Doctor Who (TV Series) Flux: Chapter Two - War of the Sontarans (2021) User Reviews

I enjoyed that, finally the Sontarans were threatening again

[Sleepin_Dragon · 8/10 · 7 November 2021]

Last week's didn't quite work for me, but I definitely had a feeling that this story had some legs.

War of The Sontarans, perhaps the most accomplished episode from The Chris Chibnall era? For me it was.

There was an intensity about this that didn't let up, lots going on, but it somehow felt pretty measured, and actually well paced. I wasn't scratching my head trying to put the pieces together, it flowed very well.

Jodie was very animated, good to see. Dan once again, terrific.

More evidence of that increased budget, no dodgy CGI here, this really did look very good. The battles looked awesome.

The Sontarans, glory to them, I have loathed some since the show returned, nurse maids and overly comedic, here though, they looked the part, and offered a real threat. I was glad to hear the voice of Dan Starkey again. I did like some of the fan servicing, some nice talk of past encounters.

The Sontarans took advantage in a similar way to the one in The Invasion of Time, that was smart.

One thing that Chris Chibnall has tried is to add historical, almost educational elements, and he does so here, some text about The Crimea War, and info about The British Hotel and Mary Seacole, Sara Powell was great here.

That's more like it, 8/10.

Return to form for Doctor Who

[Super_Bob1 · 8/10 · 7 November 2021]

Best episode since Capaldi's exit.

Separating the Doctor from her companions gave her the chance to shine, we saw the darker side to 13 and it payed off. The Sontarans were very enjoyable to watch and overall it was a great episode. This is coming from someone who disliked a good chunk of the last two seasons.

Finally back on form

[paul-yorks · 8/10 · 8 November 2021]

This is the writing and story and humour that I've was hoping Jodie's era as the Doctor was going to start with 3 years ago. So happy that I'm not being preached with now and that sadly she's going out on the high that she should of come in from. Jodie as a doctor was great but she was given awful material.

A great follow up to what could be seen as a messy part 1

[iamjoel-28066 · 9/10 · 7 November 2021]

I was a fan of part 1, however I can see how some may have viewed it as messy with the amount of new characters and story they tried to cram into one 50 minute episode.

Part 2 was a much more streamlined episode purely focusing on the Sontarans and how they fit into the 'Flux' that is the overriding theme of this series.

My favourite part of this episode was how there were times when i genuinely felt like the doctor was powerless and didn't think she would be able to make it out of this, which if i'm being honest is a great feeling to get from the show as it keeps me hooked wondering what's going to happen rather that was has happened the past couple of series where you just know she'll figure it out in the end... but as we have no idea how the flux will play out it adds a whole new level of suspense as there are still 4 more chapters to go.

My least favourite part was some of the dialogue, particularly towards the beginning of the episode was very exposition-y... which made me cringe a bit, like yes we get what's happening you don't need to spoon feed us. But that was just minor!

Overall a great episode, great suspense and I liked the cliffhanger. Azure and Storm seem like actual villains that could do some serious harm in the show.

Credit where credit is due. Well done Chibnall... trying to leave on a high note I see.

Pleasant surprise.

[W011y4m5 · 7/10 · 7 November 2021]

For once, I'm glad to report that I actually got an impressively strong sense of direction in tonight's episode, "War of The Sontarans". Massive increase in quality.

Unlike last week's messy outing, here, the story seemed to be visibly going somewhere & all the loose, inconsequential strands (which previously had no clear relevance to one another) featured randomly throughout "The Halloween Apocalypse" finally began to connect cohesively, heading towards an eventual conclusion - airing in a month's time. That added context & interaction between these plot threads is precisely the thing sorely missing in the last installment & I'm glad to see the problem's been rectified immediately, upon revisitation.

Honestly, I can't begin to describe just how refreshing it is - to see a well paced, coherent narrative with a perceptible feeling of organic development which stems / evolves from the lead character's individualistic choices as they play an active role in deciding their own future (because these things are fairly basic & they should be more or less guaranteed, yet they've been lacking from the Chibnall era) but I'm glad "Flux" is improving as it naturally progresses, possibly setting it on the right path by its 2nd chapter - & let's hope that upward trend continues.

