I loved Nate saying, "And then we formed a Beebo Voltron..." because it's so incomprehensible. It's barely comprehensible within the show.

I'm fine with Constantine joining the team, not necessarily thrilled, but I look forward to the inevitable showdown with Mick.

So, Arachnids in the UK. I... kind of hated it. Just didn't work for me at all. I think it's my least favourite ep this season so far.

There were good things. On the plus side:

• Yaz got some screentime! And a (very annoying) family! Big plus. Some nice character beats for Graham and Ryan too, with imaginary Grace and the letter from Deadbeat Dad. Also the Doctor jumping at a dinner invitation, which draws a pretty strong delineation with her previous incarnations.
• The spider CGI was pretty good. When there was a bunch crawling along the ceiling, it did look to me like there was a lack of variety/individuation in the animation, but generally it wasn't embarrassing. (I grew up on Classic Who, THIS IS MY BENCHMARK.)
• Funniest ep so far this season, I think:

"Why don't you do what normal people do, get a gun, shoot things like a civilized person?"

"Dude, I have all the authorization I ever need. [to Yaz] I call people 'dude' now."

"My husband's right. It's a conspiracy! Do you have any idea how annoying it is when my husband's right?"

"Are you two seeing each other?"
"[considers] I don't think so... Are we?"

"Are you Ed Sheeran?!"

But it just ultimately all fell flat for me. Start with the resolution:

• Attracting the spiders with grime was pretty neat, but. There are spiders all over Sheffield (all over the UK by now?), I don't see how clearing the hotel does that much. The toxic waste is still down there, and it appears Robertson's getting away with that. The solution was kind of cruel. Far as I can make out, all the spiders are either going to starve or suffocate (or start feeding on each other). All in all, the ep felt unfinished somehow.
• Robertson didn't shoot the queen spider out of mercy, but he wasn't wrong. A slow death from suffocation isn't better. I'm not sure what moral principle the Doctor was working from there, which is a problem for a show such as Doctor Who.
• That also leaves the Doctor's "No guns" policy feeling like it's just an aesthetic choice. Like the Doctor doesn't like guns in the same way that I don't like mushrooms.
• It feels like every ep this season so far has left matters unresolved. The Stenza (and Tim Shaw) are still out there. Krasko is still out there. And now Robertson toddles off, apparently to run for President unimpeded. I don't mind that every now and again (one assumes the Stenza at least will be back for their comeuppance), but it's starting to make this Doctor look ineffectual. Just treating the symptoms, never the cause.

Some other things:

• Chris Noth was too hammy. If he'd had a moustache he'd have been twirling it. (Plus, "I'm compromised!" [Anguish!] I wonder if there's an earlier draft where that idea went somewhere?) Doctor Who is at its best when the actors treat it seriously and not like they can panto it up because it's for kids. Noth's was by no means the most scenery-chewing performance that DW has ever seen, but it was a strange turn given his past performances. (He wouldn't need to step too far beyond Peter Florrick to make this work very well.)
• The Trump references... Hated them. There was no substance. It was woefully inadequate to just how screwed up things really are, which just comes off as trivialising it. (It could have provided some catharsis if the Trumpstitute had at least gotten punched in the face, but no, not even that.)
• I don't know if this is just me, but... giant spiders should have been scarier. I found this footage creepier than anything in the episode (spider warning, of course): [link] Or this: [link] I wonder if they toned it down deliberately.

Far as I can make out, all the spiders are either going to starve or suffocate (or start feeding on each other).

Yeah, I was thinking that too - herding all the babies into a tiny locked room to die of starvation and/or cannibalism seems like a great way to make sure there's one massive VERY ANGRY spider left at the end of the season.

One thing about the "Are you Ed Sheeran?" bit - I'd have to assume that if Not!Trump did eventually become President the Doctor would have recognized him, so HA. No White House for you, Noth.

I'm actually loving where Legends seems to be going ... do you suppose there's going to be an episode with the Tooth Fairy?

I'm way behind on Black Lightning, but I just finished episode 1, and I have to say that I love that Tobias Whale kills people using a harpoon?

I did not fully make that connection. What a great detail!

...I did not get that.

Looks like Sam Vimes will be on your television soon: [link]

I would love for that to happen, but they've been talking about doing that series for a very long time. Until I see a trailer, I remain sceptical.

That said, I wonder who they'll get to play Vimes.

I wonder who they'll get to play Vimes.

I wonder who they'll get to play the Patrician. Alas, that Alan Rickman is no longer with us.