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With The Timeless Children, Sunday brings us to the end of DOCTOR WHO Season / Series 12 proper.
It's been an odd run, filled with a few highs, a considerable portion of mediocrity, and a few highly aggravating lows. Despite this unevenness, S12 represents a quantifiable - albeit inconsistent - uptick from S11. A sputtery, precarious positive trend one hopes can continue through The Timeless Children and beyond. This said: last week's installment, Ascension of the Cybermen, was messy in a number of regards discussed at length in the forums HERE. As such, it's difficult not to feel at least a bit apprehensive about how these much ballyhooed 'changes everything!' episodes will actually play out, when the road to merely get to this point has been rocky at best. To prime us for whatever awaits, BBC has released this official retrospective reflecting on Galifreyan Shenanigans.
Written by Chibnall and helmed by Jamie Magnus Stone (Spyfall Part One, Praxeus, Ascension of the Cybermen), Children represents the last episode of DOCTOR WHO for some time. No formal date has been announced for future installments.
NOTE: As in the past, a day or two after Children's Sunday transmission, I'll open up a 'megathread' to carry us between S12 and the next fresh episode. This megathread will likely unlock on Monday.
So...
Here we go. Despite the regrettably rickety nature of S12, the discussion point these forums has been consistently lovely, smart, insightful, fun, and much appreciated. I'd like to extend vast appreciation to all who have participated, and sincerely invite any lurkers out there to join our discourse. It's never too late! We warmly invite and encourage an open discourse and free exchange of ideas, but will enforce a strict zero tolerance policy regarding trolling, disrespect, or hate speak of any kind. COMING HOLIDAY 2020: Revolution of the Daleks
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This weekend propels us towards the final two episodes of DOCTOR WHO Series / Season 12: Ascension of the Cybermen, and The Timeless Children. Note: I've seen a great deal of theorization regarding 'the Timeless Child,' but most folks (that I've come across, at least) aren't addressing what may be an important clue here. We're talking about the Timeless Child, but the final episode title is pluralized. Food for thought? Reaching for straws? Here's a clip from Ascension...
BBC has also issued a Cybermen's Greatets Hits reel. It's a tad on the simple side, but a fun trip down memory lane all the same. I'd forgotten, or repressed, how much early Cybermen sounded like Latka from TAXI. Or the Thermians from GALAXY QUEST.
Ascension is scripted by Chris Chibnall, who has injected an admirable number of gargantuan, canon-impacting notions throughout S12 which will presumably pay off before next week's finale.
Who, or what, is Jo Martin's Doctor? What's up with her buried TARDIS? What really happened back on Gallifrey, and who is truly responsible for it? The Master, and all the nagged he brings with him. Are Graham, Yaz, and Ryan really, truly on the way out of the show? Many elements seem to be portending this, although part of me is wondering if the layers of foreshadowing we've thus far seen may be deliberately misleading us. While The Powers That Be have indicated Captain Jack won't make a return appearance this Season / Series, it's certainly feasible we're being misdirected in this regard, as well. I'm probably missing a few other points. 
This is all...quite a bit to chew on, and represents something of a stressy meal given the uneven nature of showrunner Chris Chibnall's overall execution and narrative. It'll be fascinating to see whether or not he is capable of sticking the landing here, and whether or not he has actually thought through whatever pay offs he's gone through so much effort to set up. Previous showrunner Steven Moffat was, after all, extraordinarily, spectacularly capable of generating 'What the FUCK!?!?!?" moments. But by the time their endgame rolled around, there was often an inescapable sense that he hadn't thought through...or at least could not clearly demonstrate...the macro value of his initial narrative teases and intent.
Both Ascension and Timeless are helmed by Jamie Magnus Stone (Praxeus, Spyfall Part One), whose direction on this show to date has been one of the brighter points of the Chibs Era, story points not withstanding.
Our Ascension of the Cybermen forum is waiting for you to upload your essence into it. Ewwww - that sounds kinda wrong. How bout: here's the Ascension of the Cybermen forum! Go use it!
We warmly invite and encourage an open discourse and free exchange of ideas, but will enforce a strict zero tolerance policy regarding trolling, disrespect, or hate speak of any kind. COMING SUNDAY MARCH 1: The Timeless Children
Can You Hear Me? emerged as a enjoyable-to-solid affair, with a few nice moves peppered throughout.
WhittaDoc's Asperger-y dismissal of Graham's heart-to-heart regarding his (possibly recurring) cancer was a potent and unexpected moment, and one of the few times in the Chibnall Era either Whittaker, or the show in general, felt in any way plugged into the essence of what makes the 'Doctor' character so deeply interesting and special. A bold and smart move which, naturally and unfortunately, resulted in Team Chibs getting quickly smacked down (thus not rewarded for their effort). Boooo mamby, pampy fans! Far be it from me to argue for giving Chris Chibnall any kind of 'break' these days. But...Jesus, folks. Despite a number of redeeming qualities, CYHM? wasn't solid enough to roundly convince that either S12, or the show in general, is comfortably back on track after S11's decidedly lackluster run, and S12's herky-jerky stumblethon. A daunting, stress-inducing undertaking which continues this week with The Haunting of Villa Diodati.
[I love this pic! ?]
