The Halloween Apocalypse - A Doctor Who Flux Review
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- Опубликовано: 12 сен 2024
- Doctor Who Series 13, aka Doctor Who: Flux, kicks off by having Jodie Whittaker's 13th Doctor following an alien out to kidnap a man named Dan. Also there's some outer space phenomenon called the Flux that's threatening to destroy Earth and possibly the universe, there's some ancient foes of the Doctor who she doesn't remember, there's a woman being tracked down by a weeping angel, there's something going on in Liverpool in 1820, and there's Sontarans (not new Sontarans, old Sontarans)... look... there's just a lot here ok?
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So apparently I was meant to remember that "The Division" was the generically named Time Lord organization introduced in Fugitive of the Judoon that's tied into the Timeless Child. I would say that's on me, but now I'm just wondering why in the heck Karvanista (that's the dog alien's name I couldn't remember) worked for a secretive Time Lord organization and was deep enough into it to be able to provide any kind of useful information.
Also, good job Chibnall for making this apparently super important thing so forgettable :D
I wouldn't feel too bad, I would imagine that for anyone less invested than us the Division - who featured in a couple of episodes broadcast at the beginning of last year - would be forgotten. It probably wouldn't have gone amiss if they'd started the episode with a little montage of past episodes reminding the viewers who the Division are and then cut to the opening of the episode.
The Division were also the one who had the 'messy'* subplot in The Timeless Child - the interesting bit about the redhead kid that grew up to be a police agent, that died and had his memory wiped. Or something, I haven't been able to watch the episode again.
*Love the description of Chibnall's sci-fi attempts as 'messy'.
The impression I get is that The Division is a proto Celestial Intervention Agency, and having outside operatives is not unheard of. Agents and assets not tied to the Gallifreyan government, especially if they are working somewhat outside of the government's remit.
@@craigcharlesworth1538 yeah this is what “previously on” segments are designed for.
I wasn't aware while I was watching it, but the guy building the tunnels was a real life eccentric philanthropist called Joseph Williamson. He excavated a number of tunnels beneath Liverpool, the intended purpose of which are still a mystery.
This is one of the reasons I love Doctor Who. They tie in some inexplicable history like Agatha Christie, Queen Victoria's hemophilia etc.
That is cool~ I guess we are finally going to find out their purpose, then!
You can still visit the Williamson tunnels in Liverpool
So Dan, being a huge Liverpool history buff, will get to explain who he is and what he did! :-)
"The Devision" was the organization the Timeless Child was working for. Swarm says "they erased everything" or something like that in response to the Doctor not remembering him, probably referring to the Time Lords erasing the Timeless Child's memories. One of the people guarding Swarm has a weapon that is identical to the one the Fugitive Doctor had. So yeah, this season is gonna deal with the Timeless Child.
GOD
DAMNIT
My hopes for this season have been shattered.
I think it's also very possible that the reason the Doctor doesn't remember the villain in this story is because the encounters they had were with the Jo Martin Doctor specifically. That would be the perfect way to bring her back into the story AND give us a solid place in the timeline for her.
@@aisutistoto5771 same
The Division? The Timeless Child?? I have no recollection of such things. Please never mention them again
11:55 Now I imagine the dog aliens heading for earth everytime they heard of trouble only to have to turn back half way there because the doctor got to saving humanity first lol
Where were they when the 456 showed up? This was a silly concept, but I agree, that DW can do silly. I'm actually interested in who MADE these guys genetically linked in the first place? And most of them must just have better things to do, but I'd quite like to see a recurring pair of gene-bonded human-dog alien adventurers...He looks a lot like Chewbacca, maybe Han and Chewie inspired them?
@@HandofOmega I'll be interested to see if the entire species look like Karvanista, or if there are a wide variety of different breeds of dog alien...
"OK guys, there's a big spaceship zooming over London, better go help... oh, never mind, they left. And now they've blown up."
"OK, guys, there's Cybermen and Daleks shooting each other in Canary Wharf and... oh, they're gone."
"OK guys, where the hell did the Earth go?"
My new headcanon
one thing that I haven't seen mentioned about this episode is that the dialogue between the Doctor and her companions has been massively improved, both in pacing and wit, with the reduction to two main companions. I thought Yaz was great in this episode and she really took on a more traditional companion role here. I just see this episode as part one of six, literally being a set up episode. it felt very Smith era in the vein of Pandorica Opens or Impossible Astronaut- though I prefer those as establishing episodes more. in that sense of setting threads up it succeeded, though my enjoyment of it will fully depend on how the other parts play out. overall I'm pretty excited for the rest of the series, even though I have my reservations that Chibnall won't wrap everything up nicely and dedicate a lot of the specials to lore- which I think would be a disservice to Jodie's Doctor since she might not have room to breathe and just have a fun romp to end her era. cautiously optimistic would best describe my feelings!
Yes! There was more Doctor-Yaz rapport in this one episode than all their prior episodes combined.
That was something I noticed too. It was nice to see that improve
I felt Yaz took a more senior guiding role for Dan.
Daniel is our human link to the show.
Yaz is our link to the doctor.
While I understand that this episode is a lot of set up what I will say is that it was refreshing for a couple reasons:
One, it’s a new (to NuWho) experience.
It’s got a pace and energy that Chibnall stories and the era as a whole have lacked.
There are things to look forward to. The first time in several years of DW that I’ve been excited for the next episode.
Yes, it needs to land. But I enjoyed this a decent amount and I feel like there should be credit for doing something new and interesting.
Yeah! When it ended I did have that itchy feeling of "I wanna know what happens next!"
Ah, thats were i felt the opposite, i thought it wasn’t too original. Just my opinion but it felt like a disjointed mess.
This sums up my feelings exactly! The episode felt like a 50-minute trailer of what's to come, and I'm here for it!
@@kryten1016
My point wasn’t so much relating to the content but rather the experience.
Specifically of a season comprising of a singular serialised story :)
@@chazzacw3947 which i can completely respect you for, I’m not questioning the experience overall as it hasn’t happened yet. It just was just not too enjoyable for me and my friends. Personally i don’t have much hype for it, but that doesn’t mean you’re not allowed to have any :)
It felt like the first five minutes of six different episodes were put into a blender.
That's... pretty succinctly accurate.
That's exactly what I thought: this was the beginning of 6 episodes instead of 1 real episode. Introducing a dozen new characters with so many different stories, is just too much for a "kids show". Cold open was terrible, the rest was a lot better and love Dan and Karvanista, so I'm slightly optimistic about this series. Will keep watching even though it might play better as a bingewatch.