I'm also assuming in his audacious attempt to lay the groundwork for what was to come shortly after, the reason for the opening's failure is this: the showrunner bit off far more than he could've ever hoped to have chewed in just 50 minutes & thus, the foundations constructed were done so in haste & haphazardly, formed from the half masticated mouthful of interesting ideas he had brewing within his mind, spat out on to the page before they'd had chance to be broken down in to something clear or digestible. Either that or he was unable to invest a sufficient amount of time needed to fully realise the potential within his screenplay - most likely due to the fact that his attention was equally diverted to the other 4 scripts solely written by him in S13. A questionable executive decision, I'd argue.

Either way, though certainly not perfect, it's reassuring that the hard part's (fingers crossed) over with & to additionally have an effective & threatening Sontaran tale which really "got" them as villains today, doing them justice as classic nemeses, depicting them as they should be (imperialistic war mongers) as opposed to reducing them to short, silly, comedic potato men? That's rare (a portrayal Steven Moffat never considered adopting during his long tenure) & hence, makes this the best, most accurate utilisation of their original concept since S4's "The Sontaran Stratagem" / "Poison Sky" in 2008. Quite the accomplishment, I must concede.

The only major complaint? Quite a niché remark but the costume design for "Azure" & "Swarm"; I'd love to understand what the intentions were when designing their outfits but on screen, the garments they wear are ridiculously distracting; with such beautifully surrealistic & ALIEN prosthetics on the actor & actress' faces, it's inexcusable for their clothes from the neck down to look so cheap & unremarkable by comparison. Almost as if behind the scenes, they'd blatantly blown the budget on the prosthetics, failed to factor in the creature's attire & then in order to desperately finish the look off with SOMETHING - literally ANYTHING - they'd raided the BBC wardrobe for "Strictly Come Dancing"... Resulting in this. None of it works & neither the face nor the costume matches. There's a clash of two looks & rather than complimenting one another, they both conflict horrendously.

Doctor who is back

[kyleshaw-83938 · 8/10 · 7 November 2021]

After a rocky start for the thirteenth doctor this season has really showed us that doctor who is back to form the sontarons were great especially the new designs.

Flux: Chapter Two - War of the Sontarans

[studioAT · 6/10 · 18 February 2022]

Without wishing to sound surprised, this wasn't too bad at all.

Even the sudden jump back in time worked well.

They're introducing a lot of characters though, so I hope the pay off at the end of all this is fitting for them all, because they don't half spend a lot of time trying to make them all seem vital.

Good overall. And yes, perhaps I was surprised.

Best 13th Doctor Episode Yet

[josh-jf · 10/10 · 7 November 2021]

Well that was Chibnall at his very best. This is as timey wimey as Doctor Who has ever been and the magnitude of this series is wonderful.

I have no idea where this is going and I love it.

Also it was immensely funny!

Improving...

[skipp-5 · 7/10 · 10 November 2021]

Was pretty critical of the first episode of the Flux, but this episode was an improvement. We experiences a bit more storyline and fewer exploding planets. The dialogue was also easier to hear (perhaps because there were less explosions)

The sinister level of peril was also increased, but there were still some laughs - I loved the "mans best friend" thing, particularly with the comedic northern accent.

Hopefully this series continues to move in this direction.

Good episode.

Are we watching the same show????

[dansolo-20563 · 2/10 · 7 November 2021]

I've seen pretty much nothing but praise for this episode and I'm honestly so confused. My main theory is that most people who dislike the Chibnall era have stopped watching by now. Even then, I'm seeing a lot of people who say they disliked series 11 and 12 say that this is a huge improvement. I'm truly baffled because I thought this was one of Chibnall's biggest atrocities in a sea full of them.

When I switch on this show nowadays, I know pretty much what to expect. I do honestly try to go in as open-minded as possible but it's clear to me that he cannot write (Doctor Who at least) to save his life. I've watched this show since I was 6 and this is by far the worst the show has ever been. I keep watching on the faintest hope that I can be proved wrong and the show actually might become somewhat decent before RTD comes back. I'll be real though, at this point it's mainly RTD returning that's keeping me going because I don't know how much longer I could otherwise persist with this absolute nonsense on my TV screen.

