Doctor Who: The Complete Twelfth Series

IN the previous season, show runner Chris Chibnall had middling results when he tried out the classic who structure on the modern show. The Classic Structure, especially pre-John Nathan Turner, was the TARDIS landing some place, just because, often with multiple companions, and stuff happened. The modern structure, which requires faster pacing, less time to tell a story (13 45-minute episodes versus the Classic 26 half hour episodes) and consequently has less room for lots of characters to be developed. The result were some standout stories, like Rosa and The Demons of Punjab) but with no story arcs, most of the episodes, like many parts of the classic Who series, could have been shown in any order.Series 12 returns to the modern form, complete with series long story arcs and a defined direction to what is happening. The season kicks off with a superb 2-part James Bond homage, that includes a few uncomfortable truths about private tech, governments harnessing it and our individual relationship to it. The rest of the series does not disappoint with numerous surprise appearances throughout and a three episode wrap-up that finally brings out the darker shades to Whittaker's Doctor that she's largely avoided with her more motherly "fam" approach to the TARDIS companions.Yes, there are a few missteps, most notably the clumsy handling with Graham at the end of Can You Hear Me? that I honestly can't believe no one questioned at the read-through or time of filming. And more than one complaint has been lodged about "wokeness," especially in relation to the ending speech in Orphan 55, which wasn't subtle, but nothing that hadn't been done in some of the Star Trek TNG episodes. But these are minor distractions.The final reveal of the Timeless Child has divided fandom, with those against it clearly ignoring many hints and loose ends dropped in the classic series, ranging from pre-Hartnell Doctors appearing in the Brain of Morbius, to the constant extra special attention and place The Doctor seems to hold in Time Lord society. Then there's McCoy's Doctor making a slip reference to being with Rassilon in "Remberence of the Daleks," which he quickly corrects, as well as the character's outright essentiality to baling out the Time Lords, yet again, in "The Five Doctors. Then there's the power he wields over the Time Lord government in "Hell Bent." And none of these stories or others in the near 60 years of the show's existence ever explain as to how or why he has such position, especially being, to quote Time Lord President Barousa "the notorious renegade."All in all, the season is solid and opens the doors for a pile of new stories and explorations into the central mystery about the main character that remains "the oldest question. Hidden in plain sight. Dr. Who?"

I really would give Season 12 a "4" rating but added a star to offset all the right-wing misogyny. But this is, all the PC preachiness notwithstanding (and it can be annoying), the best overall season of Doctor Who since Matt Smith's first season. I was never a Chibnall fan and I approached his tenure as showrunner with worry. I love Jodie Whittaker and I think she's great in the role, especially this season. But Chibnall has always had a problem with Dei ex Machina endings and not knowing how to finish off his villains. And every Doctor Who story that ends with an "extra" sacrificing himself/herself to resolve the story in a way the Doctor can't do for moral reasons is a plot failure in my book -- but that has been a fault with Doctor Who since the days of William Hartnell. All that being said, the central plot twist of Season 12 is absolutely brilliant, and -- despite all the hubbub -- was done in such a clever way that although it draws together many plot holes, easter eggs, and failed or dropped Masterplans of the past, it does it in a way that does NOT fundamentally rewrite the story of Doctor Who. Making the Doctor a more mysterious character *to the Doctor* is pure genius; wrapping it in a cocoon of metaphorical flashbacks where she sees her own unknown past through the eyes of a -- male -- Irish Garda was so completely out of the blue that it reminded me of the weirdest most wonderful days of Steven Moffat. When our hero(ine) is at his/her best, he/she is both vulnerable and godlike. At this, Season 12 excels. Even the weak spots of this season were good (I even liked Orphan 55) and to have a whole half-season of high points (Spyfall, Fugitive of the Judoon, The Haunting of Villa Deodati, and The Timeless Children) was a rare treat. If only Capaldi's writers had been that good. Season 12 of Doctor Who is an epic success.