As River Song would say, spoilers! Read on at your own risk.
No, seriously.
Last chance to turn back.
Look at all the space I gave you.
Alright, for those who are left, this is my review/recap of the latest Doctor Who episode “The Rebel Flesh”. I was originally going to wait so I didn’t have to deal with the cliffhanger, but I was convinced otherwise. So here it goes.
We start this episode in true, creepy, Doctor Who fashion. Not sure where events are taking place this time, we are left with the mystery of what we are seeing and where it will lead us. Whatever happens, we know the Doctor will become involved somehow.
Cut to the TARDIS, and our heroes our listening to Muse’s “Supermassive Black Hole” – something that excited me greatly. Two of the best things to come out of the UK in one place. Gotta love it.
Back to the real story, the Doctor predictable lands himself right in the middle of our latest mystery. We’re introduced to our title creature, an acid that can take the form of a living organism. Of course this is something that fascinates the Doctor. There’s a bigger problem on his mind though, and that is the solar storm that is going to hit the planet they are on.
The scene where we first see the storm coming is visually stunning. We know we should be scared of what will happen next, but it is hard to not be in awe of this massive yet beautiful surge of energy. We have heard how this show has to work with a low budget, but it is hard to tell in moments like this. It’s one of the many things that make this show so good.
Of course we’re not going to drop one story for the sake of another. The rebel flesh have been given life after the last storm, and are now wandering around the facility somewhere. The flesh have the same memories as the people they were originally based on, which will have its own consequences in the future. They may not be real to us, but in their minds they have lives of their own, and will put up a fight to keep them. They’re scared and angry and just want to survive. They don’t see themselves as monsters; they see themselves as people. It brings about an interesting question about humanity and where the line is drawn between innocent and dangerous creature.
The episode ends with the originals and the copies declaring war against each other. It’s hard to completely blame anyone for wanting to survive, but this clearly leaves the Doctor and company in a tough spot. Just when you think things can’t get any messier, a flesh copy of the Doctor appears, and we are left waiting till June 4th to see how it all ends. I look forward to the conclusion, and especially look forward to seeing two Doctors interact with each other and the repercussion that will result from this.