History Recap / DoctorWhoS37E4ArachnidsInTheUK

** Robertson is depicted as a very clear {{Expy}} of UsefulNotes/DonaldTrump... until they quickly specify that he hates Trump and is aspiring to run against him in 2020.

* ExactWords: Yaz promises to tell her mother about The Doctor "after she gets back".

* {{Eagleland}}: Robertson is an overbearing, gun-toting American who doesn't understand why Team TARDIS doesn't act like "civilized people" and just shoot the problem. Given that the groups he's addressing also includes two non-Doctor affiliated people, could also be a commentary on how some Americans view the UK's generally anti-gun culture.

* AnnoyingYoungerSibling: Yaz's sister teases her about being MarriedToTheJob. Their bickering reminds the Doctor of her own sisters (which is the first time the Doctor's siblings have ever been mentioned on-screen).

*** The Doctor's line about being "rubbish with spiders" hearkens back to her last encounter with oversized arachnids.

* AnnoyingYoungerSibling: Yaz's sister teases her about being MarriedToTheJob. Their bickering reminds the Doctor of her own sisters. (which is the first time the Doctor's siblings have ever been mentioned on-screen).

* SheKnowsTooMuch: DownplaYed; Najia is fired by Robertson for walking in on a sensitive conversation between him and his most trusted staff, but he doesn't want her dead, just gone.

For once, the TARDIS lands ''when and where she's supposed to!'' Landing half an hour after they left at the end of [[Recap/DoctorWhoS37E1TheWomanWhoFellToEarth "The Woman Who Fell to Earth"]], The Doctor finally returns her companions to Sheffield, right in front of Yaz's building. Only Yaz's neighbour two doors down is missing, with her flat full of cobwebs and a huge spider, like the one Graham finds in his house when he returns there. And it turns out that the epicentre of a spate of unusual spider activity is the soon-to-be-opening luxury hotel Yaz's mum Najia was just fired from, for unwittingly walking in on the owner, wealthy American businessman [[Creator/ChrisNoth Jack Robertson]], telling one of his most trusted employees to get rid of something.

It turns out that another of Robertson's companies was contracted by a university lab to dispose of their waste, dead spiders they had been experimenting on to find uses for their silk. Only, the waste wasn't properly disposed of, and one of the spiders was NotQuiteDead… allowing it to grow into a van-sized monstrosity using the hotel as a nest. The smaller spiders are trapped in Robertson's panic room so they can die, but the mother spider, suffocating due to the SquareCubeLaw, is shot dead by Robertson anyway, to The Doctor's disgust. He avoids punishment... for now.

Ultimately, Ryan, Graham and Yaz decide to come travelling with The Doctor, completely of their own volition this time. Graham, in particular, thinks his grief over Grace would be better spent exploring the universe rather than sitting in an empty house. The newly-christened Team TARDIS throws the lever together, setting off for more adventures.

* AnnoyingYoungerSibling: Yaz's sister teases her about being MarriedToTheJob. Their bickering reminds The Doctor of her own sisters. (which is the first time The Doctor's siblings have ever been mentioned on-screen).

** He also takes Kevin's gun for his own use, seemingly planning on using it [[YouKnowTooMuch to dispose of The Doctor, Yaz, Najia and the scientist]]. Instead, he uses it to kill the mother spider.

* BigDamnHeroes: Subverted; in any other scenario Robertson coming in to kill the mother spider would be heroic. But, as The Doctor points out, the mother was already dying of suffocation and was more interested in escaping than harming them. Robertson instead calls the shooting a mercy kill and shows no remorse in front of an infuriated Doctor. It's clear that he was planning to kill the spider regardless.

** Najia's concern for Yaz, and asking her how she knows The Doctor, echoes [[Recap/DoctorWhoS27E4AliensOfLondon Jackie Tyler]] and [[Recap/DoctorWhoS29E6TheLazarusExperiment Francine Jones]].

* ComicallyMissingThePoint: When Robertson brags about how famous he is, The Doctor, only vaguely aware of who's famous at this point in time, asks if he's Music/EdSheeran. When Graham explains he's running for President in 2020, The Doctor assumes he still means Ed Sheeran.

* FunnyBackgroundEvent: While The Doctor examines the spider laboratory, Ryan uses a projector to make shadow puppets.

