2nd Opinion: The Zygon Invasion
David Selby and Connor Johnston give their verdicts on the 7th episode of Series 9.
David’s Verdict
From the off, it’s clear that writer Peter Harness is approaching this two-parter with a thorough, nuanced view of how to write Doctor Who. For instance, in the recapitulation sequence, he could have chosen to add Osgood’s death in Death in Heaven to the revisited clips – which is what I expected – but instead, he opted for new material, focusing on the grief of Osgood as she looks on at her sister’s grave (probably in an unofficial military graveyard, as the deaths of Zygon duplicates (or not the duplicates) must surely be covered up).
It is true that some twists were predictable, but even so, it’s fun to play the game of working out who is the human and who is the Zygon. I suspected for a while that Colonel Walsh was a Zygon, keen to blend in and eradicate the threat of ‘rogue’ Zygons to stop the persecution of her own kind. And even when it was obvious who was a Zygon, the scenes worked for the reason that they understood that, the Church scene being a fantastic example, and probably the best moment of the series so far, largely for Murray Gold’s choice to essentially side with the Zygons in a manipulative, entrancing and hands down superlative soundtrack score.
I do take small issue, however, with the use of Clara. The ending of Last Christmas promised a whole series of the Doctor and Clara having adventures together, and so far they’ve only spent two episodes together properly. I understand the thematic significance – that Clara is growing to be a mirror of the Doctor with her own companions, or that she is being monsterised to play with the friend/enemy arc, or that she is being developed through her absence – but even so, I miss seeing the Capaldi/Coleman dynamic, and am aware of how short a time it has left.
For the most part I want to say that this is the best episode this series. It has scale, real-world significance, strong characterisation and some bold production values. It feels directed; it serves a purpose. It is also incredibly difficult to review, because a lot of potential issues I could take with it may be intentional. For example, I would like to see more of the suffering of the Zygons, and of the danger posed by human extremists. But when the next episode is called The Zygon Inversion, who says I won’t? In essence, it boils down to this: if The Zygon Inversion does what I want it to then, this half included, it will be the highlight of the series so far.
Connor’s Verdict
However subtle it may have been in the past, Doctor Who (particularly in the 21st Century), has always been used as a tool to make commentary on social matters. With “The Zygon Invasion” we are presented with an episode that is inescapable of political parallels, specifically in its tackling of such robust and relevant themes such as cultural division, racial based paranoia and the threat of growing radicalism. While such content could have had the ability to burden an episode, this week’s narrative is instead propelled by it. It’s a story with a strong narrative structure and a social relevance that isn’t shoe-horned in, but rather compliments the plot seamlessly giving the episode real substance.
Kate Stewart’s introduction in 2012’s “The Power of Three” truly kick-started what I personally refer to as the ‘Second Golden Age’ of the Unified Intelligence Task Force, the first of course occurring in the Third Doctor’s era. Appearing in six episodes since – UNIT has, along with Kate’s character, grown and matured to be a reoccurring highlight of recent years. “The Zygon Invasion” acts as a showcase of how far UNIT has come since its mistreatment in the early days of the revival, with a narrative and list of personalities that serve it tremendous justice and achieves the closest parallel to Classic UNIT we’ve seen.
The return of Osgood, portrayed stunningly by Ingrid Oliver, worked only to restore and enhance my affection for the character. It’s refreshing to have the opportunity to admire a character that isn’t ‘all powerful’ or the ‘stereotypical’ idea of heroic – but who achieves her merit and influence through a sincerity and loyalty to her own beliefs. One can only hope her character continues to be granted as much chance for growth next week. Similarly, Jaye Griffith’s ‘Jac’ receives a substantial amount of screen time, defining her personality in a way that her introduction in “The Magician’s Apprentice” failed to. The success of her character comes from the fact that despite lacking a certain confidence given her status, she still thought critically and was confident enough to challenge Bonnie’s actions when her conscience and intelligence weighed in. The issue of Jac’s death is one that does rob such a promising character of further development, but something I personally feel is one of the most effectively used scenes in the episode for the very fact that it defines Bonnie as ruthless and unpredictable, proving nothing and no one is sacred or safe in this Invasion.
