[initial reactions] Doctor Who and the Timeless Children - 12x10

[grimorie]

First of all, I have to stand up on my table and clap. 

I actually don’t know how this will land for New Who viewers since there was a lot of lore drop there.

I actually like this addition or, well, re-integration of lore because this was already done before or at least hinted in Brain of Morbius where they showed that the Doctor had other lives than Hartnell. 

But actually this doesn’t change anything about the Doctor at all, just the continuation of a pattern of abuse that started long ago, also, whose to say the Doctor being there as a child in front of the Boundary wasn’t a closed loop? What if kid!Doctor made their way there by accident already living in Modern Gallifrey and then Tecteun found the child on the Boundary planet. Bootstrap Paradox. 

Anyway, I love this because this doesn’t make the Doctor an all powerful Founder, we actually discover that the Doctor was a survivor of abuse. Again and again and with their many lives experimented on. But for all of that the Doctor loved Gallifrey, she hated the people and what was done to her, but she also liked the Shobogans. 

But god, it makes Rassilon worse (that does mean Tecteun became Rassilon, yes?) also, I do love that we have a plurality of women -- just because Tecteun thought herself as the Child’s mother doesn’t stop her from being terrible, in all the ways. 

(and also I love that Chibnall inserted so many little girls, and children of different ethnicities into the Doctor’s timeline. I love it. I fully believe that was Chibnall’s Take That to everyone who hated the idea - also Jodie going, ‘oh hum, so Thirteen isn’t the first woman Doctor’ LOL what a troll. Can’t keep a secret my ass.)

Also, it is entirely on brand for the Master to go nuts because he thinks the Doctor is superior to them now. They were equals in every way but as we saw in the Delgado!Master the Master’s worse fears was the Doctor laughing at him, as and in Missy, they kept this lie to themselves that their whole world doesn’t revolve around the Doctor. 

But it does. 

This lines up with the Master wanting his identity confirmed in Spyfall because of what happened. 

I love Thirteen summoning up Martin!Doctor as a talisman to herself, bolstering herself up. I honestly love that this actually doesn’t take a hit on who they are but takes solace in themselves because as an abused child, they didn’t have anyone else but themselves. 

How many times has the Time Lords used the Doctor for their own means, and erased who they are again and again and again. It got to be so, that this time around the Child who eventually became the Doctor hung on tight to that personality, and it still doesn’t change that the Doctor was inspired to be better by the Humans, by Barbara and Ian and all that came after. 

And then the Doctor sends the team away, speaking of the Team, can I talk about brave Yaz who just walks through the Boundary because that’s who she is. And that the twist this time is that the Companions aren’t torn from her, the Doctor is thrown away from the Companions, who they probably think is dead. 

God, I love this. 

It’s a twist. Graham and Ryan are going to be fine and move on with their lives, thinking of the Doctor and Yaz won’t be able to move on or at least what will happen (if the Doctor doesn’t come back for them) is that Yaz will be like Sarah Jane Smith, which honestly isn’t such a bad thing to become. 

But also, can I just say, there’s still an awful lot of Master in those memories. The Doctor can’t bring herself to press the button, she’s done it the first time through and she just doesn’t have it in her to do it again, fortunately Ko Sharmus arrived to hit the button (obvs the Master escaped somehow). I actually thought Ko Sharmus was also a Doctor. 

Also, I can’t believe Chibnall had an End of Time reference. You scamp. 

Comments

[netgirl_y2k]

I love that Chibnall's reaction to people saying that there wasn't enough lore last season was to go: HERE, HAVE ALL THE LORE.

As a viewer I always felt that the Moffat years had too much lore, too many twists, and far too many Important Nouns. But I really love the Doctor as the Child - I think because it doesn't change who the Doctor is now. Plus I love how many children of different genders and ethnicities Chibnell got in there (screw you, people I hate on the internet...)

[grimorie]

I know and it is awesome! There are alll the lores!

I really love the Doctor as the Child - I think because it doesn't change who the Doctor is now.

Yes! I love that and also I love that being the Timeless Child didn't actually net the Doctor anything special but a life of pain and abuse, and the Doctor escaping from Gallifrey, finally and still retaining their identity as the Doctor is such a joyous thing. This doesn't diminish or change the Doctor is, it adds to it.

It's a story of an adopted child, who survives their abusive home and becomes more.

Also, YES the Doctor being all different ethnicities and genders before this is amazing to me and I will always celebrate that.