* HistoryRepeats: Much like in [[Recap/DoctorWhoS29E6TheLazarusExperiment "The Lazarus Experiment"]], after a few episodes of travelling, The Doctor is ready to return her companions home for good, only for them to discover another adventure there. After the adventure is over, The Doctor and companions decide to continue travelling together.

* ItsALongStory: Yaz's response when Najia asks her how she met The Doctor.

** Also, just shooting the spiders is actually the more humane option if they can't reverse the mutations; otherwise, they face death by suffocation like the mother spider as they grow beyond their organs' ability to keep their bodies going, or starvation while trapped where they can't get food. When Robertson says shooting is more merciful, he's ''absolutely right'', even if, as The Doctor says, mercy is clearly not his motivation.
* JumpedAtTheCall: At the end, Graham, Ryan, and Yaz all volunteer to join The Doctor on her journey, despite The Doctor warning them of the dangers and that they will become different people than who they are now.

* MistakenForGay: Yaz's mum asks if she and The Doctor are seeing each other. The Doctor has to ask Yaz if they are.

* RunningGag: Najia correcting The Doctor whenever she refers to her as "Yaz's mum" instead of by name, and Robertson when he mispronounces her name as "Nadia".

** After saying "the spider mother in the ballroom", The Doctor comments that that sounds like "the best novel Edith Wharton never wrote."

** Nor is it explained how a giant spider ended up in Graham's house (when neither he, Grace nor Ryan have any connection to the lab). How many other mutated spiders were outside of the hotel hunting when The Doctor trapped the main nest, and [[FridgeHorror how many are still roaming around Sheffield]]? Given that part of what drove their actions were the mutated pheromones given off by the mother spider, they may simply die out naturally.

** [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking We never learn if The Doctor found the Khans' missing parcel in Anna's flat]].

* WhyDontYouJustShootHim: When The Doctor tries to propose a humane way of dealing with the spiders, Jack responds "Shooting's quicker". Despite this, he ends up co-operating with The Doctor's plan, for the most part.

For once, the TARDIS lands ''when and where she's supposed to!'' Landing half an hour after they left at the end of [[Recap/DoctorWhoS37E1TheWomanWhoFellToEarth "The Woman Who Fell to Earth"]], the Doctor finally returns her companions to Sheffield, right in front of Yaz's building. Only Yaz's neighbour two doors down is missing, with her flat full of cobwebs and a huge spider, like the one Graham finds in his house when he returns there. And it turns out that the epicentre of a spate of unusual spider activity is the soon-to-be-opening luxury hotel Yaz's mum Najia was just fired from, for unwittingly walking in on the owner, wealthy American businessman [[Creator/ChrisNoth Jack Robertson]], telling one of his most trusted employees to get rid of something.

It turns out that another of Robertson's companies was contracted by a university lab to dispose of their waste, dead spiders they had been experimenting on to find uses for their silk. Only, the waste wasn't properly disposed of, and one of the spiders was NotQuiteDead… allowing it to grow into a van-sized monstrosity using the hotel as a nest. The smaller spiders are trapped in Robertson's panic room so they can die, but the mother spider, suffocating due to the SquareCubeLaw, is shot dead by Robertson anyway, to the Doctor's disgust. He avoids punishment... for now.

Ultimately, Ryan, Graham and Yaz decide to come travelling with the Doctor, completely of their own volition this time. Graham, in particular, thinks his grief over Grace would be better spent exploring the universe rather than sitting in an empty house. The newly-christened Team TARDIS throws the lever together, setting off for more adventures.

* AnnoyingYoungerSibling: Yaz's sister teases her about being MarriedToTheJob. Their bickering reminds the Doctor of her own sisters.
* BadBoss: Jack fires Yaz's mum on the first day for unknowingly walking in on a private conversation, [[DirtyCoward shuts his bodyguard Kevin in the bathroom with the mother spider and leaves him to die]], and [[NeverMyFault blames everyone but himself for what's happening]].

** He also takes Kevin's gun for his own use, seemingly planning on using it [[YouKnowTooMuch to dispose of the Doctor, Yaz, Najia and the scientist]]. Instead, he uses it to kill the mother spider.
** Robertson is depicted as a very clear {{Expy}} of UsefulNotes/DonaldTrump... until they quickly specify that he's aspiring to run against Trump in 2020.

