Doctor Who Series Twelve Summary
Jodie Whittaker’s second set picked up the pace.
This group of stories was where the Thirteenth Doctor hit her stride, and it seemed a fitting place to throw a wrench in her confidence with the Timeless Child revelations. The only stinker in the bunch was Orphan 55, a story with one of the most telegraphed plot twists, a serious lack of tension and internal continuity, and an overly preachy ending that lectured the audience and characters instead of using subtle metaphorical elegance.
Much of this series focused on pulpy storytelling and having fun, though Chris Chibnall’s penchant for “oops, we’re out of time” rush endings was a constant companion. I love how this series remembered that Doctor Who can be exciting, whimsical, and thoughtful. The Timeless Child thread was woven fairly well throughout the series, and I appreciate how it only cropped up from time to time instead of being in our faces like Russell T. Davies and Steven Moffat are prone to do.
The TARDIS got some enhanced interior deco, finally adding some depth to that claustrophobic set, and the Master got a facelift with an amazing performance from Sacha Dawan. We also got to see the trio of Ryan, Graham, and Yaz in top form (although I would still love to see Yaz doing more) before the fam was broken apart. It was a fun series that, with one notable exception, I’d easily watch again.
Overall, Series Twelve comes in with a solid 4.1 score. That’s in good company with the classic Fifth Season, the classic Eighteenth Season, Series Two, Series Seven, and Series Nine. It’s a six-way tie for tenth place in the scope of the Timestamps Project.
Spyfall – 5
Orphan 55 – 2
Nikola Tesla’s Night of Terror – 4
Fugitive of the Judoon – 5
Praxeus – 4
Can You Hear Me? – 4
The Haunting of Villa Diodati – 4
Ascension of the Cybermen & The Timeless Children – 4
Revolution of the Daleks – 5
Series Eleven Average Rating: 4.1/5
Next up, the Timestamps Project continues to the end of the Thirteenth Doctor’s era with Flux and the finale specials.
UP NEXT – Doctor Who: Flux – The Halloween Apocalypse
The Timestamps Project is an adventure through the televised universe of Doctor Who, story by story, from the beginning of the franchise. For more reviews like this one, please visit the project’s page at Creative Criticality.
