Doctor Who 13.6 "The Vanquishers"

A bit of a tough one to write/review as we get so much jumping from time to time from the Doctor as she ends up being in three different places as three of her selves.  Sufficed to say she's still eyeing the pocketwatch whilst trying to save Earth and rid those Sontarans from a pact they're entering into for peace with the Daleks and the Cybermen to save them from the Flux.  However it's all an act to become the dominant race, in fact the only ones left aside from some rag tag humans.  To this end they've set up a dark camera in to watch every move being made.  This the Doctor (Jodie Whittaker) infiltrates and then ends up there herself with Karvanista (Craige Eels).  The Sontarans want to take over the Lupari shield on their ships so they can use it to further their 'peace' treaty.  Which they manage to do as they rid the Lupari from their ships into the airlocks and into space.  Karvanista is the last of his species.  Which he wants revenge for as he howls in the cage as the Doctor is dragged away to be interrogated by the Grand Serpent (Craig Parkinson).  The Sontarans use the shields to survive the Second Flux and indeed lead the Daleks and Cybermen to destruction only realizing at the last minute that it's a trap,

This destruction will lead the anti-matter from the Flux to be cancelled.  The Doctor doesn't prevent this from happening but plans to throw the Sontarans into the mix too and effectively wipe them out.  A different Doctor who is/was all about saving species no matter whether good or bad.  As seen in Journey's End.  When the Flux isn't completely destroyed it's Diane (Nadia Albina) who comes up with the solution using the Passenger.  As she also comes up with a way for Vinder (Jacob Anderson) and her to leave the planet and get back to be picked up the doctor in the TARDIS.  As she was trapped inside the Passenger she has worked out how it works and tells her to make the anti-matter enter the Passenger in deep space and it will become harmless due to the space inside the Passenger.  

Finally Vinder and Bel (Thaddea Graham) are united and the Doctor sends them on their way with Karvanista on his ship.  He probably needs the company too.  It's also Dan (John Bishop) who releases Karvinista from his cage adding he fetched his dog.  Diane keeps her distance from Dan who tells her he wasn't late but he was kind of detoured via Karvinista.  The Doctor gets Claire (Annabel Scholey) and the Professor (Kevin McNally) to infiltrate a Sontaran base ship and be used as bait so they can get information on the Flux date from using their brains.  When push comes to shove and they do get their information, the rings the Doctor has given them only work to rescue Claire as the Professor's one is destroyed as he takes it upon himself to take out some Sontarans, which wasn't really necessary at all.  Sadly there was no one ring to save them all.  He heads into the Flux too and rather accepts his twist of bad luck and fate.  A shame as he could've been used more in future eps.  He's more sad he hasn't been able to write an autobiography.

The Grand Serpent apparently underused in this ep as he doesn't even remember Vinder and doesn't carry out much torture on the Doctor.  Vinder gets his revenge by leaving him on a tiny space rock, his "exile" just as Vinder spent his 'exile' in that observation station.  He didn't even get to get any sort of dialogue with Kate (Jemma Redgrave) as he was hunting her down.  Swarm (Sam Spruell) and Azure (Rochenda Sandell) were also underused as creepy villains going back all the way to Hallowe'en they didn't get much to do here.  Not even able to exact revenge on their 'master' Time being released.  So he turns them to dust before turning into the Doctor and telling her she won't be finished off.  So obviously that should add something to the New Year Specials.  Especially as the Doctor mentions the Master too.  She gets the pocketwatch and tells the TARDIS to hide it somewhere deep down she can't find it unless she wants it of course.  Was she afraid to access her past memories and what she was or did in the past as Division operative.  Maybe this would've added some backstory into why she's so hellbent on saving, though destroying has also entered the equation on occasion (of course it was just written that way.)

Nothing said about the Flux or whether those civilizations being destroyed with few survivors will have much of an impact on the future and the planets/places the Doctor will be able to 'visit' in the TARDIS taking Yaz (Mandip Gill) and the companions with her.  She also returns for Dan to take him with them.  The Doctor also persuaded Williamson to return to his own time through the correct door of his tunnels as he had greater things to do and history needed him.  

