Doctor Who Season 1 Episode 8 Review: Empire of Death

Physician Who’s stunning ending wasn’t something like what I anticipated.

Physician Who Season 1 Episode 8 did what Physician Who does finest, however some followers are certain to be extremely upset.

Sutekh left a grim path of loss of life and destruction everywhere in the universe, and the Physician managed to set every little thing to rights, which must be trigger for celebration. Nonetheless, a season-long thriller ended with out fanfare, and one other one nonetheless hasn’t been solved.

Is Sutekh Gone for Good This Time?

Fifty years in the past, the Fourth Physician thought he banished Sutekh endlessly, just for it to prove that he had an unwelcome stowaway ever since who was utilizing the TARDIS to slowly destroy all life.

(The unique episode is named “Pyramid of Mars” and is among the finest traditional Who episodes. It is on Britbox and is nicely price watching if you have not already.)

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So why ought to we consider he is useless this time?

The Physician tied him to the TARDIS for a triumphant journey via time and area, resurrecting everybody he had killed together with his lethal mud after which reducing him free, which ought to have killed him.

Contemplating his final Hail Mary, that is laborious to belief. Sutekh may have latched himself onto somebody or one thing else so he may attempt once more one other time.

Plus, is not he the Pantheon’s strongest god? Gods are often immortal, particularly these on the high of the hierarchy.

Nonetheless, Sutekh is gone for now, and the Physician’s triumphant restoration of life made this epic journey price it.

Sutekh, god of loss of life… you win. That is the way you win. As a result of I satisfaction myself on being higher than you. As a result of in case you are loss of life, I should be life. I’m life! And but due to you, I need to convey loss of life.

Physician

The Physician was at his most Doctorly all through the hour, leaning on his sense of guilt and want to do the fitting factor whereas being decided to cease Sutekh a method or one other.

There Was No Manner Physician Who Would Let Everybody Keep Lifeless

The hour started with the drained TV trope of Sutekh killing everybody the Physician liked. Kate’s loss of life speech was one of the vital stunning components of the hour, however come on!

Physician, it is Kate signing off with thanks and love. Ship this monster again to hell. As a result of sooner or later there shall be birds. I need to consider there shall be birds once more.

Kate

There was no manner all these folks have been staying useless. It was a query of how the Physician would reverse every little thing, although I used to be afraid he won’t have the ability to save EVERYBODY.

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My concept was utterly mistaken. I assumed that since Sutekh started his reign of terror the night time the Physician visited Ruby Street concurrently Ruby’s mom did, he may someway use time journey to alter the timeline in order that he wouldn’t unwittingly launch Sutekh into the universe.

As a substitute, the Physician made Sutekh blow his loss of life mud on a useless universe, which introduced it again to life. It was a triumphant, good second, although it does not totally make logical sense.

Nonetheless, it introduced everybody again to life, even those that Sutekh had possessed, so I am not complaining.

The Battle With Sutekh Led to Genuinely Scary Moments

Regardless of my fervent perception that each one can be restored in the long run, Melanie’s loss of life — and subsequent possession — was scary as hell.

I used to be rooting for Melanie to efficiently battle Sutekh’s try to possess her, and I used to be additionally glad that the Physician despatched her out of the room earlier than trying to find Ruby’s delivery mom’s identification.

I suspected he did so to guard Ruby and her delivery mom’s identification. Nonetheless, the Physician’s response to realizing Melanie was useless had me in tears… lower than a minute after she made me leap by exhibiting up wanting like Sutekh.

Because of the larger particular results price range, all the deaths have been far scarier than on “Pyramid of Mars.”

As nice as the unique was, the Nineteen Seventies particular results made Sutekh’s authentic threats appear extra foolish than scary, and I am glad this sequel episode rectified that.

That mud, particularly coupled with the inexperienced gentle, was tremendous creepy, as have been all of the Sutekh clones wandering round hoping to kill Ruby’s delivery mom.

Ruby’s Seeming Sacrifice Was a Nice Plot Twist, However What About The Decision of Her Thriller?

