'The Zygon Inversion' (Story Code 9.08) by Peter Harness and Steven Moffat

“Humans cannot accept the way we really are. If we cannot hide, we must fight. You’re going to be the first. You’re going to be the first to make the humans see.” – Bonnie

Clara has been imprisoned in a pod, her form taken by Bonnie the rebel Zygon. She wakes to find herself in a twisted version of her flat, her connection with her double allowing her to see the Zygon’s point of view on the living room television set. As Bonnie takes aim at the Doctor’s Presidential plane through her rocket launcher’s sight, Clara shakes the television, making the Zygon miss her target; Clara then tries to take control of Bonnie’s trigger finger, but after a brief struggle the Zygon regains control – she fires a rocket straight at the Doctor’s plane, which explodes in a ball of flame…

On a London estate, a roadsweeper cleans up the charred remains of the rebel Zygons’ victims, as emotionless local residents look on. A terrified man runs past, heading for the safety of his flat; however, after locking himself inside his door is broken open by Bonnie, who zaps the man’s head with her Zygon sting. The man stumbles outside, his body reverting to his true Zygon form; Bonnie records his transformation on her phone, and then informs Zygon command that she is going to UNIT to retrieve the ‘Osgood Box’…

In her ‘dream-flat’, Clara reviews a recording of the plane’s destruction and is relieved to see two parachutes floating free of the explosion. Elsewhere, on a wreckage-strewn beach, the Doctor and Osgood struggle free of their parachutes; Osgood’s glasses are broken, so the Doctor gives her his sonic shades. Clara manages to make Bonnie unconsciously write and send a text to the Doctor; when the Time Lord receives the message of “I’m awake” he wonders what Bonnie is trying to tell him; Osgood believes that Clara is still alive, and trying to regain control of her duplicate… Bonnie arrives at the UNIT safe house, where she opens a wall safe and retrieves a laptop; playing back the Osgoods’ recording she is thrown into a rage when they won’t give away the whereabouts of their box… The Doctor and Osgood seek help from a police patrol car, but when the officers just stare at them the duo make a hasty retreat. Aware that the policemen are now following them, the Doctor speaks to Bonnie on a video call and is surprised when she starts winking at him – more hints from Clara. As more policemen arrive Osgood uses the Doctor’s sonic sunglasses to steal a car; while the Doctor drives, Osgood traces Clara’s phone to a south London street; she then finds a video newly-posted on the internet, which shows the unmasked Zygon at large... Bonnie returns to the underground cave and locates Clara’s pod. Seeing Bonnie addressing her via her television set, Clara uses their two-way connection to make the Zygon revert form. Regaining control, Bonnie threatens to kill Clara unless she reveals the location of the Osgood Box. Forced to comply, Clara reveals that the device is in UNIT’s Black Archive under the Tower of London, in a room keyed to her body print. Clara explains that the Box will end the ceasefire: it has a button that will unmask all the Zygons for an hour, which will cause mass panic and trigger a war. Kate Stewart arrives in the cave with a Zygon escort, having returned from Truth or Consequences; Bonnie orders her to find and kill the Doctor… Arriving at the estate, the Doctor and Osgood investigate the shopping centre and find the smoking remains of a Zygon attack. In a supermarket they find the terrified Zygon, his form changing back and forth out of control; the Zygon just wants to live his life in peace, but knows that cannot happen now – so he chooses to commit suicide. The Doctor tells Osgood that this is the rebels’ plan: by unmasking their people the Zygon splinter group will provoke fear and panic, leading to a war with humanity. Kate arrives on the scene with two soldiers and tells the Doctor she knows the location of Clara’s pod; the Doctor and Osgood are immediately suspicious, but agree to accompany them… Bonnie arrives at the Black Archive with two Zygon and Clara’s pod. She uses her copy of Clara’s body print to access the secure installation, but when she finds the room with the Osgood Box she makes a frustrating discover: there are two Osgood Boxes! Phoning the Doctor, Bonnie demands to know which box is which; when he refuses to tell her, Bonnie orders Clara’s removal from the pod and threatens to kill her unless the Doctor confirms which to use, the blue box or the red one? The Doctor goes for the blue box, so Bonnie presses the button on its lid – and watches as the box opens to reveal two more buttons, labelled ‘Truth’ and ‘Consequences’. Bonnie then tries the other box, and finds that has two buttons as well. She orders the Doctor’s death, but Kate pulls a gun and kills the two Zygon guards – she is the real Kate, having killed the Norlander Zygon and taken her place. When Kate deduces that the Doctor put the Z67 ‘Sullivan’s Gas’ that kills Zygons inside the Osgood Boxes, the Time Lord explains that the devices are safeguards for both sides, with the Osgoods keeping watch over them for peace – a peace that is now failing… Arriving at the Black Archive with Osgood and Kate, offers Bonnie the opportunity to take away the boxes and keep the ceasefire; but the Zygon refuses, wanting to push the blue box’s button and unmask her people – and to the Doctor’s disappointment, so does Kate, and she turns to the red box. The Doctor explains the purposes of each box: Kate’s will either release the lethal gas and kill all the Zygons, or it will detonate a nuclear warhead under the Black Archive, destroying all of London; Bonnie’s will unmask every Zygon in the world, or cancel the aliens’ ability to change form, effectively making them human. The Doctor tries to make Bonnie realise that the Zygons are no different from everyone else, and must learn to forgive in order to live in peace, but Bonnie will not consider opening a dialogue with Kate, insisting that she wants war. The Doctor asks her what happens next, pointing out that her revolution will be just followed by another one, and another; the only way to live in peace is to break the cycle. Bonnie won’t back down, not even when the Doctor forgives her, so the Time Lord tries one final tactic: he explains how he knows all too well the horrors of war, and won’t let anyone else feel such awful pain. Kate finally sees reason and, after closing the red box, she apologies for her actions. With the future resting solely on her, Bonnie thinks for herself and sees that the Doctor is right – she also works out that the boxes have been empty all along. The Doctor is pleased that the crisis has been averted by Kate and Bonnie reaching the right decision – just as they have done fifteen times before. Donning his sonic shades the Doctor activates the Black Archive’s security system, wiping the memories of Kate and Clara’s two Zygon guards – but not Bonnie’s memory: she needs to remember her decision, now that she has broken the cycle... Bonnie returns to the Zygon high command’s secret base, where she normalises her form and contacts her people, informing them that the cease fire is back in place and the rebels are standing down: her people are safe at last…

