@ollie14 (sorry for the late reply) The Cyberium is basically a record of the Cybermen’s history.  Apparently because the future Cyberman empire was close to the losing end of the war, it wanted to use the Cyberium to figure out a situation/place in the past to time travel to and change the outcome so that humanity would end up on the losing end…[Read more]

@psymon My theory — given what the titles of the next two episodes are, and especially with word getting out (i.e. filming dates) that we probably won’t see Series 13 until well over a year from now — has it that most of this season’s plot points will be wrapped up in the next two episodes, with anything left being held over for the holiday…[Read more]

Just saw this article — apparently, the Doctor’s behavior at the end of this episode got enough criticism that the Beeb had to put out a statement explaining it.  Twelve never had it this bad!

https://io9.gizmodo.com/the-bbc-responds-to-backlash-over-doctor-whos-approach-1841634018

This one came off to me as half filler episode with regards to the Immortals’ plot, half oh-no-we-forgot-the-companions-have-lives catching up episode (with, as @davros notes, a bit of PSA thrown in).  The bit with the Timeless Child seemed thrown in as a bone for anybody actually concerned about this season’s story arc, given that the Doctor and…[Read more]

In the meantime, with all the talk going on about how dark this season’s been going for Thirteen…Blogtor Who was commenting that perhaps whatever she learns in this year’s finale will “break her” and she’ll go all Time Lord Victorious and stuff.  Personally, I think it would be a lot more interesting to see her hold up and Be Kind whatever she…[Read more]

Also (as someone asked over at io9, I think) if Thirteen can “contact” with Gaz, why didn’t she try that with Ruth!Doctor to figure out where each one falls in the timeline?  Seems like that would be worth a try…

Other theories I’ve seen as to what’s going on with the timelines that I don’t think have been mentioned above are that the…[Read more]

This was definitely an improvement over “Orphan 55” and it was nice to finally have an episode this season not end on a bummer note even with the bittersweet aspects.  But I agree with @jimthefish that Thirteen’s characterization is getting increasingly muddled in what I’ve come to assume are attempts to present her as more than an eternal…[Read more]

@phaseshift There’s absolutely a dysfunctional families thing going on this season.  The Master destroying Gallifrey is another manifestation of it, the fabled “sins of the fathers” thing.  And I think the Doctor’s fam will end up strained too over the course of the season, but come back together by the end.

@bluesqueakpip I’m in sort of that p…[Read more]

(eeeek)  I can’t edit my previous post, but I meant to say that I didn’t vote for the current POTUS!  My whole dilemma sounds ridiculous without that correction 😀

@jimthefish I think one reason 13’s been running into seemingly more ethical issues than the later seasons of 12’s run is likely due in part to a different writer, but also, the world’s been changing quite a bit since 12’s debut run.  “Kerblam!” had a disappointing ending, but when the systems of big tech and capitalism are so vital in much of…[Read more]

@miapatrick I had a similar feeling as you about exactly how much the poor kids can take away from this episode — especially depending upon who their parents are.  For those who don’t know, I’m in my early 40s but also an autistic.  I live at home with my family, and rely upon them to get around (working a job to pay rent, etc. in exchange).  I…[Read more]

@bluesqueakpip Glad I’m not the only one wondering if there aren’t any live Gallifreyans still out there, possibly because the Doctor got them out/will get them out before it was/is too late.

@blenkinsopthebrave  Actually my boyfriend and I were discussing this earlier.  Gallifrey left the pocket universe at some point and ended up at the end of the universe temporally, as established in “Hell Bent”.   But going by this episode, IIRC, the Master visited and razed the planet while it was in the pocket universe.  So perhaps there is some…[Read more]

@miapatrick Well…Thirteen’s previous incarnation ended up on pretty unhappy terms with the Time Lords, and they likely weren’t going to welcome outsiders on her world anyway.  Why bring up people they were never going to meet?  The Master’s really the only person she has from that world out there so work with.

Especially given that this set o…[Read more]

@miapatrick Yeah, I think the idea was that the Kasaavin were just trying to find warm bodies to colonize, and our unused data (for all our intelligence) made us particularly desirable.  Actually, I was reminded of “The Unquiet Dead” way back in Series 1.

@bluesqueakpip The Le Guin story (the premise of which I know rather than the text, since it’s pretty well-known) comes to my mind too.  But I’m not sure Chibnall is going to radically alter the Who Mythos into a Big Lie thing.  It would seriously undercut something like “The Day of the Doctor” to have the whole of Gallifrey turn out to have n…[Read more]

@juniperfish Well, trust no one — the Master could well be lying about all this Big Lie stuff.  Besides, Thirteen didn’t take a look around.  Could be some Drylanders about, making do.  Or this will prove rewritable like in “Day of the Doctor”.  Thirteen didn’t get to save Gallifrey then, but in this year’s finale, she does!

On the other han…[Read more]

@bluesqueakpip I was wondering about that idea myself — that this Master may not be exactly how he’s acting at the moment.

@badwolfalice I was reminded of DNA too!

The AV Club review (which was positive) is right that as with most kickoffs to AG Who multi-parters this was largely puttering about in a flashy way before a last-moment reveal for the cliffhanger (the timing for Yaz and Ryan’s argument about her sister was weird), but it was a big reveal and I agree it was nice to have one actually kept secret by…[Read more]

@lrobby99 I think you are referencing two Season 22 serials featuring the Sixth Doctor, “The Two Doctors” (which has the man-eating Androgums), and “Revelation of the Daleks” (the cemetery planet and DJ).