@@alfje5492 Why does everyone hate the cold open? That's the one thing I can't get my head around, I quite liked it. It's not like it was a breathtaking piece of art or anything, but it was fun
@@Bagofnowt I thought it was cringey, looked awful and the doctor yelling release was extremely annoying. There was no context for what was happening. And it didn't really add anything that important to the episode.
@@Bagofnowt Kill Disks with an accuracy worse than Stormtroopers, Dan's guardian dog has no problems with killing Yaz, the "release" 'joke', the gravbar that can be steered even when it breaks, ... It was just a loud, ugly and dumb combination of tropes (elaborate villain deathtrap that the doctor gets out of in seconds). It just set a really bad tone that, luckily, the episode didn't follow.
“Karvanista leaves traps behind him in case anyone follows him.” They’re traps that include accurate information about where he is in case anyone is having trouble following him, too
One of the more intriguing suggestions I've seen is that it wasn't Karvanista who left the laptop trap, but someone else. Someone who has a certain fondness for miniaturising things...
@@irrevenant8724 oooo I love that idea
I think that the fact that the main villain is someone who the doctor has a past with but doesn't remember and the division is somehow involved and the doctor is still looking for answers means that he isn't dropping the timeless child and that this is part of that whole story.
It reminds me of how Stubagful summed up/described Dinosaurs on a Spaceship: "It's essentially an exercise of throwing stuff in the viewer's face in the hope one of the ideas will have an impact. Lots of ideas, little cohesion between them."
Well,I can see that but I had a good time and I wasn't annoyed with "The Halloween apocalypse" as I was with "Dinosaurs..."
But that one had less awful dialogue!
I love Dinosaurs on a Spaceship 😂
The difference is that _Dinosaurs on a Spaceship_ wasn't a Part 1. The ideas don't *have* to have cohesion yet. The Silents, the impossible astronaut and River Song didn't have cohesion at the start of S6 either. Give it time.
As an aside, I seem to be in a minority of people who actually really enjoyed _Dinosaurs on a spaceship._ It was exactly the sort of goofy episode that you can only do in Doctor Who and that we need sometimes as a break between the more serious stuff.
@@irrevenant8724 It didn't finish goofy, if I recall though. Got REALLY dark at the end once they figured out what was going on.
Yes it's a lot of new characters and plots but it's just part 1 of a 6-parter so I don't expect everything to make sense right away as it is intended to just start to set the table. I love how cinematic this episode looks!
Aside from Claire’s story they’re not very compelling though. Another villain from the past the Dr doesn’t remember? Ok... the Sontarans? People know the Sontarans! Why is there a weeping angel? Oh people like those! And the universe is ending! Doctor Who is at its best when it’s revealing things about people. This is just... throwing in everything to see what sticks and not much has so far.
Plus there are also the three specials that Chibnall is doing that will also feature Jodie.
‘The Division’ was a major part of the Timeless Child arc. The Fugitive Doctor worked for the Division. Gat in Fugitive of the Judoon worked for the Division, and the whole point of that Judoon tracking the Doctor down was because of the supposed crimes she committed running away from the Division. In this episode, the Doctor was tracking Karvanista to find out information about what she did during the time she worked for them, a period of her life she has no memory of. I just wanted to bring that up, because a major part of the plot of this episode is directly setting up answers to the dangling plot threads you’re referring to.
Ten extra points for you for figuring out that much. You are way ahead of me.
Gat and Ruth's 'partner' Lee I think had some interesting dialogue- worth a close listen, why did we need a hint Lee is not human?, companion.... and also worth remembering Ruth had to be reminded of her 'other life', break glass in an emergency, any link to Flux's arctic circle alert? The Rose-named monitoring station? The other emergency monitoring/preparation? Lots of unanswered questions from that episode including what came before the doctor's capture, the way those guns work..... as well as those other Jodie era as-yet-unconcluded mysteries.
@@martins3776 I thought the same thing. Dan's intro, giving tours of the area, was very similar to Ruth's intro. And Dan's companion was taken by Swarm's sister, who also was hiding on earth in human form. It's all got to tie together.
@@sallyatticum One thing I wondered- what if there's a companion network to look out for the doctor? Or someone targeting companions more than they are targeting the doctor? Something is afoot with all these 'guardians' of sorts (Lee, dog alien...) Could The Division be a companion organization? You highlight something else- we've had Spyfall and there's a lot of hidden identities/ memory-wipes going on too.... Perhaps on both sides, and even Claire seemed a little unsure.
@@martins3776 I thought the twist could be that Di is a Time Lady hiding like Ruth was and Dan is the Companion. I think Swarm and the sister (why didn't they give her name?) could be Time Lords, as well or maybe from wherever the Timeless Child is. They have Time Lord like capabilities. Swarm made contact with her like a Time Lord. It's all very intriguing.
The Division is the group that the Fugitive Doctor was running away from having been working for them at one point. The Doctor was tracking down the Dog Alien Guy because he was the only living former Division agent she'd been able to identify and she wanted to question him about it. I agree there was a lot wrong with the episode and it was overstuffed but that stuff was explained.
When the spiky face guy talks to the Doctor he states that he has fought her before, but that she won't remember because 'they did a thorough job' (presumably he's talking about the pre-Hartnell Division mindwipe there) so presumably it was pre-Hartnell incarnations that did that. So yeah, I am totally convinced that we're going to cover the Timeless Child and the Fugitive Doctor again in this story.
I wonder about the Claire woman, and how close it is to Clara, and how she said about the last thing Clara said when she set off with Me, that she was taking the long way around.
Didn't the Master also say that at the beginning of last season, since the Doctor had stolen his TARDIS? (to say nothing of Curse of Fatal Death!) But if Claire is coming from the past, what does it mean that a WA sends her back thru time...again? Is she caught in an inescapable time loop?
I thought it was a weeping angels reference from Blink and having to go the long way to deliver a message.
I really like Dan. He's a delight.
