probably spiders under there.
• Still loving that theme tune and intro. I hope it’s not just me.
• Having said that, I’m not a big fan of that new time vortex. Too disco.
• Jodie’s energetic performance is engaging, but at times it almost shifts into, well… this guy:

• Having been concerned about the 3 companions setup, this week’s episode did even more to create actual living, breathing characters, especially for Graham, whose journey of grief is being very delicately handled. I don’t have any other frame of reference for Bradley Walsh, but he’s doing good work here.
• I can’t be the only Australian who saw the spiders and thought “Oh, that’s just a huntsman”… can I? (Yes, I’m still creeped out by them, but still)
• The inclusion of Chris Noth didn’t do that much for me, what with the total zero care I have for Sex & The City, but I get that he’s a “name”. I was a bit surprised that The Doctor didn’t go all Harriet Jones on him to scupper his US presidential bid. All that pantomime villain work… and he gets away with it? I did rather like the “you’re that bloke” bit, though.
• I was wrong. This wasn’t Planet of the Spiders. It was in fact The Green Death

• Also, EDF, EDF!

• Spiders are into Grime. That I did not quite see coming. Somehow, it worked without feeling too silly.
• Lovely showing of the Doctor’s compassionate approach. But I still hate spiders.
• GO AWAY WITH YOUR DAMNED ROVE MCMANUS INTRUSIONS ABC!
• (it was at least quick this week)

Next week: The Tsuranga Conundrum. Anyone else thinking “Leela from Futurama”? Just me?