Doctor Who‘s newest season has taken audiences to the depths of space and far into the future, but its most recent episode, “Rogue,” is a classic historical adventure. After coming to Bath in 1813 for a night of dancing with society’s upper crust, the Doctor and Ruby Sunday get more than they bargained for when they encounter shapeshifting aliens and a mysterious bounty hunter. Instead of centering the story around a particular historical figure or event, this episode takes inspiration from the popular Netflix series, Bridgerton.

Premiering in 2020, Bridgerton took the world by storm with its steamy romances and melodramatic plots. It also stood out from other popular period dramas with its revisionist history, racial diversity and instrumental covers of popular modern songs, setting a new trend in the genre. Not only is Doctor Who‘s recreation of Bridgerton‘s world pitch-perfect, but it also comes at just the right time and sets the stage for some important character development for the Doctor.

Doctor Who Recreates the World of Bridgerton With Great Detail

‘Rogue’ Borrows Heavily From Bridgerton’s Storylines and Creative Choices

Although Doctor Who sets its story in Bath instead of London, “Rogue” is positively brimming with Bridgerton references. First, the Doctor and Ruby choose to visit 1813, the same year that Bridgerton‘s first season takes place. The episode opens with two men, Lord Galpin and Lord Barton, arguing because Barton has crossed the boundaries of propriety with Galpin’s sister but refuses to marry her to save her reputation. Barton proposes that they duel, which is precisely what happens in Bridgerton Season 1 with Anthony Bridgerton and Simon Basset. The Doctor and Ruby then attend a ball hosted by the Duchess of Pemberton, an “arbiter of taste” who promptly sets about finding a suitor for Ruby. This is not unlike Lady Danbury, who always hosts the first ball of the season and often helps young debutantes navigate society and courtship.

Ruby later interrupts a scandalous scene when she catches Barton and Miss Emily Beckett alone together, and Emily laments that her reputation is ruined. Ruined reputations have been a common concern throughout Bridgerton, with Simon and Daphne rushing into marriage after they were seen kissing, Marina racing to find a husband after becoming pregnant out of wedlock, and Lady Featherington pretending to catch Jack in a compromising position with Prudence so they have to become engaged. Emily is also surprised when Ruby stays and comforts her rather than rushing off to spread the gossip. Gossip is part of the lifeblood of Bridgerton, with Lady Whistledown’s scandal-filled newsletter being a throughline for each season. Meanwhile, the Doctor meets Rogue, a standoffish rake, for whom he gradually falls throughout the episode. This is reminiscent of Daphne and Simon’s budding relationship in Bridgerton Season 1, as well as Kate and Anthony’s in Season 2.

Aside from familiar plot points, Doctor Who also incorporates some of Bridgerton‘s stylistic hallmarks. The most obvious of these is its use of Vitamin String Quartet’s orchestral covers of Billie Eilish’s “Bad Guy” and Lady Gaga’s “Poker Face.” Bridgerton has famously used many of the quartet’s versions of various pop songs, allowing them to blend more easily into the Regency Era setting. Doctor Who also cast racially diverse actors for the historical episode, even without the revisionist history that the Netflix series established to explain the creative choice. At the same time, LGBTQ+ relationships still aren’t socially acceptable, much like in Bridgerton, allowing the Doctor and Rogue to cause a scene when they dance together. Said dance was even choreographed by Jack Murphy, who also was also a choreographer for Bridgerton.

The Chuldur Take Their Bridgerton Fandom to the Extreme

The Doctor Refers to the Chuldurs’ Shapeshifting as Cosplay

Taking center stage as the villains of this Doctor Who episode is a family of Chuldurs, a type of shapeshifting alien that enjoys roleplaying as different kinds of people. Unfortunately, they need to kill the person to take their likeness, and they plan to take their games to a global scale. The Chuldurs are drawn to this particular time and place on Earth because of their exposure to Bridgerton, turning the hit series from a global phenomenon to an intergalactic sensation. They live for the show’s gossip-inducing stories, which is further reflected in the roles they choose to inhabit. For instance, the scandalous scene Ruby witnesses between Barton and Emily not only feels like it came straight out of Bridgerton but is also entirely fabricated, as both characters are actually Chuldurs in disguise. They’re also thoroughly committed to the bit, with “Emily” staying in character until she decides she wants to become Ruby next.

Unlike the social commentary of episodes like “Dot and Bubble” or “Boom!,” the Chuldurs in “Rogue” aren’t necessarily a critique of real-world fans. Although they express their love for the series in very destructive ways, they also demonstrate the universal appeal of shows like Bridgerton. The Chuldurs’ games reflect real-life audiences’ desire to embody their favorite characters and step into the stories they love through events like The Queen’s Ball: A Bridgerton Experience. They also provide an interesting contrast to the Doctor and Ruby, who also come to this era to get a taste of the world that inspired Bridgerton. The Doctor even gets a bit closer to the real thing when he meets his new love interest at the ball.

Doctor Who’s Bridgerton Episode Is the Perfect Way to Revive the Doctor’s Love Life

The Doctor Hasn’t Had a Full-Fledged Relationship Since River Song

While it might just feel like a gimmick to some, Doctor Who‘s extended Bridgerton homage proves to be quite thematically relevant as well. The titular “Rogue” is a bounty hunter who teams up with the Doctor to defeat a group of alien shapeshifters called Chuldurs. The two quickly begin to develop feelings for each other and even share a kiss and a proposal before Rogue sends himself and the Chuldurs to another dimension. This marks the Doctor’s first romance in quite a while, with the Thirteenth Doctor acknowledging but not acting on her feelings for Yasmin “Yaz” Khan and the Twelfth Doctor saying goodbye to his wife, River Song, in the 2015 Christmas special. This makes the show’s use of one of the most popular romance series today especially fitting as the Doctor opens himself up to love again.

Romance has been a staple part of the modern era of Doctor Who. The Ninth and Tenth Doctors fell in love with Rose Tyler, the Eleventh Doctor married River, and even the Twelfth Doctor had a more romantic-leaning relationship with Missy, Michelle Gomez’s iteration of the Master. Having lost all of them and Gallifrey once again, the Thirteenth Doctor was understandably afraid to let herself fall in love with anyone new, knowing that she’d eventually lose them as well. In contrast, Ncuti Gatwa’s Fifteenth Doctor has been much more open about how he’s feeling and his tragic past than previous regenerations, thanks in part to the Fourteenth Doctor deciding to stop and take time to process everything that’s happened to him. As a result, the Fifteenth Doctor is still hesitant but ultimately ready for a new romance, and the show’s Bridgerton episode is the perfect time for him to meet someone.

Nineteenth-century romances are nothing new, with Bridgerton being just one in a long line of popular works in the genre. As such, Doctor Who joins a storied tradition by setting the Doctor’s newest romance at a ball in Bath in 1813. Of course, the series puts its own spin on things by introducing cosplaying aliens. It also turns the formula on its head by focusing on an LGBTQ+ couple during a time when their relationship wouldn’t be socially acceptable. The fact that “Rogue” was released during LGBTQ+ pride month – and between installments of Bridgerton Season 3 – only adds to its timeliness, both in-universe and in the real world. One only hopes that the Doctor will find Rogue again so they can continue their romance.