The Zygon Inversion

Last updated

258b –"The Zygon Inversion"
Doctor Who episode
The Zygon Inversion.png
Official poster for the episode
Cast
Others
Production
Directed byDaniel Nettheim
Written by Peter Harness
Steven Moffat
Script editorDavid P Davis
Produced by Peter Bennett
Executive producer(s)Steven Moffat
Brian Minchin
Music by Murray Gold
Series Series 9
Running time2nd of 2-part story, 46 minutes
First broadcast7 November 2015 (2015-11-07)
Chronology
← Preceded by
"The Zygon Invasion"		Followed by →
"Sleep No More"
List of Doctor Who episodes (2005–present)

"The Zygon Inversion" is the eighth episode of the ninth series of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who . It was first broadcast on BBC One on 7 November 2015, and was written by Peter Harness and Steven Moffat and directed by Daniel Nettheim. The episode is the second of a two-parter, the first being "The Zygon Invasion", which aired on 31 October 2015.

Contents

Set in present-day London, the episode involves Bonnie, the leader of a splinter group of shapeshifting aliens called Zygons, taking the form of the Doctor's companion Clara Oswald (played by Jenna Coleman). Bonnie intends to use an object called the Osgood Box to unmask 20 million Zygons on Earth, thereby starting a war against humanity.

Plot

In the present, Bonnie, the leader of a splinter group of shapeshifting Zygons, has taken Clara's form, keeping her body in a pod. Clara finds herself in a dream version of her flat, able to control Bonnie's actions to a small degree due to a telepathic connection between them, giving the Twelfth Doctor and UNIT scientist Osgood time to parachute out of their plane before Bonnie shoots it down.

The Doctor and Osgood land on a beach. Controlling Bonnie's hand, Clara sends a message to the Doctor's phone saying "I'm awake." The Doctor video calls Bonnie. From winks Bonnie exhibits, the Doctor recognises that Clara is telling him her pod is in London. In interrogating Clara via their telepathic connection, Bonnie learns the Osgood Box is in the UNIT Black Archive under the Tower of London. Against the wishes of the Zygons who are not aligned with the splinter group, Bonnie intends to start a war against humanity by using the Osgood Box to unmask 20 million Zygons on Earth. UNIT leader Kate Stewart, having survived the encounter with the Zygon in New Mexico, [N 1] reconvenes with the Doctor and Osgood in London.

The two Osgood Boxes, as shown at the Doctor Who Experience. Doctor Who Experience (30641597640).jpg
The two Osgood Boxes, as shown at the Doctor Who Experience.

Bonnie discovers that there are two identical Osgood Boxes in the Archive, only differing by colour. By the time the Doctor, Osgood, and Kate arrive, Bonnie has found that either box's button reveals a second set of two buttons within. When Bonnie prepares to press a button on the blue box, which would either unmask the Zygons or make their human forms permanent, Kate prepares to do the same on the red box, which would destroy either every Zygon or everyone in London. The Doctor tries to talk both of them out of this action – the Osgood Boxes have been a means to assure peace because of the consequences of declaring a war. Eventually, after the Doctor admits the consequences he had to live with since the Time War, both Bonnie and Kate back off with the former realising the boxes are empty and were only a ploy to avoid a disaster. The Doctor wipes Kate's memories to keep the peace treaty. Bonnie calls off the splinter group and says they will live peacefully. Later, the Doctor offers Osgood a chance to ride in the TARDIS, but she refuses and instead reveals her new duplicate – Bonnie, who has taken a new form after giving up Clara.

