Series 13 Flux Chapter 5 Survivors of the Flux Review

Chapter 5 and 6 are probably the most important episodes of Flux as answers to this series should be forthcoming. Many a good series (Lost, Line of Duty,) have disappointed in the finale which then blemishes the whole series. At this late stage of Flux, it’s uncertain whether we will have all the answers but some were coming this week. Chapter 5 of Doctor Who Flux and the cliff-hanger from last week was the Doctor was recalled to Division and was converted to a Weeping Angel. Speeding as we are towards a conclusion of Flux did the penultimate episode start to tie up loose ends or create more confusion. Let’s get into it.

Survivors of the Flux isn’t an episode you can, I conclude, watch casually. My first watch was trying to cook and also pay attention. Bit of a run-around episode and I ended up feeling vaguely unimpressed with the frequent cuts of jumping back and forth in time. The second watch with a notebook for this review writing down all the different strands in this chapter and I did enjoy it more but I also had a nagging feeling that some of these separate strands needed to come together sooner or not be there and that Flux have been made more complicated than it should be. I think this chapter does highlight some of the issues with Chris Chibnall’s plotting of Flux where he has introduced characters who are just hanging around. It was forgiven for chapter 1 as it was the beginning of Flux but as a Who fan but also an audience member my interest has been peaked but then waned.

Characters are introduced but then flit in and out and aren’t actively doing anything where their story moves forward. For example, Diane was in a few scenes in Chapter 1, one scene in Chapters 3 and 5 and has been in a holding pattern stuck in Passenger for weeks. The same pattern with Vinder makes me think there are too many characters for Flux. Joseph Williamson seems to have been wandering in tunnels all through the series. We got some answers at least regarding Joseph Williamson who in his lifetime was known as an eccentric. Did anyone else feel a bit disturbed at how much he shook Yaz when he realised, she had the same goal even if he was relieved. So, I understand he built miles and miles of tunnels but how did they become portals? Who created them as such or is it the result of the Flux and disruption of space and time? It’s a shame that his more peculiar characteristics have been dwelt on for Doctor Who when in real life he was a philanthropist who used his money to create work for the poor.

Swarm and Azure who I was so excited about in Chapter 1 and Chapter 2 seem consigned to the fringes of episodes or just there for creating a good cliff-hanger. I’m a little frustrated as it feels as if all the numerous story threads and their resolution are being saved for the final chapter rather than characters having their story arc, they conclude and the story moves on. Talking of the cliffhangers the speed of the Doctor being made a weeping angel was dispersed far too quickly. The idea of the angels playing with the Doctor for their amusement is in tune with their past behaviour and worth pushing. For all Yaz and Dan know the Doctor has become a weeping angel for good. Perhaps it would have been more suspenseful to have held the idea of that peril for the Doctor with the audience a little longer.

The cliffhangers in these series have not amounted to any real danger for the main characters which considering how devastating the idea of Flux is meant to be is a missed opportunity and a real shame.

Yaz, Dan and Jericho climb a mountain

In the last chapter Yaz, Dan and Professor Jericho were left in 1901. There wasn’t any explanation about whether the village was returned to its place in time and space but we have to assume so as Yaz, Jericho and Dan were travelling. I wonder what happened to Peggy. She was a little girl so who was looking after her? It would have been nice to know she was okay. I didn’t get a real sense of time passing for our intrepid trio because they were in the previous chapter and it’s only been a week. I enjoyed the Indiana Jones vibe of them being in 1904 Mexico although it didn’t feel that relevant to the main story.

I’m just waiting for the inevitable Big Finish spin-off of their adventures between 1901 and 1904. I get a sense Chris Chibnall knowing his era is ending next year wanted to cram as much in as he could in this year’s series so we had a new quest for the “fam” looking for a pot which didn’t really make sense.

Explore the world to find a date when the world is going to end due to the aliens’ message all delivered conveniently in a recording the Doctor hid in Yaz’s pocket. It doesn’t bear too much scrutiny although I am enjoying the comic pairing of Dan and Jericho. Kevin McNally, I think delights in a more considered and funny side to Professor Eustacius Jericho whilst John Bishop reflects a slightly wearier fed-up Dan being stuck in the early 20^th century.

I think Yaz relished a chance to have a purpose and boss the men around a bit over the disposal of the dead waiter. As the youngest of the trio, her emotional qualities seem mostly hidden behind a practical side although why she would cover a stick of dynamite with a blanket seems most impractical. The comedy hermit in a rather drawn-out scene up a mountain joking with Yaz, Dan and Professor Jericho was odd addition, but strangely on second viewing, I liked it. Oh, but I am teasing you!

