Doctor Who: Series 12, Episode 10 – “The Timeless Children” (2020)

Season finale time! A lot to take in. I’m still processing the biggest moments, a number of which can’t really be talked about without spoilers. I’ll do my best to keep the spoilers to an absolute minimum this week, with more posts in the coming weeks dedicated to more spoilery thiougts on this episode and the season as a whole.

The Doctor, Ryan, Graham, and Yaz are pulled in a different directions in the midst of some seriously-cataclysmic stuff going down. While the companions are left trying to stop the Cybermen, the Doctor is recruited for an incredibly high-stakes trip down memory lane. Revelations are made that, as advertised, changes everything the Doctor thought she knew.

I mentioned last week that I was curious to see how the different threads of both the season and part one of the finale would come together here, and the answer, it turns out, is, “Kind of?” The Cyberman stuff doesn’t have any meaningful connection to the heavier arc stuff going on, but the Cyberman plot is subsequently tied into some of the things surrounding the arc plot in a way that offers up some strong scenes.

I’ll talk about the companions next, since they’re the easiest to get into without spoilers. As has been pretty typical this season, all they have some good-to-great moments while at the same time not feeling super-instrumental to the proceedings. There are scenes I really like, such as a lovely heart-to-heart between Yaz and Graham, and a nice little victory for Ryan. Also, of the three of them, Yaz is completely ride-or-die for the Doctor, and that’s heartwarming to see.

I can’t talk much at all about the Doctor and the arc side of the plot in a mostly spoiler-free review. When it comes to the arc, I’ll say that I like parts it but others really bug me. However, even the parts I don’t like seem to be used well on a more personal level; in other words, I’m still annoyed that it happened, but the show does explore some interesting moments through it.

I will also say that Jodie Whittaker’s acting here is fantastic. She, along with a few heavy-hitting guest stars who shall remain nameless this week, just acts up a storm, and it’s a thing of beauty. My chief frustration with the Chibnall era to date has been that, when the writing isn’t up to par, that can sometimes hamper Thirteen and seem to hold her back (I’ve remarked on this plenty of times before.) Here, I wouldn’t necessarily say the writing is a slam dunk on the whole, because I’m still iffy on some of it, but what it does have are multiple scenes that Whittaker can really sink her teeth into and show just how great she/the Thirteenth Doctor can be when the show lets her. My favorite episode performance from her so far, by far.