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Doctor Who recap: Yaz discovers major family secrets in Demons of the Punjab

By James Aggas

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The Doctor and her friends have arrived during one of the most difficult times between India and Pakistan in Demons of the Punjab.

(Image credit: Doctor Who/BBC.

Image obtained from: official Doctor Who website.)

Yasmin finds out that not only do demons come in various forms, but also some major family secrets in this week’s Doctor Who episode, Demons of the Punjab.

The latest Doctor Who episode, Demons of the Punjab, begins at Yasmin’s place. As her family celebrates her grandmother’s birthday, each of the women are given a gift.

Letters are given to Yasmin’s mother Najia Khan; Yasmin’s sister Sonia is given a flower, and Yasmin herself is given a broken watch. Her grandmother doesn’t want to tell the story of what had happened to it. So naturally, Yasmin decides to find out the story for herself by time travel.

Unsurprisingly, the Doctor is very reluctant to do this. After all, she very likely remembers what happened the last time a companion wanted to go back in time into her own family history. Not to mention the far more recent trip into Earth’s past. But of course, being the Doctor, she naturally couldn’t resist going back in time for her anyway.

When they arrive back in Pakistan, they encounter a man driving a cart, asking if he knew who Umbreen was. After telling him that they’re “family friends” of Umbreen, the man, Prem, reluctantly decides to let them travel with him.

When they arrive at Umbreen’s place, they discover that she’s getting married. It’s then that Yasmin is given a bit of a shock: the man Umbreen marrying is Prem. Who’s most definitely not her grandfather. Naturally, she wants answers, and convinces the Doctor to let them all stay just a little while longer.

However, the Doctor then finds out exactly when they are: 1947, during the Partition of India, an incredibly violent and difficult time for both India and Pakhistan. It’s so difficult that even Prem’s brother, Manish, is completely against Prem’s marriage to Umbreen. Naturally, the Doctor wants to leave immediately.

And then, of course, the demons show up.

The Vajarians were the main alien race in this episode. But were they the real Demons of the Punjab?

(Image credit: Doctor Who/BBC.

Image obtained from: official Doctor Who website.)

The Vajarian Hive

Tracking the “demons” down, they quickly discover the dead body of the holy man was supposed to officiate the wedding. The Doctor decides to find out where the demons are with Prem and Ryan, while Graham and Yaz wait back at Umbreen’s place.

They quickly discover the “Vajarian Hive”. Considered to be some of the most deadliest assassins in the universe, the Doctor finds out that they had primarily arrived for the holy man, although she doesn’t understand the motive for killing him.

Quickly stealing an important object from the hive while escaping and grabbing a few transport locks along the way, the Doctor, Ryan and Prem make their way back to Umbreen’s place.

Meanwhile, Yaz continues to be completely shaken about her new knowledge of Umbreen’s life, particularly how deeply she was in love with Prem, and how much her grandmother had kept secret from her. Graham gives a fantastic speech on how different the grandmother she knows and Umbreen in 1947 really are, and why she may have made such difficult choices.

A changed race

Getting back to the house, the Doctor locks out the Vajarians with the transport locks, while she creates something designed to find out what exactly she’s stolen. The men and women stay separately overnight.

Both Umbreen and Prem face strong views from their family members against the marriage, although it’s clear that Manish feels even more strongly about it than Umbreen’s mother does.

The next morning, the Vajarians break in, taking both the Doctor and what she stole with them. But then she finally finds out what they’re doing on Earth: they’re not assassins, not anymore. Instead, after the loss of their homeworld, they made it their mission to travel through time and space to witness over anyone who’s death had been unwitnessed. What the Doctor had taken from them had been nothing more than the ashes of their world and everyone on it.

Of course, the Doctor then asks two important questions – if they didn’t kill the holy man, who did? And who else’s death will they witness? Unsurprisingly, she doesn’t like the answers.

The Doctor officiated a wedding that she knew wouldn’t have a happy ending in Demons of the Punjab.

(Image credit: Doctor Who/BBC.

Image obtained from: official Doctor Who website.)

Marriage and death

Getting back to the house, the Doctor informs her companions that not only are the Vajarians no longer assassins, but that Prem is going to die, that very day, in fact. They couldn’t let anyone know, however.

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The wedding ceremony itself goes smoothly, as the Doctor officiates it. However, not long afterwards, it’s revealed that it was Manish who had killed the holy man, to prevent the wedding from happening. Worse, he had summoned a group of armed killers to arrive at the farm. Umbreen and her family escape along with the Doctor and her friends, but Prem stays behind. Both to give the others more time, and of course, to try to reason with his brother.

Naturally, this is what leads to his death. Everyone escapes, including Umbreen, who eventually starts a new life in Sheffield.

At the very end, Yasmin is back in present day Sheffield, spending time with her grandmother. However tragic her past might have been, Umbreen has been ultimately happy in Sheffield, especially with the family she has. It’s a bittersweet ending to a very romantic and tragic episode.

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Was Demons of the Punjab what you had expected? What did you make of the episode overall? Did you enjoy it more than previous episodes? Let us know in the comments below.

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