Doctor Who: Flux “Chapter Two: War of the Sontarans” Review – More Focused, While Retaining Its Scale

Clint Hassell gives his spoiler-filled commentary on the second episode of Series 13.

Note: this review contains full SPOILERS for episode 2 of Series 13.

Doctor Who: Flux’s initial chapter, “The Halloween Apocalypse,” was tightly packed with narrative development and character introductions, creating an opener that, though entertaining, cannot be fully appreciated in isolation.  By focusing almost entirely on establishing and then defeating the Sontaran threat, “Chapter Two: War of the Sontarans” feels akin to “Utopia,” “Heaven Sent,” or “The Haunting of Villa Diodati” – – episodes that stand alone, despite clearly being a part of a larger storyline.  This decision returns Doctor Who to a more-relatable form, despite the many lingering plot threads teased thus far.

Despite the focus of “Chapter Two,” Flux’s greatest strength continues to be its scope.  Doctor Who stories are often divided between “historicals,” “alien threats on Earth,” and “space adventures.”  Flux seems to be admirably combining all of the above in one massive serial.  After two inconsistent series, it is strange to think that showrunner Chris Chibnall’s legacy might not be his casting of Jodie Whittaker as the Doctor or his “Timeless Child” storyline, but a serial that truly delivers on Who’s inherent “all of space and time” promise.

Flux’s scale does lead to one issue: to move its three main characters to points in spacetime necessitated by the plot, the serial relies on barely explained, too-convenient teleportation events.  Last week’s cliffhanger is immediately resolved with no fanfare, as the Doctor and her companions merely awaken in the midst of the Crimean War, in 1855.  Was this the work of the TARDIS, sending the Doctor where she needed to go, or a matter of plot convenience?  Normally, the thrill of Doctor Who is watching the titular Time Lord use her wits to escape the seemingly inescapable; but, here, shuffled about by plot contrivance, she seems controlled by the narrative, and her agency is reduced.  Worse, this event is immediately followed by Dan and Yaz “falling through space and time” to join their own plotlines in modern-day Liverpool and the Temple of Atropos, respectively.  When characters begin complaining in-narrative that this “does keep happening,” the occurrence has surpassed trope and is bordering on cliché.

Chibnall’s excessive moments of plot convenience can be overlooked, however, in light of his deft handling of this episode’s main threat.  In “Chapter Two,” the Sontarans are both fearsome and comedic in their one-minded focus, demonstrating an innate understanding of what makes the warrior race so memorable.  Within the narrative, Chibnall makes many wise decisions regarding the Sontarans’ “temporal offensive.”  For example, rather than wasting resources and risking Sontaran casualties, the invading fleet merely enforces a curfew to contain the human population, utilizing lethal force only in extreme circumstances.  Though the isolated carnage seems to belie Flux’s scale, this tactic is sensible and truer to the militaristic efficiency of the Sontaran race.

Rather than establishing the Sontarans as the improbable cause of the Flux, Chibnall instead highlights their ruthlessness – – they use the event as a distraction tactic for invasion – – deftly crafting a credible narrative where a dim-witted species that excels only at war is still a dangerous threat.

Chibnall also handles the excessive exposition necessary for Flux’s sprawling story with panache.  Yes, Dan’s parents are exposition machines, merely meant to educate the audience on the Sontaran invasion of modern-day Earth, but it’s done with humor, molding Dan Lewis’ character to the profession of real-life actor and comedian John Bishop.  No, the dialogue isn’t organic – – lines like, “I’ve had some experience with aliens, these past few days” go unremarked, which is unnatural for worried parents, even expositional ones – – however, the scenes give Dan some much-needed development, and demonstrate that his character arc will be tied more to his affable malleability than to the incessant niceness seen in the last episode.

Further, after demonstrating that he is resourceful and brave, Dan receives his invitation to travel with the Doctor as a companion!  Again, the serialized format of this series allows Dan to demonstrate his efficacy before he is given his agency – – the audience sees why he will make a good addition to the TARDIS crew, before he is invited aboard – – though it means waiting until “Chapter Two” for his presence within the narrative to be fully justified.

The inherent promise of “former-PC” companion Yasmin Khan is also on full display, this episode, as Yaz excels at eliciting information from novel situations and people she encounters.  The two series she spent as the Doctor’s confidant has certainly paid off, and the bond that the two share is palpable as the pair are pulled apart in the first act:

The Doctor: “Yaz, stay calm.  I will find you.”

Yaz: [terrified, but confident in her trust]  “Promise?”

The Doctor: “I promise!”

It’s almost as if showrunner Chris Chibnall has spent two years developing Yaz’s Doctor-like qualities, in anticipation of this serial.  The scene where Yaz sees her note to herself, “WWTDD,” scrawled in her hand is both heroic and defining, and the music swells with confidence.

Unfortunately, the focus of this episode leaves little room to develop General Logan.  An inherent problem in adventuring in the past is that it is ostensibly difficult to gain someone’s trust.  Why would General Logan believe the Doctor’s claims?  With no access to the TARDIS, she can’t prove who she is, and he has no concept of time travel or aliens.  Except . . . he does.  He’s fighting Sontarans.  So, why is there not more disclosure between the Doctor and Logan?  Certainly, he’s sexist, egocentric, and a dolt, but his interactions with the Doctor seem more guided to heighten their interpersonal conflict than formed from his character.  As in “Rosa,” Chibnall reduces individuals with reprehensible ideological beliefs to caricatures, rather than writing them as characters.

Despite the episode’s Sontaran-centric focus, “War of the Sontarans” does progress Flux’s overarching storyline, introducing the Moirai, the guardian priests of the Temple of Atropos on the planet of Time, and revealing that they are pivotal to Swarm and Azure’s evil plans.  The Moirai’s ties to Greek mythology are obvious.  In legend, there are three Moirai, or Fates – – Clotho who spins the thread of destiny, Lachesis, who weaves the threads together to form the tapestry of one’s life, and Atropos, who cuts the thread, causing one’s death.  Why has the Doctor not mentioned this connection, even as the alien origin for an Earthly myth, à la mankind’s concept of Satan being derived from the Beast in “The Impossible Planet”/“The Satan Pit”?  Azure’s description of the Moirai as “quantum locked” seems to link them to the Weeping Angels.  Further, despite seemingly shrieking with pain, the Moirai are described as “broken,” as if they are not sentient, while time is personified as “evil.”  Are these teases of future reveals or intentional misdirects?  Could Flux’s true threat be a being named “Time,” and not the concept of “time”?

These hints regarding larger plotlines tie “War of the Sontarans” to Flux’s overarching narrative, while the episode’s introduction and resolution of a singular threat allows the audience to focus on the pieces of the puzzle already revealed.  Again, Series 13 will be defined by the sum of its parts, and not on an episode-by-episode basis, but “Chapter Two” certainly delivers an adventure that can be appreciated in isolation.

Random Musings:

(Time) Capsule Review

By focusing almost exclusively on the Sontaran threat in both the Crimean War and present-day Liverpool, “Chapter Two: War of the Sontarans” tightens Flux’s focus, while maintaining its grand scale.  Despite a reliance on seemingly random teleportation events to position his main characters within the narrative, showrunner Chris Chibnall crafts an engaging script that effectively portrays the ruthless but dim Sontarans as both dangerous and funny.  Chibnall also uses humor to lighten scenes heavy in exposition and to humanize new companion Dan Lewis.  The introduction of the Moirai, seemingly pulled from Greek mythology, raises interesting questions regarding Flux’s overarching plot.

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