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Saturday 7 November 2015

Doctor Who 9.8 "The Zygon Inversion" Review

                                                 Image result for doctor-who the-zygon-inversion photos
The episode begins with Bonnie trying to blow up the Doctor's (Peter Capaldi) plane and he says his plane isn't going to land, yes but that didn't mean he wouldn't get away cos he did just that as he and Osgood (Ingrid Oliver) parachute out of it as it explodes.  Clara (Jenna Coleman) wakes up and the clock is inverted (probably a use of the title referring to the Zygon "inversion".  It's like she's in an alternate universe or parallel, of course it's cos she's in the pod and more importantly, she's still alive. As she gets up she hears the Doctor's message on the TV screen and she can see Bonnie with the missiles.  She tries to use her memories and connection with Bonnie to cause her to misfire the missile.  The first one misses, but the second one doesn't, which must've given the Doctor time to escape.  As she freezes the picture, she notices two parachutes.

The Doctor and Osgood land on the beach and they try to get to London.  He notices a police car and he shows them ID identifying himself a  Dr John Disco.  But they're not biting.  Clara sends a text to the Doctor via Bonnie's phone as Bonnie types in her message. she doesn't even realize she's doing it, saying, "I'm awake."   As the Doctor ponders why Bonnie would say that.  Osgood realizing Clara sent it.  They then get the van and drive to London, Osgood noticing the Doctor actually cares for Clara.  Bonnie follows a man from the supermarket to his flat and she converts him to a Zygon.  He runs out and she films him changing, then posts it online.  They arrive in London and he calls it a "dump."  Which maybe true!  ha. Osgood finds the video Bonnie posted and they head to the supermarket.  Where they find the man who says it's not his fault, he didn't want to do it, he just wanted to live in peace.

They need to find Clara and Bonnie goes to her pod asking her about the Osgood Box and its location.  Clara is adamant she can't alter her memories and also confident she won't be able to tell if she's lying, until Bonnie reaches for her pulse and tells them their heartbeats are similar.  She'll tell if she's lying.  Now we know why the Doctor, when he speaks with Clara, leaving her that message, telling her not to tell Bonnie about the Box, is exactly what he wanted her to do.  She finds out it's at UNIT in the Black Archive room and she heads there.  Clara already has access to it, she just has to be there.  Clara telling her she'll come back to her when she arrives cos she needs her.

Kate (Jemma Redgrave)  arrives back and reports to Bonnie.  She finds the Doctor and says they're both looking for Clara.  Kate shoots the Zygons as she survived the sheriff turning into a Zygon with "five rounds rapid".  She's sorry they have to do what the Doctor doesn't want.  She asks him about the gas which will cause them to invert.

At UNIT Bonnie finds there are two boxes.  One is red, the other blue and she asks the Doctor which one is the correct one when he arrives there.  As Bonnie opens the boxes she finds there's 'Truth Or Consequences' written inside both of them with two buttons.  Kate positions herself in front of the red box, saying if Bonnie can push a button so can she.  The Doctor reverting to an American accent like it's a gameshow, tells them about pushing the button.  He then tells them about wanting to destroy his own people, man woman, child and how everyday he lives with that knowledge.  Of destroying people and it doesn't go away.  He asks Bonnie what she wants, as she replies "war."  Then talks of bullies, they don't like them, they deal with them, but then someone else comes along and they don't like them either and on it continues.

Then asking Bonnie if she got her way and destroyed everyone, what would she do after that?  What is she hoping for?  Who's going to be around, will there be music and if so, who's going to make the violins the Doctor asks, or rather, he should've said guitars instead.  But violins are more appropriate for a sob story.  He calls it a "scale model of war and , every war ever fought, right there in front of you."

She realizes there's nothing in the box after Kate closes her one.  Then tells her she can go.  Bonnie being hesitant as to why anyone would forgive her after what she's done.  The Doctor says he forgives her.  She heads back to the ship and calls off the impending war saying the rebels have been taken care of, changing back to her Zygon form.

Funny part, the Doctor saying how Clara changed him and also how he's 2,000 years old, old enough to be her Messiah.  But they care.  I find myself having those feelings here going back to Doctor Ten when he knew his time was up and he was going to 'regenerate.'  Here it's different with Clara as we know every minute is probably her last and the Doctor knows it too.  (Though you never know with this show.)  His expression changing at the end when they're back in the TARDIS and she mentions being alive.  That was a quick change of subject too but the way he looked at her, saying only he can change time.  He knows what's coming up and he doesn't like it.

Osgood evading the question of whether she's human or Zygon and how the Doctor needs to know, but why?  As Kate asked her the same question too.  No answer though.  The Doctor asks Clara to step into the TARDIS and Osgood number 3 shows up.  They couldn't have someone walking around with Clara's face and so they changed her into another Osgood.  But then if that's the case, doesn't that mean the new Osgood is the Zygon.  Leaving the possibility Osgood is human, or are they both Zygon?  She won't answer "until the day nobody cares about the answer."  That's a long way off, in the show and in real life too, referring to the allegory of this episode.  Osgood's first name being Petronella, as he calls himself  Basil (ha!  Brush or Fawlty, yes I went there.)

Osgood referring to the Sonic again and saying the shades are about as pointless as the speaking hearing aid.  Apparently Clara waking up in her flat and thinking she's dreaming was a harkback to Last Christmas.  Osgood asking what the TARDIS means: "Totally And Radically Driving In Space" he replies.  As well as telling Osgood not to look at his browser history when he gives her the sonic (so what's on there?)  The Doctor calling Bonnie 'Zygella' and she doesn't like it.

This episode was topical again, referring to the hating and indifference towards each other in the world.  And pushing the button, what's left after, will everyone's problems, hate and turmoil be resolved.  No, but that's something they don't realize.  Anyway, this is an ep which is more interesting to watch than to write about.  I would add this ep of Doctor Who is actually where Peter Capaldi makes the character his own.  Reverting war just by using dialogue and nothing more.  Having said that, I also think Jenna as Bonnie really had a juicy role to play.  She was ruthless and so far removed from her 'twin' unlike the Osgoods who were quite similar and in their mission to protect the world. Ahh, Jenna you'll be missed!

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