S9E7: The Zygon Invasion (SPOILERS)

This episode looks good!

Looks can be decieving just ask a Zygon.

Terror of the Zygons was a favorite of mine so hopefully they do Zygons well this time too.Plus I like Osgood as well.

So the question is, is Osgood in this episode, or is it the Zygon copy? Thoughts?

In the words of Paul Hardcastle:

Zygon, Zygon, Z-Z-Z-Z Zygon.

I hope it's the real Osgood,if not it might be all ZZZZZZZZ I Gone to be bed

Krynoid wrote:

So the question is, is Osgood in this episode, or is it the Zygon copy? Thoughts?

In the words of Paul Hardcastle:

Zygon, Zygon, Z-Z-Z-Z Zygon.

The Doctor hinted to Osgood that there could be a TARDIS trip before Missy killed her.  Assuming he wouldn't travel with a Zygon (boy, isn't that racist?) then it means that the real Osgood is dead.  

One way or the other, the real Osgood better be dead by the end of this story.  I'll feel cheated if I don't have the blood of this woman by Christmas!

Dam Squishy that's cold blooded

FINALLY!!!! A good episode!!

Good episode! Very serious and tense!

However, I'm a bit lost on this whole 'ceasefire' thing? When did this happen? I was under the impression that it wasn't resolved in Day of the Doctor? To Wikipedia I go...

That would be my only complaint. I feel like we were just thrown into it all. I haven't watched the 50th in a while so I can't remember what happened with the Zygons. It would have been nice if at the beginning it took things a bit slower and got us up to speed a bit better. I feel if I watch the 50th and then this episode, I'd enjoy it more. I know there was that pre-titles scene with the two Osgoods... I still felt a bit lost though.

But I did enjoy the story, it was great! Watching the Zygons infiltrate and conquer UNIT was awesome! Looking forward to part two!

Holy crap on a cracker!!! That was amazing!!!!!!!!!

fantastic episode I loved it

When did the Zygons get finger-zappers?  Broton could have easily zapped Tom Baker in "Terror of the Zygons" if he had that power.  "Day of the Doctor" would have gone differently if the Zygons had those powers even a couple years ago.
Oh well, new writers give the monsters new powers even if they don't make complete sense.  They went into great detail about not actually needing the host template, but don't seem too worried about the rest of the continuity.  Now when did they also become telepathic (especially over long distances in the case of the drone pilot) able to snatch the face of a loved one from memory?  But not able to actually snatch any info that would make the ruse believable.

19 million Zygons were given refuge in the UK and took on the faces of locals at the end of "Day of the Doctor".  Many were shipped out of the country.  19 million duplicates in a country of 65 million would be a little awkward.  Zygons feel discriminated since they're not allowed to use their "true form".   Something about the "Osgood box" will save the day.  This part of the plot is somewhat sound, if not a little obvious that "immigrants forced to surrender their whole culture will get a little annoyed and kill everyone."  Wow.  I'm not sure that is message the writers intended but so far this is the message of this little sci-fi allegory.  I'm seeing a horribly misguided left-wing message that you need to be nice to immigrants because "they'll already here" and will kill you if you don't let them be themselves or the option of a horribly racist right-wing message that you should never allow immigrants in the first place because they'll replace you and kill your family.  There were some lines about this just being a splinter group and most Zygons are nice but I'm not sure if that makes either moral any better.

If the writers can turn Part 2 into a satisfying conclusion that doesn't push either of these extreme positions then I may give this 2-parter my first Brilliant/5-star rating of the season.  

Now Osgood is somehow a "hybrid".  Both truly human and really Zygon.  I've gone from finding Osgood mildly annoying and happy that she was zapped last season, to now actively disliking the character.  The end of Osgood is now my #1 wish for Santa!

Sorry lads but it wasn't that good.Mostly a mess of scenes cobbled together poorly which is the norm these days.
Plot was good but again the execution was poor and sloppy.
I too didn't care for the veiled political nonsense about loss of national identity.The real world is more complex than the Doctor's Dream world where he magically makes things work.
I'm surprised he didn't use the sunglasses yet tell who is Human or Zygon.

I liked the guitar opening scene and the last minute mostly but the rest put me to sleep.So yeah Zzzzy gone to bed.

I have read complaints about the finger zappers on other forums....but seriously, why can't they develop a new weapon? Military does it all the time. It is a new weapon, so what?

I thought this was a proper UNIT story, and I could just as seen Pertwee in this story, just driving Bessie instead of riding in a sand color Land Rover.

And where do we buy question mark underwear?

Macy's

New Who UNIT Capaldi era sucks. They get themselves killed way to Easily. Also why Is UNIT mostly Female now. I miss Classic Who Unit where they were much more competent and actually did a better job of not getting killed. . Kate Stewart goes to New Mexico by herself with just a handgun and no backup WTF. If that had been Lethbridge Stewart he would have had SGT Benton and Captian Yates with him. End Rant

Ronpur wrote:

I have read complaints about the finger zappers on other forums....but seriously, why can't they develop a new weapon?  Military does it all the time.  It is a new weapon, so what?

