Doctor Who: Flux review, “Chapter Five: Survivors of the Flux”

It’s fair to say that Whovians are freaking out after last night’s episode of Doctor Who. It was probably one of the most shocking, revealing, and unexpected episodes we’ve had in a very long time. I’m still reeling from it, and I can’t wait to write all about it.

For a while now, fans have been theorizing about what direction “Flux” would take. Recently, Doctor Who executive producer Matt Strevens hinted towards an “ambitious” Marvel-style episode and this week we finally got it.

When promos for this season first started coming out, we got an image of Jodie Whittaker’s Doctor standing in front of a bunch of colored lines. Many fans guessed that those lines represented parallel timelines…and they were right!

This week’s episode, “Chapter Five: Survivors of the Flux,” introduces the multiverse and completely blew our minds. I know this series has dabbled in the idea a little before, but not like this. A Doctor Who multiverse? Ahhhhh, this is the good stuff.

SPOILERS ahead! 

Doctor Who and the Division

Last week’s episode ended on a cliffhanger as the Doctor transformed into a Weeping Angel. It was a jarring sight, to say the least, but it didn’t last very long. Before we know it, she is transported to a new location where she catches up with Tecteun (Barbara Flynn), a character we briefly met last season.

It turns out the Doctor is now in the Division, or rather returned to the Division. We don’t know much about this place except that the Doctor once worked there and they are responsible for erasing all her memories.

This episode reveals that the Division first began on Gallifrey, which we’ve assumed up until now is where the Doctor comes from. It began in order to protect the timeline, but really the Division’s operatives were manipulating events however they saw fit.

You may be wondering how the Division was able to sneak around the Doctor for so long. Well, it’s because the Division doesn’t exist in our universe, or whatever universe the Doctor is in. Tecteun explains that they exist outside of our universe but are on the cusp of many. As this universe comes to an end due to the Flux, the Division will head into a new one. That’s basically what’s going on when the Doctor arrives.

Tecteun explains that the Flux was created so the Division could protect themselves from the Doctor learning about them. This doesn’t come as a shock, but even before her memories were erased, the Doctor was still a very moral being and didn’t like the things the Division did or stood for. This is why they erased her memories, and then ultimately decided to destroy this universe so the Doctor could be eliminated along with it.

Doctor Who’s past

Tecteun reveals that she was the one who found the Doctor, brought her to Gallifrey, and raised her. Basically, she was her “mother.” I don’t know about anyone else, but all these reveals are throwing me for a loop. The Doctor isn’t from Gallifrey?! Who are her real parents?!

It’s revealed that the Doctor was found near a monument on a deserted planet, dropped off through a wormhole. The Doctor doesn’t buy anything Tecteun has to say, and believes that she was simply waiting there for her parents to come to get her.

I’m not sure I agree with what Tecteun says next, but she makes some valid points. When the Doctor says that Tecteun took away her life from her, Tecteun replies that the Doctor does the same thing with her companions. She uses them as “experiments”…I mean, she’s not entirely wrong.

The episode rapidly progresses from there; a lot happens in a short amount of time. The Doctor realizes that this universe is on the cusp of being destroyed by the Flux. More importantly, she keeps hearing strange whispers from the Gallifreyan device where all her stolen memories are stored.

Tecteun does her utmost to convince the Doctor to come with her into the next universe and to leave this one behind as it falls to pieces. She tries to entice her with finding out what was on the other end of the wormhole she dropped from all those years ago. While that sounds great and all, the Doctor is all about doing the right thing, and she’s never going to leave someone behind for her own benefit.

The offer ends up being moot anyway, because towards the end of the episode, Swarm (Sam Spruell) and Azure (Rochenda Sandall) show up and disintegrate Tecteun into a bunch of dust. And if that enough of an OMG” moment, Swarm walks up to the Doctor holding his hands right up to her face. Obviously the Doctor isn’t going to get turned into dust, but it’s still a frightening moment.

So where does this leave us? Are we headed into Doctor Who’s version of the Multiverse of Madness? And if there are multiple universes, does this mean we can see old characters return? (Billie Piper? David Tennant? Donna?)

As we’ve seen with Marvel, the possibilities are endless, and with the season finale of “Flux” airing next week, hopefully we’ll get to see some wild and crazy things, along with more background on “The Timeless Child” storyline.

See you guys next week!

Grade: A

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