Series 13 Flux Chapter 2 War of the Sontarans Review

Chapter 2 of the Flux and the cliff-hanger from last week left the Flux ready to overwhelm the Tardis and her crew. It really was a how will they get out of this next week moment. It strikes me to ask why didn’t Chibnall just play to his strengths before? I liked so much of this episode that maybe it’s too apparent that a writer who enjoys using an ensemble cast should have just considered this format from the beginning.

It seems obvious that Chris Chibnall has struggled with the self-contained episode format over the last two series. I said last week that the series needed something fresh and this week Doctor Who brought back some old enemies into the fray. We had three strands to follow but did the episode bring any more clarity to The Flux. Where did the episode please, tease or displease? Let’s get into it.

Caught at Sevastopol during the Crimean War, Ukraine 1855

I must admit I don’t quite understand how our team ended up in the Crimea at Sevastopol circa 1855 although I assume the Tardis plotted to get them there. I do dislike the vagueness as it is explained by the Doctor later as “the Lupari shield worked but the Tardis took a hit” Maybe because we didn’t see the action but were told it came across as slightly niggling. Aside from that being at the Crimea was possibly the most emotionally satisfying segment as a much stronger Doctor emerged from Jodie.

I don’t know why Chibnall chose the Crimea, the Sontarans or Mary Seacole but it works so well having the 13th Doctor under fire literally and being separated from her companions. It is a well-worn scenario where the Doctor is placed in the middle of a war ( The War Games, Genesis of the Daleks) but I really liked how Jodie brought some well-directed anger into this situation. For me the Doctor works best as an explorer of space and time, supporting the downtrodden and railing against warmongers.

In this case, she is battling two fronts Sontarans and Lieutenant General Logan of the Light Division. His intransigence against the Doctor to stop the next day’s battle, his arrogance leading to the death of most of his men hits home for me. That waste of life. Soldiers do just follow their generals’ orders and we have to remember their sacrifice on Remembrance Sunday. Logan’s revenge later by blowing up the Sontaran ships, and the Doctor rails at him, is the act of ultimate cowardice. He’s the type of little man who will blame others. In some ways, his military mind isn’t dissimilar to Skaak’s all blood and glory for empire.

Praise to Jamie Magnus Stone for those scenes at Crimea. The colour filter of dark greys, greens against the black and red of the light division gives a washed-out hue. With the speed of his direction the scenes of dead soldiers and the battle with the Sontarans, even with the use of CGI looks grimly impressive. Jamie Magnus Stone allows the camera to move in close up on people’s faces which creates a sense of tension and urgency at times and events don’t feel static.

The representation of Mary Seacole by Sarah Powell is accurate to a point as Mary Seacole did independently with the help of a relative of her husband go to Crimea and set up the British hotel to sell food, supplies and medicines. Chris Chibnall uses a lighter touch than with “Rosa “ to explore a historical figure who was praised in her lifetime amongst the military for her good works. Mary Seacole as a more mature woman at this stage of her life, a compassionate doctress, who has established the British Hotel to treat injured soldiers doesn’t take any nonsense. Both she and the Doctor are trying to save lives in harsh times and I think that resonates with this female Doctor. I really enjoy their friendship, the way the Doctor admires Mary Seacole but also uses her strengths in note-taking as a tool against the Sontarans.

Oh, I loved Skaak. Jonathan Watson was a marvellously ruthless Sontaran commander and a throwback to a much truer representation of the traditional monster in the Pertwee and Tom Baker eras. The mention of Linx from “The Time Warrior” was a nice continuity touch. Linx staked a claim on Earth in the Middle Ages and the idea of them using a psychic command to sneak in before the Lupari shield covered the Earth is just genius. Skaak is a battle-worn general and probably the smartest or is that bloodthirsty Sontaran I’ve seen. I detected a bit of a Scottish accent to Skaak which added a bit of authority but then the vanity of him coming to Crimea wanting to ride a horse said so much more. His treatment of the hapless Svild, played Dan Starkey, with a dishonourable execution.

It felt like finally, we are closing the door on the domiciliated pet-like representation of Sontarans in a character like Strax, a semi-regular during the 11th and 12th Doctor. Jodie stepped up in stature as The 13th Doctor to equal Skaak which was very pleasing to see. She outwitted the dispatch Svild and that felt so Doctorish. I wish she’d had more moments like this before.

