‘Doctor Who’ Recap: ‘Spyfall – Part Two’

Written by John Edward Betancourt 

THIS IS THE EMERGENCY SPOILER ALERT SYSTEM. YOU ARE ADVISED TO READ AT YOUR OWN RISK.

You know a television show has done something quite special when a particular episode leaves you talking and chatting with your friends about it for days on end, and you’re constantly wondering what comes next for the characters and I think it is safe to say that the Series 12 Premiere of Doctor Who accomplished those particular goals. Because ‘Spyfall – Part One’ dropped our jaws with a fascinating conspiracy involving a powerful tech conglomerate and the toughest villain the Doctor has ever faced, and the reveal of the return of the Master is what I would venture to say had us really talking, since no one expected to see him again. And of course, the fact that Team TARDIS was split apart and put in grave danger at the end of that tale, only added to our anxiety.
 
But thankfully, ‘Spyfall – Part Two’ wasted zero time in resolving this latest mess the Doctor was facing in thrilling and fascinating fashion. But what matters more, is that this particular tale set the stage for a grand mystery, one that will likely permeate the entire fabric of the season. But before we dive into that, let’s discuss how the Doctor saved the day. Because she slowly found her way back to our dimension and 2020 by enlisting a little help from a pair of important ladies from history, a spy named Noor Khan and the ever-important Ada Lovelace, who influenced computer technology. And their appearance in this episode was pretty awesome in its own right. For they helped to give the audience a phenomenal history lesson on a pair of women who did wonderful things and it really is quite awesome to see a show about a time-traveling alien take the time to educate the audience in this manner.
 
However, while that was lovely in its own right, there was still an evil plan to foil and it took a showdown atop the Eiffel Tower to finally garner an understanding of the deal that the Master made with the mysterious Kasaavin, and that tense back and forth between two old frenemies reinforced the fact that the Master was a tad more unhinged than usual. But also, more on that in a minute. Because what matters more here, is that eventually the Doctor was able to best her old buddy and get him into trouble with the Nazis, he aligned himself with, all so that she could steal his TARDIS and start working through history to foil this nasty plan to have the Kasaavin take over mankind’s bodies. And of course, with a little work here and a little work there, the Doctor was able to do just that and save her mates and right the timeline, meaning that this episode should have ended in lovely fashion, only… it did not.
 
Which brings us back to the fact that the Master was a little more insane than usual, and that’s saying something. Because while we have seen him and his female regeneration pull off some wild chaos over the years, there always seemed to be a method to their respective levels of madness, and sheer joy to be found in their machinations. But the Master here, was composed of pure fury, and he was quick to harm anyone that even remotely annoyed him, and that was unsettling to say the least. Because it would have to take something horrendously traumatic to bring him to this particular point and honestly, my first guess was that this somehow related to his last encounter with the Doctor, since turning to the proverbial light side, only to be murdered by one’s self would be solid cause for anyone to go mad. But as it turns out, what put him over the edge was far darker a twist than anyone expected. 

---

​Because the Master kept asking Thirteen about Gallifrey constantly over the course of this tale, and whether or not she had bothered to visit home as of late, and it seemed odd that he kept pushing the matter in that manner, as though he had something pressing to tell her and unfortunately, he most certainly did. For he informed her that their home planet was left devastated in space, and that all of their kind were slaughtered and well, I know I’m not alone in saying that I was skeptical over this. Because as my best friend Shae pointed out, you simply cannot trust the Master since he loves to lie. But his conviction in what he claimed and his consistent pressing for her to return home, prompted the Doctor to do just that, after she locked the Master up in Kasaavin space and well, what she found upon her arrival was horrifying and game changing to say the least.
 
For the ride home revealed that the Master wasn’t lying in the slightest, and we were all privy to the chilling sight of Gallifrey in ruins, with its gorgeous and glowing domes shattered and its glistening buildings burning in the distance and the shock of this, left the Doctor and in turn the audience speechless. Because this truly makes her the last of the Time Lords, and the rich legacy of her world will now be lost to time itself and well, I’m honestly not sure at this point what this will do to the Doctor psychologically, down the line. Because this Doctor has been filled with hope at every turn, and she hasn’t carried the pain that Nine, Ten and Eleven did over the possibility that their home was destroyed and well, I truly worry that the Doctor is going to be fundamentally changed from this painful and shattering discovery, especially after she learned how Gallifrey met its respective end.
 
Because this once wondrous world didn’t fall to the Daleks, or the Cybermen or any of the Doctor’s more colorful enemies. Instead, Gallifrey burned because of one of their own. For the Master did reveal later on via message, that he was the one who committed this heinous act of genocide, all because of a discovery involving a lie. For it would seem that the legend of the Timeless Child is not what it seems, and uncovering the truth about it drove the Master mad and it would also seem that this grand mystery will now permeate the fabric of Series 12, and that poses some incredible challenges for the Doctor going forward. After all, there is fair chance that the Master destroyed any clues regarding this being during his vengeful razing of Gallifrey. Which means the Doctor is starting cold when it comes to investigating this lie, and it should be interesting to see what she learns about this Child as this series continues along, all while she deals with the pain of losing her own kind.
 
But in the end, this was just an incredible Part Two for certain. Because not only did it find new ways to thrill us with a lovely race against time to save all of humanity, it upped the stakes like never before. Because I never thought I would see the day when the Master finally lost his marbles and committed himself to wonton death and destruction. But here we are, and he’s done a horrible crime, and nothing will ever be the same, because the end of Gallifrey is huge and it is a move that will have lasting implications on the future of the franchise. Either way, I really loved this episode and I am genuinely impressed with how this one wrapped up since it didn’t fall into the usual trap that second halves usually do, since so many provide their audience with a so-so finale and when all is said and done, Series 12 really is shaping up to be something special and already, I am eager for more and that is going to make the wait until next Sunday, a painful one to say the least. Until next time. 

---