Doctor Who 9.07 and 9.08 (The Zygon Invasion and The Zygon Inversion)

[selenak]

The first one written by Peter Harness, the second by Peter Harness and Stephen Moffat. Now that the two parter is complete, I think....



...that the unfortunate subtext of the first part was another case of "look, I know you meant well with the overall message, but you really should have thought this through some more and picked another metaphor!"

By which I mean: millions of immigrants who came here because their world was destroyed. Radicalisation of a part of them leads to attempt of total takeover of host country world. And this at a time where mainstream politicians are happily throwing around right wing extremist phrases and fear scenarios just like this. Look, I live in a country where there's a bloody attack on an asylum seekers' home every other week while one part of the government is locked in combat with the other part of the government over refugee policies and the amazing work that volunteers do is one part of the reaction of the general populace, but the other part is running around in Desden screaming right wing nutters slogans and applauding a guy who makes concentration camp jokes. So: the fact that the overall message of the two parter was "think first, create peace, don't go for the violent scenario, even extremists are redeemable if you only stop continuing the cycle of escalating violence" doesn't change the fact the overall set up also played directly into the fear message every "Fortress Europe" politician and media keeps repeating. Also not helping: it's not until part II we see a peaceful refugee Zygon who is happy with his life on Earth and driven into suicide by the extremists who want to force him out of it. And while there is a dialogue reference in part I to a Zygon child harrassed by human bigots, what we actually SEE, a lot and repeatedly, are Zygons killing humans. There is such a thing like show versus tell. And that's not even touching on the wisdom of using the Zygons, a species which can change shape and kill via electricity, as a metaphor for people bombed out of their homes with absolutely no power whatsoeover. Seriously, I get that the Zygons were a continuity gift due to the Name of the Doctor set up, but using them for this particular story? And if you must, if you go for that story and that metaphor, then don't wait until part II to show us peaceful refugees Zygons, and don't just give a dialogue reference to Zygons being harrassed by humans while only showing Zygon-on-human violence. Like I said: number of Islamic terrorist attacks in Germany in 2015: zero. Number of attacks of Germans on asylum seekers in 2015 either by torching houses or direct physical attack? We're nearing the number 400 now. So a story that shows what this two parter shows just presses all my WRONG WRONG WRONG buttons.

All this being said: there was also a lot that I loved. The existence of the Zygon Osgood in Name of the Doctor did give Moffat & Co. a way to resurrect Osgood, and they made it so much more than a cheap way to return a fan favourite. Taking a number from Farscape and the two John Crichtons in season 3, who were BOTH John Crichton, with the show never telling wether Moya John or Talyn John was the original, refusing to declare Osgood's nature and making her the active guardian of the interspecies peace was brilliant. Considering Osgood is a fannish stand-in anyway (who after already having worn Four's shawl and Eleven's bow tie now added the question marks of the Five to Seven era to her collection), it also has an appealing "fans save the day" message reminding me of Galaxy Quest. The use of Kate Stewart (complete with Brig-evoking "Five rounds rapid") was great throughout (though the Doctor should have remembered Elizabeth I pulled the very same thing - or maybe he did?). Clara, in a supposedly powerless state of being trapped in a pod, trying (and partially succeeding) to make that Zygon connection work for herself by getting into her duplicate's head, as the Doctor put it, was awesome. And good lord but Capaldi pulled all the actorly stops for the Doctor's big scene and made what was essentially one big monologue rivetting and heartbreaking and super suspenseful. (Not to mention the emotional continuity feast re: Time War, and also the use of "I forgive you" towards an antagonist the Doctor identifies with.) And he and Jenna Coleman really made me believe that the Doctor does reach Bonnie the Zygon with this. And yes, I find the idea of Bonnie redeeming herself by becoming another Osgood and atoning by actively working for peace between the species immensely appealing and a far better ending than if she'd been killed, or committed suicide. Plus: between Bonnie, Clara and Kate, and the Sheriff Zygon in the previous part, this was one female-centric two parter whole also being a great character showcase for the Doctor. (Who of course would not leave a species destroying nerve gas around on Earth, but would leave something that would allow for some more time stalling and persuasion attempting.)

So basically: this was the two parter of very mixed feelings for me, and by this I don't mean a case of "hm" but a case of "I hate this" and "I love this" both.

Comments

[kalypso]

I'm uneasy that the Zygons who want to be able to live as Zygons have to go back under cover; by implication, only the ones who are willing to live as humans are "good" Zygons. I liked a lot of the ending, but I would have preferred some resolution for the rebels who prefer being Zygons. Quite apart from their own needs, won't it just result in another rebellion a few years down the line?

[percysowner]

I too was uneasy with the fact that Zygons who wanted to look and be Zygon had no alternative. It was too close to telling them to stay in the closet.

[selenak]

Well, quite. Just because Bonnie was convinced doesn't mean the rest of the rebels were. But I decided to see this as Bonnie's and Osgood's task they're embarking on at the end: convince the others for now, and figure out a better long term solution.

[kalypso]

I hope you're right! Ultimately, someone has to persuade the humans that there's nothing wrong with your neighbour being red and blobby. Having seen a woman shouting abuse at a Roma Big Issue seller this weekend, my hopes are currently low, but to be fair that was the first time I'd seen such a thing in my village.