I found the “I can’t walk without the bubble” bit a bit of a stretch

That was my first reaction, too…but thinking about it a little more, these are people who have been trained from presumably a very young age to respond to auditory stimuli, and actively ignore visual inputs when moving around. In that context, I think it could actually make sense.

And in the end, I like that touch. Yes, it’s a bit of a gag…but it also highlights that on at least some level, these people are victims of the system, too - they’re assholes, but it’s at least in part because they exist in a system that shaped them to be that way.

Also felt a bit of environmentalism at the end

Hmm, I hadn’t thought of that. But then again, I also wasn’t thinking of the racial implications of that scene, which in hindsight are pretty obvious.

We’re no closer to figuring out the mysterious woman, and I’m struggling to find what the connection could be.

Me too, but I’m glad the Doctor and Ruby have both noticed that something’s up at this point.