Doctor Who ‘The Story and the Engine’ review: Just a trim, thanks

"The Story and the Engine" is praised as a well-written episode highlighting the strength of the show's acting and scripts. The Doctor visits a barbershop in Lagos, seeking both a haircut and a sense of community as a Black man. He discovers the barber is trapping people to use their stories to fuel a story engine. Belinda joins the Doctor, venturing into the barbershop after the TARDIS alerts her to an anomaly. Abena, daughter of Anansi, initially aids the Barber, but switches sides after realizing his destructive goals. The Doctor uses a story of Belinda’s heroism and his own life story to defeat the Barber and his story engine. The Barber reforms, taking over the barbershop with good intentions, and Abena departs. The episode explores themes of storytelling, community, and the power of narrative, despite feeling somewhat overstuffed with ideas. The reviewer suggests that the episode’s themes and narrative would be well-suited to an extended format.