TV Show of the Week: Doctor Who – Season 12 Episode 1 – Spyfall Parts One and Two

For a year I have been eagerly awaiting the return of Doctor Who, and I, along with many people, were hoping series 12 would be better than series 11. Last series had its good moments, but unfortunately it wasn’t one of the bests. But now we’ve moved on to series 12, and what an episode it was.

I didn’t want to write this article until I had seen the second part, because it’s unfair to judge the first episode as it is only half of the final story.

I’m going to be direct and state I (have/had) mixed feelings about the first part, and by that I’m torn between the two far ends of the scale. I’m not sure if I should be as excited as can be that the Master has returned and we get to see Jodie’s Doctor on screen with the renegade Time Lord, or disappointed that there was so much build up with amazing originality that revealing The Master being the brains behind it all is too soon after saying goodbye to Missy in “The Doctor Falls”, the last finale with Peter Capaldi’s Doctor.

The questions we were left with were plentiful. The biggest question for me wasn’t how the TARDIS crew were going to get out of the terrible situation, but how did the Master go from Missy to Sacha’s Dhawan’s Master? Series 10’s storyline was about The Doctor trying to redeem Missy. Make her a good person so they can be the friends they once were back when they were children. In “The Doctor Falls”, we see Missy complete her arc. It was a powerful moment when Missy chose to go back and stand and fight with the Doctor instead of against, only to be shot in the back by her past-self. John Simm’s Master adamantly objected to Missy’s actions. He’d rather see himself be killed by his own hands than stand with the Doctor. That moment was made even more poignant when we will always know the Doctor would never know Missy decided to come back. We left Missy dead on a spaceship. Missy’s arc was complete.

It was only inevitable that we would see the Master back once again, but I wasn’t expecting it to be so soon. None of us were. It was an incredible surprise. As stated above, I did have mixed feelings about the first part because the Master is back to his insane-self once more. Whilst most of us would prefer series 10 to be written out of continuity, it’s not as easy as that considering it revolves around the two most important characters in the entire show, but this two-part storyline certainly does exactly that. During the second part there’s no mention of Missy’s storyline in series 10, or indeed Missy.

The Doctor and the Master had a conversation atop of the Eiffel Tower, they talked about two main things: what the Master had planned and that Gallifrey has been destroyed. Chris Chibnall set up the perfect scene for the Doctor to bring up her attempt at redeeming the Master. From the Doctor’s perspective, Missy walked away. From our perspective, Missy attempted to walk back. It’s a strong case of dramatic irony, where we know more than the Doctor. At least mention it instead of leaving us bathing in the irony made by the continuously strengthening question of how the heck did the Master survive when we clearly saw Missy die because her regeneration was disabled from being blasted in the back from the laser screwdriver at full power? It was a missed opportunity for an emotional scene.

What I did enjoy about the episode was what references were included in the episode, including but not limited to the four drum beats that plagued John Simm’s Master throughout his time on the show. The sound of a Time Lord’s hearts beat. The other big reference goes back to classic Who, when the Doctor and Master connected telepathically. I also thoroughly enjoyed how Jodie's Doctor really shined during the second part. I was able to see that she was definitely the Doctor during this episode, from the joyous, bubbly enthusiasm to the crushing realism of what her past means to her. When she explained to her companions just who exactly she was, it was then I was convinced she was the Doctor. It's a shame it only took an entire series for that moment to happen.

But the biggest part about the entire episode was right at the end, when we discover that it was the Master that destroyed Gallifrey because of the lies he uncovered. So, Moffatt spent practically his entire tenure on the show bringing back Gallifrey, ultimately doing so in the 50^th anniversary, allowing the Doctor to feel free from his guilt of destroying his home world to end the Time War, because he saved the world instead of destroying it. Chris Chibnall comes along and destroys it once more. The Doctor, once again, becomes the last of her kind, except this time, it’s for real.

Chris had better have a damn good explanation as to why he did that. The Master set up this explanation by stating the founders are not who the Doctor believes them to be, but instead are liars. And the timeless child that was very briefly mentioned way back during series 11’s second episode.

So, what are my final thoughts on the two-part story. A little too all over the place, but the acting was superb from both Jodie and Sacha. I loved the references, but Chris missed the opportunity for a potentially powerful moment between the Doctor and the Master, discussing his redemption arc. And if we Gallifrey doesn’t come back then what the heck was “The Day of the Doctor” all about anyway?

Thanks for reading

Antony Hudson

(TonyHadNouns)