The BBC has posted some gallery shots for The Timeless Children so it must be time for rampant speculation. If there’s one thing I’ve seen a lot of since Ascension of the Cybermen it’s speculation. I’m still positive, I do think Chris Chibnall has all the plates spinning not to crash down in an unholy mess. If nothing else he’s got us all intrigued again, even if ratings don’t seem to have followed. I wonder if they will peak for the final?

Spinning plates

In my mind there are several threads / ideas we need to see explored. There’s risk here – some will be trivialised or postponed. I do think some will also merge to become the same thing. Will they all dovetail nicely? Is the Master controlling the Cybermen to destroy Gallifrey? How does Brendan’s life in Ireland (if it is Ireland) fit in? I hope we find out.

Then there’s the companions. And the Lone Cyberman. And the few remnants of humanity. And Ko Sharmus. Hmmm. Let’s think…

Brendan in Ireland

As I said in my review, this may well be key. I refer interested readers to the ever sagely Paul Magrs who posted this on FaceBook:

Pure speculation here. But… wasn’t there a lovely old recurring joke in Bob Baker and Dave Martin’s Seventies Dr Who scripts about Gallifrey being somewhere in Western Ireland? Well… aren’t we seeing a kind of genesis tale coming to a head..?… with the Time Lords turning out to have their beginnings in the very last of the humans fleeing the Cyber Wars? And does that make the three male characters in the Irish flashback scenes Omega and Rassilon and the Other..? And surely that old man with the staff and the beard, standing at the dimensional threshold to Gallifrey, is Rassilon himself..?

Paul Magrs

Brilliant. We are definitely meant to think Time Lords here. Hands up everybody who saw Brendan get his retirement clock then thought ‘he’s another Doctor’? Also is the Garda station a TARDIS? Maybe a step too far, but if this is connected somewhere my money is on Gallifrey rather than the Cybermen.

The Cybermen and the Lone Cyberman

Will be defeated. It’s Doctor Who, they’re the baddie, and vast hordes will get destroyed by some kind of magic wand.

I want the Lone Cyberman to be pivotal and maybe with the Master and the Doctor tease out the story of Gallfrey. It may even sacrifice itself. Could it escape to be a new recurring super-baddie? There’s a thought.

What is the dark secret of the Time Lords? Is this a new Masterplan? Whither Gallifrey?

The Cartmel Masteplan was an unrealised vision giving a direction of travel to the Seventh Doctor. RTD had the Time War wiping the decks of much of the show’s past. Stephen Moffat put Gallifrey back and fudged the regeneration count to get past the 12 regeneration limit. Chris Chibnall is on the verge of something bigger and deeper.

I do hope at least one companion is there. I don’t want it all to be Master v Doctor. We need someone representing us to hear how the Doctor first felt she’d killed her own people and why. We need to glimpse this from our perspective as well as the Doctor’s.

Humanity

Will survive. They always do (Toclafane not withstanding).

The Companions

Things won’t be the same. I will do a separate post but I do not envisage all three in the TARDIS again. My guess is one or zero.

Captain Jack / The Ruth Doctor or Fugitive Doctor /….

Jack no. Jo Martin’s Doctor? Series 13 and at most a cameo scene here, but I think nothing. River Song – no. Who else is on my normal list? Rassilon – maybe; Monk – no; Susan – no; Leela / Romana / Ace… getting carried away now.

UPDATE 27 Feb 2020: it turns out we will learn more about the Ruth / Fugitive Doctor: CHRIS CHIBNALL PROMISES SERIES 12 FINALE WILL EXPLAIN JO MARTIN’S DOCTOR.

Overall

I’ve hardly been this intrigued since Doctor Who returned in 2005. Let’s just hope we enjoy the ride and it mostly works. If not I will be avoiding the internet for a few days!