4 Ups & 7 Downs From Doctor Who - Revolution Of The Daleks

1. Four Minutes To Osaka

Remember when Chris Chibnall fundamentally changed the backstory of The Doctor, Time Lords, and Gallifrey in one fell swoop? Yeah, that's not something you'll be forgetting any time soon, and Chris made sure of that during the 'four minutes to Osaka' scene. Ryan asks The Doctor to elaborate on the events of 'The Timeless Children', and she begins wondering who she is, and who she will be. Ryan responds saying:

“You’re The Doctor. Same as before, same as always. [...] Things change all the time, and they should, cos they have to. Same with people. Sometimes we get a bit scared, cos new can be a bit scary, right?”

Chris might has well have walked into frame, sat between the two actors, looked directly into the camera and said, "I have the keys to Doctor Who, and I'll fly the narrative TARDIS wherever the hell I want. Deal with it." This era of Who isn't at all adverse to being on the nose with its messaging, but after the storm kicked up by this revelation, the last thing Chibnall should've done was throw fuel on the fire. Whether this conversation implies the show forgetting about it and moving on, or exploring it moreso in Series 13, that's up for interpretation. All I know is, this scene was framed as a poignant moment between The Doctor and Ryan, but was in reality, a direct stab at the fact Chris knew he'd piss people off with rewriting The Doctor's backstory, and that he simply doesn't care.