Doctor Who Series 11: 10 Huge Questions After It Takes You Away
5. Did Doctor Who Finally Jump The Shark?
The biggest talking point about this episode is that talking frog. It is so far out there, and in such contrast to the horror elsewhere in the episode, that accusations of jumping the shark are inevitably flying around. Why a frog, why not go he whole hog and finally give us a talking cabbage? The frog is a well-known creature of fairy tales. The Doctor even blows her a kiss. If Steven Moffat made fairy tale an effective genre for Doctor Who (and his shadow lives on - spot the children’s garden swing as a possible callout to The Eleventh Hour) then Chibnall has moved further into the realms of folklore.
The symbolic and magical associations of a frog vary from culture to culture, but include fertility, good or bad luck, and the power to heal. Most relevant to this episode is the veneration of the frog as an exemplar of transformation and creativity. It’s no coincidence that the creative power of the Solitract is illustrated by the godlike entity taking on a frog form.
The frog’s appearance is foreshadowed by ‘Grace’s’ discussion of her frog pendant with Graham. The creature itself had no significance to Grace, other than being one she loves. The pendant is another matter, carrying as it does, so much emotional meaning. For Grace it is a sign of love, and now for Graham it is worn in remembrance of her. The Solitract claims to like it because Grace did, but it was also identifying with Graham’s grief.