Rigel Ailur continues her reassessment of the 13th Doctor’s era with the COVID-shortened Flux that aired in 2021

Spoilers Abound.

A mixed bag of quantum silliness.

The season opens with not just the Doctor but also Yaz in full damsel mode. Yes, they rescue themselves, but it nonetheless comes across very much in the vein of the Perils of Pauline who was always particularly hapless. We once again get a ‘save the universe’ scenario. Yawn. Less is more. Conversely, more is more when Jo Martin returns in episode three as the previously unknown mystery Doctor. It’s practically a cameo, but welcome regardless. The first two episodes, however, are full of a whole lot of setup by way battles and racing and running about. One normally doesn’t watch Doctor Who for a physics lesson. It’s neither wanted, needed, nor expected. Even by the Doctor’s standards, however, the titular Flux is particularly wibbley-wobbley timey-wimey to the point of being nonsensical.

Jo Martin’s brief return links to a subplot – setup, McGuffin, or both? – about the Doctor’s lost memories. We learn she acted as a premier operative of The Agency, one of those groups that is somehow both vast yet still super-secret. It spans the universe and interferes constantly, but no one knows it’s there. Oh, and the woman running it happens to be the Doctor’s adoptive mom (Barbara Flynn does a great job in a thankless role), thanks to whom the Doctor herself is the source of the regenerating ability of all Time Lords. These and the rest of her memories are stored in an artifact that the Doctor recovers at the very end of the series – and decides not to explore.

On the one hand, perhaps that decision is setting the stage for future stories. Understandable, but frustrating regardless, because Whittaker’s Doctor is robbed of accomplishing her goal, and viewers are cheated, at least for the time being, of any closure to this particular storyline. Yaz isn’t the only one annoyed at being kept in the dark.

The Sontarans and the Grand Python are cartoon villains. Daleks and Cybermen return yet again (in tiny roles). The more we see of the Weeping Angels, the less scary they get –although they did have a few chilling moments. Add Swarm and Azure, and it really seems as if they were throwing everything at the wall just to see what might stick.

Dan makes for a nice addition to the show, very much in the Everyman vein. Even better are Bel and Vinder, who make especially strong impressions despite limited screen time. Those three characters give us the greatest emotional resonance of the season. By far the best payoff is when Bel and Vinder finally reunite. Almost as good is Dan’s getting back together with his friend/co-worker Diane.

Verdict: The good outweighed the bad in this uneven season, not terrible but also not stellar. 6/10

Rigel Ailur

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