I loved a lot of individual moments in this, like the moments with the dog alien, some set up with dan and the whole 'Tardis is going wrong' moments. I also loved the bit where Dan tells off the dog alien for breaking his door and just thinks he's a person in a costume, and the fact that they reference it earlier when the dog alien tells the others that the holiday may make the mission more difficult was great. The weeping angel moment I liked it had atomsphere. But it did feel like it introduced a lot and I hope they can juggle it properly
Dan's initial reaction to the 'dog costume' was indeed one of the shows best comic moments, brilliantly set up with the prior visit from beer and egg man, with each of the three trick or treat (or so he thinks at first) visits getting more extreme- harmless kids, slightly threatening adult, door smashing dog
@@martins3776 yep, I just love how annoyed Dan gets, I think it's the reaction most people would have to be honest
I thought this was the best episode of the Chibnall era…probably because it reminded me of Moffat’s writing a bit…Lol. John Bishop as Dan was brilliant. I wish he’d been a companion since the beginning of Chibnall’s run.
I can't be the only one who was a little taken aback from the "30 trillion light years away" thing, right? Because the observable universe is only like 100 billion light years in diameter or something. It's like they picked a random big number to use without researching it.
The _observable_ Universe may be 90-100 billion light-years across, but the _unobservable_ Universe almost certainly extends much, much further. Having said that, I agree that "trillions" does feel like a bit of a stretch, and I did a double-take when that caption came up.
They could have just cut out 70% of the stuff in this episode and had the whole thing be about Dan, the dog furries, and the Flux. No need to introduce all these characters that won't matter for at least a couple more episodes.
The episode was just a mess I thought - I think the dialogue in the second half wasn't forced and actually felt like a Tardis team for the first time in Chibnail's era for me but literally they just kept cutting away to random places and characters just like "oh and also this is happening".
Setup isn't just changing scenes to characters who'll later be involved in some way - it's involving it in the current story and getting you interested not just "oh and these people are here okay back to the Doctor oh and that's a good cut point look at these people okay let's go back".
I know I shouldn't judge it too harshly before seeing where the setup goes but a set up episode should also work in its own right as an individual piece of media/episode but this just really didn't.
This episode reminds me of a Snoopy novel: " It was a dark and stormy night. Suddenly, a shot rang out! A door slammed. The maid screamed.
Suddenly, a pirate ship appeared on the horizon! While millions of people were starving, the king lived inuxury. Meanwhile, on a small farm in Kansas, a boy was
growing up.
A light snow was falling, and the little girl with the tattered shawl had not sold a violet all day. At that very moment, a young intern at City Hospital
was making an important discovery. The mysterious patient in Room 213 had finally awakened. She moaned softly."
Unlike the Snoopy novel, I'm fairly confident this is all interconnected and will come together by the end. It's more like all the unrelated plots in Series 6. Or like all the unrelated plots in Series 12 (the Master and his destruction of Gallifrey, The Lone Cyberman, Ruth, The Timeless Child) that all came together by the end. Cross-fingers that it's executed much better this time. It's certainly off to a more promising start.
The Division is where the Doctor worked as The Timeless Child before her mind was wiped.
Exactly! not sure why this fact was missed in the review Hahaha hence why the swarm knew her but she didn't know him. It all connected well in my head and I loved it.
The Swarm thing reminds me of 'the black alien project' guy
The most frustrating thing about the Liverpool mining thing is that even if Chibnall decided it needed to be foreshadowed *now*, it would have been way less clunky if it had been part of Dan’s Liverpool history spiel (and would have gone some ways toward justifying that otherwise pointless scene) instead of a full scene in 1820.
Chibnall trying to ‘show not tell’ is my guess. But yeah…
@@Warmishcookies Assuming that Claire’s been Angel-ed back to 1820, that info could *still have been shown*.
Mining Boss: Are you alright, madame?
Audience: Hey, it’s the guy from the museum exhibit!
I thought it was a good episode, a lot of different threads were introduced and it got me excited for next week. It’s definitely hard to judge as a story on its own, but that doesn’t bother me too much
I don't think I can call it good but it didn't immediately turn me away either and it certainly wasn't bad. There were positives and negatives but as you say, it's hard to judge as it's just setting things up. It introduced the separate threads (maybe too many?), established the threat (another universe ending one) and the big bad (who we don't know).
It's all going to depend on what happens next.
It's intriguing set up tbf but it forgot to tell a story of It's own
To be honest, I found the episode fun and enjoyable... and I'm gonna be excited for what's coming.
Because I'd rather be excited and then maybe get a little disappointed later, than never be excited at all.
There were enough elements in this 'chapter' that reminded me of "The Curse of Fenric" to make me wonder if Swarm and his sister are connected to Fenric somehow. Naming just a couple things, their visual design with the random crystals on their faces seem very reminiscent of the sea life growing on The Ancient One and his haemovores, and having them seemingly single out specific people like Diane (and possibly Claire, depending on what the Angels are doing here) even while ostensibly trying to destroy the entire universe reminds me of Fenric's "wolves". Plus there's that whole excavation thing in the 1820s.
Also was great to see Yaz already getting a little more focus as a companion, even while having to share space with the rest of the plot set-ups.
Possible, but probably a bit too obscure to bring in as a major plot element at this stage of things. We might get something like Zellin's namedrop of The Eternals though, indicating that Swarm and Fenric are similar sorts of beings.
For me it felt like Dirk Gently setting up things that will have no connection until the last few episodes
That's sounds right. I loved that show.
Interestingly the BBC did make a version of Dirk Gently before Netflix did as well 😅
If they manage to pull off a Dirk gently style story that would be brilliant!
This is the issue with talking about this, I think the way to review this accurately is reviewing the full thing once it's finished
The only question I can answer is: did I enjoy it while watching it? Yes, I very much did
But reviewing this episodically is going to be like reviewing a restaurant by reviewing the ingredients. These ingredients so far are good, locally sourced and fresh ingredients, but it depends how the chef combines them. So while it doesn't make a great amount of sense in that context to say 'this is going to be the best cake ever!' it also doesn't make sense to say 'there are way too many ingredients here, how are these ever going to make anything?'
Awesome analogy!
Pandorica chef!
Sparkly voldemort seemed pretty op, genuinely intrigued what they'll do with him
One thing I would argue with this review, and it's something that's easy to forget about seeing as it's been 18 months since The Timeless Children, the Division is mentioned in that episode during the Matrix scenes, it's the one hint that The Doctor has to go on regarding her past, that's why The Doctor is hunting the dog dude because apparently he has information.
The Doctor: The end of the universe... I always wondered what it would feel like?
Me: Erm... Deja vu?
“My mate had one of those, but it was bigger”
I read elsewhere that John Bishop (Dan) and Paul McGann (8) are friends. Eight's control room was much bigger than Thirteen's, so could have been a bit of a meta joke.