Directed by Can You Hear Me?'s Emma Sullivan, and scripted by Maxine Alderton (ITV's EMMERDALE), Haunting is described thusly by The Powers That Be... “Nobody mention Frankenstein. Nobody interfere. Nobody snog Byron.” Should be easy right? The Doctor and gang arrive at the Villa Diodati, Lake Geneva, in 1816 – on a night that inspired Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. The plan is to spend the evening soaking up the atmos in the presence of some literary greats – but the ghosts are all too real. And the Doctor is forced into a decision of earth-shattering proportions… Haunting represents the last 'regular' episode of this run before the much ballyhooed Season / Series enders Ascension of the Cybermen and The Timeless Children. Spots like this, currently in heavy rotation on BBC America, assert that 'What's still to come will change everything.'
Whatever that means. What does that mean? Could be pretty cool. But, given the overall trajectory of S11 and S12, I'm kinda thinking there's fuckery ahead for those who've struggled to accept the tenor, energy ,and conceptualization of the Chibnall Era to date.
This said, Chibnall has, legitimately, swung big and landed a few legitimately honorable hits in S12. So, maybe he's up to slam-dunking a big payoff? If it goes catawampus, remember that I did say 'maybe...'
Welcome to The Haunting of Villa Diodati discussion forum. Dive in, have fun.
We warmly invite and encourage an open discourse and free exchange of ideas, but will enforce a strict zero tolerance policy regarding trolling, disrespect, or hate speak of any kind. COMING SUNDAY FEBRUARY 23: Ascension of the Cybermen
Welcome to the weekly meeting of the Chibnall Era Support and Recovery Society.
I'm Glen. (GROUP: Hiiiii, Glen!) If Season /Series 12 of DOCTOR WHO has taught us anything, it's that reigning showrunner Chris Chibnall struggles tremendously with consistency and thematic delivery. Or, he simply doesn't care to foster 'baseline consistency.' Or, perhaps some combination therein... (?) Episodes like Spyfall Part One and Fugitive of the Judoon vividly illustrate that he is more than capable of landing material which is deft, impressive, and compelling by a number of measures. Sadly, episodes like Orphan 55 and Praxeus reveal an alternate Chibnall: a creator alarmingly at home flopping around in a fanficy, Middle School-level grabbag of disjointed conceptualization and clumsily conceived storytelling. As often as not, he appears more than happy to actualize tales whose lazy ineffectualness roundly and systematically undermines whatever quality uptick (and commensurate good will from the DW fan base) was previously gained by stronger episodes. As much as some decry Chibnall to be an 'enemy' of DOCTOR WHO, in S12 he is emerging as a showrunner who is also his own worst enemy. There's nothing more frustrating, nothing more dangerous to a show, than a showrunner who clearly knows what quality is...yet doesn't reach for it, or even establish a reliable, relatable personality for his or her show...on a regular basis. This has been occurring throughout S12, and occurred again with last Sunday's Praxeus. It is my contention that the cost of his inconsistent, languid stewardship are viewership numbers which fluctuate at best, but have also seen recent, precipitous declines. With Praxeus, director Jamie Magnus Stone retuned to the show (having previously helmed the superior and aforementioned Spyfall Part One), doing his best to bolster a lackadaisical and conspicuously anorexic script by injecting a modicum of style and editorial propulsion into otherwise stayed proceedings. The results on the directorial front were mixed-but-admirabl. But in all fairness, even the strongest helmer would not be able to sufficiently compensate for a script in which 1) nothing really happens, and 2) messaging blasts forth with such utter gracelessness (a Chibnall trend denoting his lack of faith in his audience's ability to grock more understated delivery). Leaving us with another middle-of-the-road episode whose only macro narrative takeaway was an inescapable sense that, in S12, we're chiefly sitting around waiting for Bradley Walsh's Graham and Tosin Cole's Ryan to (from all appearances) exit the show. And kinda wishing they'd get on with it...as they're both hugely gifted actors deserving of far stronger material than they're being given here. What flavor of Chibnall will we get with this week's Can You Hear Me? Helmed by Emma Sullivan (known chiefly for BBC's DOCTORS), and co-scripted by Chibnall and Charlene James (A DISCOVERY OF WITCHES and BBC 4's SNATCHES: MOMENTS FROM WOMEN'S LIVES), Can you Hear Me? is described thusly by The Powers That Be: From ancient Syria to present-day Sheffield and out into the wilds of space, something is stalking the Doctor and her friends… As Graham, Yaz and Ryan return home to see friends and family, they find themselves haunted by very different experiences. Who is the figure calling from beyond the stars for help, and why? And what are the fearsome Chagaskas terrorising Aleppo in 1380? To find the answers, Team TARDIS must embark on a mission which forces them to face their darkest fears.
S12's trend of far better than average promotional images continues this week, highlights being a lovely shot of Walsh's Graham, and of Whittaker and TARDIS.
So on we go, deeper into what may well be remembered as DOCTOR WHO's most polarizing, and bi-polar, Series/Season to date.
Discuss! We warmly invite and encourage an open discourse and free exchange of ideas, but will enforce a strict zero tolerance policy regarding trolling, disrespect, or hate speak of any kind. COMING SUNDAY FEBRUARY 16: The Haunting of Villa Diodati |
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