I purchased that Ruby was giving in to Sutekh till she dropped the display screen on the ground, shattering the one proof of her delivery mom’s identification.

That was probably the greatest plot twists in an episode with a lot of them!

That scene supplied a huge purple herring.

When Ruby stared at her mom’s identify, saying that it made no sense, I assumed that it should be one thing actually bizarre — like a preferred fan concept that Ruby was someway her personal mom or was half Time Lord.

As a substitute, it turned out her mom was an atypical human being: a teenage woman who gave up her child as a result of she feared her stepfather.

She was necessary as a result of we thought she was necessary. That is how every little thing occurs. Each battle, each faith, each love story. We make investments issues with significance. So whereas the entire of creation was turning round her, it made her sheer existence extra highly effective than Time Lords and gods. In the long run, an important individual was probably the most atypical. A scared little woman making her child protected.

The Physician

I understood what Physician Who was attempting to do right here, however I could not determine whether or not it was good or a letdown.

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The thriller of Ruby’s origins has been such an enormous a part of the season that everybody anticipated her to be one thing aside from purely human.

That was accomplished on goal to misdirect the viewers, however for some followers, I am certain that the reality was extraordinarily anti-climactic.

Physician Who has all the time had the core message that each life is necessary, and the reality about Ruby’s mom strengthened that theme.

Ruby’s mom was a survivor who made probably the most out of her life after getting pregnant at 15. Perhaps having to determine to offer her child up for adoption brought on her to take a more durable take a look at her personal scenario and do what it took to guard herself, too.

Throughout Physician Who Season 1 Episode 7, Ruby wished she may inform her delivery mom that she grew as much as journey the universe, and now her delivery mom’s existence helped the Physician and Ruby to save lots of everyone from Sutekh.

That was stunning, even when it wasn’t what anybody anticipated.

Ruby’s Exit Story Was Effectively Accomplished, However Too Quickly

The ultimate scenes, wherein the Physician informed Ruby she wanted to be along with her household now that she’d reconnected along with her delivery mom, made it clear that the aim of her assembly the Physician was to seek out out the reality about herself.

Nonetheless, I shared her upset when he advised she should not journey with him anymore.

Millie Gibson has accomplished a tremendous job bringing Ruby to life. There’s a lot chemistry between her and Ncuti Gatwa’s Fifteenth Physician. I hate to lose her.

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Supposedly, she’s going to seem on a recurring foundation on Physician Who Season 2, so the Physician will make good on his promise to see her.

Nonetheless, I want she may nonetheless journey with the Physician and are available dwelling sometimes to her household, as earlier companions have accomplished.

I particularly preferred her burgeoning friendship with Rose, who was additionally woefully underused on this episode, and I hoped to see extra of it.

Physician Who Left One Thriller Open

Not telling us who Mrs. Flood actually is provides viewers a purpose to tune in for the following season, however it’s nonetheless annoying.

I am nonetheless leaning towards her being the Rani since she has a chilly, heartless streak and had plans for Cherry that have been interrupted by the mud of loss of life.

Nonetheless, that is the one clue we bought to her actual identification, that and her declare that the Physician was about to face absolute terror.

It is not as irritating as if Physician Who abruptly disappeared endlessly in order that we’d by no means get solutions, however it’s nonetheless annoying.

Stray Ideas

If Sutekh created Susan Triad to be his angel of loss of life, then how is she an actual individual with actual recollections who can now work for UNIT?

Did Cherry ever get that cup of tea she’s been asking for since Christmas?

Did it strike anybody else as bizarre that the Physician did not inform Ruby that the “man with the curls” was his earlier incarnation? He made it sound like each Sarah and the Fourth Physician have been companions.

Your flip, Physician Who fanatics!

Was the finale as epic as you anticipated? Have been you pissed off by the shortage of readability round Mrs. Flood? What did you consider the reality about who Ruby’s mother and father have been?

Hit the feedback and tell us!

Physician Who Season 1 is streaming on Disney+.