There’s also that thing about the Tardis growing extra doors, I guess that’s an effect of the flux but it feels like there’s something we’re not being told.
I loved that bit lol my fav character getting some real action again
After the last two series, I went into the episode with real skepticism. And then after that first scene I thought "Here we go again." But in the end I was actually surprised by how much I enjoyed it. I really enjoyed everything being set up, now I just hope it can be pulled off correctly
Yeah, that first scene *really* didn't do the episode any favours. :/
We need to talk about the high drag glitter eyeshadow on the weird skelington lady.
I asked my TV why that alien was cosplaying Bowie
I loved the design of those two, they are very interesting to look at.
I feel like this going to be an unpopular opinion but I would say this is the best Chibnall era episode so far. Doesn’t take a lot really but I think it had high stakes and was rather engaging. The dialogue was a bit jarring at times but this was a lot better than I expected.
I liked it a lot! Can’t wait for the next one!
I felt it was pretty clear from the Swarm/Doctor dialogue about her memory being wiped (and them being a prisoner of the Division) that the Ravagers are a payoff to the Timeless Child storyline, being part of the Doctor's forgotten past.
Also, I feel like the question of why a pre-Hartnell Doctor would have a police box TARDIS is treated as far more unanswerable than it is? a) Doctor Who has always had continuity snaggles/questions (the Morbius Doctors were the previous one we had), and b) Hartnell may not have been the first version of the Doctor to land in the 1960s. (Since the Doctor's memory was wiped, the First Doctor may even have unconsciously been repeating a past set of actions by stealing a TARDIS and going there.)
I thought it was pretty clear, too, and that - by implication - the Timeless Child (and probably the Fugitive Doctor) are going to play a part in Flux, or the subsequent Specials, at some point.
From what I remember of Ruth Doctor's episode it wasn't just the fact it was they were the same person, I believe they established it was also the same Tardis on top of that too.
I would be VERY surprised if she's pre Hartnell and not 2.5
@@RichardBarclay That, and I just badly want her to be 2.5 because it's a plot that deserves to be put on screen.
To your last point, it may even imply that the TARDIS has been trying to tell The Doctor all along by NOT changing from a Police Box.
I have to say, I usually agree with most of what you say, but I actually found this episode really enjoyable. I think it introduces everything single aspect we know will appear in the series, as well as made me care about both Jacob Anderson and John Bishop's new characters early on. It was fast paced and it was messy, but that to me is what this Doctor is all about. She's frantic and uncertain about things, a far less self assured take on the character and although I would say I generally dislike Whittaker's Doctor, this episode made me understand her more than any ever, even though it maybe provided very little actual development for her character. I remain very optimistic about this season, and have faith that Chibnall and Whittaker will go out with a bang, after a few missed opportunities and stumbles in S11 and S12.
I agree. This episode made her feel like The Doctor and made me excited as well. However i have 2 issues with her as The Doctor
1) she's so passive, she just narrates and dramatises whatever is happening, like where is the Doctor's innovation?
2) the one thing common in ALL THR DOCTORS (NEW WHO) is that they feel a duty of care for their companions, this was also directly addressed in The God Complex, The Doctor always tells them to not wander off, he feels responsible for them. BUT Jodie's Doctor treats her companions like ACTUAL warriors. Yaz go do that while i do this, WTF? The real Doctor would never
@@wm1389 Yeah they would. Seven did it all the time for example. There is no 'real Doctor', just different incarnations who vary a lot in their approaches.
I share many of your views/thoughts and I would add that this episode needed to be longer, just so it wouldn’t feel so crammed. I did remember about the Division (but I agree that a lot of people might not, it’s been too long). Visually it looked really good, and the “cramming” did make for a very fast pace, which kept me interested. I do want this to end on a high note. Let’s hope Chibnall has a plan.
There are also specials after this series so there is still a lot of time to tie everything up i think patience is key
I read an article awhile ago that said Chibnall had originally written this in his 5 year plan. When that was cut back he had to incorporate much more in the time he had left.
I believe Chibnall's had a fairly clear plan from the beginning. It's been his execution of that vision that's been... let's say 'uneven', not the vision itself.
@Shirley Last I heard, someone other than Chibnall had said this was a "five year project". It's not from the horse's mouth, and it never necessarily meant that there was a detailed 5-year plan. But like I mention above, I do get the impression that Chibnall has a pretty good idea of where he plans to go with this.
I think the biggest thing for me is I really like the new characters. Yaz feels so much better now both in acting and in writing. I’m genuinely excited to see dan again and he feels very puppy dog to me
I thought what 'The Flux' turned out to be was really quite dull. Like, I was expecting some messing with time, not a big cloud that eats things
I genuinely think 'The Flux' is a red herring, universe eating cloud is really dull as an idea, so I'm hoping we'll have that moment in Episode 4 or 5 where The Doctor or one of her companions will fall into the Flux and reveal a big twist on the other side.
Like say The Doctor falls through, she wakes up it's England 1921, John Smith, Nurse Redfern, and their child come to her aid as The Doctor realises she's now trapped in an alternate timeline, where everyone's best realities happened.
I don't necessarily think it's destroying things -- merely displacing them or changing their state in a way that can be undone. I don't have a huge reason to believe this other than it's something that goes beyond what we've been shown, and I don't think they'd permanently destroy the outer planets of the Solar System.
I thought this was a good start episode. The doctor focusing on the division from series 12 i liked because it means they’re not ignoring it at least. Also i think the 2 people who went to check the Crystal dude had the same guns as the people in the Ruth doctor episode? Dan must be important somehow, seeing as he was the first person picked up, and his friend was taken by the Crystal woman. While this episode was super fast paced and some of it was a bit choppy, I think it was a good start to a series. Really enjoyed this upload!
I think this is a prime example that Nu Who _should_ have approached serials a lot sooner.
Yeah but I wish it had been one at a time.
I don’t know if the fact that Dan wasn’t affected by the Dog alien “Jedi mind trick”will mean anything.
It must mean something.
could simply be a resistance to psychic interference, ala the fact that Shakespeare can see past psychic paper, its shown as being common enough that the doctors complained about it so it doesn't really make Dan special so far.
I liked that bit, even though it was predictable. I also noticed that not only did Karvanista have mind powers, so did the big bad aliens.
@@zenlucas-divers4652 That is completely possible.😊People with no imagination aren’t affected by the psychic paper,too.
