13.5. Survivors of the Flux

Series 13 - 2021 (Flux)

Writer: Chris Chibnall
Producer: Pete Levy
Director: Azhur Saleem
Music: Segun Akinola

Synopsis

After being turned to stone as a Weeping Angel the Doctor is transported to by the Weeping Angels to somewhere she doesn't recognise where she does recognise an Ood. The Ood takes the Doctor to meet an old woman she has meet before. The woman tells the Doctor that she is in "Division". When asked about Division the woman says that Division is simple, and complicated, but that leadership now falls to her. Division began on Gallifrey to ensure the safety of the galaxy. As Gallifrey grew and travelled so to did Division. The number of operatives grew, and Division started to guide and shape events until Division became a colossal entity across space and time. When the Doctor asks where Division is located, as she couldn't find it anywhere in the universe, the woman tells her that Division is not in the universe.

When Division starts shaking the Doctor realises they are moving. The woman explains that the universe is nearing its end, and that Division is moving toward the next one. Division contains a seed bank from the original universe that can be imported into the next one. The woman reveals the Doctor escaped from Division into the universe, and because of that the universe, with the Doctor in it, had to end to hide the existence of Division. Even then the Doctor managed to escape the Flux.

When the Doctor asks the woman who she is the woman tells the Doctor she is Tecteun, the woman who found the Doctor on Gallifrey. Tecteun confirms that what the Master had told the Doctor about her past lives was true, and tells the Doctor it was her who had the Doctor's memories erased.

Leaving Teteun the Doctor finds the Ood and persuades it to show her the universe - which is much smaller after the first Flux event. She notices the universe is being compressed to one single point - and the Ood confirms that ultimate apex of destruction will be Earth. As the Doctor works on a way to reverse the compression she is distracted by voices that the Ood cannot hear. She checks some nearby shelves and sees a fob watch. Tecteun appears and gives the Doctor an ultimatum: The Doctor can return to the dying universe or rejoin Division and have all her memories restored.

1904: Trapped in the past the Doctor has given Yaz a task. Whilst Earth has been shielded from the Flux other planets have not, and so there will be many creatures looking for sanctuary and the Doctor needs Yaz to find out when that will happen. With the Flux creating ripples in time the event will have been foreseen, somewhere.

Travelling to Mexico Dan, Yaz, and Professor Jericho, break into a temple, avoiding traps, looking for an offering pot. In Constantinople they are getting the markings on the offering pot deciphered to hopefully reveal the exact date the world is going to end. Someone doesn't want the pot deciphered and, along with the translator, they manage to escape before a bomb in the building they are in explodes. They do manage to get a partial date: December 5th.

Travelling to Nepal via sea Yaz and Jericho share a cabin whilst Dab acts as a stowaway. When drinks are served in their cabin Yaz and Dan are suspicious, especially of the waiter's expensive shoes. Yaz and Dan overpower the waiter but he bites down on a hidden poison capsule in a tooth. When the reach Nepal they meet with a seer who gives them three words: Fetch. Your. Dog. Jericho is confused, but Yaz and Dan think they know who the seer is referring to.

Travelling to the Great Wall of China Yaz, Dan, and Jericho, paint a large message for Karvanista. Waiting for Karvanista they again travel by sea where, suddenly, Joseph Williamson bursts into the cabin. Dan realises in his time (2021) the Williamson tunnels are being excavated. Williamson has been turning up at different places and times, then the tunnels is where they need to head to.

In Liverpool they make their way into the tunnels where they find Williamson. Williamson takes them to a room which leads to several other doorways, all labelled. But since Halloween some of the doorways have changed their destinations.

England, 1958: Farquhar is out shooting with Prentis. When asked about his field of expertise Prentis tells Farquhar that he specialises in threats that may originate from beyond Earth. Farquhar, instead of being shocked, tells Prentis he has been tasked with setting up the British end of a new United Nations task force to deal with threats beyond current understanding. Being a bit out of his depth Farquhar asks Prentis for assistance in setting up the United Nations task force.

