Doctor Who (TV Series) The Timeless Children (2020) User Reviews

60 years killed in 60 minutes

[samcaddy-55866 · 4/10 · 23 April 2020]

I'm in disbelief. How can you ruin the last 60 years? The only reason this episode currently is rated 5.6 overall is because of the deluded fans that give every episode a 10.

This is what happens when incompetent writers try to tamper with the story. They clearly do not understand doctor who or what it means to the fans.

You can't just spontaneously make things up, they have to make sense, or at least enough sense for it to be written into the story. This star wars like, fanfiction, awful excuse for a finale may just have put the final nail in the coffin.

If the show has any hope of ever recovering somewhat it must drastically remove the damage of this episode. But what can you do? Re-writing the episode of even the series is humiliating for everyonre involved in its production. Just disregarding it in the writing of the next episode is equally as humiliating. It might have to be a case of a hiatus. Leave it for a few years and let the dust settle. Start again with a new writer and actors. Develoo a story and the characters and stick with it instead of backtracking midway through. Rebuild from the ground up

Poor, confused, William Hartnell YOU are the original Doctor, nobody else.

[littleredroses · 4/10 · 1 March 2020]

Where did The TARDIS come from when the ship explodes? How did The Judoon get in the TARDIS?

Chibnall had some good ideas, but failed to make a cohesive episode out of them. Way too many plot holes here to make this any higher than a score of 5.

All I ask from those that blindly say this is excellent, please search for the definition of the word retcon, and just see if you think, as I do, that it applies to this.

Worst element - awful writing, awful companions, plot holes, The Doctor is no more Gallifreyan.

Best element - Sacha Dhawan.

What did any of that gain.

[jackVSjack · 5/10 · 1 March 2020]

I feel so apathetic about this ending to this series, I can't even find the energy to write a scathing review. Oh what's the point anymore.

I wrote a review for the entire Series and its not showing up, so I'm going to repeat myself here

[HardLight · 1/10 · 11 March 2020]

There once was a man by the name of John-Nathan Turner. This man was a well-known name within the Dr Who Community.

He had been working within the series for well over 10 years, going from writer and producer, all the way up to Showrunner.

And this man was the primary reason behind why Doctor Who was hit with a massive ratings flop, between the Caves of Androzani and the Twin Dilemma, JNT as he is most lovingly called by the Who community, took over and had the Doctor regenerate from the 5th form of Peter Davidson to the 6th form of Colin Baker.

And under the leadership of JNT, the very first thing the Doctor did upon seeing his companion of Nicola Bryant, was to choke her in a fit on massive rage.

Throughout the run of the 6th Doctor, he was a arrogant, uncaring and unthinking man who was far too in love with his own ego. (this has been helpfully fixed by the Big Finish Audio series that Colin Baker narrated and is considered by Whovians as being the true depiction of the Doctor)

What does this have to do with the Timeless Children, you may ask?

Well...the title of most hated and reviled Showrunner on Who had been held by JNT since he took the role on. And now I feel that title should be passed along to Christopher Chibnall.

As not even JNT in his wildest of imaginings would ever DARE to do what the Timeless Children has done to the canon of Who.

This episode is a stark reminder to what happens to a show when the untalented, uninterested and unaccomplished take the controls, rather than use the talented knowledge of over 57 years of history, the untalented and unworthy will literally drive the series into a river because they are the most petty, most reviled kind of person in the world.

Who under Chibnall is not Who, this is a travesty of insane writing and acting, there is NO getting around this.

NOW To the person who will "make this public". I am copying this exact text and if this review is not published in the same amount of time as my previous episode review "Aliens of London" I will be reposting this, then I will post this again...and again, and again. I will spend as long as I need to get this review public on this site.

So please do us both a favour and just allow it to be visible to people, because I don't want to have to jam up an already HEAVILY negative set of reviews with the same one, over and over. Thank you very much

Is this fan fic?

[James0987 · 1/10 · 22 August 2020]

Imagine being such a terrible writer that you erase nearly 60 years of history in one episode. Chibnall has to go, hopefully someone can fix this mess but he might of single handled killed Doctor Who for good.

My take? Don't trust the Master.

[mviedirctr · 21 September 2020]

Any Doctor Who fan (Classic or New) will definitely agree that the Master is never to be truly trusted in any way, shape, or form. Lovely as Missy is, she definitely had a side that was difficult to trust.

The revelation of the Timeless Child definitely rewrites the entire Who canon (Classic and New).

However, remember this: the Matrix is not a reliable form of history if it has been tampered with. We have seen this in the Sixth Doctor's final televised appearance in Trial of the Time Lord. The Matrix was tampered with, and therefore his trial was thrown out.

