Doctor Who recap: Season 12, Episode 02, “Spyfall, Part 2,” Aired Jan. 5, 2020
I don’t know about you guys, but I am so happy we didn’t have to wait an entire week for this episode because I am still not over that plot twist from Part 1. Did anyone see that coming? And that was just the beginning. Doctor Who 12×02 was just as brilliant as the premiere!
Can’t ride a bike but I can fly a plane
With some clever intervention from the Doctor, Ryan was able to hook plane controls to his phone and cause the it to land safely. Ryan, Yaz, and Graham escaped, but the Master sent Daniel Barton to dispose of them, and he turned them into wanted criminals. They did their best to go on without the Doctor, staying strong together. Graham even got to play with some laser shoes – pretty cool.
Ada Lovelace and Noor Inayat Khan
Two pacifists and a 19th century relative of Byron against an alien invasion, the Master, and the Germans in World War II.
The Doctor ended up in the 19th century with Ada Lovelace, and then Ada traveled with the Doctor on her quest to return to the 21st century. They didn’t quite end up at their intended destination. Instead, they ended up in Paris during World War II, where they were hidden from the Master by Noor Inayat Khan.
To send the Master a code, the Doctor sent him 4 beats of Morse code, aka the rhythm of two hearts. She arranged a meeting between the two of them atop the Eiffel Tower. She got him captured by the Nazi soldiers he was previously allied with, and that bought her time to go back in time using the TARDIS to foil his – wait for it – Master plan.
Kasavin
Those creatures from the last episode are the Kasavin. They’re spies from another dimension, gathering all the data they could on every person integral to the invention of the computer. The Master claimed he and the Kasavin had interests in common, but it became clear quickly that the Master was not as in control of the species as he thought.
It turns out the Master thoroughly expected the Doctor and her companions to die on the crashing plane, and the Kasavin bringing the Doctor back to consciousness was never part of the plan. Plus, any deal he had with the Kasavin was over when the Doctor recorded him saying he was going to destroy them when humanity was rewritten. Oops.
The Kasavin sent the Master to their DNA void-ish thing. Something tells me we haven’t seen the last of him.
Maximum carnage
The Master used Barton and the Kasavin to do the hard work, and he was prepared to destroy them along with the human race – dirty work done for him, and the Master emerges victorious. As he put it, win-win-win. And all to get the Doctor’s attention because…
…Gallifrey was destroyed (again). The Doctor didn’t believe the Master at first, but she visited herself. Yup, it was pummeled. First the Time War, now this.
The Timeless Child
That warning from the Master last episode about everything being a lie – deeper than I expected. My prediction (way off) was that he’d go back in time and rewrite history, or something similar. Not quite.
He’s the one who burned Gallifrey. He said the Time Lords needed to pay for what he discovered; their whole species is based on a lie going back to the timeless child. The timeless child triggered a memory in the Doctor, though I’m not sure she can exactly place how. I look forward to seeing this plot unfold over the season.
This episode was so, so good. I was super into it yet again, and I sincerely hope that keeps up this season. I’m optimistic we’re in for a memorable season. Also, do we think that regeneration talk between the companions was foreshadowing? There are rumors…
Next week:
What did you think of “Spyfall, Part 2”? Let us know at @PureFandom on Twitter!
Doctor Who airs Sundays on BBC America at 8/7c.