Stormtrooper aim isn't something that can be attributed purely to Chibnall but goodness me does he take the mick. Dan should've died at least three times this episode alone. Why have the Sontarans just been allowed to take present day earth with seemingly no military action? Why does Chibnall STILL insist on non-stop plot action? What happened to nice character moments that weren't related to the end of the universe or whatever? I feel like three series in I still know absolutely nothing about Thirteen. You would never think this is the woman whose entire planet and species have just been wiped out. Remember how Nine quite clearly had PTSD for a very similar reason? This Doctor is basically just a 2D Sherlock except she cheats by pulling out her sonic every five seconds. I feel so bad for Jodie because she could've been so good but I honestly don't think there's a single previous Doctor that could've done anything with these horrendous scripts.

These are basically my feelings towards the show as a whole since Chibnall took over. I hadn't written anything until now about it because I just didn't want to but this episode being as appalling as it was gave me the need to vent. I'm hoping that the remaining episodes not written by him will at least be an improvement but I won't hold my breath seeing as he is still the head writer. RTD can't come soon enough.

Welcome back Doctor Who!

[2004Daniel · 8/10 · 7 November 2021]

The Halloween Apocalypse was a really good set up episode, it was a little bit messy and it was hard to judge it with it being part 1 of a 6 part series.

Now we're into Doctor Who: Flux and as a result of the Flux, whatever it is, the Sontarans have been able to invade Earth at different points in its time stream in an attempt to rewrite history. It's really good. The Sontarans were fantastic, the story with the Flux and Swarm is really intriguing and next week looks like it will focus on that a lot more.

Series 11 and 12 were terrible, but this is Chris Chibnall's best work on Doctor Who so far and has potential over the next 4 weeks to make this a special series. Jodie Whitaker has been great so far this series and John Bishop is brilliant as I expected. It's also visually very impressive, well done to all involved.

8/10. Bring on next week!

War of the Sontarans Review

[theredsky · 8 November 2021]

Thoughts on Flux Chapter Two: War of the Sontarans Where has this level of quality been. This and the THOVD are tied for my favorite episode of this era. The Doctor is given a ton of great moments and the Sontarans make a grand return to form since their last major appearance since 2008. Yaz is kind of shoved to the sideline but it wasn't a huge issue because she was given some great moments as well and Dan had a lot of fun lines. My only major issue with this episode is the performances of the side characters. They all felt weak and some of their line delivery was pretty awful. The script is a major improvement this time around and so is the music. War of the Sontarans shows that this era still has a lot to offer.

We're getting somewhere

[jbmhulbert · 7/10 · 7 November 2021]

After the great cold open, once the story has separated into its various B and C plots, there isn't a lot to fault. The Sontarans are done the best they have been. The setting is well realised with an awesome battle sequence and subtle poetry context. Dan and his wok were some good comedic relief, as well as Sontaran etiquette. The re-introduction of doggo did drag it down slightly but with a dramatic cliffhanger Chibnal has snapped up attention to what, if quality improves as it has been, could be considered his magnum opus.

Bishop Twankey & His Wok of Wisdom...

[Xstal · 5/10 · 11 January 2022]

Panto season continues with the clone of ugly sisters, the turtle headed twisters, less formally potatoes with a gun. In the cold of the Crimea, the aliens of diarrhoea, who are totally incapable of causing fear, practice light years ahead technology on horsemen (brave). Fortunately Old Bishop Twankey has managed to peel off avoiding 1855 Sevastopol, and has a cunning scouse sabotage playing out in present day Liverpol. Simultaneously the Doctor gets to shout and shout and shout, because she doesn't like the human race going about things she has in doubt, so she exercises her clout, albeit as Bishop Twankey wipes a few thousand out. Meanwhile clever words are used to confuse, and probably amuse, about a planet called Time where there's clearly a bit of a fuse, that will leave a bit of a bruise, it all depends on your views - and that's where Yaz is, with some inconsequential fella who's being used to pad the show out to 60 minutes, as will his similarly inconsequential and unnecessary girlfriend.

An improvement from last week

[harrydowney · 9/10 · 7 November 2021]

This episode was REALLY good, but not deserving of a 9 sadly. It sits at a comfortable 8.72/10. The exposition was there, but it was actually tolerable and was kinda brief. I think the writing was better and the characters are brilliant. There are some show dont tell scenes. I love the sontarans. Loved jodie whittaker. Not the best doctor who episode, but it is one of whittakers best. Also i loved the cliffhanger, it was crazy.

