6 Ups & 5 Downs From Doctor Who Series 12
Chibnall and Whittaker's second full outing changes everything.
The twelfth series of Doctor Who has come and gone in the blink of an eye. But our second full series with Jodie Whittaker's Doctor, alongside Graham, Yaz, and Ryan, is one we won't be forgetting any time soon. The 'Timeless Child', first mentioned in last series' The Ghost Monument was finally explored, we got a little more development from arguably the least-interesting companion, and two Doctor Who mainstay villains had their return.
Chris Chibnall has fixed many mistakes he made during his previous series as showrunner, but he's still got a long way to go to be respected by all. Series 12 has overall been a huge improvement, but he's not necessarily rubbing shoulders with Russell and Stephen yet. Anyway, let's take a look back at the previous ten weeks of our lives as we reminisce of what has been. From Spyfall to The Timeless Children, here's all the good and bad from 2020's run-in with The Doctor and co.
Honourable Mention: Doctor Who Lore Has Been Significantly Altered
This is an honourable mention simply because I can't decide as to whether this is an outright positive, or an outright negative. In reality, it sits in the middle, and it's somewhat personal opinion as to which side it lands on. The most prominent series arc (which we'll cover more in-depth later) was the secret of the 'Timeless Child,' someone or something with a history so unnerving, it drove The Master to destroy Gallifrey itself.
The revelation that this 'Timeless Child' was in fact The Doctor, was a predictable twist, but that's not what is important here. The Doctor's hidden past is what regeneration, and subsequently Time Lord society is built upon. This confirms that there were indeed incarnations of the Time Lord prior to William Hartnell's incarnation present between 1963 and 1966. Though this doesn't completely shatter the established continuity since An Unearthly Child, it's definitely shone a new light on the character.
Who were 'The Division?' Why did the Timeless Child end up taking on the mantle of 'The Doctor?' Why don't they remember their past prior to William Hartnell? How does Jo Martin's 'Fugitive' Doctor fit into all of this? The final episode of the series raised as many questions as it answered, and the decision as to whether this is perceived as a positive or a negative is both up in the air, and up to you.