13.1. The Halloween Apocalypse

Series 13 - 2021 (Flux)

Writer: Chris Chibnall
Co-Executive Producer: Nikki Wilson
Director: Jamie Magnus Stone
Music: Segun Akinola

Synopsis

After being captured by Karvanista after the Doctor accidentally blew up his droid guards with Nitro-9 the Doctor and Yaz are in a bind - footlocked and hanging upside down from a floating gravity bar - after being caught by Karvanista. Karvanista, appearing as a hologram, tells the Doctor and Yaz that they have 79 seconds before the bar releases, dropping them into a boiling acid ocean. He leaves them for the final hours of planet Earth. Using trapeze skills learnt from circus workshop Trapezium Seven the Doctor and Yaz escape when the footlock releases and, after getting back inside the TARDIS, follow Karvanista.

As the Doctor struggles to land the TARDIS on Earth she receives a psychic connection. In her mind she sees an asteroid where two Division soldiers are checking on a prisoner, Swarm, who has been imprisoned on the asteroid maybe since the dawn of the universe. The soldiers' job is to maintain the systems holding Swarm. On this occasion the systems have failed and Swarm frees himself after taking the soldiers' life forces to renew himself. And Swarm has one question for the Doctor: trick or treat?

Liverpool, 1820: Joseph Williamson is trying to recruit as many people as possible to dig tunnels under the city. When Stonehouse questions the purpose of the tunnels Williamson merely says that his mind would buckle under the pressure if he knew the real purpose.

Liverpool, 2021: Dan Lewis, a plasterer, is leading a tour around (unofficially) the Museum of Liverpool - until he is caught by a member of staff, Diane. Dan has arranged to meet Diane for Halloween drinks after work, and he assures her he won't be late.

In the evening Dan helps out at a local food bank where something is watching him. After he returns home someone breaks into his house and the intruder announces himself as Karvanista, of the Lupari. At first Dan thinks it is a trick or treat prank by someone dressed as a dog. Karvanista fires at Dan, trapping him inside an energy field.

The Doctor manages to land the TARDIS in Dan's street and, using her sonic screwdriver, detects non-terrestrial weapon dispersal traces at Dan's house. Inside the Doctor and Yaz find the house empty - with a blue energy square on the floor. The Doctor is able to use Dan's laptop to track Karvanista's ship. Expanding the trace the Doctor notices Karvanista's ship is not the only one close to Earth: there are 7 billion more on their way. The Doctor has several questions - one of which is why does Dan have a flashy laptop. The Doctor and Yaz, realising it's a trap, get out of the house just before it is compressed into a very tiny house.

Outside a woman, Claire, runs up to them. The Doctor and Yaz don't know her, but she knows them. Claire tells them that they she will meet them as the the Doctor and Yaz enter the TARDIS. Returning home Claire sees a weeping angel. She knows what it is and tries not to blink or take her eyes off it, which she struggles to do as she unlocks the door of her house. She turns away from the weeping angel one last time.

In deep space, on board the space station Outpost Rose, Observation Officer Vinder is filing a report - no activity or change. But after filing his report the system detects an anomaly around the Thoribus Trifecta. The system can't identify the phenomena that is destroying everything in its path - including Thoribus Minor. Vinder has no option but to evacuate as the outpost, and the galaxy, is disintegrated.

At a house on the arctic circle, after ignoring a warning, a couple after visited in the night by Swarm. Anna's husband is killed by Swarm, and Swarm frees his sister, Azure, from within Anna.

When Dan finally awakes he finds himself in a holding pen in Karvanista's ship. Dan asks Karvanista why he is being kidnapped, but Karvaista ignores him. When the TARDIS materlalises in Karvanista's ship the Doctor tells Yaz to find Dan whilst she confronts Karvanista.

Yaz finds Dan and rescues him from the holding pen, telling Dan she has a friend who can get him back to Earth.

In the cockpit the Doctor finds Karvanista, and demands he stops the Lupari invasion and that he tells her about the Division. Karvanista refuses to speak about the Division, but tells the Doctor the Lupari are not invading. The Lupari are species bound to the human race - one for each Lupari, and that they are on species recall. Karvanista is bound to Dan Lewis. Karvanista isn't kidnapping Dan, he's rescuing him - from the Flux.

When the Doctor asks about the Flux Karvanista explains it's a hurricane ripping through the universe, disrupting every particle. The Doctor is curious about how the Lupari ships will survive,. Karvanista explains that the ships are shielded and that all seven billion ships will come together to form a shield around Earth.

When Yaz arrives with Dan Karvanista gets aggravated and the Doctor, Yaz, and Dan, rush back to the TARDIS where the Doctor hands Dan his miniature house. The Doctor takes the TARDIS to the edge of the solar system where she opens the doors and can see the rapidly approaching Flux. As she watches she forms a psychic link and can feel the universe breaking before a vision of being transported to an alien world where she meets Swarm. The Doctor doesn't recognise him, but Swarm knows the Doctor and suggests they have been locked in combat across space and time.

When the connection is broken the Flux changes direction and heads after the TARDIS. The Doctor sees one chance. She tells Karvanista to use the Lupari to form a shield around Earth as the TARDIS heads towards the Earth.

The Doctor isn't the only one interested in the Flux. Many light years away the Sontarans have detected it and are excited for the bloodshed to come and prepare to attack.

Regular Cast

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

Guest Cast

  • Karvanista: Craige Els
  • Joseph Williamson: Steve Oram
  • Diane: Nadia Albina
  • Swarm: Sam Spruell
  • Azure / Anna: Rochenda Sandall
  • Vinder: Jacob Anderson
  • Claire: Annabel Scholey
  • Ritskaw: Jonathan Watson
  • Kragar: Dan Starkey
  • Old Swarm: Matthew Needham
  • Ed Sentac: Sarah Amankwah
  • K-Toscs: Charlie Oscar
  • Wilder: Richard Tate
  • James Stonehouse: Paul Leonard
  • Wilma: Heather Bleasdale
  • Jon: Gunnar Cauthery
  • Weeping Angel: Barbara Fadden

Original broadcast on the BBC

Channel Title Date Viewers Rating
BBC 1 (HD) 1. The Halloween Apocalypse Sunday, 31 October 2021 18:25 - 19:15 5.81M 76

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