İt was just malfuctioning tech.
I love the dog guy, "That's my human, give me back my human!"
THANK YOU! You said exactly everything that was going through my mind during the episode..It’s strange cuz I was more excited to see a new video of you reviewing the new season way more than being excited for the actual new season of doctor who. I’m so happy to join you and the council on a new adventure of reviewing a whole new season. Ps: I had no high or even good expectations for this season as well..but I was hoping for at least an enjoyable season. However the episode was a mess, we kept jumping from storyline to the next. Anyways excited for ur next video. Thank you
3 things you didn’t mention that bugged me:
The women flying on what looked like brooms at the beginning of a Halloween episode (after the bar breaks) was annoying to me.
I hope the unmade bed in the console room isn’t an allusion to a relationship we will never see. Say it explicitly or don’t go there.
Lastly, the cliffhanger was a major eye roll. We know that it’s just a cliffhanger to do a cliffhanger. They’re not going to kill the Doctor and companions in the first minute of episode 2. I hate those cliffhangers.
They had something set up behind the bed to stop their momentum; it seems like the bed was there purely to soften the fall, and was set up specially for the escape attempt.
@@tommarsdon5644 that’s certainly a possibility.
I don’t know if that was queer baiting or not. They DO have bedrooms in the TARDIS. Why sleep in the console room? Maybe it was there JUST to fall on.
The whole opening sequence had such a Spy Kids vibe, the bounce off a net and land on a mattress just seem a continuation of the juvenile sequence. My thought while watching was, “oh, the Tardis has moved on from swimming pool landings. “
For me the whole set up to the intro was painfully Chibnall. Hanging over boiling, eruping sea of acid. So definitely going to die... Also robots to shoot them if the acid doesn't kill them, which it definitely will, on a planet about to be engulfed by it's Sun! Overkill! So why didn't they just shoot her and Yaz? Why have the bar support them? I really tried to give Jodie a chance, the lines are flat and lack the flair of the previous show-runners. Her readings are just a flat-line, as if she doesn't know which ones to invest with emotion, and which are quip'y.
Only recently found you. I love your articulate and eloquent reviews and thoughts. I love your style too!
I think the flux will dive more into the Division stuff but that Ruth and maybe the Timeless Child stuff won't be fully resolved until the specials.
I liked this opener but didn't love it. Took me about four seconds to decide I loved Dan, and am now thoroughly smitten with out excellent space doggo protectors, but it did feel like an awful lot of stuff being thrown at us that doesn't fit together. I'm currently optimistically trusting that it will all end up being something great because they were for the most part pretty intriguing. Totally agree that they could have done with leaving the 1820 stuff and probably the Sontarans until next episode though. But I'm a sucker for the classic Sontaran look so I was very excited to see them. And I absolutely loved that they threw in the nod to Ace with the Nitro-9 mention.
I'm just happy, the Doctor and Yaz are FINALLY acting like Doctor and Companion xD
this is a great point
They are, but the wrong way round. Yaz was the Doctor in this episode, with the Doc showing signs of dementia.
You absolutely nailed my interpretation of this episode... There was a lot of set-ups that went nowhere and had no connections. We needed a recap, better pacing and fewer set-ups without any pay-off.
The adipose were adorable af, if even you're confused by all the stuff in this episode im not even gonna bother watching it just here waiting for 14 lol
Why does the doctor not feel like the doctor anymore, despite being able to seemingly do anything in a few seconds she seems more powerless then ever, she’s completely missing the time lord victorious energy
A great critique of this seasons opener. My biggest concern with the episode was that it was setting up way, way too many story arcs to fit into what is essentially now a five episode adventure. With so much going on I fear that much of what we saw in the season opener is going to receive scant and superficial resolution. I hope I'm wrong and that everything will come together and gel perfectly to give the 13th Doctor a good send-off but I'm a bit worried that Chibs has lit a blast furnace to tell a story that perhaps should have been done in the microwave.
I don't know if you've forgotten, but The Division that The Doctor is looking for, the reason why she's after Karvanista, is what was behind the Timeless Child and what wiped her memory.
"Skeletor" or whatever his name is seems a bit one-note, but his sister may prove more promising...I completely missed that the guards had Division weapons! If that means they're Time Lords, they really need to explain how people from Pre Time War are suddenly showing up Post Time War, which is supposed to be impossible (otherwise the Doctor could just go back then herself).
I suppose it was the Time Lords he's referring to as having wiped the Doctors' mind, which means he was "the Master" for them Before. HOW he escaped is a glaring issue I kinda doubt will be explained, but maybe we'll learn why his sister got a "softer" sentence (tho she may not see it that way...also, should we discuss consent issues on sleeping with people when you know they are living a false identity, like Ruth was?). Love their design, esp the sisters, she looks like one of those candy skulls! I presume she's going to possess Dan's lady friend, which seems like a bit of a coincidence...unless it's tied into the time distortion that led to him getting abducted early...
Swarm also specifically namedropped his guards as Division.
Hopefully they explain why there are pre-Time War Time Lords around. But if they don't, I think it's fairly safe to assume that the Division had operatives embedded around the universe on other missions when the Time War happened, so they weren't present on Gallifrey for its 'destruction'.
Another great video! So much passion!
My two cents:
My wish-theory is a that the Timeless Child turns out to have been lie, and that the Fugitive Doctor is a future incarnation who knows everything 13 will soon discover about it.
There's definitely enough in this intro to suggest the Doctor is quietly investigating her secret past, her status as the so-called Timeless child, her job with the Division (the secret Time Lord agency, apparently not the CIA).
If the Timeless Child/Division stuff develops into an arc with a satisfying payoff it might turn out to have been worthwhile...
It would have made SO MUCH MORE SENSE if the timeless child was the Master. Why he was so angry, unstable, yet felt a kinship with the one Timelord who ran away.
@@foxesofautumn Hello friend. I agree that would have made more sense!
But basically I find the timeless child idea is quite boring unless it has potential for developing interesting ongoing storylines. I don't think it does. So for the time being I like to imagine it was all a lie and something much more interesting is going on that may be revealed!
I liked Yaz more here, and I really liked Dan. Jodie still felt like the usual distant Jodie. It's interesting that Chibnall himself seems to have caught onto that quality, and wrote it into the dynamic with Yaz. Still doesn't help me warm to her, and I was really hoping that this would be the season where she really came into the role, much like Capaldi did in series 10. That is yet to be seen. But I liked the villain, and most of the potentional plot threads. Minus the Division, and the threat that that is gonna tie into the Timeless Child. The last thing I want to see continued. Overall, pretty mixed.