Continuity

Kate Stewart describes her gunfire while escaping an attacking Zygon as "five rounds rapid". This is a phrase closely associated with Kate's father, the Brigadier, that he first used in The Dæmons (1971). [1]

The Fourth Doctor's companion Harry Sullivan is mentioned in this episode by name (he was only alluded to in the prior episode) as developing Z67 – "Sullivan's Gas" – as a means of stopping the Zygons. [1] [2] The Doctor also refers to Sullivan as "the imbecile", a reference to the Fourth Doctor serial Revenge of the Cybermen , where the Doctor shouted "Harry Sullivan is an imbecile!" after Sullivan triggered a rockslide and then tried to remove a Cyberbomb from the Doctor without deactivating the booby trap. [3] [4]

UNIT's Black Archive, first seen in "The Day of the Doctor" (2013) and containing items from several past episodes, currently has a Mire battle helmet first seen in "The Girl Who Died" (2015). [1]

The Doctor claims that he himself planned to use a box with a button to commit mass murder. This is a reference to "The Day of the Doctor" when three of the Doctor's past incarnations planned to use the Moment, a Time Lord doomsday device, to end the Time War. [1]

Osgood says that there has been more than one meaning for the acronym TARDIS. The 'D' in TARDIS has been given as both "dimension" and "dimensions" during both the classic series and the revival, giving the name TARDIS two different meanings. [1] In "The Next Doctor" (2008), Jackson Lake says his 'TARDIS'—in reality, a hot air balloon—stands for “Tethered Aerial Release Developed In Style”. [4] In this episode, the Doctor gives it yet another meaning: "Totally And Radically Driving In Space". [5] [6]

As he departs, the Doctor tells the Osgoods that "I'm a very big fan", the same thing Osgood says to the Eleventh Doctor in "The Day of the Doctor". [7]

Outside references

The Doctor's Union Jack parachute prototype (calling it "camouflage... we're in Britain.") is a direct reference to the pre-titles sequence of the 1977 James Bond film The Spy Who Loved Me , in which Bond jumps from a cliff and expands a parachute with the same design. [8]

The Doctor calls Bonnie "Zygella", a pun on chef Nigella Lawson's name. [4] [9]

Bonnie is asked by the Doctor about the "brave new world" her revolution will create, citing William Shakespeare's play The Tempest : "O brave new world, that has such people in it". [1]

The Doctor borrows the phrase "And I mean that most sincerely" from the UK television show Opportunity Knocks . [1]

Broadcast and reception

The episode was watched by 4.22 million viewers overnight in the UK, a 20.4% audience share. It received an Appreciation Index score of 84. [10] The final ratings were 6.03 million viewers with a 25.1% audience share. [11]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Rotten Tomatoes (Average Score)8.12 [12]
Rotten Tomatoes (Tomatometer)95% [12]
Review scores
SourceRating
The A.V. Club A [13]
Paste Magazine8.8 [14]
SFX MagazineStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [15]
TV FanaticStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [16]
IndieWireA++ [17]
IGN 7.9 [18]
New York MagazineStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [19]
Daily Telegraph Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [20]
Radio Times Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svg [21]

"The Zygon Inversion" received positive reviews, with many highlighting Capaldi and Coleman's performances and the episode's political themes as its best attributes. On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the episode has a 95% positive review rating and a score of 8/10, with a critical consensus stating, "While "The Zygon Inversion" isn't the most compelling conclusion to a Doctor Who two-parter, it allows for a stirring performance by Capaldi while hinting at Clara's fate in the episodes to come." [12]

Steven Cooper of Slant Magazine called it the best episode of the season so far and claimed it was "a powerful conclusion to the story set up last week". [22] Mark Rozeman of Paste Magazine praised the transformation from "standard aliens-invade plot line" to "a treatise about war and its ultimate uselessness." He ultimately awarded the episode an 8.8. [23] Kaite Welsh of IndieWire heavily acclaimed the episode, awarding it an A++ grade and saying that the episode was "Less overtly political than the previous episode, this week is an embarrassment of riches". She further praised Coleman's performance by saying that the episode "could very well be Jenna Coleman's goodbye present". [24] Mark Rozeman of Paste Magazine awarded the episode a score of 8.8 out of ten, praising Clara and Bonnie's sequences as "brilliantly conceived". He also praised Capaldi's performance, stating "it’s a firm reminder of how lucky we are that an actor of Peter Capaldi’s caliber has taken the titular role and so thoroughly made it his own". [25]