The Master said he hacked into the Matrix. That right there should tell us not to trust what he said.

If anything, this story for the Doctor will probably try to force her to turn against the Time Lords and Gallifrey and next time a call is out out to save them, she won't answer. That is the Masyer's true revenge against the people of Gallifrey for what the Time Lord Council did to him: take away Gallifrey's only savior.

Is this how it's going to be? I don't know. Is the Master telling the truth? Probably not. Is there an ulterior motive? Yes, but the Master. The ulterior motive is Chibnall amd the writers. To get us to continue watching.

People may claim this episode as blasphemous, but try and open your mind. Maybe Ruth is another version of the Master to give the Doctor further doubt and play into Sacha Dawan's Master (a Master who may come between John Simm and Michelle Gomez or even earlier!). Remember, Delgado was the tenth incarnation of the Master before Anthony Ainley's 13th and final Master was granted a new set of regenerations for his work in The Five Doctors.

Just don't be turned off. Doctor Who is all about cliffhangers and open-ended stories! Just keep watching and don't make any final decisions on the episode or its arc until after the next season airs.

Bold but not Unprecedented

[cgide789 · 10/10 · 2 March 2020]

This episode changed the canon of Doctor Who significantly, but it's something that was overdue. Not only did we see multiple faces of the Doctor before Hartnell back in Brain of Morbius in the 70s which was never explained until now, but it also canonizes Andrew Cartmel's Masterplan from the 80s.

For those unfamiliar, the 7th Doctor started remembering being more than just a Time Lord during his second season, even outright mentioning that he wasn't a Time Lord. During the 7th Doctor's fourth season which was never produced, Andrew Cartmel planned on revealing that the Doctor had predated the rest of the Time Lords and played a pivotal role in the creation of the race. He was supposed to be on par Rassilon and Omega, but the Time Lords denied there being an "Other", only pushing the legends of Omega and Rassilon.

So I'm more than happy that this was finally made canon, because honestly there have been lots of plot holes that could only have been fixed by something as extreme as this.

Has to be undone.

[lesterholt · 1/10 · 2 March 2020]

I made an IMDb account specifically so I could spread the word of how awful this episode was. Undermining everything that made this show special. What Doctor Who really is: A time lord who simply stole a Tardis and travels around saving planets and stopping monsters. The Doctor made himself who he was, he wasn't supposed to be born super important like this. It buried everything the Doctor has done on his own. Awful. Shameful. If you want to keep your love for Doctor Who pure, avoid this episode at all cost

Brilliant and Bold

[lightwoodstudios · 10/10 · 1 March 2020]

This finale is epic, bold and certainly welcome me after the buildup of series 12. It's emotional. Bring tissues. The Doctor was on fire, along with the Master, the other characters were solid too! Only downside is they could have done with an extra 10 minutes since it's tackling so much. But they managed to pull it all off, so it was great. And the surprises blow your mind. Definitely worth a watch!

A divisive episode; is Chris Chibnall the Meddling Monk?

[DVD_Connoisseur · 7/10 · 1 March 2020]

Undoing the legacy of "Doctor Who" is not something to be done lightly. However, Chris Chibnall is hell bent on reinventing the series, putting his own indelible mark on the show and making it a lot worse in the process.

Despite its feature length and promises that this was going to shock viewers, the episode largely played it safe. I'm praying that a future season will begin with Peter Capaldi waking from a long and fevered dream and we can forget what has been a low period in Who history.

No, no, no, no, no

[chunkylefunga · 3/10 · 7 May 2022]

I simply don't understand how this script was even written.

It feels like they asked a 5 year old who had never seen the show to write a script.

It's just a child saying, and then this happen, oh and then this also happened.

The whole point of the doctor is that we don't know stuff like his real name, or origin story.

This storyline is just utter nonsense.

Nothing wrong with Jodie's acting, it's the script that's awful.

Well Done!!! Great Season Finale!!!

[gjusafpw1 · 8/10 · 2 March 2020]

Love this Doctor and the direction of creating new storied directions - I just absolutely hate waiting 8 months to 2 years for the new shows!!

Very dramatic, but don't mess with the show's cannon.

[Sleepin_Dragon · 7/10 · 1 March 2020]

Where to start, so often the second part of a series finale is disappointing, falls short, this doesn't fall short, it is exciting, it is all guns blazing...but

Was Chris Chibnall the man to try and write Gallifrey's history, changing the fundamentals of The Doctor? For me personally, he wasn't.

