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Will We Learn Everything About the "Timeless Child" in Doctor Who Series 12?

I’ve really been enjoying this series of Doctor Who. From the upped performances to the return of the Master, Judoon, Captain Jack, and the upcoming Cybermen. A big reason I’ve enjoyed this season and many other fans have as well, is that its included a series arc, this time about the ‘Timeless Child’. We first got a brief mention of this in The Ghost Monument but the series went nowhere with it and so it ended up seen as a missed opportunity. However, this series has gone full pelt with the mystery of ‘The Timeless Child’, though it now transpires we might not learn everything about it just yet in this series. Despite the final episode being called The Timeless Children, some details might be held back for the next series.

The news came from Jodie Whittaker herself who, in a recent interview at New York’s Paley Centre following the broadcast of Spyfall: Part 2, spoke about the nature of Chris Chibnall’s work and the mysteries surrounding the show in her era:

“I think the beauty of Chris Chibnall’s writing is that nothing is an accident. So these things that these things that were in Series 11 and then felt like they were forgotten about, weren’t. And I don’t think you necessarily always rush to get an answer.”

However, how much of the Timeless Child was supposed to a throw-away line and how much came about because of the outcry of fans that there was no story arc through Series 11 is up for debate. Personally, I think it was fine that Chibnall tried something different with Series 11 – no story arc certainly made it easier to keep track of things – but that isn’t necessarily how television works nowadays. Most television shows have some kind of arc (be it narrative or character, otherwise there’s very little point!) and I do think it was a bit of a mistake that Chibnall decided to keep thing everything under wraps until now, especially as, at the time of The Ghost Monument, the mention of the Timeless Child just felt throwaway.

Jodie added:

“That’s not to say that you won’t discover something. You won’t be denied. But the beauty of this show is that it can go on and on. And so maybe somethings, a few, are answered and some things aren’t and that’s why you’ve got to keep watching. For Chibnall, all of this has been plotted out. This is a show he’s wanted to write for since he was a child, so it isn’t a manic decision.”

So does it seem likely that we’ll be seeing the new Doctor, Captain Jack, the Master or the story of the Timeless Child anytime soon? Well, it’s been confirmed that Jack won’t be back this series, though there have been rumours circulating that he is featuring in the unannounced special (also rumoured to feature the Daleks). But it seems to be that for now, everything is being kept under wraps. It appears that we will be getting answers soon. I just hope that it isn’t in another few years time, when everyone will have forgotten it!

Jordan Shortman

Will We Learn Everything About the "Timeless Child" in Doctor Who Series 12?

by Jordan Shortman time to read: 2 min
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