The following review contains major spoilers forDoctor WhoSeries 13, Episode 6.With this week’s episode ofDoctor Who, theFluxminiseries has come to an end — not with a bang, but with a whimper. Despite setting up one of the most ambitious storylines in the series’ history, the final episode manages to be such a disappointment that it leaves the entire arc feeling a bit pointless.
Written by showrunner Chris Chibnall, “The Vanquishers” attempts to bring an end to the myriad storylines that have run throughout theFluxminiseries, but in doing so it ends up as a clumsy, cluttered mess that fails to provide any catharsis. The plot focuses on the Doctor (Jodie Whittaker) and her companions attempting to stop the Flux once and for all and bring an end to the schemes of boththe Ravagers and the Sontarans.It seems like a simple setup for an epic final showdown — but true to form, Chibnall manages to make things much more complicated than they need to be.
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Killing Time
One of the biggest problems of theFluxminiseries has been its main antagonists, the Ravagers. For five whole episodes, their motives and history have been shrouded in complete mystery, a decision that creates more confusion than intrigue. Even in the final episode, nothing is revealed about the enigmatic siblings Swarm and Azure other than some more cryptic words. They claim that they want to destroy the universebecause they hate life itself,but why this is the case is never explained. They have a grudge against the Doctor due to past encounters, but what happened to make the Ravagers so vengeful is never explained. In the end, the Ravagers feel more like plot devices than actual characters.
Not helping matters is the fact that the Ravagers, despite ostensibly being the main antagonists of the arc, have had to constantly share the spotlight with other, more popular villains like the Sontarans and Weeping Angels. This is true even in the last episode of the miniseries — while the Doctor is busy confronting the Ravagers, Earth is being endangered by the Sontarans once more, with the Daleks and Cybermen waiting in the wings. The concept of a three-way clash betweenthe series’ biggest classic monstersis compelling enough to carry a whole season on its own, so it’s frustrating to see so much time wasted on the far less interesting Ravagers instead.
Of course, the Sontarans have their own share of problems in this episode as well. This season’s “War of the Sontarans” previously provided a stellar showing for the alien warmongers, expertly balancing their comedic hamminess with their bloodthirsty menace. However, this episode fails to strike that same balance, causing the Sontarans to come off as joke villains despite ostensibly still being a major threat — for instance, it’s a plot point that the Sontarans have become addicted to chocolate while occupying Earth. Yes, you read that correctly. Even so, the Sontaransat least manage to be entertaining,even at their least imposing.
The same cannot be said of the Ravagers, who spend the entire episode spouting vaguely ominous monologues before being unceremoniously killed off at the last second by a mysterious entity that is said to be the embodiment of Time itself. This Time entity takes the Doctor’s form and mocks her about her impending doom at the hands of the Master, then leaves without any elaboration. The fact that Time is a living, thinking, seemingly malevolent being is quite the bombshell for Chibnall to drop so casually, but it wouldn’t be the first time he’s fumbled such a big reveal. Ultimately, the Ravagers are leftas completely one-dimensional villains— their only notable action in the story is killing Tecteun, the real mastermind behind the Flux, who had a much more interesting dynamic with the Doctor. The Ravagers are undoubtedly the weakest main villains in modernDoctor Who, and one can only wonder why they were included at all.
Short On Time
The villains may be weak, but the heroes don’t fare much better. After spending most of the season sidelined, the Doctor’s companions once again have nothing of note to do. Even John Bishop’s Dan, the lovable newcomer who was a highlight ofFlux’s first two episodes, is reduced to a background character. Mandip Gill is wasted as Yaz, as is tradition. Meanwhile, fan-favorite UNIT leader Kate Stewart (Jemma Redgrave) hasno bearing on the plot whatsoeverdespite her dramatic reintroduction last week. UNIT doesn’t take part in the final battle, and all Kate herself does is stand around watching other people talk in group scenes.
In fact, all the big cameos of the last couple of episodes end up amounting to nothing. The Daleks and Cybermen show up at the climax, only to be immediately destroyed by the Flux. Even some of the major recurring characters end up serving no purpose — Vinder and Bel, despite the enjoyable performances by their actors, could have been removed from the story altogether and nothing would change. The same goes for Vinder’s nemesis the Grand Serpent, whose only memorable addition is a delightful scene where the Doctor makes fun of his name.
Speaking of the Doctor,the best part of the episode is inarguably Jodie Whittaker’s performance. While she still struggles under the weight of Chibnall’s scripting, Whittaker remains determined to bring as much vibrancy and wit to the Thirteenth Doctor as she can. Indeed, there’s multiple fun moments in this episode where she feels more Doctor-like than ever, from geeking out over meeting a new historical figure to shamelessly flirting with herself. (Timey-wimey shenanigans, don’t worry about it.)
However, there’s only so much Whittaker can do to make up for the poor writing she’s saddled with. In one of the episode’s most jarring moments, the Doctor ends up stopping the Sontarans, Daleks, and Cybermen by tricking them into the path of the Flux — in other words, she commits genocide three times over. And whileprevious Doctors have committed similar atrocities,it’s always been portrayed as crossing a line, a moment of hubris that’s promptly called out by a companion. However, the Thirteenth Doctor wipes out her enemies with glee, while her companions make no remarks on the moral ambiguity of her actions. It hardly feels like the same character as the guilt-ridden Ninth Doctor, or the staunchly anti-war Twelfth Doctor.
A Waste Of Time
After all the questions posed at the start of the season, all the answers are either underwhelming or nonexistent. So much has happened in the past six episodes, yet none of it has amounted to anything. “The Timeless Children” might have been a disaster, but it at least had consequences. Despite all the hype, none of the events inFluxseem to have meant anything — eventhe destruction of most of the universegoes totally unaddressed.
To anyone still on the fence,Doctor Who: Fluxis absolutely not worth a watch. Series 13 isn’t over yet — there are still three specials slated for 2022. But after this disaster, it’s easy to see why so many fans are so eager for Chibnall to leave the show.