By 1967 UNIT was established, with Farquhar and Prentis leading it. Farquhar shows Prentis into his office where there is an old Police Box found in a deserted village in Devon. But the main item is a device that can detect extra terrestrial life forms. When he tries it against himself it works, but the device detects Prentis is not human. Moments later Farquhar is dead and a snake like creature leaves him and returns to Prentis.

In 1987 Prentis is meeting with a government official, Millington, to discuss the role as the Chair of the UNIT Oversight Committee. Millington thinks that Prentis is not suitable and tells him that he will only be Chair over his dead body...

In 2017, as Chair of the UNIT Oversight Committee, Prentis informs Kate Stewart that UNIT operations are to be wound down. Kate tells Prentis she has been digging around and found the doctored photographs and reports from the past 5 decades showing Prentis' involvement, never ageing, along with all the accidental deaths. To Kate this all led to a hostile life form with hostile intent, possibly one with the ability to move through time. Returning home Kate narrowly avoids being killed by a bomb and tells Osgood she is going dark.

After Kate has gone Prentis order missiles to be aimed toward Earth before confirming the action with the Sontarans, who are looking to exact revenge on Earth.

Around the Earth one of the Lupari ships breaks away from the Lupari shield, compromising the security of the shield. Karvanista tries to contact Juverost, the captain of the ship, but there is no answer. During the Lupari species recall one Lupari ship never responded. Karvanista manages to find the ship and recall it manually to fix the gap in the Earth shield. On board the Lupari ship Bel was headed toward an outcrop in space before the ship remotely enters hyperspace and heads to Earth. Once back at Earth Karvanista boards the craft just before the Earth shield is attacked and the Lupari ships are boarded by Sontarans.

In Liverpool, 1904, one of Williamson's tunnel doors explodes and through it come Sontarans from 2021.

Vinder teleports to the outcrop just in time to hear the hyperdrive of Bel's ship. Exploring Vinder finds a number of missing people all standing silent in a vast room along with Azure and Swarm. As he watches the people are dissipated, and Swarm feeds off their power. When Swarm catches up with Vinder he captures him with the help of a Passenger, and Vinder finds himself inside a temple where he finds Diane, who he recognises from a meeting on Atropos.

With the extra power Azure and Swarm manage to create a psyhco-temporal bridge to transport themselves out of the universe into Division where Swarm kills Tecteun before turning to the Doctor.

Regular Cast

  • Yasmin Khan: Mandip Gill
  • Dan Lewis: John Bishop

Guest Cast

  • Professor Jericho: Kevin McNally
  • Tecteun: Barbara Flynn
  • Prentis / Grand Serpent: Craig Parkinson
  • Farquhar: Robert Bathurst
  • Karvanista: Craige Els
  • Bel: Thaddea Graham
  • Vinder: Jacob Anderson
  • Swarm: Sam Spruell
  • Azure: Rochenda Sandall
  • Diane: Nadia Albina
  • Millington: Nicholas Blane
  • Williamson: Steve Oram
  • Kate Stewart: Jemma Redgrave
  • Sontaran Commander Stenck: Jonathan Watson
  • Weeping Angels: Barbara Fadden, Isla Moody, Lowri Brown
  • Ood: Simon Carew
  • Voice of the Ood: Silas Carson
  • Waiter: Guy List
  • Passenger: Jonny Mathers
  • Alastair Lethbridge-Stewart: Nicholas Courtney
  • Kumar: Kammy Darweish
  • Alfie: George Caple

Original broadcast on the BBC

Channel Title Date Viewers Rating
BBC 1 (HD) 5. Survivors of the Flux Sunday, November 28, 2021 6:25 PM - 7:20 PM 4.83M 77

Click here to show repeat broadcasts on the BBC