Doctor Who Review: Before The Flood – 6 Ways The Water Rises And Falls

By Mary Ogle /

6. The Bootstrap Paradox

It€™s not easy to write a script based around a confusing concept but there are better ways to handle it than tacking on a prolog. While the Doctor€™s monologue about Beethoven is entertaining and educational it doesn€™t fit in with the rest of the story. It€™s also not necessary. There are ways to seed this information into the script so that the audience catches on. The opening sequence felt heavy handed and condescending as if the writer had no faith in the audience€™s ability to understand what was happening. Awkward handling aside, the idea of the bootstrap paradox is a fascinating thing to explore. It€™s appeared in Doctor Who before, most notably in the series three episode €œBlink€ and the series eight episode €œListen€. The concept of a causal loop, where future knowledge creates a past which in turn defines the future is perfect story fodder for a show that is based on the theory of non-linear time.