As I write this today is Friday 13th. I’m not overly superstitious, but I suspect there’s a pun to be made around series 13 and being lucky for the show. Be that as it may, the new world of the Chibnall Masterplan means changes for Doctor Who. It might be nice to take the Jason Bourne approach and not have Jodie Whittaker’s Doctor defined by her (now largely unknown) past life, but we know Chris Chibnall is doing this for a reason. What might that mean for series 13?

The quest for truth?

With Graham and Ryan leaving at Christmas, there will be some adjustment to a new TARDIS team (and possibly a new companion?). I also expect some denial stories – just carry on and pretend nothing happened. I do also expect the timeless child to impact the show. I also expect more Jo Martin Doctor.

In my view the Doctor would want to know more. She’s seen some things in the Matrix, but that raises more questions than answers. I expect one or more quests for aspects of the truth.

Jo Martin Doctor

The most tangible evidence of the Chibnall Masterplan is the existence of the Jo Martin Doctor. If we gloss over just why we’ve never seen one of these Doctors (Morbius excepted) until now (and until we get more retconning), Jodie Whittaker’s Doctor (I’ve abandoned numbering for now) has met Jo’s Doctor (I’m on first name terms!)

Ignoring paradox, the current Doctor knows it’s possible to meet that specific past incarnation. I have a sense (and it’s for another post) the Jo Martin Doctor is from near the end of the Division Doctors era. Surely the Doctor would want to take the chance to learn about who she was and why things changed? Also what she did and where’s the evidence of events?

Timeless Child and Tecteun

The next mysteries are about the Doctor’s personal past in the context of the reset of Timelord history. I’d have thought the following questions were logical:

• How many regenerations has the Doctor really got (was it changed with the memory wipe)?
• What other difference from Gallifreyans are there?
• Why the memory wipe?
• Who knew?
• How does Rasillon fit?
• What happened to Tecteun?
• Where was the mysterious portal to another realm?
• Did anyone go back there?
• Did anyone go through to the other side?
• Did anyone else come through from the other side?
• What is the Doctor if not Gallifreyan?

It’s easy to see series 13 trying to answer some of that:

• Attempt to go back to Gallifrey with androids to get back into the Matrix
• Maybe pop to Karn for a snoop
• Look for the Master to find out what else he knows (I assume he still exists)
• Looking for any surviving time lords (eg Rasillon)
• Hunt for the portal…

Lots of possibilities and we’ll know more in the next few months. What are your thoughts on series 13? Let me know in the comments.