The Biggest Questions after Series 13 (Doctor Who: Flux) 

Let's be honest, the biggest question of season 13 (as well as two previous series) is "why?"

Bring back the First 'Hartnell' Doctor played by David Bradley, which would be my choice 60 years on. Bradley was excellent as William Hartnell in An Adventure in Space and Time.

I dont know… I think Diana was insignificant in the story, even if people said she wasnt… how many minutes she was on screen? 2?

No-one cares

‘I don’t think chibnall is that stupid’ erm, the finale had multiple instances of us zooming through the impenetrable gapless planet wide lupari shield to an earth that was lit up by sunlight, even scenes of sunsets over Brazil. The sunlight that literally should be blocked out by the shield, one of his biggest plot points. Trust me, he IS that stupid.

Chibnall will answer none of this. I'm sure you put more thought into the Flux story than he ever did. He probably wrote most of it while drunk. That's the only thing that might explain how shoddilly put together that mess was.

So many big questions, but to me the real sloppiness lies in all the random little weird things that don't seem to be explained that just add up into a confusing mess. 1. Why is there a random time portal in the angel village that no-one can cross? It serves to make a pretty predictable narrative point, but what was its actual reason for existing? 2. Why is there random blue pixie dust Flux and how/why is this different from regular flux? 3. How does tunnel guy always show up at the right spot? 4. Why are there random portals linked to Flux plot point anyway? Come to that, why are there portals period, and how does some random dude just stumble upon them? 5. Why does the Flux seem to do different things as plot requires if it just anti-matter? It literally teleports people at one point, totally destroys things at others, and just batters some planets a bit later. 6. How is it people are constantly teleporting to where they need to be in general? 7. Why is it OK to genocide 3 races at the end, but not OK to kill some Sontarans in episode 2? 8. Why does Karvanista set totally lethal traps on Earth if he and the rest of his race are here to save humanity? 9. What was Serpent's plan? The Sontarans don't need him after they take over, and have no interest in saving Earth from Flux either so...he's pretty screwed? 10. How did the Lupari know it was coming to the extent that they, and they alone have anti-flux tech ready and waiting? [Even if slightly impractical] Not so much unexplained as just truly, majorly baffling: 11. It is really necessary to destroy the whole universe just because the Doctor interferes a bit or even a lot? I mean really, that escalated quickly. + lots of other things I'd have to rewatch to ask.

Does the Daleks being wiped out actually mean anything at this point? I'm pretty sure RTD made them extinct at least three times during his first run, even comic book characters don't cheat death as often

I find this era of Doctor Who sorta like an abusive relationship, where we're beaten down but little sprinkles of good make us believe the pain is temporary

The Universe is restored when The Doctor steals the Infinity Stones from Time and snaps it all back! BRILLIANT, CHIBBERS! (thinly veiled sarcasm)

The thing that pisses me off about people who say they'll likely answer everything in the specials is that it shouldn't be the case. That series was a series, those are specials, if you can't finish a story within the series you shouldn't be writing TV. Time was the specials were separate stories, now Chibnall has to answer things in them because he couldn't cut a few pointless stories out of the main season to fit actual answers in. Anyway that's my rant

The biggest question after series 13 has to be... _when is someone going to tell the Emperor he's naked_ ? Doctor Who at the moment is like a badly made cake, and all these weird unexplained characters are no different to a bad cook trying to cover over the fact that it tastes awful with layer upon layer of icing in the hope that the sickly sweetness will act as a distraction

What happened to Peggy all that time after Yaz and Dan seemingly abandoned her with no one else there. Which leads to how did they leave in the first place?

I was hoping that series 13 was the end of the Chibnal era. I was hugely disappointed to realize he has six more episodes to fuck up the the Doctor Who mythos.

I felt like this could have been a really great, classic arc - but it was so muddled and chaotic and confusing - that when it was over I was like... wtf even happened there? I shouldn't need to watch it all like 3 times and turn to deep analysis videos just to understand the basic story.

