Doctor Who: Survivors of the Flux (13x05)

Hey, so I like... forgot to watch this episode while I was watching it. Mostly that's my bad, I could have forced myself to give a damn and pay attention, but I didn't, and the result is that I was spacing out and working on other things the whole time this episode was playing in the background. Should make for a fun review...

Cons:

Not to absolve myself of too much of the guilt, but one of the reasons that it's hard to give a damn is that this whole season has been a lot of setup, a lot of chaos, a lot of moving parts and new concepts, with very little character meat at the center of it all. I have said it every week and I will say it again, it's bonkers to me that Dan and the Doctor haven't gotten to properly speak to each other since he joined the show. Who's idea was it, to introduce a new companion, pair him off with Yaz, and immediately separate the Doctor from her companions? It's bad writing, in my opinion.

So in this episode, the Doctor meets... her mom? And wow, I want to care, I really do, but this whole plot, from the minute we were introduced to the idea that the Doctor was some sort of foundling and thus not necessarily from Gallifrey, has reeked of leftover Moffat-vibes for me. I don't need epic revelations about the Doctor's backstory. Not only do I not need them, I don't want them. I think they make the show actively worse!

The chaos of the plot is probably a bit more understandable if you're... you know... paying attention to what you're watching, but this episode has UNIT and it has Division and it has Yaz and her gang trying to find answers, and the Doctor recruited by Division and the Weeping Angels and the time stream falling apart and those dog-alien things that I still haven't bothered to learn anything about... jeez, how is a person who doesn't really care supposed to keep up?

Pros:

The shining highlight of this episode for me is probably easy for you to guess. The Doctor manages to get a message to Yaz, and the two have some fun back-and-forth, with Yaz replying to the Doctor's prerecorded message. It showcased their true fondness for each other, as well as how well they know one another. I loved the bit about the Doctor saying she misses Yaz, and Yaz saying "I miss you too", and the Doctor reacting off of that, and then worrying that it sounded awkward if Yaz hadn't reciprocated the sentiment. Super adorable stuff.

Next week is the finale, and I feel like we've just finished putting the pieces on the board. I'm anxious to see if they can turn me around and make me like this season, but at this point, five out of six episodes in, I think it's time for me to admit that this whole adventure has not exactly hit the spot for me. Sorry, I wish I had more to say... and I hope we can get some more coherence and fun character connections in Whittaker's special episodes, before she says her final goodbye...

6/10