This month, Doctor Who reaches a major milestone with the 20th anniversary of the New Series on Mar 26. But there are other significant anniversaries. On Mar 8, we had the 50th anniversary of one of the greatest and most important stories in Doctor Who history: "Genesis of the Daleks".
But there's another significant story that's had its anniversary in March. It's easy to overlook - perhaps because we've only had two seasons and numerous specials since - but Mar 1 marked 5 years of "The Timeless Children", arguably one of the most controversial episodes in Doctor Who history.
When the episode first aired, there was a strong negative reaction from much of the fandom. It was easy to see why. The Doctor was no longer just someone who had run away from their people, but was now revealed as someone instrumental in creating Time Lord society (even if it was against their will). And while William Hartnell will always be the First Doctor, he was no longer the "first" Doctor. In the show's already long history, there had never been a retcon quite as massive as this one.
Five years later, we can look back on this episode with a little more perspective. Now that we're long past the reveal itself, how well has the show handled the mythology since then?
Building on the mythology
Chris Chibnall included a lot of new mythology in "The Timeless Children". We learned that the Doctor was discovered as a child on their own by the Gallifreyan Tecteun. We know that while Tecteun initially seemed to care for the child, that care changed to exploitation when Tecteun discovered regeneration. Naturally, this led to the creation of the Time Lords as we know them. It also led to the Doctor becoming a key agent in the shadowy organization known as "the Division".
Initially, my biggest issue with the mythology was how it was presented. Retcon or not, the Timeless Child was an interesting story in its own right. And yet, rather than letting that story be told naturally, it was mainly covered in flashbacks entirely narrated by the Master. I'm not saying that fully dramatized scenes with dialogue would've made the retcon any less controversial, it's just disappointing how it was initially presented.
That's why it's been interesting seeing how the mythology has been built on since then. Perhaps the biggest example is Series 13. "Flux" was an incredibly ambitious six-part story. It wasn't perfect, but it did have some interesting ideas.
Forgotten enemies
For example, the central enemies - the Ravagers known as Azure and Swarm - were from the Doctor's past. Unlike most of the Time Lord's enemies, however, the Doctor didn't remember them, which gave the Ravagers a distinct advantage.
We also had the sudden return of Tecteun! Yes, the reappearance of the Doctor's adoptive mother/torturer/murderer just over a year after learning about her was more than a little convenient. But it was great to learn a little bit more about Tecteun and her history. So it was a shame that the character was killed off so quickly and definitively. Frankly, it's wasteful.
When "The Timeless Children" was originally broadcast, Chris Chibnall raised a lot of questions that I thought would be answered by the end of his era. But when we reached his final episode "The Power of the Doctor", he left the show with a lot more questions than answers. What exactly did the Doctor do as an agent of the Division? Why did the Time Lords completely erase the Doctor's memories? And will the Doctor ever open the watch that contains those very memories?
In hindsight, it was clear that - despite giving us such a massive retcon - Chris Chibnall was never interested in answers, only in giving the audience questions. Some might feel cheated by that, but then again, it's also understandable. After all, the show is called "Doctor Who". You don't want the mystery completely gone from the character. Chibnall may have revealed or even retconned some major mythology, but it was just so he could provide the audience with a huge amount of questions. Questions that may not ever be answered.
Emotional impact
That's not to say that the Timeless Child has been ignored in Russell T Davies's era. If anything, he's built on it further. Not by answering any of the questions, but by exploring the emotional impact on the Doctor.
This was partially explored with the Fourteenth Doctor, particularly in "Wild Blue Yonder". But it's with Fifteen that Davies has really started to address what being "the Timeless Child" actually means to the Doctor. He was alone before as the last of the Time Lords. But now, he doesn't even know where he truly comes from. He relates to Ruby because they both were abandoned orphans adopted by others. Perhaps being forced to acknowledge that he doesn't know anything about his biological parents is what forces him to be reminded of Susan, and how she's still out there, somewhere.
Love it or hate it, there's no question that "The Timeless Children" has definitely left an impact on the show. When it was first broadcast, many fans were screaming for the retcon to be, well, retconned. I'm genuinely glad that Russell T Davies has not only acknowledged it, but embraced it as part of his new era. The show should continue to move forward and create new mythology. And while I don't want all of the many questions to be answered, I do hope the series continues to build on it, at least.