TV Review // Doctor Who: Series 9, Episode 7: The Zygon Invasion
Caution: Spoilers Ahead!
Starring: Peter Capaldi,
Jenna Coleman, Jemma Redgrave, Ingrid Oliver
“Any race is capable of
good or bad…”
This episode of Doctor Who
is certainly well timed from a topical point of view. In fact, when you hear the words
‘radicalisation’ and ‘peace treaty’ in a show that often skirts on the edge of
comedy and fantasy in its plots it will raise an eyebrow or three. (Depending
on how many eyes you have, of course!) In the case of this week’s episode The
Zygon Invasion, current affairs comes to Doctor Who with a very overt reference
to the so-called current global ‘immigration crisis’.
The embodiment of this are
the Zygons, last seen in the Day of the Doctor back in 2013 and their seemingly
forgotten about plot point is picked up very effectively here. They have been
allowed to stay on Earth peacefully in human form and have been doing so until
recently, when certain cells of them have begun to call for the right to be
seen as they truly are rather than in the shape of a human being.
This first part of the
story, (another two parter, folks!), sets up a break neck pace narrative that
leaves the viewer desperate for more by the end of the episode and that truly excellent triple header cliff
hanger. After the much loved by fandom Osgood returns in a pre-credits sequence
that recaps the events of Day of the Doctor and establishes that the two Osgoods
are the embodiment of the treaty between the two races, and one of them (we’re
never entirely sure which version) is dead. Then the remaining Osgood is
kidnapped by the radicalised Zygon’s and UNIT come into play…
If the first few minutes
are unrelentingly dark it’s only a good thing. It takes true talent to make a conversation
with two little girls, (in fact the Zygon high command), in a playground a
serious prospect but when they are soon executed (in Zygon form, rather than
human, which might have been a whole other time slot) by their captors things
ramp up. This dark, urban drama vision of Doctor Who is certainly doing the
show no disservice and plays in stark contrast to the more jocular iterations of
previous series.
It’s clearly no coincidence that the Zygon’s ransom video for
Osgood and execution video for the aforementioned kidnapped High Command are
part of an episode so charged with politics. Indeed, sci-fi has a grand
political tradition running through it, from the early idealistic, almost utopian
visions of Star Trek’s original episodes to more show’s too numerous to mention
right up to today and Doctor Who is perfectly entitled to be part of that. (Even
if certainly, there will be many a Daily Mail reader choking over their coffee as
they watch!)
The best moments of this episode
though are the sheer deceptions that lead to the concluding minutes. When Clara
is revealed to be a Zygon copy and sets the horde on all of UNIT’s soldiers it’s
not expected at all. Similarly, the lone cop in New Mexico is more of an
obvious device but we’re still not sure what version of Kate Stewart is calling
into Zygon HQ and just quite how Mollie, in the guise of Clara, will take
things forward. Oh, and the air missile launched at the plane of The President
of the World? Next week will be interesting…
Clara: It’s amazing how
tying one’s hair back makes you look villainous! But, it works…
Music: More guitar from
The Doctor, this time playing Amazing Grace. Oh, and Doctor Disco? Doctor Funkenstein? We like! (We couldn't resist the image above from Facebook!)
Did you spot: A picture of
the first Doctor on the wall of the UNIT Safe House.
Next: The Zygon Inversion
(Review: S.Gahan / Images ©
BBC)
