I don’t like zombies at all and “Oxygen” brought in space zombies before the credits even started. Zombies aside, “Oxygen” was another excellent episode of Doctor Who. The cramped space station setting along with the space zombies helped create a tense episode filled with plenty of scares. I enjoyed the inclusion of Nardole on this adventure as he brought some levity to the situation. I also enjoyed seeing some of Bill’s vulnerability as she so very clearly trusted in the Doctor.
Without giving too much away, “Oxygen” set into motion some very interesting machinations that I can’t wait to see played out over the rest of the series. Here are some other thoughts I had while watching “Oxygen.”
True Face
The Doctor, Bill and Nardole receive a distress call while hanging out on the TARDIS. In the face of Nardole’s objections, the Doctor races off to save the day. The Doctor tells Bill and Nardole, “The universe shows its true face when it asks for help, and we show our true face in how we respond.” Both asking for help and giving help can be difficult. We don’t like to ask for help; we think that it reveals weakness. We don’t like to give help; it takes too much compassion. If we refuse to ask for help or give help, then we really are showing our true face. It may be more difficult, but we should always be willing to ask for and extend help.
Stress
Running out of oxygen in space would be a terrible way to die. If I were running out of oxygen in space, I imagine that I would be pretty stressed out. This is the situation in which the characters in “Oxygen” found themselves. However, in spite of their dire situation, the Doctor told them not to stress because it’s a waste of energy. The Bible tells us the same thing. Philippians 4 tells us that we shouldn’t be anxious about anything, but instead bring every request we have to God. God loves us, he knows what’s best for us and we just need to trust in him. That’s easier said than done; I’m just happy I don’t foresee myself running out of oxygen in space.
Responsibility
At the end of the episode, when it looks like the Doctor didn’t really know what he was doing, he went on a long rant about personal responsibility. He said that everything is our fault and at some point we just need to take responsibility for our actions and their consequences. It’s a lot easier blaming others for what we experience in life and, in some situations we aren’t culpable. Part of maturing in Christ, though, is accepting our role in what we face and our culpability in how we respond. If we keep blaming everyone else for everything that happens to us, then we won’t be able to do the hard work of allowing the Holy Spirit to transform our hearts and change our minds.
After a slow start with “Pilot,” series 10 of Doctor Who is on a roll. We’re almost halfway through this series, which means it’s almost time to think of the Doctor’s next regeneration. These first five episodes are only making me wish Peter Capaldi were holding onto the screwdriver for one more series.
What did you think of “Oxygen?”
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