Let down by the overall Flux

[A_Kind_Of_CineMagic · 6/10 · 20 October 2022]

On my first viewing of this, when it was first broadcast, I enjoyed it quite a lot. Sadly, once I saw the whole of Flux and eventually went back and rewatched it I find it far less satisfying. The flaws become clear to me, particularly in the overarching story elements which end up falling flat once the Flux story pans out.

There are aspects which still stand up as positives:

The Sontarans look good and their leader is excellent. They pose a strong threat for the first time since The Sontaran Strategem/ Poison Earth.

The Crimean War setting is well created and battle scenes are very good.

Mary Seacole is well acted and a good historical inclusion.

A lot of the Crimean War aspect is fun and parts of the 2021 Sontaran invasion are fun.

However, the negatives stand out when rewatching after seeing the Flux story in full:

The characters are all thrown inexplicably into situations to suit where Chibnall wants them to be. Why is Vinder on the planet Time? Why does Yaz get brought there? Why does Dan return to 2021 Earth? Why is the Doctor thrown from the TARDIS into the Crimean War? It is just for plot convenience.

The whole Atropos storyline is nonsensical, confusing and has no internal logic. In fact, to put it bluntly, I think the whole Atropos/Time/Mouri idea is rubbish.

The blundering Sontaran soldier is a bit daft.

The Joseph Williamson scenes are silly, confusing and ultimately not needed.

Chibnall making characters say historical figures full names every time they are referred to over and over has become extremely tiresome. Why does the Doctor need to keep saying "Mary Seacole" every time instead of just Mary or Mrs. Seacole or just saying "thankyou" rather than "thankyou Mary Seacole?! It is SO unnatural and occurs every time a historical figure appears in Chibnall era. Bizarrely treating the audience as if we are so stupid we need the identities of these people hammered home repeatedly.

Also, the idea the Sontarans are attacking in present day Earth and a random part of Earth history doesn't really have a logical explanation in the story or indeed any real clear purpose. It is just done for effect because surely logically they only needed to attack in the time of the Flux.

I will give credit for all the good, fun action, the strong Sontaran design, the good acting, the excellent music, excellent photography and effects and the better bits of dialogue but this is far less enjoyable for me than it seemed on first viewing.

My Rating: 5.5/10.

Series 13 Episode Ranking: 2nd out of 6.

Improving itself

[jeremytongpao-67212 · 8/10 · 7 November 2021]

With improvements from last weeks episode and great villains to watch, War of the Sontarans is a great addition to the season. The Sontarans were menacing but funny, especially as they are given quite a few comedic scenes. The continuing overarching plot was also interesting to watch and has me excited for next weeks episode.

Best Episode of Chibnall's Era

[theoweemaster · 10/10 · 8 November 2021]

This is without a doubt the best episode of the Whittaker/Chibnall Era. The Doctor has never felt more like the Doctor here (with a Whittaker snark). The Sontarans were legitimately threatening and vile, and the balance of the three main storylines never took me out of the story.

I'm ready for the rest of Flux.

Better than episode one...but still not good

[perpetualdoom · 3/10 · 13 November 2021]

I'm going to start this review by saying that Jodie deserves so much better. There have been a few decent episodes over the last three years, but that doesn't begin to make up for all of the rubbish ones. This episode is a little better than the first one, but it's still packed with poor writing and predictable plot. I can barely tell you anything about Yaz and Thirteen even after three years because Chibnall can't write characters or just Doctor Who in general to save his life. RTD's return can't come too soon.

Please keep this up

[mlmiller-56264 · 9/10 · 7 November 2021]

I'm loving this new kind of style, I hated the last 2 series, I mean it's never really been worse, but this and last week have really been quite good. I'm actually excited for next week for once. Don't screw this one up Chibnall. Pretty please.

Better than S11-12 but still subpar

[Harkonnen2 · 5/10 · 8 November 2021]

This was a better episode and the Sontarans are always fun. That being said the episode felt very lazily written one moment the doctor is talking about the Sontarans how they are bred for battle and very good at it.....than every single one goes back into there ships to refuel leaving them completely exposed.