If I could rate this as a stand alone series I would say I enjoyed it, but it's been fifty seven years, and the show's cannon must be respected, make your own mind up here if you think it was.

Credit for making The Cybermen truly menacing again, and in the first half they were and then some, in the second half they were in need of target practice.

Jodie was animated once again, and as with previous episode she is altogether a different kettle of fish to the last series, although there were too many monologues. You cannot fault Dhawan, he was very good, although the direction of this Master has been somewhat odd. In part it felt like a rehash of Death in Heaven.

Can someone please delete the word 'fam' from all reality?

I don't really know what I make of this just yet, my initial reaction was fairly positive, although I worry about the character of The Doctor being altered.

Never before have I been so confused by an episode, I'd say 7/10

Pure trash

[rdwells-46911 · 1/10 · 3 March 2020]

I've been watching since the Baker Era and have everything from 1963 until present in digital form. In all my years of watching the show, not once have I seen an episode THIS bad. Unless they have some grand scheme under their belt where they'll later retcon this BS out and say that it was The Master screwing with her via the Matrix, this completely ruins everything.

No words

[claudiupopa-43428 · 1/10 · 3 March 2020]

If they can destroy 57 years of lore in 1h is scarry. No show is safe from these people...

Bad, really bad!

[stoyanpensov · 1/10 · 26 March 2020]

Now we know the answer of the question Doctor Who? It's The Timeless child.. We have an origin story, next season give the doctors name too. It's pointless for me, part of me died with this episode. I want Peter Capaldi to wake up from this nightmare and continue his adventures.

They are making DW dangerously similar with teen superhero melodrama now

[sophie-30972 · 8 October 2021]

There is a reason Whovians are Whovians. It's an acquired taste. Although a Time lord, other than having two hearts (actually the Doctor can't function with only one heart, so that doesn't mean he's got two lifes) and stole a TARDIS (for the newer re-gen, and a sonic screwdriver). That means all the plots have to be solved by his intelligence, experience, and kindness. Basically, we see the Doctor as a human 2.0 but not God. That's why he is so relatable. That's why the episodes are so clever. In the early days, the Doctor didn't even have the screw driver and the TARDIS didn't even land places he intended. That's where intelligent story telling comes in.

The current show runner, albeit a self-claimed Whovian, doesn't get what really makes DW special. He is too eager to make the Doctor a God-like being, and push the envelope just for the sake of shocking value. It's a cheap trick that's not even that entertaining.

Now the current show runner's DW makes me almost confuse this show with those teen superhero drama airing in the US. Like 'Super Girl' or 'Flash'. Not that those shows are bad, but they are for another group of audience. DW has cultivated decades of fan base (mostly in the UK and Europe), and suddenly it wants to cater a whole different demographics? That smells like betrayal.

Hopefully, the next show runner will undone the damage and bring the show back to its track. That's the beauty of the DW, you can't really get it wrong, because it is never really done. Just hope that it doesn't get cancelled because of this mess.

Everything Ventured, Everything Gained...

[Xstal · 10/10 · 7 January 2022]

It is a truth universally acknowledged that people (typically men) of a certain age (middle aged and above) from all cultures and backgrounds, dislike change and surprises (not good for the blood pressure, but that's not why). I would wager I would have a greater chance of re-christening some of the aforementioned people's children with the name Xanadu than convincing them that, better the devil you know will only take them to an even earlier grave, so I won't try. I thought the imagination and innovation was superb, if I want to watch the Doctor doing all the things the Doctor is known for I can draw on over 50 years of material from the past. For now, I'm relishing a future trans Doctor of colour, waking in multiple parallel universes, tattooed head to toe, smoking weed after being birthed from a Moon egg laid by Missy that was fertilised by the Master, and will monitor hospital admissions accordingly as and when that time comes around, which it surely will.

Appalling hubris.

[inkkink · 1/10 · 5 March 2020]

Doctor Who is a silly show. However it's longevity is earned. Brilliant ideas and characters. Beautiful moments. Superb episodes. Often amazing acting. Often ridiculous acting. Yet it all worked. A British institution. A Sci-Fi fantasy gem.

Sadly, that has come to an end.

Years from now the Chris Chibnall episodes will be studied to show how a multi-decade spanning series was fundamentally dismantled and destroyed. Cheapening all that came before and salting the earth for what was next.

It's over. And that's heartbreaking. I've been here before. I was a kid when the series was first taken of the air. I campaigned. For years.

Seeing it now I almost wish it had never come back.

What a finale!

