Doctor Who: Survivors Of The Flux Review - 6 Ups & 6 Downs
10. DOWN - Lore ≠ Plot
Does anyone miss the good old days where a series finale was a self contained plot with a beginning, a middle and an end? We’re starting to.
A common criticism of this era is that it seems to equate lore dumps as a plot, without the need for much else. We can’t shake the feeling that this is where we’re heading again. Many people take issue with The Timeless Child reveal because of what it did to established lore, but our issue with it is more a question of what it achieved. If this new information doesn’t change The Doctor in any meaningful way, if she just ends up shrugging it off and deciding it doesn’t matter (which she will, because the show can’t have her embrace it), then we have to ask: why shouldn’t we just shrug it off too?
These stories also rob the Doctor of her agency. There’s no adversity to overcome, no chance to be a hero or outsmart her foe, she just stands there and emotes whilst the antagonist tells a story.
Honestly, it’s just boring.