andraste | Doctor Who: Spyfall

My general reaction to Chibnall Who being 'that was good except that thing I hated' continues. Damn it. After the first part I thought they might actually have broken the streak!

On the whole this was an entertaining couple of hours and I really enjoyed Sacha Dewan as the new Master - he was one of my top 'actors who should be the next Doctor' choices but I think I like this even more. That moment when he forces her to kneel and then kneels down himself instantly became one of my favourite Doctor/Master moments, as did the Master being happy he never apologised for Jodrell Bank. Lenny Henry was also marvellous and I'm glad we're probably going to see him again. (Crazy theory: not only are the light aliens actually the Time Lords, Daniel Barton is actually Rassilon!)

... which neatly brings me to the thing I hated. It was nowhere near time to destroy Gallifrey again. I am so not up for another season of Lonely God nonsense, but if the Doctor doesn't have the same emotional reaction this time around that her previous selves did last time, it makes Thirteen look pretty callous. Even if she doesn't think she did the deed herself this time.

I thought Davies did the right thing having the planet destroyed off screen between the old series and the new, but I also thought that Moffatt was right to end that storyline with the Doctor finding out that a) Gallifrey was still there and b) it still sucked and he wanted nothing to do with it. Chibnall could have just left it there at the end of the universe while the Doctor ignored it!

But apparently we're doing a story about the secret origins of the Time Lords instead. I am by no means convinced that this is going to be worth it. Hopefully Chibnall will surprise me.