I'm fine with a few new twists.  But in this case we got:
1.  Finger zappers (that could have just been replaced with handguns/wrist zappers).
2.  Some very selective telepathy (just for the scenes in Tanziministan which could have been different).
3.  No longer keeping the host body around (just to keep Osgood it's no longer required, yet we do have all the hostages therefore inexplicably saved underground).

So if you change that many things about the Zygons, why not just make a new monster?  Or even re-use an old monster like the Rutans which already have at least 2 of the 3 new powers.

If the Zygons were tossing bizarre alien electric eels on people that would have been cool and keeping with the Zygon theme of bio-mechanical technology.  Instead the finger zappers just seem like the production staff ran out of good ideas.  Also knowing that every Zygon walking around is now armed with medium range lethal powers makes the "peace treaty" a bit naive.  Obviously a diplomat didn't think this through very well.  Doesn't look like the humans had any insurance against a small schism going bad.  

I'm not saying this is the worst episode of the series, but if monsters and characters are going to be brought back it would be nice to see a more natural evolution.

I will say its interesting that all the figures of authority (and just about every speaking role) went to a female this week.  No criticism, just an interesting choice in casting.  And UNIT troopers have never had a very long life expectancy.  I think even  an Enterprise redshirt stands a better chance of surviving an episode.

Well. I thought it was a natural evolution for them. A weapon that is part of their biology. And then they have developed new techniques for assuming and keeping Human form. If you are going to begin some sort of revolution, you would not do it until you have a few new tricks and weapons to use. To just use the same old tricks again would not be a good strategy.

On second viewing, something that really pissed me off was the UNIT soldiers. Perhaps, these guys were as Kate Stewart said, and just borrowed from the regular military. I would hope real UNIT troops would be able to resit such mind probing illusions. Benton needs to get away from his used car dealership and come back and do some training for special UNIT troops.

Ronpur wrote:

Well. I thought it was a natural evolution for them.  A weapon that is part of their biology.  And then they have developed new techniques for assuming and keeping Human form.  If you are going to begin some sort of revolution, you would not do it until you have a few new tricks and weapons to use.  To just use the same old tricks again would not be a good strategy.  

Since the Zygons are now just 3-fingered instead of 5 you can say that it's a whole new breed.  Maybe the Zygons from the north (why wouldn't their homeworld have a north?) were naturally more electric and have figured out how to use this ability.
I'm a bit old-fashioned and based on "Terror" it looked like they just used bio-tech and were not tinkering with their own DNA.

Ronpur wrote:

On second viewing, something that really pissed me off was the UNIT soldiers.  Perhaps, these guys were as Kate Stewart said, and just borrowed from the regular military.  I would hope real UNIT troops would be able to resit such mind probing illusions.  Benton needs to get away from his used car dealership and come back and do some training for special UNIT troops.  

Yes, those UNIT troopers were really a sorry bunch.  Even with their commander shouting at them and pointing out it was all an illusion they were still all fooled.  Not just one or two, but the whole squad.  A great scene, but one that really annoys you if you're used to standard Zygon operating procedures.  The casual viewer won't know any better and think that Zygons are the greatest thing ever.
Unless the Zygons not only steal the memory/face/voice using telepathy, but also have some kind of "mind-control/hypnotism" to make it work?  Now we've got even more new powers which makes me wish they'd just created a new monster rather than drastically change an old one.

Any thought on the mention that it was a UNIT Naval Surgeon who created the Zygon-killing gas?  A hint of Harry Sullivan as they went out of their way to describe Harry's title and not just "a UNIT scientist"?  Do you like the idea that the Doctor's old companions retire from travelling to make sinister WMD?  Maybe we'll find out more next week as this and the Osgood Box are the only hints so far as to how the Doctor could win.

I really can not see Harry doing that. I will assume it was someone else. But then again, they were not very nice to Harry!!

Ronpur wrote:

I really can not see Harry doing that.  I will assume it was someone else.  But then again, they were not very nice to Harry!!  

Wasn't Harry working on antidotes to nerve toxins when Ian Marter wrote "Harry Sullivan's War"?  It's been so long since I re-read that book. I guess that's what reinforced the connection for me.

squishy wrote:

Ronpur wrote:

I really can not see Harry doing that.  I will assume it was someone else.  But then again, they were not very nice to Harry!!  

Wasn't Harry working on antidotes to nerve toxins when Ian Marter wrote "Harry Sullivan's War"?  It's been so long since I re-read that book.  I guess that's what reinforced the connection for me.

Sullivan's Gas....I guess it was him.

thought it was very good.

Jenna Coleman is good at playing sinister. She should do that more often.

Evil Monkey Pope wrote:

Jenna Coleman is good at playing sinister. She should do that more often.

Fully agreed there! She's great at doing villainous!