Doctor Who: Every episode of season 12, ranked from worst to best
By Lacy Baugher
Spyfall, Part 1
The season 12 premiere has a little bit of everything: a homage to James Bond and his spy adventures, Jodie Whittaker in a tuxedo, and the shocking introduction of a brand new Master. The production values are stunning – the episode was filmed in South Africa and everything’s gorgeous, even down to the wild outdoor Bond-style car chase on motorbikes. The team feels as cohesive as it ever has and though Graham doesn’t get nearly enough to do, Ryan and Yaz are both given the opportunity to step up and stand out.
This TARDIS team’s first season together was a batch of relatively standalone episodes, with little connection to Doctor Who’s past. That’s all out the window here as Sacha Dhawan’s mysterious MI-6 agent is revealed to be another incarnation of the Doctor’s longtime frenemy, the Master. “Spyfall” doesn’t do much to explain how the existence of this version is possible – or how we got here after Missy’s redemption arc back in season 10 – but there was plenty of hope that the series would get around to that part eventually.
That it never did isn’t “Spyfall’s” fault, of course, but hindsight being what it is, the fact that the show provides zero answers about the Master’s motivation is something of a stain on an otherwise entertaining installment.