Doctor Who: Spyfall Review and Theories
- The Geeky Gays
- Jan 2, 2020
- 6 min read
On New Years Eve, Doctor Who made a triumphant return after a year away. Chris Chibnall's first series as showrunner (season 11) received criticism due to standalone stories, lack of classic monsters, no clear story arc over the series and a lack of direction overall. While fans loved Jodie Whittaker's take on the time-lord and the new cinematic look of the show, it was the writing that let it down. With this season opener, Spyfall, it feels like all can be forgiven. Chris Chibnall has delivered a brilliant, clever and exciting two-part story with a major twist that left viewers in shock at the end of part one. We can only be thankful we only have to wait until Sunday for part two, after that cliffhanger.
If you haven't seen the episode yet, please be aware that SPOILERS are coming as we discuss the episode and theories surrounding the series ahead.
So, where to start?
Spyfall was a great start to the new series. It seems that Chris Chibnall has listened to the criticism of his last series and has pulled out all the stops to turn it around with his second run.
This opening story is bigger than anything in the show's history of season openers and could possibly be the best of the lot. That's quite a feat for Chris Chibnall when you consider opening episodes like The Eleventh Hour, The Impossible Astronaut, Asylum of the Daleks and Deep Breath.
Spyfall drops the Doctor and her companions in the middle of a Spy thriller where spies are being attacked around the world and having their DNA rewritten by mysterious aliens. Naturally, it falls down to her and her companions to work out what's going on.
Already, Jodie Whittaker seems much more comfortable as the Doctor. She was perfect last series but with some bumpy writing and all new monsters, she didn't have chance to go up against a classic villain and really put her character through her paces.
It's more clear than ever that Jodie and her companions played by Bradley Walsh, Mandip Gill and Tosin Cole have settled into their roles. They are having the time of their lives and that makes it even more fun to watch. The companions have more to do in this episode too - something that was criticised last time round, as most of them fell by the wayside and felt underused. Ryan and Yaz get to track down information on the mysterious Daniel Barton and his company VOR, while Graham goes with the Doctor to meet a spy in hiding, O.
Spyfall was an overwhelming episode and I'm so glad that Chris Chibnall has upped his game and proven how good we all knew he was capable of being, considering his previous roles in Doctor Who and Torchwood. It's going to be exciting to see what's next. In an age where spoilers and set leaks are all around us, the cast and crew deserve all the credit for keeping so much secret with the last couple of series. Whereas with the Moffat era we had leaks every week, this new era has seen a return to being surprised every week and I am glad of it. It makes so much difference when you're given breadcrumbs and tiny teasers like the Judoon's return, etc but the huge twists are kept a secret.
So, I guess this is a thank you to Chris, to Jodie and Bradley, Mandip and Tosin; to Sacha, Lenny and Stephen. To the directors and the crew. To everyone who has been part of this spectacular episode. And to Segun Akinola whose score for this episode outshone everything achieved in the last season (another tremendous feat.) As a Whovian I couldn't be happier and that seems to be the general thoughts all around. Well done.
Now it's time for some theories. Beware. Serious spoilers ahead.
The Aliens:
There's a lot to unpick with these new villains. All we have so far is a glowing outline and the fact that they seem to phase out of nowhere like ghosts. They feel similar to the ghosts in Season 2's Army of Ghosts. We learned that they were Cybermen crossing the void from an alternate Earth to ours. With alternate Earth's mentioned in this episode, could it be that the Cybermen are up to their old tricks? We know the metal menaces are back this season but these creatures don't look much like the outline of Cybermen.
It has been pointed out that the shape is similar to the Voord from Classic Who and it would also tie in to Barton's company being called VOR. While the shapes are still quite different, it wouldn't be the first time a classic villain returned with a major update - just look at the Silurians, which became a staple of the Moffat era but looked much different to their classic predecessors.
Even more interesting is that in the extended universe, the Voord are able to convert the natives of planets they conquered into creatures like them by forcing them into Voord masks and suits - maybe they've found more subtle ways to convert victims? That would explain the DNA rewrites. Even more interesting, in one story, it was discovered that the Voord evolved into...Cybermen.
The Master:
Having been introduced to Sacha Dhawan the new Master, we're faced with a burning question. Where does this Master exist in their time-line? At the end of Season 10, John Simm's Master seemingly murdered Michelle Gomez's Missy. While the Master/Mistress has returned from death multiple times with no explanation, it left off with Missy looking very dead.
It could be that John Simm's Master fled and had a regeneration before Missy. Alternatively, it could make sense that this Master exists between Eric Roberts and Derek Jacobi. Sacha's version of the Master has stolen O's form and played a long game by posing as the spy with the real man shrunken into a matchbox and kept in his pocket. This is a nod back to the Tissue Compression Eliminator which the Master used in Classic Who to shrink people.
Getting back on track, though, Eric Roberts' Master came about when the Master stole the body of an ambulance driver. We had seen him do something similar with Tremas in The Keeper of Traken. This could mean Missy somehow escaped, close to death and possessed a new body. However, I really don't think this is the case. Missy's death was a beautifully poetic ending for the villain who had finally found redemption. It was an ending I'm reluctant to see undone.
Instead, there has been a mention of alternate Earth's in this episode. The creatures seem to phase through from other dimensions. Some of them at least seem to be on the Master's side, too because they come running when he snaps his fingers. What if this Master is an alternate version? This could make things very interesting and what if that paved the way for Jodie to meet an alternate Doctor?
C mentioned that he thought the Doctor was a man. Granted, that could have been a genuine mistake because this is the Doctor's first female body...but what if they're not on our Earth?
"Everything that you think you know is a lie."
What does the new Master know? Could this be a hint towards The Timeless Child mystery that was first hinted at back in the last series? Could it hint towards the possibility that they are in an alternate world or that an alternate world has come to them? This is one question that is likely going to get bigger as the series progresses and could potentially become like The Silence for the 11th Doctor, which played out over several seasons with a payoff at the very end. We can only wait and see.
The Forest
I'm calling it a forest. I don't know what it is. A place between worlds? A pocket universe? A spaceship? Whatever it was, it scared the hell out of Yaz when she was temporarily trapped there. The wires seemed to be a conduit for the creatures to travel through and Yaz likened it to death, claiming that she thought she was dead, before the Doctor accidentally saved her.
Then when it came to the Doctor's turn to be trapped there, she seems suitably terrified too, almost like she knows what it is.
I have a very bad feeling about the place. And I have a very bad feeling about Yaz. When she was trapped there, the energy (what I assume to the creatures) zapped her before she was sent back. Could it be that Yaz is no longer Yaz? Has she been replaced? Duplicated? Is she still Yaz but now 93% human?
And that's all I've got for now. Hopefully Sunday will bring us some answers and a few more questions to keep us on our toes. We'll be back after the next episode with more theories and thoughts on the episode itself.
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