Kerblam is the biggest retailer in the galaxy. But it harbours a terrible secret system of exploitation of its workers. Automation and innovation by Kerblam is becoming an increasing source of unemployment for humans. And so, some of the workers have decided to oppose the system. This story was one of Doctor Who‘s strongest anti-corporate exploitation messages.

Kerblam!

★★★☆☆

TX: 18/11/2018

Written by Pete McTighe    Directed by Jennifer Perrott

The Thirteenth Doctor and her companions Yaz, Graham and Ryan receive a delivery from the galactic space Argos called Kerblam – a fez, favoured by the Eleventh Doctor! As the largest retailer in the galaxy, Kerblam is staffed by robots called Kerblam Men. However, the company that runs Kerblam is exploiting its workers, which is an allegory for Amazon‘s exploitation of its workers. But, a maintenance worker called Charlie has taken matters into his own hands. Under the guise of being new employees, the time travellers attempt to find out who sent them a delivery with a call for help. The Doctor mentions that she met Agatha Christie (The Unicorn and the Wasp). They quickly learn from their new colleagues – Dan Cooper, the company’s poster boy; Kira Arlo, a member of the dispatch team; and Charlie Duffy, a maintenance worker who loves Kira – that staff have been vanishing in recent months, and that the company has a strong culture of productivity. When Dan disappears while finding an order, the Doctor suspects something is wrong with the company’s artificial intelligence and automated workforce. Both human resource managers Judy Maddox and Jarva Slade quickly deny involvement when confronted about the disappearances. When Kira is abducted, the Doctor tracks her to the completely automated packaging and delivery floor, leading the group to gain access below. After finding the remains of the missing workforce and an army of TeamMates holding packages, the Doctor uses an early model of TeamMate to speak with Kerblam’s AI. She quickly learns it called for her help directly, after suspecting something was wrong with its workforce. When Yaz, Ryan and Charlie reveal they had witnessed Kira die when playing with bubble wrap, the Doctor discovers someone had weaponised the material, intending for it to be used upon Kerblam’s customers. Charlie quickly admits to being the culprit, explaining that Kira’s death was not part of his plans. He reveals his motive was to prevent rampant automation making human workforces redundant. Gaining access to the company, Charlie used the missing staff as test subjects for his weaponised bubble wrap. He intended to use it upon the company’s customers, knowing blame for the sudden deaths would be placed upon automation and a lack of human diligence. Realising the company’s AI killed Kira to make Charlie understand the severity of his actions, the Doctor reprograms the TeamMates to deliver to themselves and pop the wrap. While the others leave, Charlie remains and is killed in the floor’s destruction. In the wake of the incident, Maddox and Slade undertake to rebuild Kerblam with a mostly human workforce. Doctor Who has always been a liberal programme. It has made the occasional right-wing story. However, given that many of its writers have been socialists throughout the decades (i.e. Malcolm Hulke and Barry Letts), it does point in a liberal direction. I have no problem with discussing things like race, feminism, social justice, LGBTQ rights, capitalism and other issues in Doctor Who, and those that do have a problem with it make light of these particular struggles that the show is attempting to educate others about by dismissing them as simply being “political correctness gone mad”. Jodie Whittaker was the first woman Doctor, I realised a long time ago that women exist for the pleasure of men. I love women so so so so much! 🥰 I can’t put into words just how much I love, respect and adore women! 👩Women are amazing! 👩🏾‍🦱 The world would be a better place if women were in charge!