A while later, Oswald accompanies the Doctor and Clara back to the TARDIS; the Doctor offers her the chance to travel with them, but while the scientist wants to accept, she knows she must remain to keep the Osgood Boxes and the world safe. Sending Clara ahead into the ship, the Doctor tries again to get Osgood to confirm whether she is human of Zygon, but his friend still refuses to say; to the Doctor’s surprise they are joined by a second Osgood – Bonnie has changed her face to keep the Osgood legacy alive. The Doctor joins Clara in the TARDIS, and tells her how glad that he is that she is alive; they depart for their next adventure, leaving the two Osgoods to get ice cream and then get on with defending the Earth…


Peter Capaldi (The Doctor), Jenna Coleman (Clara / Bonnie), Jemma Redgrave (Kate Stewart), Ingrid Oliver (Petronella Osgood / Double Osgood), Nicholas Asbury (Etoine), Aidan Cook (Zygon), Tom Wilton (Zygon), Jack Parker (Zygon), Nicholas Briggs (Voice of the Zygons)

Directed by Daniel Nettheim
Produced by Peter Bennett
Executive Producers Steven Moffat and Brian Minchin
A BBC Wales production

TX (BBC 1 & BBC 1 HD):
7th November 2015 @ 8.00 pm


Notes:
*Featuring the Twelfth Doctor, Clara, Kate Stewart, Osgood and UNIT

*Part two of a two-part story

*Working title: 'Truth or Consequences'

*We learn Osgood's first name, Petronella