Doctor Who Review: ‘Eighth Doctor Adventures: The Zygon Who Fell to Earth’ (Audio)
By James Aggas
The Doctor and Lucie run into her Auntie Pat again, this time in the 1980s. But old enemies also return, in ‘The Zygon Who Fell to Earth’!
The Zygon Who Fell to Earth is a bit of a sequel to season one’s Horror of Glam Rock. In that episode, Lucie met a considerably younger version of her Auntie Pat back in 1974. Ten years later (at least from Pat’s perspective), they’re reunited.
Pat seems to be doing well for herself, something Lucie is really surprised by. She has a successful business running a hotel. She’s in a happy, healthy relationship with an ex rock star. Everything seems to be going well. But is there more to her husband Trevor than meets the eye?
More from Winter is Coming
- For All Mankind finally gives us information in Episode 405, “Goldilocks”
- Watch a stunning VFX breakdown of The Wheel of Time season 2
- Of course Steve Toussaint (Corlys Velaryon) thinks Eve Best (Rhaenys Targaryen) should rule Westeros
- Confirmed: The Last of Us season 2 will air in 2025
- Final season of Star Trek: Discovery will have “a lot of action, a lot of adventure, a lot of fun”
While you know what monster to expect from the title, this is still an episode that packs in quite a few surprises. It takes twists and turns that you don’t quite expect.
Not that it starts out that way. When the episode begins, in some ways, it’s quite light-hearted. In the initial Zygon scenes, there’s a lot of comedy played with them. Especially when one of them disguises themselves as a human. Moments like trying hard to blend in while drinking “only half a pint” of vodka are particularly hilarious.
The Doctor’s prejudice
But as the episode goes on, it slowly starts to become darker and more serious. We start to learn the full extent of the Zygons’s plans, and just how far they’re prepared to go to achieve them. We also get some exploration of themes like climate change and prejudice.
The latter was really interesting, as the Doctor initially – and perhaps understandably – doesn’t trust Trevor. At this point, he’s only ever had bad experiences with the Zygons. He slowly begins to understand that Zygons can change and do have good in them, however.
This is something that’s even more interesting in retrospect. After this story, the Doctor will know that the Zygons are capable of more than just terrible things. He’ll remember this when he eventually meets them again in The Day of the Doctor and The Zygon Invasion/The Zygon Inversion.
A terrible choice
And then we reach the ending. It’s a really tragic and powerful one. It’s also very shocking. Back in my review for Horror of Glam Rock, I mentioned that it was an episode that began an arc which would have a major impact on the series.
With The Zygon Who Fell to Earth, you begin to realise why. At the end of the story, the Doctor makes a terrible choice. A choice that would one day change his and Lucie’s relationship forever…
The Zygon Who Fell to Earth is a great story from Paul Magrs. It’s probably one of my favorites of his, in fact. It uses a classic monster really well, and has some great moments of comedy. But it also has moments of bitter sweetness, and even tragedy.
Horror of Glam Rock shared a lot of the same elements, and in this sequel, they’re used even more successfully. This isn’t just a major episode for the Eighth Doctor Adventures in terms of development. Its also a very strong episode in its own right.
Next: Doctor Who pictures: A sneak peek at Twice Upon a Time