Despite only appearing only once in the Classic series, the Zygons have always been one of the most iconic and intriguing villains of the show’s history – and often a race many have felt to be vastly underused given their unique abilities and narrative potential. Their return in 2013, while serving the narrative and reintroducing them as threats to a modern audience, didn’t fully utilise their abilities in a more concrete way. With “The Zygon Invasion” the monsters are finally given a substantial and gritty script that warrants their presence and does it justice. From a villain point of view, the rebel Zygons offer one of the most chilling and malicious adversaries of the series so far – whose evolved abilities not only extend narrative possibilities, but also increase their menace. However possibly it’s not their role as villains, but victims that offer the race such substance in this story…
“Somebody once caught the briefest of glimpses of a Zygon in its proper form. A child… who hadn’t learned to preserve its body print… who had been left alone to learn these things for itself. And then word went round these primitives… that we were monsters.”
“We want the truth of who we are to be acknowledged. We want to live as ourselves. At any cost. We want a home.”
It’s an incredibly powerful premise, and an even stronger execution. Once again, in a similar vein to “Kill the Moon”, Harness attempts to capture and give equal representation to both sides of a moral dilemma. In his first contribution this was conveyed through Captain Lundvik’s insistence that the creature be killed and Clara’s petitioning for its innocence to be the swaying factor. In “The Zygon Invasion” this dynamic is touched upon again with Colonel Walsh and her paranoia fuelled hostility combating against the Doctor’s more universal grasp on conflict, and finally the Rebel-Zygon’s thirst for acceptance and survival. The script very poignantly addresses how each race is capable of good and evil. Keeping in mind the dialogue included above, it could be argued that if not for the violent reactions that followed, there was an initial point where the Rebel Zygons were the victims of Human behaviour and human discrimination. This is where I believe Harness’ strength as a writer stems; from his understanding that conflict is reliant on perspective – which really works to add a plethora of layers to his scripts.
What Murray Gold and Director Daniel Nettheim create together in terms of the episodes tone and scale is really something to marvel at. Not only does the episode allude to an invasion on a global scale, it effectively depicts the impossible nature of the situation – jumping seamlessly between settings to achieve great variety, as well as a pressing sense of impending doom. The finished product of course is led by both Capaldi and Coleman’s diverse and exemplary performances that cultivate to a tense and enthralling climax. Coleman’s portrayal of ‘Bonnie’ has already been given a rightful abundance of praise by the fanbase, but I will attempt to restrain my opinion until the villain has been given substantial screen time next week to prove herself further. What I will say is that things are looking extremely promising.
Where “The Zygon Invasion” channels and maintains the strength of the series so far is in its pacing and atmosphere, with a constant tone and vitality that rivals that of a Hollywood film. In an episode that maintains such constant adrenaline and energy – it’s often assumed that the more sincere, emotionally driven moments of a narrative are omitted. Thankfully for “The Zygon Invasion” this isn’t the case, with the heavily discussed ‘Church’ scene being one of the most realistic, moving and confronting scenes of the series so far. While some have noted it showed how UNIT soldiers are incompetent, I would have to disagree entirely. It’s a scene that shows how UNIT soldiers are human – gives minor characters a relatability and personality that’s been distant in previous episodes – as well as offering an insight into the Zygon’s chilling ability to pinpoint and manipulate the human race’s vulnerabilities. It’s also important to note that the mission was never an execution, but instead an investigatory assignment with the sole target of rescuing Osgood. With this in mind, knowing that the Zygons had at least one hostage – the risk that these people were family members, regardless how small a chance it was, is just too much to take. In retrospect following the ‘hostages’ into the church where there was promised proof of their innocence and quite possibly their main objective doesn’t seem so misleaded. It’s very easy to make judgment on their actions being external from the situation and not falling victim to the emotional and professional investment these soldiers have – which when considered truly makes the fallout of the scene one of the most realistic and believable of the episode.
“The Zygon Invasion” is an episode that wouldn’t have held the same weight had it been produced twenty, ten or even five years ago. It’s an episode that won’t hold the same relevance for audiences in ten years’ time as it does today – purely because its themes are so strikingly contemporary. This however doesn’t impact the durability of the episode, given that its relevance is only a fraction of the reason it works so well – married to an invasion plot that thrills, shocks and excites along the way. It would be a real pity if next week saw an inversion in the story’s quality so far, given what a polished and bold set up this first half offers. Let us the golden run continues!
