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| Dan, Yaz, and Professor Jericho search for answers while marooned in the early 1900s. |
THE PLOT:
The Doctor has been taken by The Division, which leaves Yaz, Dan, and Professor Jericho (Kevin McNally) stranded in the early 20th century. The Doctor anticipated this, however, and left Yaz a clue: a hastily recorded message giving her friends a mission to find out anything they can about the invasion that she's sure will come. The search leads them from pyramids to ocean liners... until the answer literally walks through their door in the form of 19th century Liverpool eccentric Joseph Williamson (Steve Oram).
As Yaz and her friends work to unravel the coming plot, the Grand Serpent (Craig Parkinson) is already bringing it to fruition. Using time travel technology of his own, he infiltrates the latter part of the 20th century, nudging UNIT's development just enough to fit his own agenda - while leaving a pile of bodies in his wake.
Meanwhile, the Doctor finds herself on a space station where the mysterious Awsok (Barbara Flynn), leader of The Division, reveals that she unleashed the Flux to destroy the universe. Her reason for doing so? The Doctor herself!
CHARACTERS:
The Doctor: Finally learns the reasons the Flux was unleashed. There's a decent moment when she is tempted by a promise to restore her lost memories... but since we never doubt that she'll refuse, the moment ends up being interesting more for its potential than its realization. Jodie Whittaker has been terrific all season, but this time she comes across a bit flat - probably because her role this time amounts to little more than "receiver of plot information."
Yaz: Takes charge in the Doctor's absence, effectively paying off the question she wrote on her palm: "What Would the Doctor Do?" Stranded in the past, with only a brief message from the Doctor to guide her, she focuses Dan and Professor Jericho on anticipating the alien threat. She also shows a hint of a ruthless side; after a would-be ocean liner assassin avoids questioning by killing himself, she coldly orders her companions to dump his body overboard, which briefly startles both of them. Mandip Gill is clearly enjoying her turn in the spotlight - and at the same time, looks fantastic in her Edwardian Adventuress getup.
Dan: His Encyclopediac knowledge of Liverpool history comes into play, as he recognizes the name "Joseph Williamson" when the mysterious 19th century traveler (Steve Oram) mentions it. That leads him, Yaz, and Jericho to the Williamson tunnels. When they find Williamson, Dan talks to him "one Scouser to another" - which quickly leads to him being slapped by the historical figure and threatening to slap him right back. Dan's compassion also shows itself when he catches Yaz in a moment of sad contemplation. Knowing the reason, he immediately offers reassurance that they'll see the Doctor again.
Professor Jericho: At this point, Kevin McNally's professor has become a de-facto companion in his own right... and I have absolutely no complaints about that. He, Dan, and Yaz make an engaging trio as they travel around the early 20th century world, hunting down any clue they can find. He's mostly a light comic figure here, but he receives a few moments that remind us that there's more to him than that, notably when he talks about his awareness of the horrors of World War I, only a little more than a decade off from where they've found themselves.
Bel/Vinder: They appear only briefly, just enough to put them in place for the finale. Bel ends up with Karvanista, just as the Lupari shield around Earth reaches a crisis point. Meanwhile, Vinder is captured by the Ravagers - but he seems to have anticipated this, and he declares that he has a plan. At this point, I'm fairly confident about where the Bel/Vinder subplot is going, but I genuinely like both characters and am interested in seeing how they reach their obvious destination.
The Grand Serpent: The Yaz/Dan/Jericho scenes are the episode's most enjoyable, but the Serpent's thread is the most interesting. His infiltration of UNIT allows for a lot of nods to the Classic Series, including references to The War Machines and a very welcome voice cameo. Parkinson's villain is highly effective, his cold disdain apparent even to the men who have allied with him - all of whom eventually come to regret that alliance...
Kate Lethbrige-Stewart: Jemma Redgrave makes a brief return, as we learn the reasons behind UNIT's shutdown. Kate is unfazed as she confronts the Serpent, brushing aside his artificially pleasant demeanor with a cold, "I see you." When he attempts to add her to his list of victims, she "goes dark" - presumably putting her in place for a larger role in the finale.
THOUGHTS:
To get the bad out of the way up front: The resolution to Village of the Angels' brilliant cliffhanger is a gigantic letdown, on the level of "Sarah Jane falls to the safety of a previously unseen ledge." Earlier this season, War of the Sontarans ended on an edge-of-the-seat cliffhanger which was resolved in an unexpected but perfectly in-character manner in Once, Upon Time. Here, the resolution feels like a lazy hand-wave.
I generally enjoyed the rest of Survivors of the Flux. It's probably the season's worst episode - but it earns that title largely by default. It's a set up episode, all about putting pieces in place for the finale, with little real identity of its own. There are a few decent character moments for Yaz and Dan, but this is basically an hour of "plot, plot, and more plot," which leaves little room for strong emotional engagement.
This is also the closest to a Doctor-lite episode that the Chibnall era has delivered. I doubt the Doctor is on screen for more than twenty minutes (if that), and virtually all of her screen time is devoted to Learning What the Plot Is. As I indicated in the "Characters" section, it's as well that she's not in much of it; her thread, while vital in informational terms, is easily the least enjoyable.
Hopefully, all the information imparted here will keep the finale from being a repeat of The Timeless Children's tedious exposition-fest. That said, to me this is the least engaging installment of the season. It's a necessary episode, and perfectly fine for what it is. But taken on its own, it's no more than "OK."
Overall Rating: 6/10.
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