Writing for The Guardian , Dan Martin also heavily praised the episode, specifically the Doctor's anti-war speech in the episode's conclusion. He stated "This Doctor has never been written better, Capaldi has never channelled Tom Baker more, that sequence is cemented instantly as the 'Capaldi moment' in clip shows for the rest of time", and while he said that "It was a risky game to attempt the sort of contemporary allegory" that the episode did, he soon confirmed that the episode "knocked [it] out of the park". [26] Alasdair Wilkins of The A.V. Club also acclaimed the episode, awarding it a perfect "A" grade – the third of the season. He began his review by saying "The climax of 'The Zygon Inversion' makes explicit something that the best anti-war Doctor Who stories have always understood. Depicting the madness of war doesn’t require an epic scale. If anything, narrowing the focus to a single conflict or moral dilemma clarifies the essential futility of violent conflict". He then closed his review by claiming "The simplicity of [the] setup allows this two-parter to be one of the show's strongest ever statements against war, not because the Doctor is challenging us from on high to live up to his standard, but rather because he wants no one else to know his pain". [27] Den of Geek praised ″The Zygon Inversion″ as the best episode of the current series, and named it, ″one of the best pieces of screen entertainment of the year, full stop.″

The episode aired a week after the crash of Metrojet Flight 9268 in Egypt, and resulted in 31 complaints to the Office of Communications (Ofcom) because of the scene depicting a plane being shot down. Viewers argued that the scene was inappropriate in the aftermath of the crash, but Ofcom decided not to launch an investigation. The regulator concluded that "the science fiction nature of Doctor Who and the storyline created a sufficient distinction from recent events". [28]

In print

A novelisation of this episode and "The Zygon Invasion" by Peter Harness will be published under the title The Zygon Invasion on 13 July 2023.

Notes

  1. ↑ As depicted in the previous week's episode, "The Zygon Invasion".

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Twelfth Doctor</span> Fictional character from Doctor Who

The Twelfth Doctor is an incarnation of the Doctor, the protagonist of the BBC science fiction television programme Doctor Who. He is portrayed by Scottish actor Peter Capaldi in three series as well as four specials. As with previous incarnations of the Doctor, the character has also appeared in other Doctor Who spin-offs. Capaldi's portrayal of the Twelfth Doctor has been met with critical acclaim.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Day of the Doctor</span> 2013 Doctor Who episode

"The Day of the Doctor" is a special episode of the British science fiction television programme Doctor Who, marking the programme's 50th anniversary. It was written by Steven Moffat, an executive producer alongside Faith Penhale. It was shown on BBC One on 23 November 2013, in both 2D and 3D. The special was broadcast simultaneously in 94 countries, and was shown concurrently in 3D in some cinemas. It achieved the Guinness World Record for the largest ever simulcast of a TV drama and won the Radio Times Audience Award at the 2014 British Academy Television Awards.

<i>Doctor Who</i> (series 9) 2015 series of Doctor Who

The ninth series of the British science fiction television programme Doctor Who premiered on 19 September 2015 with "The Magician's Apprentice" and concluded on 5 December 2015 with "Hell Bent". The series was led by head writer and executive producer Steven Moffat, alongside executive producer Brian Minchin. Nikki Wilson, Peter Bennett, and Derek Ritchie served as producers. The series is the ninth to air following the programme's revival in 2005, and is the thirty-fifth season overall.

Listen (<i>Doctor Who</i>) 2014 Doctor Who episode

"Listen" is the fourth episode of the eighth series of the British science fiction television programme Doctor Who, first broadcast on BBC One on 13 September 2014. It was written by Steven Moffat and directed by Douglas Mackinnon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Time Heist</span> 2014 Doctor Who episode

"Time Heist" is the fifth episode of the eighth series of the British science fiction television programme Doctor Who. It was first broadcast on BBC One on 20 September 2014. The episode was written by Stephen Thompson and Steven Moffat, and directed by Douglas Mackinnon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mummy on the Orient Express</span> 2014 Doctor Who episode

"Mummy on the Orient Express" is the eighth episode of the eighth series of the British science fiction television programme Doctor Who. It was first broadcast on BBC One on 11 October 2014. The episode was written by Jamie Mathieson, and directed by Paul Wilmshurst.