Each and every one of these questions infuriate me spectacularly. I strongly doubt that any of these questions will EVER br answered. As you have strongly implied Chibnall isn’t good enough to do them justice. He (Chibs) might try to answer, and even make an effort, but honestly his answers are woefully inadequate.

I didn't understand the part about Diane being "insignificant," either. I mean, Azure purposely lays in wait for her. She and Swarm tell Dan they "have something of yours" and show him Diane is a prisoner inside Passenger. So what did it come to? Like so much in this season, it came to nothing.

Swarm and Azure were basically the result of monster concepts being developed by a costume designer, a whole lot more style than substance without much thought given to anything other than how they looked. At least that's what I got from the behind the scenes...

The whole thing was a mess. It was scenes over a coherent plot. And then chibnall got fed up with the plot and so just didn’t care either.

6:59 - Come on, Rich, it's obvious: That's the Minnesota Dalek Zoo, as the initials clearly explain. Want to come and look at a Dalek that's safely stored in a cage or behind glass? That's where you go. (For anyone reading this... yes, I'm being silly. I HOPE.)

The Flux moved quite slowly, sub-light, so it could not destroy the entire Universe unless it had been at it for almost infinite time. But the Flux only appeared recently so there is a huge plot hole here.

This series asked more questions than it answered, and we have precious little time to resolve things

Merry Christmas to you and Amy, looking forward to the podcast in the New Year and seeing how Eve of the Daleks turns out.

Can't be arsed with Who anymore. Never thought I'd feel this way been a fan for forty-five years but it's just pants now.

My theory about the fob watch is that when it's opened it triggers a regeneration.

The biggest question is will the crap that is the 13th doctor be redcon the timeless child is a insult to who history.

Chibnall for sure isnt J. Michael Straczynski

Chibnall actually explained a few of these on the doctor who RU-vid channel, which I know he SHOULDN’T have to do 🙄 but yeah some answers are out there

The wiki is saying that 'time' was probably the Eternal of the same name, if that helps.

How did the regenerating cybermen and the master survive the explosion on Galafrey?

Biggest question is... how did that pile of shit get to air?

I hated whole Flux story. Meandering and confusing story, inconsistent, Swarm and Azure looked like they came from a bad 80s sci-fi series costume department.

It’s funny that This era of Doctor Who could have been written in a way that allows ideas and concepts to breathe and allow them to be well built up on. The idea of division is kinda cool and should send a character like the Doctor into like an existential crisis but is given so little time to actually be developed as a unbelievable superpower. If series 11 and 12 were utilised in a way that had division looming over as a big bad with control over villains doing certain missions and tasks for them with a view one off episodes here and there like all Doctor who series’ then they would’ve felt more like a bigger presence when brought to the forefront in series 13 but instead just ends up feeling like a very poor attempt of copying and pasting the TVA from Loki (a show which takes some if not most of its inspiration from). The idea and concept of the timeless child, a being seemingly abandoned and alone in which the Gallifreyan’s discovered and brought back to Gallifrey, rather than caring and nurturing it chose to test and effectively torture said child as a means to extrapolate it’s power and capabilities is truly chilling and rotten yet fantastic and adds yet more darker and corrupt layers to a species that was are supposed to like due to the fact that they are (originally) our main character’s race. The fact that said being in the Doctor themselves ruins and taints an interesting idea does very little for the doctors character going forward but just forces history into a character that contradicts nearly 60 years worth of story telling. It’s a shame that ideas such as this are executed so poorly in a time when Doctor Who should be thriving. Chris has really struggled to write Doctor who in an interesting and appealing way despite having sufficient time and resources to do so. I feel really sorry for the actors and actresses that have been apart of this early, especially those that have given it a lot of effort. Jodie has really tried to give it her all in a role that is different to what she’s used to performing in and I feel under a showrunner like RTD or even Moffat she probably would’ve been more liked and appreciated and written better. Also worth mentioning Sacha Dwahan, when he has been on screen (and we obviously expect will be again in the near future) has been absolutely electrifying and has been one of and maybe even the best thing to come out of this era. Looking forward to some RTD But I’m going to sad for Jodie and co due to the poor standards

I think the biggest questions are definetly: Why, oh dear god why? When will it be over? Will someone please have mercy and just stop this massacre?

