'Doctor Who' Season 12: Ahead of upcoming finale 'The Timeless Children', here's a look at the season so far
Spoiler alert for 'Doctor Who' Season 12 Episodes 1-9
The final episode of 'Doctor Who' Season 12 is just around the corner and it promises to upend everything we thought we knew about the show's world. But before 'The Timeless Children' arrive on the screens, let's take a look at how this season has gone so far.
Season 12 had some stellar episodes but there have been just as many that sorely disappointed us. It's not the worst we have ever seen from the show but Season 12 isn't going to rank very high on the list of 'Doctor Who' seasons and that's despite some really interesting stories.
With the two-part premiere story 'Spyfall', the season got off to a very strong start, introducing the new Master (Sacha Dhawan) and revealing that the Time Lords' homeworld of Gallifrey has been decimated.
From there, things took a sharp drop with Episode 3 'Orphan 55', which tried to horrify audiences and deliver a warning about ecological concerns. Unfortunately, though the episode scored well in terms of horror, its environmental message felt far too preachy to resonate with most of the audience.
Comparatively, Episode 6 'Praxeus' did a much better job as a cautionary tale about pollution and its consequences. Granted, it did so with a lot of globetrotting and body horror, but we are really not complaining.
Backing up a bit, Episode 4 'Nikola Tesla's Night of Terror' was a fun romp that touched upon topics of immigration and unappreciated genius. The episode more than made up for 'Orphan 55' and definitely ranks among our top three for the season so far.
Episode 5 'Fugitive of the Judoon' was another fun story for very different reasons. With John Barrowman's Captain Jack Harkness making a guest appearance and Jo Martin being revealed as a previously unknown incarnation of the Doctor, there were plenty of surprises in the episode and we were constantly on the edge of our seats throughout the hour.
Things got a bit shaky in Episode 7 'Can You Hear Me?', which was a bit of a mixed bag. Despite having some fun cosmic elements and a really interesting villain, the episode bungled its whole mental health theme by introducing the idea and promptly failing to follow through.
That brings us to Episode 8 'The Haunting of Villa Diodati', easily one of the best episodes of the season. With interesting historical figures and a gripping horror plot, the episode captured our attention with every beat and it delivered a twist that none of us saw coming. Plus, it introduced Ashad the Lone Cyberman (Patrick O'Kane) who is one of the best villains we have seen on the show since Chris Chibnall took over as showrunner.
After Episode 8, we were all extremely excited for the first part of the season finale but unfortunately, Episode 9 'Ascension of the Cybermen' failed to match up to expectations. Granted, it was only half the story but that's no excuse for the sort of lackluster storytelling we saw in the episode. Hopefully, Episode 10 'The Timeless Children' can make up for it and bring the season to a satisfactory end.
'Doctor Who' Season 12's final episode will air in the US on March 1 at 8/7 c on BBC America.
