"The Zygon Invasion" Grade and Discussion Thread
- Thread starter The Nth Doctor
- Start date
Harry Sullivan was a military officer on active service, he was likely ordered to develop the anti-Zygon gas. Realizing he couldn't fight the orders, Harry did the next best thing which was alerting the Doctor, who made sure the weapon would never be used.
I was just glad we didn't have any more annoying comedy around.
I'm wondering about the millions of Silurians who have an alarm clock set to wake them up in 90 years?
Pissed off about passing for human, note I used the word passing, is reminiscent of what some other groups have had to endure to live a life free of oppression from morons back in the day.
Although this episode made out that the Zygondom natural state was immersive and parasitic. Hiding out inside other cultures is their bag baby, so the urge to not be human is mutant and weird to thier running philosphy as Zygons.
Are we sure the Doctor's current body is male?
Pissed off about passing for human, note I used the word passing, is reminiscent of what some other groups have had to endure to live a life free of oppression from morons back in the day.
Although this episode made out that the Zygondom natural state was immersive and parasitic. Hiding out inside other cultures is their bag baby, so the urge to not be human is mutant and weird to thier running philosphy as Zygons.
Are we sure the Doctor's current body is male?
Definitely works for me.
The soldier scene was really an insult to the viewers intelligence. I get them being badly rattled by that but the Zygon refused to answer the soldier's questions. So they ALL decide to march to their death (defying orders in the process) in the church while the more logical thing to do would have been for the lead soldier to go in and tell his men that if he didn't come out that they would destroy the church. You can't underestimate how AWFUL that writing was in that moment.
That makes sense, given that the other Osgood is still around: a proper named headstone would have raised suspicions.
Of course, there wasn't anything left of the other Osgood to bury, so the grave is a bit of an indulgence anyway.
Sweet. I haven't watched it yet, but now I KNOW it's going to be a great episode. Thanks!
The first half of the episode made me angry because it didn't feel like Doctor Who. The second half was better because things were starting to be interesting and I felt drawn into the story. I will say if I wanted to watch the news it wouldn't be Doctor Who and that was my issue with the first half. It was basically the news in Doctor Who form, from refugees to ISIS and that church scene lost all credibility.
Kinda interested to see this story wrapped up but I will say it ended up being better than last weeks.
Kinda interested to see this story wrapped up but I will say it ended up being better than last weeks.
What, you want to check inside his question mark underwear?
Not only does someone has to check, but if this one is a girl, then we have to check the rest as well.
An alien conciousness was being forced into the minds of at least two alien species creating ghostzombies.
What sort of Guitar is the Doctor playing?
I don't know what a "Hybrid Stratocaster" is, but googling is showing me images similar to the guitar that the Time Lord is playing in the console room.
What sort of Guitar is the Doctor playing?
I don't know what a "Hybrid Stratocaster" is, but googling is showing me images similar to the guitar that the Time Lord is playing in the console room.
So am I the only one that thought this episode was an incoherent atonal mess? Clearly the writer has a lot to say about social integration, refugees, fundamentalist radicalisation in schools and general bigotry.
I don't mind a bit of allegory, indeed, Dr Who was practically founded on allegory (see: the Daleks) but this was about as subtle as a blow to the head. Call me picky if you like, but I do wish they had an actual story to tell within all this social commentary, not just a set of barely connected scenes punctuated by awkwardly telegraphed "twists", if you can even call them that.
Also, if you're going to do a story with a message, it's probably best to keep it clear and succinct...also, it's probaly best to generally stick to one message, not *five* all screaming at once. Some well rounded characters might help too and not a bunch of cardboard cut-outs and a few guest cameos from slightly better episodes. It generally helps if the audience had someone or something to identify with, otherwise the message overwhelms the story. So yeah, again I think it was an incoherent atonal mess.
I get the feeling this one was done in a bit of a rush and should probably have gone back for another draft or six.
Small aside: I can see Capaldi loves being allowed to play with his new guitar, but the way they're using it is starting to feel very forced in a "we bought the thing and now we have to justify the expenditure by using it in every other episode" kind or way. I know Doctors in the past have had gimmicks--the bow tie, fez, crickety cricket stuff, the scarf, the cane, *that* coat, Jon Pertwee's whole silly martial arts thing--but I don't think this one is working for me.
I don't mind a bit of allegory, indeed, Dr Who was practically founded on allegory (see: the Daleks) but this was about as subtle as a blow to the head. Call me picky if you like, but I do wish they had an actual story to tell within all this social commentary, not just a set of barely connected scenes punctuated by awkwardly telegraphed "twists", if you can even call them that.
Also, if you're going to do a story with a message, it's probably best to keep it clear and succinct...also, it's probaly best to generally stick to one message, not *five* all screaming at once. Some well rounded characters might help too and not a bunch of cardboard cut-outs and a few guest cameos from slightly better episodes. It generally helps if the audience had someone or something to identify with, otherwise the message overwhelms the story. So yeah, again I think it was an incoherent atonal mess.