Sontarans gorging themselves on chocolate was a fun scene to move from all this jumping around and throwing so much at the viewer.  All 'n' all we got an ending whether it's what we wanted or expected is another thing.  Many loose ends were left and you can't help wonder if it was on purpose or if any of it will be revisited and concluded.  Kate was left on Earth along with Claire who might join forces.  Is UNIT still around? 

Doctor Who 13.5 "Survivors of the Flux"

Beginning with the Doctor (Jodie Whittaker) being transported to the ship with the woman who reveals herself to be Tectuen (Barbara Flynn) who looked after her.  Taking her from the planet and wiping her memories storing them in a pocketwatch.  The Doctor angry she was taken she might have been waiting for someone to come for her.  She explains about Division and then we get the Great Serpent/Prentiss (Craig Parkinson) going from time to time and establishing his grip on UNIT.  Starting with the Grand Serpent ending up at a country estate and gets a job with the man who was behind UNIT, Farquhar (Robert Bathurst).  But as said, he disposes of all of them. Where Kate Stewart (Jemma Redgrave) says she sees through Prentiss and won't let him get away with whatever he's planning.  She becoming his next target and having to go on the run.  Apparently the Doctor's transformation to an angel was only temporary and just to get her to the ship.  It's Division HQ.

Meanwhile Yaz (Mandip Gill) Dan (John Bishop) and the Professor (Kevin McNally) jump from 1901 to three years into the future looking for a pot.  Later it's revealed the Doctor left her a message as a hologram, which she knew Yaz would find and would be opened for her when they are separated and she sends her on this quest to find a date and time for when the Flux will attack Earth again, thus the pot.  That's since the Doctor knows that Earth being the only planet being left intact will be marauded by other species and taken over.  

The scenes with the three of them were very Indy Jones, The Mummy.   Overseen with assassins as waiters as Yaz notices the serpent tattoo on his wrist as he takes a cyanide capsule to prevent questioning.  Being told that they need to fetch a dog.  Of course being the Lupari Karvanista (Craige Els) so they leave a message on the Great Wall of China which can be seen from space, "Fetch Your Human" ie Dan.  The Lupari already having problems with keeping a ship in formation and not being able to protect Earth.  However he commandeers the ship and ends up finding Bel (Thaddea Graham).  Having a battle with his weapon which was very much out of Stargate.  As was the snake-like creatures which left the mouths of the Grand Serpent's victim's mouths and attached onto him.

However Wiliamson turns up in their cabin and Dan recalls him.  They finally get to his tunnels and Yaz comes right out asking him what's going on.  Vinder (Jacob Anderson) ends up on a planet where he meets Diane (Nadia Albina) after he's transported into a Passenger.  As well  as finding that Swarm (Sam Spruell) and Azure (Rochenda Sandall) have taken people and are using them as power sources.

The Doctor finds out that Division became a shady organization pretty much running everything.  That's why the Flux was released.  So that they destroy everything so the Doctor can't go round saving planets and universes.  Could say justice finally came round full circle as Tectuen is destroyed by Swarm just as the Doctor needed to find out more from her about her past regenerations.  Eyeing the pocketwatch which Azure sees her doing.  Agh couldn't she have just gotten the watch somehow, that would've been too easy obviously.  The Sontarans make a pact with the grand Serpent and end up in the tunnels, as well as on the Lupari ships.  

Would Division really destroy so many planets and the universe just to keep the Doctor in check or to stop her doing what she does.  Then what of UNIT?  So many questions unanswered like what happened to Poppy?  How did the three get to travelling and away from the village.  How did UNIT get hold of the TARDIS?  Why did Swarm say Division imprisoned him and at the same time why did he escape?

Also the Doctor never got a chance to confront Tectuen in more depth or ascertain the real motives behind her becoming the Timeless Child.  In the end eps did end up being a bit scattered all over the place.