Posted in: BBC, Doctor Who, TV | Tagged: bbc, doctor who, flux, flux finale, vanquishers

Ten Thoughts About Doctor Who: The Vanquishers – The Three Doctors?

Another week and back on the right timezone, welcome to Ten Thoughts about the Doctor Who Flux Finale, The Vanquishers, just aired on BBC COne and BBC America. Spoilers of course, what else would you expect?

1. The Floor Is Lava!

There's a danger behind every door, thanks to Steve Oram's Joseph Williamson. Who doesn't see the story through but does get back to his time, knowing he is appreciated by the Doctor – and the world. Less emotional than Vincent van Gogh scene, but still rather satisfying for the Mad Mole. I've been down those tunnels in Liverpool, never saw any Sontarans.

2. The Time, The Place

Remember remember the fifth of December. It's all about memories for the Doctor. More and more episodes of Doctor Who are being set on the day of broadcast even if the year differs. Now they are actually writing it down.

3. Sontar Hah!

The three fingers hand of uneasy alliance for all except Rutans. Rutans have been at war with the Sontaran Empire for tens of thousands of years and this war dominates both cultures to the exclusion of all else. Large green jellyfish, glowing blobs of biomatter with long ropey tentacles, they tend not to appear on the screen much. Worth remembering that the Sontaran army is based on Roman armies of old, and they used seers and soothsayers just as the Sontarans use psychics to work out where and when the battles will take place.

4. The Three Doctors

The temptation to have Kate Stewart meet the three Thirteenth Doctors and have her say "three of them, I didn't know when I was well off?" As she did once say "there's a precedence for that". Also, did Kate call the Doctor's new form "it"? Not very woke of her. But we have disparate storylines, now we have disparate Doctors to deal with them, a handy way to get around how the storyline was… dividing. Looks like the Blinovitch Limitation Effect is rather… limited right now.

5. Operation Sontaran Corner Shop

Given the tonnes of Cadbury's Dairy Milk, Double Deckers, Lion Bars, Jaffa Cakes, Tunnocks, Yorkies and Curly Wurlies I was encouraged to bring with me to San Diego Comic-Con last year, clearly there is a demand from Americans – as well as Sontarans – for the real stuff. Until the UK government enforces that Sugar Tax they keep threatening, of course. Looks like its absence helped save the world.

6. Playing House With The Doctor

Revealed as the construction of The Doctor, the Hosue of Mystery and Secrets are her own mysterious secrets. The Fob watch in architectural form. And a new way to torture someone with time. And as mission statements go The End Of All Spatial Objects is a strong one. But it seems more like record scratching with the end of the universe rather than let it play out. But we do get the big questions, why is what the Doctor fights for better than non-existence?

7. Back In The Box

No major reveals about who Swarm and Azure are, no major reveals about who Bel and Vinder are, or their species. all theories down the Suwannee,… for now. I was waiting for the anti-matter mention to reveal that Swarm was Omega.  But no. The Timeless Child secrets are hidden, but will Chris Chibnall really leave that Russell T Davies to mess with, or is that what next year's specials will deal with? And it turns out that the Doctor left her dog behind…

8. From Division To Reunification

Bel and Vinder are back together, so are Dan and Di, and maybe Kate Lethbridge Stewart is now in a Grand Serpent-less world and able to kickstart UNIT again. I may have to revisit earlier episodes, not entirely sure why the Grand Serpent got as involved as he did in this, including living a century on Earth to open the doors for the Sontarans. We never really got the details of that deal. Also, are Bel and Vinder of the same species as him? Last week's "Are you from Liverpool Dan? You never mention it"  from Yaz was followed this week by "Come on, Scouse. Let Yorkshire show you the way!" The War Of The Roses continue in the TARDIS…

9. Jericho, Not Adric

The Doctor does weaponise her companions quite a lot, as Tecteun pointed out. And it happens again, with the death of Professor Jericho, self-sacrificing himself and quoting Peter Pan as he does so, "To die will be an awfully big adventure". No silent credits for Jericho though, even though Karvanista gives us a howl…

10. Time Enough

And we meet Time for the first… time. Who knew they'd have such an issue with Time… Lords. A reckoning to come, predictions made and ominous threats left hanging in the air. That the Doctor has no regeneration waiting for her and that "forces mass against you, and their Master". Yeah, you don;t namedrop The Master out of nowhere… And now for New Year's Day… The Eve Of The Daleks.

The Vanquishers
Doctor Who Series 13  Episode 6 of 6
In the final epic chapter in the story of the Flux, all hope is lost. The forces of darkness are in control. But when the monsters have won, who can you count upon to save the universe?

The Doctor: Jodie Whittaker
Yasmin Khan: Mandip Gill
Dan Lewis: John Bishop
Professor Jericho: Kevin McNally
Azure: Rochenda Sandall
Swarm: Sam Spruell
Bel: Thaddea Graham
Joseph Williamson: Steve Oram
Writer: Chris Chibnall
Director: Azhur Saleem
Executive Producer: Matt Strevens
Executive Producer: Nikki Wilson
Executive Producer: Chris Chibnall

Enjoyed this? Please share on social media!

Stay up-to-date and support the site by following Bleeding Cool on Google News today!