Following the deeply disappointing season 11, there was a lot of pressure on this season, and while it was far from perfect, it really dragged my attention back to Doctor Who and was mostly a real success.
The season brought back the idea of season arcs and huge plot twists, both of which proved to be big successes, even if you factor in the disappointing finale. The two part series premiere introduced a interesting new Master and was impressive, and the fifth episode of the season will go down as one of the most shocking and memorable in the shows history.
A lot of the single episodes were very entertaining and in my opinion captured the spirit of classic Who while keeping it up to date with modern day problems. It worked for both adult fans and kids just discovering the show.
As for the companions, Bradley Walsh continues to be an absolute delight and he adds much needed comic relief. As for Mandip Gill and Tosin Cole, they have now had two seasons, and time is up. Gill in particular is a good actress, but the characters are just so poorly written that nothing can be done, and it’s time for the show to be rejuvenated in season 13 with a new companion (just one) to accompany Whittaker.
Speaking of Jodie Whittaker, she truly became The Doctor this season. She is a brilliant actress and had the chance to show that this season, with many more dark moments where she was able to thrive. I hope she gets a new companion in season 13 who she can really bounce off (she had strong chemistry with Dhawan) and I really hope she gets to interact with John Barrowman’s Captain Jack.
I was disappointed by the finale (which I went into in more detail in my previous post) but I found the season overall to be a huge step in the right direction.
The final cliffhanger came out of absolutely nowhere (but cleverly referenced a iconic David Tennant moment) and also will hopefully act as more of a series finale for season 12 than the one we got. I presume it will be the end of our 3 companions, while also re-introducing the Daleks. ‘Revolution of the Daleks’ has a lot of expectations on its shoulders this Christmas, but the biggest compliment I can pay this season is that I am once again excited to see what is next.
Rating = 3.5/5
Howe's World of Film and TV 