Not to mention it wouldnt be a Chibnall Doctor Who episode if the doctor didnt berate some white guy for his actions. The Scene felt very similar to the S02 special Christmas Invasion involving Harriet Jones which only further highlights how it was written and delivered (subpar).

Thoroughly Impressed!

[cyberalf-50287 · 9/10 · 7 November 2021]

A great and epic episode of Doctor Who! I adore Swarm and it seems we might be getting the origin of the Weeping Angels! Everything about this was so great!

Better then the previous Episode

[rohanumpleby · 8/10 · 7 November 2021]

The action was really good in this episode. John Bishop was also hillarious in this as he was in the previous episode. The Sontarens war was very fun to watch, an unfair war no less but they like there Sport. The story was slow in parts and the characters didn't really get much growth but that aside the supporting cast were really good. The Effects look stunning again and as always. The new design for the Sontarens as I said In my previous review reminds me of the Pertwee Era, so I get good flashbacks. The New Tardis design that I've not talked about looks pretty neat, a Blue light at the top suits the Tardis well in my opinion. The Sontarens imposed a real threat on the Doctor and the people of Earth, specifically Liverpool. Right at the End has a good plot twist. It would of been good if they hadn't spoiled it in the advert for the next Episode. The Negatives have to be down on the story and plot as again the plot is thin and the story at times can be slow. But that aside I really enjoyed this!.

Rating 8.1/10.

Reject Soviet Russia. Embrace Sontar!

[wetmars · 8/10 · 8 November 2021]

Holy crap. That was... actually solid. I have been begging for a Solo 13 adventure, and it was done well. Fixing my errors on the review of the last episode. The main villain was NOT Tim Shaw after I have done some research. I was confused into thinking what appeared to be a guy with a blue face was Tim Shaw, but it was not. So my mistake. I have to say. The two villains are menacing. I'm not going to lie though, but they do have that drip! Their performance is strong. I can't wait to see more of them! Speaking about the Solo 13 adventure. Although. I have hated 13 since 2018. I have to admit that I already have begun to love her now.

The Crimean War setting was well-done. Of course, our lovely and mighty Sontarans have returned. I seriously had enough of Moffat making them comedic. Although, I did enjoy Strax throughout Smith and Capaldi's era. Chibnall Sontarans are at their best. This is already my second favorite Sontaran story right behind The Time Warrior. Despite the flaws, the episode managed to make me sit at the edge of my seat wanting to know what will happen through the episode. I enjoyed the parts with Dan and Karvanista. They are just so fun together! The pacing has been the best Chibnall pacing. I am looking forwards to the next story.

8/10.

EDIT: R. I. P the Floating Triangle A. I. assistance. I got to say that I love the makeup work on the two villains, and what a fun little scene where Vinder fires his gun at the two of them and they kept teleporting.

EDIT 2: I have to say that the shot where 13 is talking to the Sontaran is beautiful. "And I wanted to ride a horse." lel.

Just Not Feeling It

[EthelredBusybody · 5/10 · 8 November 2021]

I was not very impressed with the first episode. To me it was lots of glitter but little gold. I thought that I would watch the second episode before writing a review, but I have watched it twice now and it did not change my mind. I have nothing against the acting - I like the new Dan character and I do not miss the other guys, especially not grumpy-pants Ryan.

There are so many stories that supposedly have a common thread, but I am finding it really hard to follow. Something to do with time messing up everything, but not in a clever timey-wimey way (although the weeping angels last week made me think that it might be).

The Karvanista character (and his purpose) are just plain silly. Not in the cheesy Captain Jack way, which I find most entertaining, but in the "Who thought that this was good idea?" way.

I liked the Sontaran banter last week (reminiscent of those Clara / River insults), but I don't know why their look has been changed so much. I was quite happy with how they used to look. Maybe I am alone in thinking this.

This week started off with a pleasant, artsy Lemony Snicket kind of scene and I thought, "This looks interesting." But that very quickly wore off.

Most other reviewers seem to be enjoying this season. I cannot honestly say that I am. I will keep watching, however. Hopefully it will start to make more sense. At the moment, I think it is all over the place.