It’s amusing when writer/showrunner Chris Chibnall offers his characters words that seem to be a meta-critique of his own work.
Going into this six-part serialized Flux event, my expectation was that it would allow Chibnall to fix some of his writing flaws, to space out the over exposition he loves, and provide more room for the kind of character development he doesn’t generally prioritize.
And, for a while, it appeared as though such was the case. There were some standout moments in “Flux,” notably Yaz’s refreshing new confidence, Dan’s amusing inclusion, and that fantastic Weeping Angels episode.
The Flux finale flattens out!
But, in the end, what jumps out about Flux is how little any of it mattered. Last week, the Doctor discovered that her violent adoptive mother had orchestrated the Flux, only to have mommy dearest incinerated in front of her.
That doesn’t even receive a passing mention this week. As far as I can tell, by the conclusion of the episode, the Doctor has done nothing to address the fact that the Flux has decimated the whole universe (save for Earth).
In retrospect, whole characters and subplots might have been cut out of the season altogether, not just because they had no influence on the story, but also because they had no emotional impact.
What else do we know?
There is, of course, the proviso that we still have three specials remaining to wind out Jodie Whittaker’s stint as the Doctor (including a New Year’s Day special in just a few weeks), so any of the events and people from Flux may possibly reappear there.
But there comes a moment when you can’t just keep kicking the can down the road any longer. Flux finale set out to tell a six-part serialized tale, and I’d say it failed on that front.
