History Recap / DoctorWhoS35E7TheZygonInvasion

[[caption-width-right:350:[[Recap/DoctorWho50thASTheDayOfTheDoctor It took three Doctors to pacify the Zygons before.]] Now we need a fourth one to come finish the job. After all, there's four edges to every [[StealthPun box]]- three to give it shape and one more to balance it all out.]]

The one where Osgood [[TrollingCreator is or isn't]] [[NotQuiteDead back.]]

Why all the ambiguity? Because screw logic, [[EnsembleDarkhorse she's popular and that's all the rationale/excuse we need to bring her back.]]

** Osgood has question marks on her collar (with a brownish cardigan that invokes the Fifth Doctor's look), and notes that the Doctor similarly had some as part of his outfit.

* TooDumbToLive: The soldiers, knowing full well that Zygons are shapeshifters, refuse to fire on the ones who take on the forms of their loved ones, even after they refuse to answer [[SomethingOnlyTheyWouldSay things they'd know]]. [[RealityEnsues The predictable happens]] when the soldiers are stupid enough to follow them.

* RealityEnsues: Dumping 20 million Zygons onto a world of billions and properly integrating each and every one of them into a culture and location different from their own was bound to have problems. It was only a matter of time before one or more of them reacted against cultural assimilation or lack of jobs or something else.

* IWantYouToMeetAnOldFriendOfMine: Creator/PeterCapaldi's ''Series/TheThickOfIt'' co-star Rebecca Front plays Col. Wash.

* EvilMakeover: When Bonnie is impersonating Clara she ties her hair back.

** The UNIT soldiers grab it firmly when it comes to dealing with a race they ''not only'' know for a fact can shapeshift, but have been shown to already having used the trick of disguising themselves as loved-ones. The squad leader in the Zygon village takes the cake. Despite his "mother" failing to answer even the most basic questions about his life, he still leads his entire squad to their deaths.

** The Doctor ''still'' considers Harry Sullivan an imbecile.

** The Doctor's attempt to overawe Colonel Walsh with his status as President of Earth gets the same unimpressed response Harriet Jones always got when she reminded people she was Prime Minister in "[[Recap/DoctorWho2005CSTheChristmasInvasion The Christmas Invasion]]" and "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS30E12TheStolenEarth The Stolen Earth]]"; "Yes, I know who you are".

* FunnyBackgroundEvent: Watch Clara closely in the scene where the Doctor boards the presidential plane and gives the Nixon salute. Off to the left of the shot, Clara is shown giving a slight salute - and then the actress clearly ''sneezes'' and then continues the scene without missing a beat. Made even funnier if you remember the fact that this is actually supposed to be the episode's big bad in disguise.

* TheIdealist: The Doctor still hopes he can salvage the peace treaty, which is something UNIT isn't in any mood to do because they are more cynical.

** The Zygon commander girls are wearing ''Toys/MonsterHigh'' and ''Disney/{{Cinderella}}'' backpacks. The Doctor even refers to them by those names.

[[caption-width-right:350:[[labelnote:Click here to see the RadioTimes magazine poster for this episode:]] https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/doctor_who_s09e07_invasion_retro_poster_by_stuart_manning.jpg ''[[Film/HarryPotterAndTheDeathlyHallows "Wow, we're identical!"]]'']][[/labelnote]]

* RewatchBonus: Several things Clara does that seem like innocent curiousity (asking Kate about UNIT troops and weapons) or convenient coincidence (knowing the significance of "Truth or Consequences", happening by at the right moment to follow the Zygon kidnappers to their underground base) take on new significance when watched with the knowledge that she's a Zygon impostor luring UNIT into a trap.

** The Zygon Rebels desire to be able to live as Zygons without having to pretend to be human mirror the complaints of Muslim and Jewish immigrants to France, who are required by law to assimilate into French society and not wear religiously-mandated clothing in public.

* DramaticWind: Kate's arrival in Truth or Consequences is accompanied by a tumbleweed ([[BodyHorror or is it a tumbleweed?]]) rolling through the streets.

** When Kate is exploring the town of Truth or Consequences she stands next to a bulletin board with a poster for a Jazz Festival that promises Music! Chainsaw juggling! Nice! Random Tootling!

** The Doctor ''still'' considers Harry Sullivan and imbecile.

** A lot of what is said about the Zygon settlers and the radical faction echoes the real-life discourse about immigrants and Middle Eastern terrorism. For extra points, Kate's share of the episode occurs on the Mexico-USA border, which has its own share of immigration issues.

* GoofyPrintUnderwear: When Osgood points out that the Doctor used to wear question marks, he claims that he now wears them on his underwear.

** The Zygon commander girls are wearing ''Franchise/MonsterHigh'' and ''Disney/{{Cinderella}}'' backpacks. The Doctor even refers to them by those names.

Why the ambiguity? Because screw logic, [[EnsembleDarkhorse she's popular and that's all the rationale/excuse we need to bring her back.]]

The one where Osgood [[TrollingCreator is or isn't]] [[NotQuiteDead back]].

Why the ambiguity? Because screw logic, [[EnsembleDarkhorse she's popular and that's all the excuse we need to bring her back.]]

The one where Osgood [[TrollingCreator is or isn't]] [[NotQuiteDead back]] because screw logic, [[EnsembleDarkhorse she's popular.]]

The one where Osgood is or isn't [[NotQuiteDead back]] because screw logic, [[EnsembleDarkhorse she's popular.]]

The one where Osgood is back because Creator/StevenMoffat said so.