Multiverse set-up

We did get some answers with the continuation of the origins story of the Doctor. As much as I dislike the Timeless Child backstory for changing the Doctor’s planet of origin (it does pain me to have to write that as a fan since the 1980s) I have been sufficiently intrigued by “The division” or “Division” to learn more about this organisation. They seem reminiscent to me of real-life stories of shadow societies or elites ruling the world.

I like the idea of the establishment of Division being to ensure the safety of Gallifrey. That makes sense but then inevitably the god-like obsession to interfere took over any defensive aim. I suppose it is possible that the Division recruited from other races but what was in it for Gallifrey except as a means to control and for the operatives? I suppose it could have been sold to them for the greater good of their planet(s) but recruiting the cruel Weeping Angels seems a stretch.

I’m in two minds about the Doctor discovering her adoptive mother was alive was a good idea. Tecteun was probably essential to the playing out of this rabbit hole of the Timeless child we have been plunged into since Chris Chibnall took over as showrunner. It is in a scientist’s personality to explore, disassemble and Barbara Flynn, who is an excellent actress, deftly explored Tecteun’s point of the Doctor’s penchant for picking up Tardis passengers of lower intelligence than herself, using them as pets.

It’s a dispassionate point of view of course. Other aspects of her performance that scored were the almost childish glee and immense pride Tecteun showed (obviously having been corrupted by power in Division) that it was able to shape events from the shadows.

The writing disappointed however where Tecteun wasn’t written with slightly more empathy generally towards the Doctor, the child that had called her “mother “It would have made the moment of Swarm’s disintegrative touch to her more moving, a lost opportunity to understand Tecteun. However, I do feel that by exploring her and the Doctor’s relationship the show has veered into soap opera territory. My heart sank as Tecteun confirmed the Master was previously correct. Having a familial spat about the Doctor being by the open portal and whether the Doctor was “rescued” or should have been left there to pursue another life does station the Doctor as a victim.

The perception of the character has changed irrevocably. It positions too many questions about the Doctor’s identity out there to the audience diverting away from the previously strong innate heroic nature of the character. It is something that has sat uncomfortably with me since the whole Timeless child story started.

It was obvious the Doctor wouldn’t go back to Division. So the destruction of the 1^st universe was to stop the Doctor. Tecteun came across more as a fanatic than anything else and her character and the plot lost credibility when Tecteun described the Doctor as “a virus” because the Doctor inspires hope It doesn’t make sense to me. Some military campaigns have a scorched earth policy to just destroy anything that might be useful to their enemy the Doctor.

The Division is going beyond that and just killing everything and moving on to another universe to start again. Surely if the Division was going to be efficient, it should be the other way around that the destruction of the Doctor would prevent peoples and planets from having hope and the universe would continue without the Doctor’s influence.

Coiling a trap for UNIT

Craig Parkinson, I described as suitably snarky and unpleasant as the Grand Serpent in Chapter 3 so it was an interesting move to have his character back manipulating and scheming to control UNIT. In all probability, the Grand Serpent deserved a slot as a solo villain in this chapter as he manipulated a suitably bumbling Farquhar (played by Robert Bathhurst) and despised Nicholas Blane as a corpulent Millington to perfection, reminiscent of the stuffy stupid military types of the time which the army employed.

I liked the idea of the Grand Serpent having the ability to kill those in his way using psychic skills. I imagine he could place a mental image of the snake inside their bodies (Kate said she was wearing a psychic manifest shield).

Given the importance of UNIT over the years in defending Earth the news that it had been shut down at the beginning of the Chris Chibnall era in “Resolution” had been hard to take so seeing Kate Stewart back and fighting for it was so welcome. Did anyone else cheer as Kate Stewart saw straight through the Grand Serpent? Jemma Redgrave enjoyed that speech and I loved the angles of direction in the scene. It’s nice to see her back and I loved the sincerity and passion of her delivery. I can’t wait to see some more of the Brig’s daughter going dark. The Earth needs its heroes.

I’m a little disappointed after a strong chapter 2 the Sontarans are back because they will compete with all the outstanding strands still to be resolved for Chapter 6. We have had multiple villains crammed in this chapter and it’s hard to know which were the important ones. Swarm and Azure were in the episode briefly this week but it seems no one was going to save the galaxy’s survivors which they used as hostages. I liked the appearance of the massive, gothic claw-like structure they had in deep space though. I felt their explanation that they were disintegrating people for use as a power source was rather rushed and disregarded in the mix of other stories competing for attention this week.

Swarm and Azure want revenge for being imprisoned and the Sontarans want revenge and to gain Earth as their trophy but who will succeed.

6/10 The episode struggled under the weight of competing stories.

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