The Timeless Children
The last episode of Series 12. Does everything change? Does nothing change? Who's the Doctor, really? Were there Cybermen on Gallifrey? Was the Master telling the truth? Where did the Timeless Child come from? What did Brendan have to do with anything? Some of these questions were answered. The Master pulls the Doctor through to Gallifrey, leaving the survivors, the 'fam' and Ko Sharmus to fend for themselves. In the Citadel, the Master hooks the Doctor up to the Matrix...
The Master uses the Matrix to tell the Doctor what he found out about the Timeless Child and the origin of the Time Lords. Or, what his view of it is. An ancient Gallifreyian Shabogan explorer, Tecteun discovers a child alone, next to a monument and a rift to another dimension. (Which she doesn't investigate when the child refuses to say where she came from?) It certainly increases the mystery. The two send more time exploring before returning to Gallifrey. And then it's revealed that regeneration comes from the child.
(And that Tecteun experimented on the child to splice the ability into the Gallifreyians. Certainly an interesting idea.) Then the big whammy. The Master then says that the Timeless Child is the Doctor! Like, what? Doesn't really make sense. But at the same time, the Master is talking to the Lone Cyberman. Telling him to come through the Barrier to Gallifrey so they can join forces. Ashad reveals his goal. Get rid of all organic life via a death particle in his chest, after turning the Cybermen into robots.
Although the Master says that isn't special. That is a particularly good scene. Yas, Graham and the others escape from the ship by pretending to be Cybermen. It's certainly inspired by earlier instances of companions pretending to be antagonists, but it works, and it was done well. It is also consistent with the development of the characters so far. The scenes in Ko Sharmus' base were also done well, with Ryan's 'slam dunk' destroying a group of Cybermen being a rather good call back. The Master compresses the Lone Cyberman, but the particle isn't activated (yet.)
Yas steps through to Gallifrey first. Consistent with the way her character has been going. I'd like to see more of her. The Master reveals that he's turning dead Time Lords into CyberLords. Interesting idea, and a rather good scene. But not as good as when the Doctor escaped from the Matrix by using her memories. (Ruth, Doctor and Morbius Doctors pre-Hartnell... Still, everything and yet, nothing.) The revelation hasn't really changed the Doctor. But escaping, the Master and his CyberLords was done well.
A House TARDIS in Sheffield, and a Tree TARDIS on the desolate planet. Judoon surprise! A good ending to this interesting episode. More in the Three or Two Part finale review below. 8/10.
Series 12 Finale Overall review
Mainly Ascension of the Cybermen/The Timeless Children with the Lone Cyberman's appearances in The Haunting of Villa Diodati. The Lone Cybermen, was a very effective character as someone who tried to volunteer for conversion but was rejected part way. Self loathing. (That is a link thematically, to the Master being upset at the lies in Gallifrey's history. More on that below.) His goal to use the Cybermen to get rid of all organic life was developed as a lead from this. And this causes the clash with the Master's plans.
But the main plot in these episodes is the Timeless Child and the implications for the Doctor of what the Master had discovered. The Brendan subplot links in rather well as a type, a cover, for the TimelessDoctor's missions for the Division. From the child found on the road, until the memory wipe. The parallel between Tecteum's discovery of the Timeless Child and the father discovering Brendan is obvious. The Garda makes a good stand in for the Division. Of course, there was more to what was happening on Gallifrey than that.
The Doctor is on a mission to atone for her decision to give the Cyberium to the Lone Cyberman. That is what drives her as she fights the Lone Cyberman, and the Master. And it also links to Ko Sharmus setting off the death particle instead of her. He feels that he's more responsible for what's occuring with the Master and the CyberLords than the Doctor. His anguish as he ruefully considers that the Cyberium hadn't been sent back far enough was well done. It's he who sets off the particle and allows the Doctor to escape.
It is obvious that he stays at the Boundary because he feels that he doesn't deserve to interact with others, damaged by the war... On to the 'fam'. Each one of them gets something to do, even if it is hinted that Graham and Ryan may want to stop travelling, it's Yas who is the saddest upon disembarking from the House TARDIS. She wanted to continue travelling with the Doctor, and thinks she is dead. (So, will we see Yas moving into the House TARDIS, being rueful, wondering if the Doctor survived after all?)
Graham and Yas both encouraged the survivors through the ordeal on the escape ship, on the Cybercarrier and at the Boundary (and also were able to find the Panopticon in the ruins of the Citadel). As stated before, Yas leading the group through to Gallifrey is consistent with the way haer character had been going. She barely hesitates before stepping into the boundary. She then later argues with the Doctor about what to do. The Doctor tells her that she has to go. The survivors aren't developed much, but their joy at being on Earth was well done.
(Maybe there's future storytelling potential there?) There is not much more to say about the Judoon ending, but overall these two or three episodes was a very good way to end this series. More in the overall Series review. 8.25/10.