* BigDamnHeroes: Subverted; in any other scenario Robertson coming in to kill the mother spider would be heroic. But, as the Doctor points out, the mother was already dying of suffocation and was more interested in escaping than harming them. Robertson instead calls the shooting a mercy kill and shows no remorse in front of an infuriated Doctor. It's clear that he was planning to kill the spider regardless.

** Najia's concern for Yaz, and asking her how she knows the Doctor, echoes [[Recap/DoctorWhoS27E4AliensOfLondon Jackie Tyler]] and [[Recap/DoctorWhoS29E6TheLazarusExperiment Francine Jones]].

* ComicallyMissingThePoint: When Robertson brags about how famous he is, the Doctor, only vaguely aware of who's famous at this point in time, asks if he's Music/EdSheeran. When Graham explains he's running for President in 2020, the Doctor assumes he still means Ed Sheeran.

* FunnyBackgroundEvent: While the Doctor examines the spider laboratory, Ryan uses a projector to make shadow puppets.

* HistoryRepeats: Much like in [[Recap/DoctorWhoS29E6TheLazarusExperiment "The Lazarus Experiment"]], after a few episodes of travelling, the Doctor is ready to return her companions home for good, only for them to discover another adventure there. After the adventure is over, the Doctor and companions decide to continue travelling together.

* ItsALongStory: Yaz's response when Najia asks her how she met the Doctor.

** Also, just shooting the spiders is actually the more humane option if they can't reverse the mutations; otherwise, they face death by suffocation like the mother spider as they grow beyond their organs' ability to keep their bodies going, or starvation while trapped where they can't get food. When Robertson says shooting is more merciful, he's ''absolutely right'', even if, as the Doctor says, mercy is clearly not his motivation.
* JumpedAtTheCall: At the end, Graham, Ryan, and Yaz all volunteer to join the Doctor on her journey, despite the Doctor warning them of the dangers and that they will become different people than who they are now.

* MistakenForGay: Yaz's mum asks if she and the Doctor are seeing each other. The Doctor has to ask Yaz if they are.

* RunningGag: Najia correcting the Doctor whenever she refers to her as "Yaz's mum" instead of by name, and Robertson when he mispronounces her name as "Nadia".

* SheKnowsTooMuch: Downplayed; Najia is fired by Robertson for walking in on a sensitive conversation between him and his most trusted staff.

** After saying "the spider mother in the ballroom", the Doctor comments that that sounds like "the best novel Edith Wharton never wrote."

** Nor is it explained how a giant spider ended up in Graham's house (when neither he, Grace nor Ryan have any connection to the lab). How many other mutated spiders were outside of the hotel hunting when the Doctor trapped the main nest, and [[FridgeHorror how many are still roaming around Sheffield]]? Given that part of what drove their actions were the mutated pheromones given off by the mother spider, they may simply die out naturally.

** [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking We never learn if the Doctor found the Khans' missing parcel in Anna's flat]].

* WhyDontYouJustShootHim: When the Doctor tries to propose a humane way of dealing with the spiders, Jack responds "Shooting's quicker". Despite this, he ends up co-operating with the Doctor's plan, for the most part.

-->'''The Doctor:''' I eat danger for breakfast. ''[to Yaz]'' I don't. I prefer cereal. Or croissants. Or these little Portuguese fried...

* JerkassHasAPoint: Robertson's waste disposal company used the disused mineshafts underneath what became the luxury hotel as a landfill. Since the mineshafts ''were'' just empty space, using them as a landfill would both mean less land used for that purpose, and be cost-effective. A pity that the company, due to oversight and cost-cutting, didn't properly process the waste before dumping it — or take any steps to deal with the noxious gases the waste would emit.
** Also, just shooting the spiders is actually the more humane option if they can't reverse the mutations; otherwise, they face death by suffocation like the mother spider as they grow beyond their organs' ability to keep their bodies going, or starvation while trapped where they can't get food. When Robertson says shooting is more merciful, he's ''absolutely right,'' even if, as the Doctor says, mercy is clearly not his motivation.

* MarriedToTheJob: Sonya Khan claims her sister Yaz is this. Yaz shoots back [[SnarkToSnarkCombat that at least she ''has'' a job]].