Prediction: Everything you said about Chibnall not being stupid enough to do that, that's exactly what will happen because it will "subvert expectations... " that's he's not a massive hack who hasn't a clue what he's doing at the helm of a ship he's already crashed into the reef.

She ticks the diversity box. That's all the information you need..... or will ever get.

I would like to know what was behind door 9 in the Williamson tunnels in the up coming specials

been watching for over 30 years. Stopped watching who since Chib. It's just to stupid.

Aren't the Daleks licensed to the BBC under the condition that they need to be used at least once a year or they can't be used any more?

There are so many questions left and frankly, I am not sure if I want them to be answered. So far Chibnall has a history of underwhelming reveals, so better leave it out in the open. See if RTD wants to touch any of it. Then again, I'd be surprised, if Chibnall wouldn't solve some of the things he teased. At least the Master and mystery surrounding Galifrey should be uncovered.

I really do think the real finale for flux and it’s remaining mysteries is in the centenary special

My only question: Did they fix the universe?

Thanks Rich for a great video. And best wishes for Christmas. There was one other unexplained point from Flux - what were the blue swarming creatures that attacked humans in Bel's story and also appeared in Williamson's tunnels? Were they connected to Swarm and Azure (azure being another word for blue)? Perhaps Chris had to drop a scene or two, which would have explained this? And what did Swarm mean when he described their names as a "good enough translation" (or something to that effect)? What do you think?

I thought it was Tracy Beaker in the thumbnail at first

Why have the Judoon just let the Doctor go? What were the Shadow Proclamation doing during the potential end of the universe? Is there still time for 13 to get a cat? Did the Doctors mother know about Tecteun?

I know none of this will happen because RTD will likely want a clean slate like each showrunner after him but IF Chibnall had another series in him this is how I could see some of these questions being explored; The TARDIS is dying and so rather than regeneration being caused from a fatal wound, 13 gives up her life to restore the TARDIS with regeneration energy whilst using the Fob Watch to choose to regenerate back into Jo Martin's Doctor. I think the only explanation for the lack of Division background is that they were formally destroyed during the Time War along with Gallifrey and so it's only with The Day of The Doctor that they are back in the timeline, maybe explore a hunting down of the key players of Division this way with Jo Martin leading the way and knowing Swarm/Azure's fate in retroactive bouts against former versions of them ala the contrasting timelines of the Doctor and River Song? As it is I think this whole series of revelations may just be swept under the rug and a new big threat put in it's place which is a shame.

This was a mess. I've watched Dr Who since William Hartnell and it has ebbed and flowed in terms of quality but this recent stuff has just been dreadful. Nothing to do with the actors but the material they've had to work with is just awful.

I LOVED the idea of the return to serialisation, it was one of the things about classic Who I really loved as it always made sure you had a reason to come back for more. And it was always something I sorely missed with the revival, especially given how much of todays TV is basically serials anyhow. But like any story it depends on how well it was written, and this serial was all over the place which makes me wonder how much planning, if any, Chibs does before he writes the scripts.

Great work as ever Rich. Looking forward to your new year analysis

Azure could have such a big arc and redemption, becoming a human again maybe, choosing being on the side of the Doctor defeating Swarm. That awful filler Once Upon Time, could be an episode focused on their history, would be much better.

these 2 characters azure and whatever were cringe and their designs don't fit doctor who. They looked like they belonged in farscape lol. Chibs new aesthetic for who is also out of place. It's too bright, colorful, and fun looking. It's like chibs was a fan of the magic school bus. When he got a shot at who, he was like "Magic doctor who bus!". Man this gotta be the worst looking tardis. It always looks like they're in a cave or something.

Don't think any one cares at this point she looked like skelators sister gone wrong on a bad day hopefully RTD well retcon Jodie's awful awful doctor it has been done before with peter Cushing

I think we saw Azure in human form so that we knew who the actress was ("oh look, it's her from that thing!") because I can't see any other point to that whole bit in the Arctic Circle. Head cannon though I wonder if imprisoning Azure on Earth coincided with the Ruth Doctor being hidden in Gloucester, she had a Division agent / companion with her as well...