Probing modern-day Liverpool

The splitting of the team is something that Chris Chibnall has improved on since series 12 and it does allow our Tardis crew each an opportunity to be a protagonist in the larger story. Given that Dan has only just joined the crew I suppose it made sense for him to go back home. I did think the process to get him there was a bit convenient though. As Dan and Yaz start to fade the Doctor says it is because of “a collision between Flux and Vortex energy”. The vortex energy never touched them when the Doctor released some of out of the Tardis and if that’s the case why doesn’t the Doctor also fade? It didn’t really make sense. Placing the story in a location like Liverpool which is familiar to Chris Chibnall has allowed a bit of northern humour. It’s good to see Sue Jenkins again who played Jackie Corkhill in the Liverpool soap Brookside playing Dan’s mum. I can see why Dan’s a bit more chilled on his own looking at his mum and dad and their bickering relationship.

Whilst Dan’s mum and dad are quite fun and provide some light relief together I did find it a bit hard to accept that they were, as two quite ordinary civilians, so knowledgeable about the Sontarans and the probic vent after only two days. Yes, the Sontarans arrived six hours earlier there than anywhere else but even so, a bit longer such as two months yes I’d believe it. Dan’s strand I found less believable than the other parts. Would his parents really let Dan go on his own exploring by the docks with a bunch of soldiery aliens imposing a curfew? Thinking about it there was a Rise of the Cybermen’/’The Age of Steel vibe in this segment with an alien invasion plan.

However, the Sontarans in Liverpool really were a little lacklustre compared to Lumic’s Cybermen and from the strong and bloodthirsty group of Sontarans in the Crimea. The two Sontarans who were chasing Dan couldn’t shoot him for toffee when he should have died a few times and how Dan managed to move around the docks without being seen by Sontarans is stretching credulity. Dan’s hardly trained in reconnaissance ( or is he more than he seems? ). Seeing Karvanista again was so cool as he’s the dude who supposedly finds humans annoying but is still there to grudgingly complete his oath and save Dan.

There was a nice moment when they acknowledged each other as Dan left with the Doctor. Loved that they went both went down the waste chute with Karvanista howling as the lupine he is and then he shook his fur off over Dan. Great visual joke! He’s almost a replacement Captain Jack figure pledging to protect the Earth until the mystery of the Flux is resolved. It was a quick solution for Karvanista to use the Sontaran ship as a battering ram and destroy the other ships but I suppose Chris Chibnall wanted to move the story on and reconnect the team.

Repairing the temple of Atropos

Last week I said I wish there had been more emphasis on Yaz using her police skills when they were looking inside Dan’s house. This week Yaz was investigating with Commander Inston Vee Vinder, played by Jacob Anderson. Did I note a little chemistry between them or is that my imagination? Last series some of the mental health issues Yaz had previously had were explored in “Can you hear me” and its good that Yaz still uses her police identification but the initials etched on her hand does still make me worry about her lack of confidence as she relies on the Doctor.

I’m loving the look of the Mouri and the Guardian Priests. Elegant set. An intriguing concept is that time ran wild and they control it – “Time is Evil and will seek its own”. The major story is just beginning. Swarm, Azure and a new being called Passenger walked in unison into the temple this week like loaded mafia gangsters Their overall costumes and make-up look brilliant, they just glide as they walk and I can’t take my eyes off them. Sam Spruell as Swarm with his elegant suit is so coolly calculated with a personal grudge against the Doctor and teases major trouble. He IS menacing and his taunts to Yaz suggests they are/intend to be serious players with time. His sister Azure is the spiteful one who will crush your favourite flowers just because she can. I am excited to see what they are up to next week

In conclusion, it was much more focused and better for it episode. I’m so glad cliffhangers are back. Doctor Who is becoming interesting again. I think I overscored last week which should have been a 7/10 and this weeks episode was much better.

7.5 /10 For Mary Seacole, Skaak and me Mam’s wok

What did you enjoy most about the War of the Sontarans? Post your comments on here, The Big Blue Box Discord Server or on Twitter. Let’s talk!