[nishwarlock · 10/10 · 2 March 2020]

The acting, the plot, the twists, the thrills, the revelations, the scenes, the aesthetics! They were ALL brilliant. THANK YOU for bringing something fresh to the scene. Something I've learnt from Doctor Who is the need for change and the beauty of letting go. While this changes everything we've thought about this show and its lore, I'm IN FOR IT. It doesn't take away any of what I've experienced so far, all of that still occupied its beautiful spot in my memories. But I'm a complete taker for something this massive! Really excited for the special and next season. Jodie was an absolute charm to watch, as always.

The Timeless Children

[Prismark10 · 7/10 · 1 March 2020]

"William Hartnell must be spinning in his grave."

A comment I read online not after this episode. It was when Captain Jack kissed the 9th Doctor in The Parting of the Ways. I am not sure if that was a reference to Hartnell's homophobia.

The writers of Doctor Who has always messed around with the show's format. Nothing is ever fixed in a time lord's history.

The 12 regenerations limit in The Deadly Assassin. I am more than just a time lord in the McCoy era. Half Human during the McGann television movie. The unknown War Doctor in The Day of the Doctor.

Chris Chibnall toyed with the concept of The Timeless Child and other incarnations of the Doctor hinted at in The Brain of Morbius.

The Master thinks big and wants to merge the Time Lords with Cybermen technology. He also wants to mess with the Doctor's mind.

It is another exposition heavy episode, this time also with plenty of fanlore which might be lost on the casual viewers. It would had been more enjoyable with a shorter running time.

I'm done!

[neillovett · 1/10 · 2 March 2020]

I've been a fan of Doctor Who since the Troughton era. Yes I'm that old!

And never before have I prayed for the doctor to regenerate and just go away.

I've tolerated the last two series. I've tolerated the poor acting, the dire writing and the weak directing.

I've tolerated the weekly Doctor who lectures on political correctness etc.

I've even tolerated when the enemy were tea towels.

But now on top of all of that Chibnall and Co are messing about with the show's history.

I'm done tolerating.

Goodbye Doctor! I'm done!

Wow! Don't listen to the haters.

[blackcat-93279 · 10/10 · 1 March 2020]

In brief. The most powerful and suspenseful fanalie in new who. I do still have questions but those.questions will keep me watching. I loved it, I love who and i loved this, i mean where is it written in previous seasons that none of this can fit in the canon. The timelords did this sort of thing all the time and now we've learned the history and origins of the time lords. And for the doctor to be the foundations in witch the timelords were born. Explains why they secretly resented him/her whilst at the same time respecting him/her enough to save his/her life. So powerful and an awesome all be it frustrating cliffhanger. Just dont listen to the haters, everyone has there opinion but to call it crap and damp or whatever is just blind. Doctor who is about adventure and change or regeneration and the show just regenerates every now and then and takes us in a new and interesting direction. Please don't bring this show down. It's still doctor who just with a different face.

Overlong and not that interesting

[jamesrupert2014 · 6/10 · 2 March 2020]

The Doctor and her familiars end up fighting a two-front war against the Master and various types of cyber-persons. Despite a passingly interesting effort to revise the renegade Timelord's lengthy back-story, I found the episode to be overly-long for the plot and full of time-killing filler (the silly exchange between Graham and Yasmin being a good example), and like most of the recent stories there is too much reliance on contrivances and coincidences to move the plot along (like 'psychic' links). I still dislike Whittaker's spin on the character and Sacha Dhawan's Master was too hammy and goofy to manifest much menace (although I admit that the portrayal is canonical: actors portraying the Master have long been given to hammy pompousness). The show is focussing too much on the companions (maybe they're fishing for a spin-off - Sarah Jane got one) and their whole battle with the Cyber-persons was uninteresting (despite reasonably good special-effects). No matter how deadly the Doctor's enemies are purported to be, they always seem to march around in a clump and are notoriously poor shots (when it counts). Also, the idea that people could just 'put on' the cyber armour, then walk around, use the weapons, etc. seems ridiculous given the dreaded cyber-bullies' backstory. At least the sermonising was kept to a minimum (I was braced for a pious screed on colonialism when the term 'indigenous' popped up). I don't get the 'loathing or love' responses to this episode - it wasn't great (I have long stopped hoping for 'great') but it wasn't crap on the level of "Orphan 55" or some of last season's dreck.

Thank you Chibnall, 60 years of Dr Who destroyed

[pirate_shadow · 1/10 · 2 March 2020]

All I can say, under the guidance of Chibnall, Dr Who has become completely unwatchable. The writing of most of this season has been of an absolutely pitiful level and written with contempt of previous writers. This lifelong fan is utterly disappointed and will not watch another episode written by this untalented writer.