The Zygon Invasion Advance Review
Note: Doctor Who TV’s pre-air reviews aim to be as detail-free as we reasonably can while still offering a critique, but as everyone’s spoiler sensibilities are different, we advise you read on at your own discretion.
The Zygon plotline was one of the threads left a little unresolved in the 50th anniversary special The Day of the Doctor. So almost two years later it’s time to finally address what happened after. We learn humankind and Zygons came to a peace agreement and were living amongst each other on Earth for some time. However when we pick up, this peace has started to break down and it’s up to the Doctor, Clara and UNIT to frantically try to contain the situation before it’s too late.
Peter Harness returns to pen this latest two-parter. Despite being critically acclaimed, his last endeavour with Kill the Moon left the fanbase divided. So some may be approaching this one cautiously. Fear not science fans, there’s not a Moon egg in sight. Instead what we have is a thrilling old school invasion that would feel right at home in the Pertwee era.
This is an episode most impressive in its scope. It zips around several locations and characters across the world showing the gradual break out of the Zygon threat. It’s been compared to having the feel of a finale and that’s not far off the mark. Under the surface of all this ensuing action there’s a deeper message that reflects heavily on the paranoia from real world events. It’s about as political as Doctor Who can get.
A good amount of this first part sees the Doctor paired up not with Clara, but instead with UNIT Colonel Walsh, played by Capaldi’s former The Thick of It co star Rebecca Front. Don’t expect much comedy here though. The pair are at odds with Walsh wanting to blow up everything in sight, which naturally doesn’t gel too well with the pacifist Time Lord. It makes for an interesting dynamic, and again, may remind viewers of the UNIT days of old.
After last week’s absence, Clara is back in full force this week and there are some very interesting developments for the character. As the Doctor and Clara don’t actually spend a great deal of time together, our companion instead is teamed with UNIT’s other newer member Jac, played by Jaye Griffiths (who briefly appeared in The Magician’s Apprentice). Jenna Coleman asserts Clara with more of a leadership role once again, but this time with a unique spin on things.
The big question of course concerns Osgood and her survival. Many fans will be itching to know how exactly she is alive after being cruelly killed off by Missy in Death in Heaven. With a story concerning shape-shifters many will think they’ve got it sussed. Not that we could reveal the answer here anyway, but it’s a little complicated. What we can say though is that it is satisfying enough and more importantly an opportunity to afford Ingrid Oliver to play more depth than just the usual Doctor cosplayer (though fans will enjoy the discussion concerning her latest outfit).
Kate Stewart, who had little more than a glorified cameo in The Magician’s Apprentice, is also thankfully put to far better use here. In fact Kate probably gets more screentime in this instalment than her last couple combined. She takes solo lead on an investigation that gradually ramps up in tension along with the rest of the story.
The episode may premiere on Halloween this year but it’s not a particularly scary one. Nor does it set out to be. However that is not to say it’s entirely without some creepy scenes. The Zygons are an enemy that aren’t exactly intimidating to look at (to put it nicely), and really are at their scariest when they’re playing sinister versions of people we know. But even in their rarer natural form they are put to good use here, showcasing a couple of new tricks and feeling more of a threat.
Director Daniel Nettheim must be praised for giving the episode a real cinematic edge. Intentional or not, given the timing of the new movie, there’s a bit of a grittier James Bond feel to proceedings. Nettheim also allows the creepier scenes to develop by keeping our orange foes mostly out of sight until a later reveal, the underground scenes being a highpoint. The globetrotting nature of the story also provides for an appropriately diverse score from Murray Gold.
As promised, the episode ends on another big cliffhanger, this one deemed big enough by the production team not to even warrant having a next time trailer (and will make reviewing next week’s very tricky). It certainly sets things up for an intriguing second half. Hopefully next week’s conclusion can deliver something as accomplished as this set-up.
