We might have thought that the first two episodes of Doctor Who: Flux were pretty jam-packed – but clearly, we hadn’t seen anything yet.
In fact, based on the new set of preview pictures released for series 13’s third episode – aka Once, Upon Time – this could be the most high-content Doctor Who episode ever. We’ve got Cybermen! More action! What looks like a Vinder flashback – but with Yaz at his side?
!["Doctor]("https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2021/11/DW-Ep-3-Cybermen-1bd6957.jpg?quality=90&resize=619%2C413" "\"Doctor")
!["Doctor]("https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2021/11/Vinder-flashback-2bd624d.jpg?quality=90&resize=619%2C413" "\"Doctor")
A weird hallucination of the Doctor and Yaz in Sheffield (maybe they’re playing The Edge of Reality on PS5)! New characters (played by Thaddea Graham and Craig Parkinson)! Azure doing her evil cackling thing (see further below)! Weird triangles and temples!
!["Doctor]("https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2021/11/Doctor-Yaz-Sheffield-9bdf8af.jpg?quality=90&resize=619%2C413" "\"Doctor")
And, most excitingly of all…a rare costume change for Jodie Whittaker, exchanging her trademark light-blue coat for something darker, almost like a university scholar’s gown. That’s how you know things are really serious…
!["Doctor]("https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2021/11/Jodie-Whittaker-Temple-0ea8395.jpg?quality=90&resize=619%2C413" "\"Doctor")
More seriously, based on where the last episode ended – Swarm ready to burn all of time through Mandip Gill’s Yaz with a snap of his fingers – it could be that this episode won’t be all it seems, with both Yaz and Vinder (Jacob Anderson) flashing through different parts of their lives with key details altered.
!["Doctor]("https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2021/11/Thaddea-Graham-Who-1d8ca91.jpg?quality=90&resize=619%2C413" "\"Doctor")
Maybe that’s why Dan is also hanging around in Liverpool again…c an’t keep that man away for long. Plus, something messing around with memories or timelines would certainly tie in with the episode’s unusual title.
!["Doctor]("https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2021/11/Dan-Liverpool-b54350f.jpg?quality=90&resize=619%2C413" "\"Doctor")
And who knows? Maybe this strange punishment will drag the Doctor in too. Or maybe her new coat comes as she tries to break her friends free of the Temple of Atropos separately – certainly, she seems to be hanging out there at a different time wearing her new outfit.
Anyway, altogether it looks like the pace and high rate of content in Flux isn’t getting any less wild as the series continues. Expect a super-high rate of monsters, madness and mysteries every week from now on. Safer that way.
!["Doctor]("https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2021/11/Azure-DW-1b7c7e7.jpg?quality=90&resize=619%2C413" "\"Doctor")
Read more about Doctor Who:
- Is Doctor Who adapting the lost ‘Lungbarrow’ story for Jodie Whittaker?
- Doctor Who overnight ratings revealed for series 13’s War of the Sontarans
- Doctor Who’s War of the Sontarans featured nod to a classic Jon Pertwee serial
- Doctor Who: War of the Sontarans’ 12 biggest questions
Doctor Who: Flux continues on Sundays on BBC One. For more, check out our dedicated Sci-Fi page or our full TV Guide.