Chibnall seems to be sacrificing quiet character stuff for ALL OF THE THINGS AT ONCE so I’m not hopeful the Doctor will get much character progression.
The opening scene with Dan already told me more about him that TWO seasons with the Fam! Well, slight exaggeration, but still...I just wish they would tone down the thick regional accents, it was bad enough when I could barely understand Ryan...Dan seems likable enough, but I'm not sure why he'd join the TARDIS, or why they'd want him aboard...
No, it's not an exaggeration! I wrote somewhere else that I could probably tell you 10 interesting things about Dan after only one episode. Yaz or Ryan...? And that sucks. (Not Dan's fault, obviously.)
That's the guys accent he is from Liverpool
I can see why cramming a lot of disjointed setup into the episode has confused or even annoyed people, but personally I can see a reason to it. The impression I get is that this flux event is going to be a major, chaotic and even potentially disastrous event for the Doctor to deal with, so it makes some sense to me to have the opening be chaotic. Like if other beings know about this event as is shown, then it makes sense for them to all set about doing something all at the same time. I almost don’t want the pace to slow down, because if all the episodes are as intense as this then the flux is going to live up to its billing as a major event in the Doctor’s life
I usually agree with most of your points/opinions in your videos but I have to say my opinions completely differ for this episode. I took it as a completely new thing detached from series 12 and I had a blast with it, they did shove in a lot of stuff but honestly I thought this was gonna be a cringey halloween episode giving loads of shit character development with Dan and going wow new companion! And they did the exact opposite and just threw some much tension, pace and excitement into this episode. I think it will be so cool to show what kind of people our three main characters are by throwing them into as much stuff as possible across one big story with the run time just shy of 6 hours.
Also as ace creeper said I lovedddd the final shot on every single character we saw throughout the episode and it makes me so excited for this series.
The whole thing looked absolutely stunning, but apart from that I was kind of sad and dissapointed. I feel like all of these threads or layers could have been quite interesting on their own, but all together it's difficult to care about any of it. I agree, if there was a central plot line for all of this to branch off of, it would have been much better.
Okay so, I'm really attached to Dan as a character already. I'm really a sucker for character's in bad/less than ideal situations being given the opportunity to see amazing things so there's that. But also, he just feels like a very likeable guy. He reminds me a lot of my uncle, to be honest.
On the Sontaran design, I think the shift back to the classic design is a good thing. The modern Sontarans were played for jokes too many times to be taken seriously as a threat, mainly thanks to Strax. Shifting them back to classic seems like a good move to make them feel like a threat again. Anyway, I'm looking forward to the next episode :D
I want an entire episode of Dan and Karvanista bickering. That was legitimately hilarious
"You defile the sacred legacy of my forebears!" - "You don't look anything like four bears!". Why would being called a dog be an insult to his forebears, unless... 😯
@@darkcaste Holy crap lmao
About the 'Timeless Child' thing having no functional purpose yet, I disagree both from a plot standpoint and the standpoint of the larger DW universe. In terms of the plot, it set up the Fugitive Doctor, which we will undoubtedly see more of, and set up The Division, which we already saw more of this episode. So even if the Timeless Child thing was never addressed again I still wouln't be too exasperated by the plot point. And in terms of the larger DW universe, it has opened up near-infinite possibilities for future stories in any medium. An example of a big revelation that had no functional point, in my opinion, was River being Amy/Rory's daughter. That didn't really impact anything in the story. Obviously we're going to hear more on it all though, and I'm not sure why you think we won't (even if you had forgotten what The Divison was).
About the episode itself, I enjoyed the episode a lot. It was kinda messy, I agree, but also exciting and kept me engrossed throughout. Can't wait for the next episode. It felt very fresh and differerent from what we've ever had before, there was lots of humour, lots of intrigue, a compelling enough central thread, a banger of a cliffhanger, most effective use of the Weeping Angels for a long time, and some great moments from Jodie.
As someone from Yorkshire i can guarantee that yaz and dans meeting ended with a less teeth missing than I expected.
The most important thing is "Do we want to see more/find out what happens next?" and on that it succeeded, so I liked it and am looking forward to next week.
The reason why the Doctor was tracking Karvanista was because he worked for the Division. As for the ramifications of the reveals of the Timeless Child, I thought it was pretty clear that Swarm was an enemy of the Doctor when she was the Timeless Child.
I think I've figured out where the fugitive Doctor fits. First we have to go back to when the 11th Doctor used the Pandorica to reboot the universe. I think that the reboot worked the same way Old Biff changing the timeline in Back to the Future 2 did. The moment the reboot happened the original timeline changed to a new timeline as evidenced by Amy gaining parents. the 11th doctor and his Tardis were at the center of the reboot and thus survived it but now our Doctor is the Alternate Doctor and the Fugitive Doctor is the Doctor of the new timeline making her the Timeless Child and not Our Doctor, and thus creating a wobble in time.
Great review! I’m in complete agreement. It’s such a chaotic, overstuffed, unfocused episode. Just hope all the threads come together and make sense along with all the stuff from last series. Lots of great scenes in it but they just don’t seem quite related to each other enough. Think I got whiplash from whizzing around so many locations & the breakneck pace of the episode.
100% agree with all this, I felt so lost throughout the whole thing - I also felt like Yaz and the Doctor's dynamic felt off, like they had them give us exposition that they'd done a lot of travelling together since the other two stayed behind, but I didn't FEEL that.
I'm annoyed by the fact that the most of the people(not saying it bout you) are saying it was DECENT is because it was good but it was from Chibnal so they will never give him a complement, like, come on!
I thought the intro sequence was going to be a convoluted Saw reference, with the way the whole thing was set up.
Also thought the episode was setting up something between Yaz and Claire? I dunno, the way the camera seemed to focus on them looking at each other seemed to me like it was setting something up.
Speaking of Claire, what was she hoping to accomplish by going inside her house when being pursued by the Angel? Angels are crazy strong and we've seen them effortlessly break into places much more secure than a Liverpool house front door.
(Also I can't be the only one who thinks that that underground place the lady was teleported to at the end is related to the tunneling guy from the 1820's right?)
I loved the scene where she met the Doctor. I liked how she knew what was going to happen because she'd been through it before.
