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

“Before the Flood” is uneven at best but brilliant individual scenes make this episode well worth watching.

WARNING! SPOILERS: This post contains spoilers and speculation for the Doctor Who series nine episode €œBefore the Flood€. Writer Toby Whitehouse€™s follow up to €œUnder the Lake€ is a bit of an enigma. On the surface it purports to be an old fashioned adventure featuring the Doctor squaring off with a man in a monster suit. But something sly and subversive is taking place between the lines of this thoughtful script. Underneath all the waving of hands and running around there€™s a subtle running commentary on issues of mortality and grief and the consequences of dealing with the reality of our short lives or choosing to deny that death waits for all of us. Unfortunately €œBefore the Flood€ lacks the dramatic tension that made €œUnder the Lake€ so much fun to watch. The Fisher King comes across as more a convenient invention to tie up loose ends than a true figure of horror. The character is simply not strong or interesting enough and the interaction between it and the Doctor falls flat. €œBefore the Flood€ is uneven at best but while it is not entirely successful as a whole there are brilliant individual scenes that make this episode well worth watching. Let€™s talk about how €œBefore the Flood€ rides the waves and then crashes into the surf.
Contributor
Contributor

Mary Ogle is the author and illustrator of “Orangeroof Zoo” a whimsical tale of magical realism told through the pages of a coloring book for adults. Working as a professional artist in the digital medium, Mary’s commissions have included everything from fine art to fan art, book cover design, illustration and book layout. Find more of Mary’s work at www.maryogle.com. Mary currently finds inspiration in the Ojai Valley, residing in a snug little cottage with a recalcitrant cat.