Flatline (<i>Doctor Who</i>) 2014 Doctor Who episode

"Flatline" is the ninth episode of the eighth series of the British science fiction television programme Doctor Who. It was first broadcast on BBC One on 18 October 2014. The episode was written by Jamie Mathieson and directed by Douglas Mackinnon.

Deep Breath (<i>Doctor Who</i>) 2014 Doctor Who episode

"Deep Breath" is the first episode of the eighth series of the British science fiction television programme Doctor Who, first broadcast on BBC One and released in cinemas on 23 August 2014. It was written by showrunner and executive producer Steven Moffat and directed by Ben Wheatley. The episode was watched by 9.17 million viewers and received positive reviews from critics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Into the Dalek</span> 2014 Doctor Who episode

"Into the Dalek" is the second episode of the eighth series of the British science fiction television programme Doctor Who. It was written by Phil Ford and Steven Moffat, and directed by Ben Wheatley, and first broadcast on BBC One on 30 August 2014.

The Caretaker (<i>Doctor Who</i>) 2014 Doctor Who episode

"The Caretaker" is the sixth episode of the eighth series of the British science fiction television programme Doctor Who. It was first broadcast on BBC One on 27 September 2014. The episode was written by Gareth Roberts and Steven Moffat, and directed by Paul Murphy.

<i>Robot of Sherwood</i> 2014 Doctor Who episode

"Robot of Sherwood" is the third episode of the eighth series of the British science fiction television programme Doctor Who. It was written by Mark Gatiss and directed by Paul Murphy, and was first broadcast on BBC One on 6 September 2014.

Dark Water (<i>Doctor Who</i>) 2014 Doctor Who episode

"Dark Water" is the eleventh episode of the eighth series of the British science fiction television programme Doctor Who. It was first broadcast on BBC One on 1 November 2014. The episode was written by showrunner and head writer Steven Moffat and was directed by Rachel Talalay. It is the first of a two-part story; the concluding episode "Death in Heaven", the finale of the eighth series, aired on 8 November.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kill the Moon</span> 2014 Doctor Who episode

"Kill the Moon" is the seventh episode of the eighth series of the British science fiction television programme Doctor Who. It was first broadcast on BBC One on 4 October 2014. The episode was written by Peter Harness and directed by Paul Wilmshurst.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Death in Heaven</span> 2014 Doctor Who episode

"Death in Heaven" is the twelfth and final episode of the eighth series of the British science fiction television programme Doctor Who. It was first broadcast on BBC One on 8 November 2014. The episode was written by showrunner Steven Moffat and directed by Rachel Talalay. It is the second of a two-part story; the first episode "Dark Water" aired on 1 November.

The Magicians Apprentice (<i>Doctor Who</i>) 2015 Doctor Who episode

"The Magician's Apprentice" is the first episode of the ninth series of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It was first broadcast on BBC One on 19 September 2015. The episode was written by showrunner Steven Moffat and directed by Hettie MacDonald. It is the first of a two-part story; the second part, "The Witch's Familiar", aired on 26 September.

"The Girl Who Died" is the fifth episode of the ninth series of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It was first broadcast on BBC One on 17 October 2015, and was written by Jamie Mathieson and Steven Moffat and directed by Ed Bazalgette.

<i>The Woman Who Lived</i> 2015 Doctor Who episode

"The Woman Who Lived" is the sixth episode of the ninth series of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It was first broadcast on BBC One on 24 October 2015. It was written by Catherine Tregenna and directed by Ed Bazalgette.

"Before the Flood" is the fourth episode of the ninth series of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It was written by Toby Whithouse and directed by Daniel O'Hara. It was first broadcast on 10 October 2015, and is the second part of a two-part story; the first part, "Under the Lake", aired on 3 October.

"The Zygon Invasion" is the seventh episode of the ninth series of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It was first broadcast on BBC One on 31 October 2015, and written by Peter Harness and directed by Daniel Nettheim. The episode is the first episode of a two-part story, the second part being "The Zygon Inversion", which aired on 7 November.

