Doctor Who is an old show by now, even by New Who standards. Series 12 was the second series for the 13th Doctor (Jodie Whittaker) and re-introduced a load of old Doctor Who villains back into the show.
Bold and ambitious compared to Series 11's more muted, back-to-basics tone, it delved into the Doctor's backstory causing much fan divide through the finale episode The Timeless Children, which was considered one of the biggest bombs of the series. There's both a lot to love and hate in Series 12, and it caused a fan split akin to when Disney retconned the Star Wars EU back in 2013.
8 Best: Exterior Shots
Series 11 of Doctor Who was extremely visually appealing, with some of the best exterior shots the series has ever offered. Series 12, if paling a little in comparison, continues the trend of beautiful exterior shots that make even the most beautiful-looking games look bland.
The directors in this era have a definite talent for making the episodes look good, with all aspects of filmography being of high caliber. The show has never looked so good.
7 Worst: Wrong Returning Villains
It's great that Series 12 featured some returning villains, but there were definitely some that deserved to return more than the ones we got. The Cybermen and the Master featured together in the Series 8 and Series 10 finales, so having them back for the Series 12 finale felt repetitive, even if it was one of the best Cybermen stories.
Seeing Chibnall villains like the Stenza, Shakri or other villains like the Sycorax, Zygons, or Ice Warriors would have excited audiences but felt fresher than just a rehash of Master/ Cybermen.
6 Best: Timeless Child Concept
The Time Lords have always been portrayed somewhat menacingly, and certainly pompously. They've been portrayed as downright monsters in the modern series. The concept of a child being transported into this universe, and the Shobogans experimenting on the child in order to gain regeneration is a great one.
The concept that the Time Lords robbed their greatest gift, despite breaching their 'no intervention' policy gives them an even darker edge and adds to the lore of the Doctor's people. While fans may be divided over whether the Doctor should have been the Timeless Child, not many can argue with the concept of a Timeless Child itself.
5 Worst: Characterization And Character Development
Series 11 of Doctor Who introduced Yaz, Ryan, and Graham; who are certainly never going to be the best Doctor Who companions. The more companions there are, the harder it is to give them all sufficient development and enough space in the plots of each episode. Series 12 fell short of developing any of the companions enough for a second series with these characters.
By the end of Series 12, all companions are still known lesser than one-series companions such as Martha or Donna. There are moments throughout Series 12 where all three companions show potential to be special, but the overcrowdedness results in snail-paced character development. There are also inconsistencies in the Doctor's characterization, making it harder for audiences to connect with her.
4 Best: Social Commentary
Doctor Who is no stranger to tackling social commentary, having done so across every version of the Doctor right from the very first series. Series 12 tackles issues such as climate change, mental health, and microplastics.
It's great to see Doctor Who taking such an eco-friendly viewpoint, it's exactly the type of thing the show champions. While some episodes don't quite handle the commentary as well as older New Who episodes, the series' social commentary is still one of Series 12's best assets.
3 Worst: Too Much Earth
For an era that was meant to be 'bold and brave', Series 12 defies expectations by keeping the TARDIS crew grounded to Earth for 90 % of it. From Spyfall all the way to The Haunting of Villa Diodati, the episodes are set on Earth.
Some may venture to the past, or the future, and include other settings as part of the story, but 8 out of 10 episodes are predominantly set on Earth. Including the special that's 9 out of 11 episodes on Earth. For a show that's meant to be about all of time and space, Series 12 narrows the focus somewhat, with zero explanation.
2 Best: New Type Of Episode
Series 12 introduced a new type of Doctor Who episode. Fugitive of the Judoon and The Haunting of Villa Diodati start off as seemingly normal, MOTW episodes. About halfway in, the episode flips on its head and becomes about the overall Series 12 arc. Fugitive especially is interesting for this, as a mid-series episode, nobody saw what that episode had coming; and the Ruth Doctor's TARDIS console room stole the show itself.
These types of episodes are great, especially when they pop up out of nowhere. They play into the trend of modern shows to take a serialized approach to storytelling; and draw the audience in, compelling them to tune in live each week.
1 Worst: Timeless Child Identity
The Timeless Child identity of it being the Doctor was not only predictable but has unnecessarily added mystery to a main character who has relied on their pre-established mystery for most of the show's run.
It also goes against the whole ethos of the show; changing the message of 'anybody can be special, even the underdog' to 'special people are inherently that by birth'. This was clearly not the intention behind the plot point but is how some fans perceive it.