Warning: spoilers ahead for Doctor Who’s 60th anniversary specials.
RTD’s Doctor Who final 60th-anniversary special, “The Giggle,” commits the same sin as Chibnall’s Flux. Over the past 60 years, Doctor Who has followed the whimsical and fast-paced adventures of an alien called the Doctor and their companions. The sci-fi show has gained so much attention and praise over the decades that it’s still running strong.
As Ncuti Gatwa starts his reign as the Fifteenth Doctor in the cast of Doctor Who season 14, it’s time for showrunner Russell T. Davies to look back and reflect on what’s worked and failed in the past. This will allow him to move forward with a solid plan. Unfortunately, Chris Chibnall’s Flux storyline and RTD’s recent Doctor Who 60th-anniversary special, “The Giggle,” offer a prime example of what not to do going forward.
Chris Chibnall’s Flux Was Criticized For Needing Post-Episode Explanations
Doctor Who: Flux is a six-part serial centered on the eponymous anti-matter mass that the Division and Tecteun unleashed to destroy the universe and the Thirteenth Doctor. While the mass can be explained simply, the story and its ramifications cannot. There are far too many twists and turns that aren’t explained well. Additionally, secondary plots take up too much time where the primary plot should’ve been. Unfortunately, Chris Chibnall still couldn’t succinctly and conclusively wrap up the serial despite having six 50-minute episodes. The BBC admitted Doctor Who: Flux failed epically by releasing an almost 16-minute breakdown video on the official Doctor Who YouTube channel.
This garnered rightful criticism because viewers shouldn’t need outside resources and context to understand the story. The behind-the-scenes commentary that Doctor Who releases should add extra tidbits that amplify the enjoyment of episodes, not fill in plotholes and answer fundamental questions. Moreover, casual fans of the series may not seek out this kind of content. Ultimately, by needing post-episode explanations, Doctor Who: Flux may’ve led to a potential viewership dropoff.
RTD Just Explained Doctor Who’s Timeless Child With 1 Line Better Than Jodie Whittaker’s Whole Era
Doctor Who’s 60th anniversary special, “The Giggle,” retcons the Timeless Child, and the story given to David Tennant’s Fourteen makes more sense.
RTD Needed To Explain 2 Major Doctor Who Plot Points After “The Giggle”
Despite the immense backlash Doctor Who and Chris Chibnall faced for Flux, RTD didn’t seem to learn from the past. After the ending of the Doctor Who 60th anniversary special, “The Giggle,” RTD still needed to explain two major plot points that will have implications for the past and future of Doctor Who. Unfortunately, the only explanations provided occur in the in-vision commentary for “The Giggle,” which is unavailable to everyone outside of the UK. This creates a huge barrier for many Doctor Who fans, forcing them to rely on secondary reports of RTD’s explanations.
The first after-episode explanation provided discusses the 60th-anniversary retcon of Doctor Who’s Timeless Child storyline. The Toymaker says to the Doctor, “I made a jigsaw out of your history. Did you like it?” According to RTD, this line refers to the fact that he used his and the Master’s powers to fabricate the Doctor’s Timeless Child history retroactively. This makes both the Timeless Child and the Doctor’s original history canon without contradicting one another. Unfortunately, the Toymaker’s line is so vague that none of what RTD explained comes through on its own. The statement could quite literally refer to anything in the entire history of Doctor Who.
The Toymaker: Doctor Who’s 60th Anniversary Villain Origin, Powers & Return Explained
NPH is rumored to be playing a beloved one-shot Doctor Who villain, but who is the Toymaker, and what does their return mean for the future?
RTD’s second statement has far-reaching implications for the Whoniverse that can’t be ignored. The showrunner stated that when the Doctor bigenerates in Doctor Who, this has a retroactive impact. Every past regeneration splits into two separate storylines – one where they regenerate and one where they live. Taking into account only the numbered Doctors, the Fugitive Doctor, and the War Doctor, this creates at least 16 timelines within the Whoniverse, if not more. This number also increases exponentially if applied to every time the Doctor was in danger of regenerating too. This changes the main show as well as Tales of the Tardis, radio dramas, and books.
Doctor Who Needs To Stop Relying On Clearing Up Confusing Plot Points Post-Airing
Doctor Who has always been known for taking risks with characters and storytelling. However, in order for these risky storylines to land, they also need to be solid and make sense within the Whoniverse. An example of this is found in the original Timeless Child retcon. It followed the rules of logic set up in the series and could be explained within the relevant episodes. The fans overwhelmingly despised the storyline, but that’s always a chance showrunners take by changing the lore. Doctor Who: Flux and “The Giggle” unfortunately fail in a way even Timeless Child doesn’t. They don’t make any sense without the post-airing commentary.
If Doctor Who wants to prevent more confusion and backlash, they need to stop relying on this extra content to explain confusing plot points. The show should answer all the necessary questions within the episodes. RTD and future showrunners need to simplify storylines to fit within the allotted time frame or add more episodes to the story arc. If neither of these options is feasible, Doctor Who needs to cut the story altogether.
Doctor Who
- Release Date
- November 23, 1963
- Cast
- Jenna Coleman , Jodie Whittaker , Alex Kingston , David Tennant , Matt Smith , Peter Capaldi
- Genres
- Adventure , Mystery , Sci-Fi
- Seasons
- 26
- Season List
- Doctor Who – Season 1 , Doctor Who – Season 2 , Doctor Who – Season 3 , Doctor Who – Season 4 , Doctor Who – Season 5 , Doctor Who – Season 6 , Doctor Who – Season 7 , Doctor Who – Season 8 , Doctor Who – Season 9 , Doctor Who – Season 10 , Doctor Who – Season 11 , Doctor Who – Season 12 , Doctor Who – Season 13 , Doctor Who – Season 14 , Doctor Who – Season 15 , Doctor Who – Season 16 , Doctor Who – Season 17 , Doctor Who – Season 18 , Doctor Who – Season 19 , Doctor Who – Season 20 , Doctor Who – Season 21 , Doctor Who – Season 22 , Doctor Who – Season 23 , Doctor Who – Season 24 , Doctor Who – Season 25 , Doctor Who – Season 26
- Franchise
- Doctor Who
- Story By
- Sydney Newman C. E. Webber Donald Wilson
- Writers
- Mark Gatiss , Toby Whithouse , Neil Cross , Steven Moffat , Chris Chibnall
- Network
- BBC