I get the feeling this one was done in a bit of a rush and should probably have gone back for another draft or six.
Small aside: I can see Capaldi loves being allowed to play with his new guitar, but the way they're using it is starting to feel very forced in a "we bought the thing and now we have to justify the expenditure by using it in every other episode" kind or way. I know Doctors in the past have had gimmicks--the bow tie, fez, crickety cricket stuff, the scarf, the cane, *that* coat, Jon Pertwee's whole silly martial arts thing--but I don't think this one is working for me.
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Yup.
Why would a Zygon copy a Dalek if it can just build a larger Dalek chassis to ride in, without needing to shape shifting into a jellyfish?
2157 - 2167 = Dalek rule on Earth.
That would be amazing, if Earth was populated %100 by Zygons in 2157?
Meanwhile the solar flares that cause humans to flee earth in the 29th century?
Would the Zygons and the Silurians stay?
They seem sturdier.
Maybe the Zygons and the Silurians provoke the sun to get mankind to ####off?
(Golly, a real estate swindle from Scooby Doo, right down to the shapeshifting monster!)
Yes, Reverend, the motives and execution of policy by the rebel Zygon is assbackwards.
Oh?
Harry Sullivan invented antiZygon gas?
(Google is inconclusive.)
Awesome!!!
Why would a Zygon copy a Dalek if it can just build a larger Dalek chassis to ride in, without needing to shape shifting into a jellyfish?
2157 - 2167 = Dalek rule on Earth.
That would be amazing, if Earth was populated %100 by Zygons in 2157?
Meanwhile the solar flares that cause humans to flee earth in the 29th century?
Would the Zygons and the Silurians stay?
They seem sturdier.
Maybe the Zygons and the Silurians provoke the sun to get mankind to ####off?
(Golly, a real estate swindle from Scooby Doo, right down to the shapeshifting monster!)
Yes, Reverend, the motives and execution of policy by the rebel Zygon is assbackwards.
Oh?
Harry Sullivan invented antiZygon gas?
(Google is inconclusive.)
Awesome!!!
I agree, it was a BAD bit of writing. I get what they were trying to go for, but it was executed (heh) poorly. The plan of sending one soldier in alone wouldn't work either though, as soon as he goes in the door he is captured/killed and copied. "He" then comes back out and tells his men to come on in, it's all safe...then they are all dead just like before. This would have been preferable to what happened in the ep though, but it may have given away or hinted at the duplicate Clara twist too early in the episode though.
On that note, I will be annoyed if the next episode has the Doctor knowing that Clara was a Zygon copy right from the moment she phoned him back, and then planning everything else around that.
I found this episode to be highly predictable. Of course Zygons would invade by taking over people. To spend the whole episode revealing this is, franking, disappointing.
Oh man where does one start?
I voted this one low. It wasn't that bad but it wasn't that good either.
Dr. Who goes political. How quaint?
About as subtle as being hit on the head with a brick. That was so not subtle with the black posters..
The dumbest soldiers ever. Where did they hire that lot?
How did copy Clara know so much that she fooled the Doctor enough to not be spotted? That cliffhanger ending. That was good.
I voted this one low. It wasn't that bad but it wasn't that good either.
Dr. Who goes political. How quaint?
About as subtle as being hit on the head with a brick. That was so not subtle with the black posters..
The dumbest soldiers ever. Where did they hire that lot?
How did copy Clara know so much that she fooled the Doctor enough to not be spotted? That cliffhanger ending. That was good.
The show has done politics before. Check out The Sun Makers.
As for the ratings, Halloween, innit? My doorbell had only just stopped ringing about 8pm, at which point I expect families were engaged in post-Trick or Treat activities such as eating sweets, trying to get the makeup off the kids and ensuring the littlest didn't have so many sweets they wouldn't go to sleep on time.
I'd like to think watching Dr Who on Halloween would be a scary activity for the kiddies, but let's be realistic.
As for the ratings, Halloween, innit? My doorbell had only just stopped ringing about 8pm, at which point I expect families were engaged in post-Trick or Treat activities such as eating sweets, trying to get the makeup off the kids and ensuring the littlest didn't have so many sweets they wouldn't go to sleep on time.
I'd like to think watching Dr Who on Halloween would be a scary activity for the kiddies, but let's be realistic.
The idea that the new series has a massive audience of children was always a myth and is even moreso now it crosses over into post-Watershed viewing time.
The reality is, unless there's a miracle in the next 5 weeks the lowest rated episode of Series 8 will beat the highest rated episode of Series 9. And given that those viewers had already gone by the time the seies started, the individual circumstances on the night are less important.
I'd say it's clear from the desperate attempt to turn Capaldi into Matt Smith II that the BBC already know where the problem lies.