She starts after being asked have we met " not yet, but we will, in the past, I think, if it's true, I'm Claire"
""I was just... taking the long way home 'cause it's Halloween"
Then she says to herself, "you've got to go home now, Claire"
She already knew the Weeping Angel was waiting for her and that she mustn't blink or the angel moves.
Great shout out to Blink, and even the bootstrap paradox.
@@shirleywenlock-hot7460 A part of me wonders if the Angel in this series is going to be a protagonist? Or at least on the side of good, I dunno, a lot of emphasis was placed on it and with the whole universe ending threat going on...
@@deltahalo241 possibly just the means for Claire to go back in time to help somehow. Thinking maybe she's the reason behind the tunnels in Liverpool
I'd love to see someone who has a purse with a make-up compact/mirror in their bag try to deal with the Weeping Angels - they could hold up the little mirror to rest their eyes, but it's quite small and when they try to do something else (like put a key in a lock) the arm holding the mirror starts to waver off target so they keep having to snap their attention between the Angel and what they're doing.
The opening scene left me cold - it just seemed really clunky and try hard. After that I enjoyed it - I was ok with all the plot threads and characters that were introduced as they all seem interesting and as if they will be pulled together/explained more down the line. My concerns are, 1) they throw in even more characters/set ups in future episodes, I think that would just get too unwieldy, and obviously 2) they’re not actually pulled together in a satisfying way in the end.
Felt a bit like the start to a Bond film, a random action that doesn’t relate to the story.
I’d felt like the episode was mediocre at best, but I wasn’t able to really put it into words, but the lack of a central through line is probably one of the biggest reasons, so thanks for giving me the words!
I do definitely think this episode is a bit of a clusterfuck of plot threads being brought up, like I totally agree the Liverpool thread didn't need to happen. I think with the Weeping Angel thread that it probably doesn't need to happen now as it's a Sontaran centric episode next (at least from the title that's probably safe to assume), but equally if they're the 3rd/4th episode (possibly 4th for Maxine Alderton) then I guess it makes sense if modern day earth isn't a time they return to from between now and then. I think just spending more time with the Doctor and Yaz on their own would've been worthwhile so we see that dynamic a bit better before Dan is introduced to it, and I think maybe just adding 5-10 minutes more runtime (as this is one of Chibnall's shortest episodes) would've done this the world of good to add a bit of breathing room, either develop the slightly more developed plot points or at least build upon the underdeveloped ones. I also think that scene of the laptop was a bit of a sudden realisation from Yaz and the Doctor, so maybe adding a little more questioning between "why's he got this?" "IT ISN'T HIS" to feel a bit more organic would've been better.
Although I have my issues, I do still think it was an enjoyable episode. The whole sequence with Jodie trying to release the handcuffs and doing a Scottish accent was funny, Dan had some entertaining interactions, and I am glad that we're seeing more exploration of The Division and that should mean we get more development of the Timeless Child arc at least, although I do wonder whether the Division is not exclusively Time Lords given Karvinista is/was supposedly part of it. Overall, I think enjoyable and some of the better dialogue and development of characters from Chibnall we've had, but crammed and messy for sure
I quite liked the scene with Claire and the Weeping Angel. A clever exercise in trying to preform actions while not looking away.
I had a lot of fun, this episode was the most invested I have been in the Chibnall era thus far and for the first time Jodie actually fully clicked for me as the Doctor, which I'm so happy about. Yaz is starting to show her personality big time, Dan and Karvanista were funny, and the new villains had a nice menace to them. The TARDIS malfunctioning was also interesting, the TARDIS is rarely utilized in the plot in a fresh way. This is the type of escapism Doctor Who should be allowed to be from time to time, but sure, I'll also be disappointed if this doesn't have depth, themes and some weight to it at the end of it. But I actually have high hopes for this series, the Division will be explored, that's clear from the start, so the Timeless child arc is going somewhere, which is fantastic.
Excellent opening episode, although I feel like I've had to spend the last day explaining to the Doctor Who fandom what serialised storytelling is. There's a sense of energy that I don't think the show's had in years - I feel like a little kid again. It's obviously not a complete story - only a sixth - so we'll wait and see. Excited for more Sontarans!
Edit: the Division is what the Doctor worked for as the Timeless Child which is why she was hunting Karvanista for information. So that's definitely getting explored.
Serialized does not mean "nothing but set up". Look at the first episode of Torchwood: Children of Earth - introduces the players and makes it clear why they are present for this story, sets up clear stakes, finds a natural breaking point, and more importantly has ONE core question to begin with instead of 8-10. It's not just a haphazard pile of stuff to be filled in later.
@@CouncilofGeeks Yeah I think Flux had a bit of superfluous stuff to it but some people want all the questions answered right away and I was like "part one of six!" I think criticisms of the individual episode is valid but a lot seem to want everything solved right away!
@@CouncilofGeeks it had lots of set up, but also it continues on from previous seasons. The division and fugitive doctor are from season 12 which is why she was searching for the dog in the first place. Which is why yaz is annoyed because the doc is hiding stuff from her. So it all links in with the division and fugitive doctor (presumably why the swarm knows the doc and she doesn't know him)
It felt so much fun. My missus has been very off and on with jodie eara but she loved this episode.
@@benw4409 it’s not that I want lots of answers right away but when you give me nothing but questions my big one is “are going to put in the work to make me care about the answers?” I just wish this could have picked at most three of these things to introduce and punt the rest to the next exposure.
There is no serial from the classic era, not one, that stuffs in six plots. The most you’ll get is one and a related B-plot, with time given to characters and the story to unfold slowly. That isn’t what happened here.
5:38 Keep in mind, The Halloween Apocalypse was a prelude to this series's continuous ongoing narrative. The Swarm, Karvanista, Anna and Jon threads were all connected via The Doctor's erased past and the species recall, The Doctor will encounter Claire in uncovering the mystery of The Flux and we're yet to see how the the excavation in Liverpool in 1820 will feature into the narrative.
6:24 The Timeless Children was the beginning of a much bigger story.
7:26: Mystery, more to The Doctor's story then we know?, etc
8:30 The Division was introduced in Fugitive from The Judoon and name checked and expanded upon in The Timeless Children.
9:30 Five standard episodes and three specials (the final special will be feature length).
Great to see your Who reviews back (I was bereft when Overdue... ended)!
I wonder how much of the mishmash would've been introduced separately before Covid cut the run time down. It felt almost as if Chibbers was editing-in sequences that were actually filmed for other episodes. I certainly hope it wasn't his plan all along to do it this way because it's more or less "How many Mystery Boxes can we set up all at once?".
