Doctor Who Season 12 Ep. 10: The Timeless Children

Rassilon, Omega, The Other fear not, your place in history is safe. Despite the reveal of the Doctor’s past changed Time Lord history, it was not the seismic shift we all were expecting.

The secrets revealed by the Master & Matrix has less than impact then I hoped for. The revelation of both the Doctor’s origin and the secret to the Time Lords regeneration were a shock no doubt, but somehow seemed muted. Possibly due the downplaying, more than likely for a tea time audience, of the experiments of The Timeless Child; this also made the Master’s anger seem more than a little overblown. His annoyance at having part of his enemy within him was probably exacerbated by the treatment by the Time Lords of his oldest friend. Somehow the level of his anger seemed a little out of place.

Speaking of the Mater Sacha Dhawan has created a truly menacing and unhinged version. Without question he was the best thing in the episode and the standout performance of the season. His portrayal is a mixture of sadness and madness. In contrast to Missy, where she sought redemption he only seeks revenge. Once again this singular focus is the Mater’s downfall.

The Time Lord Cybermen could have been a little cheesy, but were handled well. I wish they could have been around for longer, as they could have caused some real jeopardy in earlier episodes. It was good to hear them use a twisted version of Rassilon’s motto as well.

The plot through so much at you at times it almost felt too much. Leaving us with as many questions as it answered. Director Jamie Magnus Stone managed to keep everything the right side of sane and for the most part the episode worked.

It was a strong and exciting end to what has been an excellent and brave season. With rumours that the next episode will be on Christmas Day Whovian’s might be in for even more treats this year.

Marks out of 10: 9