I'm not sure what kind of 'closure' you could be seeking from MDZ (that organisation with the Recon Scout Dalek's gunstick and casing remains from Resolution). I could imagine in a few years' time a Big Finish UNIT story exploring UNIT vs NDZ, but I don't see anything that needs urgently resolving within the last three Chibnall era TV episodes.

The only thing I think was answered (vaguely) was that the TARDIS malfunction was due to "time running wild" because the Mauri were broken, I think it was tecteun who said it, something along the lines of "time running wild, the TARDIS must not like that"

Some people are a fan of a particular sports team. But me? I'm a fan of a particular show. But--much like a fan of a sports team that hasn't won the big championship in a while, I await the time when we might have whole episodes, maybe even whole seasons that are mostly good. ---- Why must we *forever* be traipsing around in the Doctor's backstory? Yeah *I know* the show is named "Doctor Who", but since the whole point is that we are *never* to know all the details, it seems unfair/pointless to be setting up so many mysteries around it. Now they're meta-threatening the Doctor's life again. Oh wow. How original. Remember when 11 was definitely totally going to die? ---- Yeah, series 13 was... *entertaining*. But it did not feel very satisfying because the Chibnall approach seems to be to just make up so much random s--- that none of it feels grounded or well earned.

If 90% of the universe was destroyed we wouldn't notice much of a difference anyway. It probably wouldn't even cover the extent of the universe we can visibly see. Also it would expand back over time wouldn't it?

Big finish or other expanded media will probably answer some of the questions that weren't answered personally it shouldn't be that way a lot of the questions like who are the ravager's should've been explained but for whatever reason it wasn't

Jodiebots have one answer for all the questions: "You don't like women, you bigot" :P

"3:40" - "I don't think Chibnall is THAT stupid." Ahem. Comment?

It’s weird how everyone seems to glance past the not so subtle lesbian overtone which has know happened twice between Yaz and the Doctor.. I think they’ve set it up for the first lesbian kiss on the who (at least as far as I’m aware), I mean they have in D13’s first series covered a lot of cultural issues and things that let’s face it wouldn’t have been discussed in the whoniverse ten years ago - it seems like a logical step next. As far as Division (I’ll use this post as my first public posting of my idea, I said it first ;) ) .. division is also a mathematical operator , to share (divide) one number by another to get multiple smaller fractions of the original. Maybe the Divisi0n , has to divide by Zero to last eternally for an infinite amount. Maybe it’s a zero drive maybe the doctor is Zero? , but I can’t help thinking the name itself is a clue - much the same as missy and the spy master. As far as the flux and the destruction.. who’d wager that the doctor has to make a decision on restoring the universe but bring back the tin men, pepper pots and potato heads? 3 destructive factions gone and live with the destruction in peace (or at least more peaceful) or bring back every thing? As far as Azure is concerned I’m sure we will find out what happened there over the next 3 specials, I mean there was a lot of effort and setup with a lot of plot pointers in that scene for a who episode that wouldn’t have further function ( unless like so many things the idea was scrapped before filming the next segment) . There’s a few other things I’m mulling but I shall leave them for another time.

Jodie was great as was John Bishop. The two skeletal villains were, as you said, very well portrayed. The Angels episode was the best one and could have been rewritten to stand on its own. Overall, I'm confused. I know Doctor Who isn't a children's show but it is supposed to be accessible to children and this just alienates them, in my opinion.

Have to disagree with your comments on The Grand Serpent, but that's only a vague personal feeling, I am sure he will return before the end of the next three specials. Probably as a pre-Hartnell Master!

I mean separating them makes sense. Two super powerful beings don't imprison them together or they'll have twice the chance to escape. But why hide her in a human shall? They've been imprisoned since the dawn of time, how many human covers would that make?

As someone who doesn't celebrate Christmas, I really appreciate you wishing us a non-denominational year-end! 😄

I thought I heard the preggo Asian girl call her child "azure child", so I thought they were implying that the baby was Azure.

