Spoilers Russell T. Davies Returns to Doctor Who as New Showrunner

[Ray Hardgrit]

I mean, what everyone considers the "traditional Klingon" is itself a redesign introduced twelve years after Klingons were introduced with close to ten appearances (if you include TAS) of the original look.

At the same time they had the sense not to change the Vulcans, even though their makeup was very basic, because after 100 appearances, and Spock becoming the most iconic character in science fiction, that would've been a bad idea.

 

[Mr Awe]

Absolutely. For me the issue isn't the need for a dramatic finale and/or cliffhanger, its that the dramatic finale has to be so convoluted and ridiculously epic (save the Earth/Universe/Multiverse etc)

Yeah, for me that's the problem. Each one has to be bigger than the previous one.

I do think there should be a finale. But the track record in DW hasn't been great. And overall, it's easier to set up a big season long arc/mystery than it is to pay it off. I guess they're just tough to write effectively.

But I think the perceived need to make them super epic also makes them more difficult.

For example, it's not a season finale, but I still think Caves of Androzani is the best all-time DW story for me. But there's no epic confrontation to save the universe involved. It's a great set of characters isolated on a muddy planet. Sure there's some larger political stuff involved but that's background and isn't going to affect the universe.

And, I thought Capaldi's final season was his best and that's where Moffat didn't have those sprawling convoluted storylines.

Bigger isn't always better in general . . . and for finales.

ETA: After typing this I saw your own comments about Androzani!

 

[Mr Awe]

If I was the next showrunner and I'd inherited the Timeless Child mess, I think I'd have three goals in mind:

1. Find something to say about all of it. Make the story ultimately about retcons and 'everything you know is wrong' storylines and what it's like when the foundations of your reality get ripped away.
2. Have it lead to a definite conclusion that makes the whole thing feel worthwhile somehow.
3. Put it away in a box, so new viewers jumping on at a future episode never need to know it ever happened. Everything we know about the Timeless Child is also wrong. Hartnell was the First Doctor, Jo Martin happened, let's keep going.

Basically: find a way to turn its frustrations into virtues that doesn't leave fans of the reveal feeling dissatisfied, and then get the show back on track.

I've said this before, but if I was the showrunner, I'd find someway to make it so that the Master was actually the timeless child. It fits so much better. The experimentation drove them insane/evil.

Also, you would then have a regular Time Lord (the Doctor) against a super villain (Master). That's more dramatically pleasing than an invincible, super strong special Time Lord (Doctor) going against a relatively ordinary villain (Master), which is what we've got now.

It would also explain how the Master managed to survive well past his last natural regeneration!