"Heaven Sent" is the eleventh and penultimate episode of the ninth series of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It was first broadcast on BBC One on 28 November 2015. It was written by Steven Moffat and directed by Rachel Talalay.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "BBC One – Doctor Who, Series 9, The Zygon Inversion – The Zygon Inversion: The Fact File". BBC.
  2. ↑ "The Zygon Inversion: Hints & Teasers (Set #2)". doctorwhotv.co.uk. 6 November 2015.
  3. ↑ "Doctor Who series 9: geeky spots in The Zygon Inversion". Den of Geek. 7 November 2015.
  4. 1 2 3 "'Doctor Who': 10 Things You May Not Know About 'The Zygon Inversion' – Anglophenia – BBC America". BBC America.
  5. ↑ "MCM BUZZ – Movies, TV, Comics, Gaming, Anime, Cosplay News & Reviews » Doctor Who S09E08 "The Zygon Inversion" REVIEW". MCM BUZZ – Movies, TV, Comics, Gaming, Anime, Cosplay News & Reviews.
  6. ↑ "Doctor Who recap: The Zygon Inversion - EW.com". ew.com.
  7. ↑ "12 Great Moments From The Zygon Inversion (Part 1)". doctorwhotv.co.uk. 8 November 2015.
  8. ↑ "Did you spot the James Bond reference in Doctor Who The Zygon Inversion?". Radio Times . 2015. Retrieved 7 November 2015.
  9. ↑ "Doctor Who: The Zygon Inversion reference guide". Den of Geek.
  10. ↑ "The Zygon Inversion – AI:84". Doctor Who News.
  11. ↑ "Doctor Who Guide: The Zygon Inversion". Doctor Who Guide. Retrieved 16 November 2015.
  12. 1 2 3 "The Zygon Inversion". rottentomatoes.com. 12 December 2018.
  13. ↑ ""The Zygon Inversion" · Doctor Who · TV Review Doctor Who makes its closing argument against war · TV Club · The A.V. Club". avclub.com. 8 November 2015.
  14. ↑ "Doctor Who Review: "The Zygon Inversion"". pastemagazine.com. 8 November 2015.
  15. ↑ Richard Edwards (7 November 2015). "Doctor Who S9.08 – "The Zygon Inversion" review". GamesRadar+.
  16. ↑ MelaniePond (7 November 2015). "Doctor Who". TV Fanatic.
  17. ↑ Kaite Welsh (8 November 2015). "Review: 'Doctor Who' Season 9 Episode 8, 'The Zygon Inver – Indiewire". Indiewire.
  18. ↑ Scott Collura (7 November 2015). "Doctor Who: "The Zygon Inversion" Review". IGN.
  19. ↑ "Doctor Who Recap: The Bonnie Situation". Vulture.
  20. ↑ Tim Martin (9 November 2015). "Doctor Who: The Zygon Inversion: 6 things we learnt, plus a sneak peek at next week's episode". Telegraph.co.uk.
  21. ↑ Patrick Mulkern. "Doctor Who series 9 episode 8 review: Peter Capaldi triumphs in a soul-searching peace negotiation for our times". RadioTimes.
  22. ↑ "Doctor Who Recap". Slant Magazine. 9 November 2015.
  23. ↑ "Doctor Who Review: The Zygon Inversion". Paste Magazine. 8 November 2015.
  24. ↑ Welsh, Kaite (8 November 2015). "Review: 'Doctor Who' Season 9 Episode 8, 'The Zygon Inversion,' Faces Truth and Consequences". IndieWire. Kaite Welsh. Retrieved 22 November 2015.
  25. ↑ Rozeman, Mark (8 November 2015). "Doctor Who Review: "The Zygon Inversion"". Paste Magazine. Mark Rozeman. Retrieved 22 November 2015.
  26. ↑ Martin, Dan (7 November 2015). "Doctor Who series 35, episode eight: The Zygon Inversion". The Guardian. Dan Martin. Retrieved 22 November 2015.
  27. ↑ Wilkins, Alasdair (8 November 2015). "Doctor Who makes its closing argument against war". The A.V. Club. Alasdair Wilkins. Retrieved 22 November 2015.
  28. ↑ Sweney, Mark (23 November 2015). "Doctor Who cleared over 'insensitive' airliner scene despite 31 complaints". The Guardian. Retrieved 28 November 2015.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.