The whole Swarm.and Azure arc finally made me lose it with Chibnal. If the guy played football he would be an out of form striker. Every time he has a chance to finish well he somehow contrives to screw the ball over the bar.

Thank you so much for pointing out all the shitty writing, not enough people do

I think time is responsible for the time loop in Eve of the Daleks or is an affect of the dying TARDIS

I believe these are possibly related to either The Dark Guardians or connected to Omega or both are unique to the acre of infinity story back in Peter Davidson's time as the Doctor possibilities aren't who are it when are they future or past or from E space or anti matter space? Then there the planet Time I think it has a very different title than time it is possible it's translation in time lords language might have changed it to the graveyard of time lords it eventually became Tranzylore/Transilore? The feeling is we may not see the last of these two at least in any time soon or future probably?

Who was she: just another pointless underwhelming horrible villain who was defeated in a heartbeat after being built up for 6 hours over 6 episodes.

swarm was cool. I couldnt take Azure serious ... i thought she looked really stupid

This guy storyline was one of the worse ever. It was like just taking random episodes from different ideas and trying to put them in one cohesive storyline. I hope RTD can fix the mess that these past few seasons have given us

I reckon the reason the Daleks were still around, is because they could have set aside a few Daleks in a void ship in order to rebuild the Dalek race in case they were in fact all destroyed by the flux. This would be similar to what they did with the cult of Skaro at the battle of canary wharf and then the Daleks in Manhattan storyline.

as a excited as I am to see RTD return to the whoniverse. I am worried about something and that is arrival of the Who Critic and DR who fake fans.

The biggest question is why they bothered with that season at all. It was terrible.

There is only one question I had after watching flux.., why did nothing make any sense?

Wouldn’t the earth shield have blocked the sunlight and killed all life, or did I miss something?

The biggest question is can people ever stop moaning and groaning about a fictional programme and get a life instead

You left out a massive one: in War of the Sontarans it was established Russia never existed, and the Sontarans had... always been here? Further evidence they were toying with the timeline, in a messy way Chibs couldn't keep straight. Either way, established history had been changed, and that was never unchanged, was it? So we have not just space, but time as well to mend.

Here I figured it out: She is NOOOOO OOOOONNEEE. Nobody put any thought into making her into a character and was a plot device that was under realised and played down to the point of parody due to the SEVERE lack of talent in the writing stage of production.

perhaps time is not a being it's just a being that has come out of time thinks it is time but it actually isn't also the doctor is the lord of time humans are so many percent water we don't call ourselves water we are also all atoms but if they're one of you you could mermaids are not water they live in water

You Say Swarm and Azure where the big baddies this season. I disagree. The Sontarians where the big bad, these guys where just the most recognisable

Marry Christmas thanks for being awesome

Soooo... We got no answers. 😖 RTD's era can not some soon enough.

Why was she called Azure but Swarm isn’t the name of his colour. Azure and Magenta anyone?

My biggest question is, ‘Does Rich need a new camera, or could he just not be arsed to even put on jammies and did the whole voiceover in the nude?’

Since you are doing this format is the podcast coming back soon I can’t live without it! Also merry Christmas

The grayscale house? Was that its one use; to represent the Doctor's memories...

Chibnell is the Flux for Doctor Who series.

Chris Chibnall Does a lot of telling but not a lot of showing

So boring. Everything thrown into the pot.

What’s the deal with these human bath-bombs?

Merry Christmas Rich and family! Thank you for all you do!

Also is there going to be any continuity from the previous episodes of the show. The U.K. should be talking about the Daleks as they were supposed to be security drones in the last special. On top of that they just had sontarans invade the earth and kill some people. Will the human race be talking about that in future episodes or will it just be brushed over. That is one thing I’m hoping RTD will bring back from his era.

Is it over yet?

Any word on when the other two episodes will be?

Great opening line rich, adds a personal touch lol

The timeless child rubbish was a mistake. That mistake spawned a lot of other mistakes (The/Division, Tecteun, Flux, etc). Why was it doubled down on as though anyone really liked it?

3:40 You’re the only one