* AnnoyingYoungerSibling: Yaz's sister teases her about being MarriedToTheJob. Their bickering reminds the Doctor of her own sisters. She then goes on to talk about being a sister in an alien hospital, so it's unclear if she has actual biological sisters.

** Thirteen's line "Can you imagine, me with a couch?" is reminiscent of Nine's [[Recap/DoctorWhoS27E13ThePartingOfTheWays "Can you imagine, me with no head?"]], especially since they both have northern accents.

* AnnoyingYoungerSibling: Yaz's sister teases her about being MarriedToTheJob. Their bickering reminds the Doctor of her own sisters. She then goes on to talk about being a sister in an alien hospital, so it's unclear if she has actual biological siblings.

* AnnoyingYoungerSibling: Yaz's sister teases her about being MarriedToTheJob. Their bickering reminds the Doctor of her own sisters.

** The Doctor was once a sister in an alien hospital that was actually a training ground for assassins.

* HistoryRepeats: Much like in [[Recap/DoctorWhoS29E6TheLazarusExperiment "The Lazarus Experiment"]], after a few episodes of travelling, the Doctor is ready to return her companions home for good, only for them to discover another adventure there. After the adventure is over, the Doctor and companions decide to continue adventuring together.

For once, the TARDIS lands ''when and where she's supposed to!'' Landing at half an hour after they left at the end of [[Recap/DoctorWhoS37E1TheWomanWhoFellToEarth "The Woman Who Fell to Earth"]], the Doctor finally returns her companions to Sheffield, right in front of Yaz's building. Only Yaz's neighbour two doors down is missing, with her flat full of cobwebs and a huge spider, like the one Graham finds in his house when he returns there. And it turns out that the epicentre of a spate of unusual spider activity is the soon-to-be-opening luxury hotel Yaz's mum Najia was just fired from, for unwittingly walking in on the owner, wealthy American businessman [[Creator/ChrisNoth Jack Robertson]], telling one of his most trusted employees to get rid of something.

* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: The spiders in Anna's apartment are never dealt with onscreen. Nor is it explained how a giant spider ended up in Graham's house (when neither he, Grace nor Ryan have any connection to the lab). How many other mutated spiders were outside of the hotel hunting when the Doctor trapped the main nest, and [[FridgeHorror how many are still roaming around Sheffield]]? Given that part of what drove their actions were the mutated pheromones given off by the mother spider, they may simply die out naturally. There's also no indication that Robertson, or anyone else, will do anything about the pile of mutagenic waste that remains underneath the hotel.

** [[Recap/DoctorWhoS29E6TheLazarusExperiment "The Lazarus Experiment"]]:
*** Much like that episode, this episode has the Doctor returning her companions home, intended as the end of their travelling together, but something is going on that results in both another adventure and the companions resuming travelling with the Doctor at the end.
*** Yaz's reunion with her mum also calls back to Martha's reunion with her mum in that episode.

** Robertson is depicted as a very clear {{Expy}} of UsefulNotes/DonaldTrump... until they quickly specify that he's Trump's political rival for 2020.

For once, the TARDIS lands ''when and where she's supposed to!'' Half an hour after they left at the end of [[Recap/DoctorWhoS37E1TheWomanWhoFellToEarth "The Woman Who Fell to Earth"]], the Doctor finally returns her companions to Sheffield, right in front of Yaz's building. Only Yaz's neighbour two doors down is missing, with her flat full of cobwebs and a huge spider, like the one Graham finds in his house when he returns there. And it turns out that the epicentre of a spate of unusual spider activity is the soon-to-be-opening luxury hotel Yaz's mum Najia was just fired from, for unwittingly walking in on the owner, wealthy American businessman [[Creator/ChrisNoth Jack Robertson]], telling one of his most trusted employees to get rid of something.

* JerkassHasAPoint: Robertson's waste disposal company used the disused mineshafts underneath what became the luxury hotel as a landfill. Since the mineshafts ''were'' just empty space, using them as a landfill would both mean less land used for that purpose, and be cost-effective. A pity that the company, due to oversight and cost-cutting, didn't properly process the waste before dumping it - or take any steps to deal with the noxious gases the waste would emit.

-->'''The Doctor:''' I eat danger for breakfast. ''[to Yaz]'' Actually, I eat cereal. Or croissants. Or these little Portuguese fried...