The scene changed suddenly to another video, and I don't know whether the comment I was in the middle of writing got posted or just disappeared. However, I was expressing my annoyance at the characterization that Jodie had to play in this episode--manic, zany, without a break. She's a fine actor, and this script did no service to her. Other Doctors have been manic and zany, (Tom Baker, Matt Smith), but not constantly so, and their off-the-wall behavior was a comic break from a genuine story. In this sense, Jodie's Doctor reflected the disorganization of the events in this episode. I'm so sorry that the first female Doctor has been given such a script.
I don’t blame you for not remembering the division it’s been a year and a half since the weird subplot about the guy getting his memory wiped and they’ve never mentioned it again😂
Kind of an overreaction I think. Yes, its a bit jumbled. The Division was already introduced, Swarm (the crystalline skeleton) evidently links to The Flux and the Timeless Child (how they battled before her mind was wiped...so we'll get more context there). Vinder introduces the Flux, which links to the Earth ending, which links to Dan, which links to the Dog creature which links to The Division which links to the Timeless Child. The only aspects that feel out of place atm are the weeping angels and the tunnel guy. Even then, the tunnel is also tied to The Flux with 'The Cataclysmic' that he foreshadows. I think its unfair to say its all a jumbled mess when its all tied together under the coming 'Flux'. I think if they removed The Weeping Angels and maybe the tunnel guy, people wouldn't say its that jumbled. Its all relatively tied to Dan and the dog creature which links heavily to Season 12 and the mystery of the Time Lords...so....idk
I agree. I felt quite similarly abou that.
You seem to have missed out on the random Sontarans, The Weeping Angels, and the person being in the wrong order. The Doctor's relation with Yaz, are they close, and practically sharing dialogue, or is Yaz being kept in the dark?
@@MrRjhyt Sontarans kinda work as a prelude I think, but I do agree that the Weeping Angels felt a bit out of place. Also yeah Yaz continues to get on my nerves but her relationship with the doctor is a slight improvement over S11 and 12
I always get excited when I see things that I recognise on television, and this episode’s opening gave me a triple whammy.
First, there was the appearance of Joseph Williamson, who is a relatively obscure historical figure that I was actually familiar with for once, having spent a memorable afternoon exploring the tunnels that we see being built in that scene back when I was about 17, then we’re introduced to Dan as he’s pretending to be a guide at The Museum Of Liverpool, which is one of my favourite museums to look around when I’m visiting Liverpool, and then to top it off, when he’s making plans to go on a date with the woman from the museum, they agree to meet on Lark Lane in Aigburth, which just happens to be the same street that my grandfather was born and raised on.
Apparently, Elizabeth Sladen grew up in Aigburth, so that last one has got me wondering whether she also lived on Lark Lane.
How do people not realise crystal boi is connected to the timeless child? Like if they've been fighting for thousands of years then it makes sense that he's from her forgotten past
heheh some of us a lil slow...
You pretty much mirrored what I thought about it. Though I must add that the guy in 1820 Liverpool that is building the tunnel looks a bit like an older version of Dan. So wondering if that could be a connection.
I feel like we aren't gonna get any real answers on the Fugitive Doctor until maybe one of Jodie's final specials, or when Big Finish starts making content from this era. The fact that her TARDIS looks like a phone box was likely just a continuity error since she is, by all other accounts, heavily implied to be pre-Hartnell. I'm sure that they'll try some Series 3b shenanigans & have her in a box set with Jamie or something once we get The Fugitive Doctor Adventures or whatever
Yeah, a LOT to unpack in the first episode, but... this is like a classic Who serial. It even has a PROPER cliffhanger! True, it wasn't **brilliant**, but it does have potential - potential to impress, potential to be epic, potential to crash and burn...
I will keep on watching and, like many others, come to a final conclusion when the whole thing is "in the can", viewer-wise.
Hmm I feel like a classic series would have picked ONE of those things, with maybeee a B-plot. It didn’t feel like a classic serial to me.
The Timeless Child is just so they don't have to come up with more reasons to give the Doctor more regenerations.
I watched it with my who friends, and we all turned it off 15mins in, just because we really weren’t enjoying any of it. I finished it, and out of all my complaints, the one thing that bugged me the most was the line ‘the end of the universe, i always wondered what it feels like’ which frustrated me as they have been to the the end of the universe times before, and ended up walking through the cracks of the explosion.
The doctor has talked about being at the end of the universe so many times it seems like a past time for them
Good point!
I don't understand why Chibnall crammed so much into this episode when he could've condensed this down to introducing the Flux and Karvanista, and use the next 3 episodes to deal with the Sontarans, the Weeping Angels, and those alien siblings before tying it all together in the final two episodes. It would've made this episode flow easier but instead we got an episode that felt like a 50 minute "COMING SOON ON DOCTOR WHO" trailer.
btw best doctor who reviewer on yt i think rly good video my g
I enjoyed the episode, made me really excited for more.
Also all the set up means they can now just get on with stuff as the intros are out of the way.
Also was nice to see some disability representation
Maybe no popular, here are some of my theories I do have: The Swarm(mister blue head) knows the Doctor but she does not know them. This might tie to the unpopular Timeless Child. And her not remembering.
Claire, the weeping Angel Lady, maybe she met the Doctor in the past where the Weeping Angel sent her.
I do love Vinder and Dan seems cool, I laughed when he pet the dog alien!
It was a lot. I enjoyed the ride.
I did like that we got to see the Flux itself destroying rando aliens on at least one world...New Who fans may not realize that the universe has seen this sort of thing before, when the Master unleashed a wave of Anti-Matter that wiped out a significant portion of the universe, including the Traken Empire, rendering Nyssa an orphan and probably the last of her people. But this is much more directed...If this has happened before, then hopefully we'll learn why it's never been heard of before, as the Doctor should have at least known about it, even if she doesn't personally remember having fought it before...In some ways the Swarm and sister remind me of the pair of Eternals we saw last season, only much more dangerous...
The advantage I found was that this episode didn't need to be resolved so the whole story may work. On it's own it took me an embarrassingly long time to realise Mr dog person was the one at the start as it didn't click
Karvanista is a more readily understandable and less grumpy Chewie lol. I enjoyed the episode well enough for what it was, but it was a lot, I completely agree.
Chibnall is playing with enough dangling plot ropes to have himself an elaborate self-bondage scene!