Doctor Who: Series 12’s finale titles have been revealed, and it’s big

The titles have been revealed for the final two episodes of Series 12, and they both promise that the finale is going to be a major one for Doctor Who.

Earlier this week, Doctor Who Magazine revealed the titles of the final two episodes of Series 12. And it’s big. Not only is it a two-part finale, but it’s extremely clear that the story will delve deep into this series’s central mystery. More than that: it features the return of an old enemy…

The two-part finale begins with Ascension of the Cybermen. The return of the classic cyborgs isn’t a big surprise – after all, Captain Jack teased about the danger of “the Lone Cyberman” back in Fugitive of the Judoon.

Which begs the question: will this be the only story that they appear in? Considering Jack emphasized that it was just a single Cyberman that was dangerous, while episode 9’s title clearly emphasizes the fact that we can expect a lot more of them, will we be seeing the Cybermen’s return earlier than advertised? Perhaps even in The Haunting of Villa Diodati, an episode that focuses on Mary Shelley, as previously rumored?

But however major the Cybermen’s return is, that’s nothing compared to the title of Series 12’s final episode…

We’ve been wondering what the Timeless Child is ever since it was first mentioned in The Ghost Monument. The title of the finale promises to reveal that, but it also raises new questions…

Photo credit: BBC Studios/BBC America

Finale

We’ve been getting major hints of “the Timeless Child” for a while now. Not just in this series, but even back in Series 11, where it was first mentioned in The Ghost Monument. We know that whatever it is, it’s something important to the Doctor and even the Master. But who or what is it?

Series 12’s finale looks set to answer that question in a big way. But it also raises several new ones too, just with its very title alone: The Timeless Children.

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This definitely raises some interesting questions. Does the Timeless Child refer to a single being, or is there a lot more to it than that? Could it even reference the Time Lords themselves? Should we be expecting the return of “Ruth” – a previously unknown incarnation of the Doctor revealed in Fugitive of the Judoon? Perhaps even the Master, who had such a big role in introducing this series’s major arc back in opening story Spyfall?

Whatever happens, it looks like Series 12 is set to have a huge finale, one far bigger than the rather disappointing The Battle of Ranskoor Av Kolos for Series 11. It also promises that it will answer a lot of questions. But how many? And how many new ones will it raise? We can’t wait to find out.

Are you excited about Series 12’s two-part finale? Do you have any thoughts on what the second part’s title could refer to? Let us know in the comments below.