Doctor Who has revealed the final fate of the Doctor’s homeworld, Gallifrey. The Doctor has always been considered the most enigmatic of the Time Lords, refusing to bow to the typical Gallifreyan philosophy of non-interference. As a result, the Doctor has rarely been welcome there.

Russel T. Davies’ Doctor Who relaunch established that Gallifrey had fallen, with both the Time Lords and the Daleks wiping one another out. For years, the details of the Time War remained shrouded in mystery, but the 50th anniversary special “The Day of the Doctor” finally revealed that Gallifrey had survived. A clever gambit had transported Gallifrey into a pocket dimension, where it remained, secure and gradually recovering from the conflict.

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Until the events of Doctor Who season 12, episode 2, “Spyfall” Part II. The episode saw the Master taunt the Doctor, telling her that Gallifrey had been razed to the ground. Naturally, the Doctor was unable to resist heading to Gallifrey when the Master was defeated – and she was horrified to learn that he hadn’t been lying. But the Master had left a final holographic message for her, one that triggered in the event he was beaten and she visited Gallifrey. There, the Master claimed personal responsibility for the fate of Gallifrey.

The Master explained that he had uncovered an ancient secret of the Time Lords, a truth that had been hidden by the founding fathers of Gallifrey. According to the Master, the whole existence of Time Lord society was built on “the lie of the Timeless Child.” Whatever this Timeless Child may be, the Master’s discovery so outraged him that he traveled to Gallifrey and avenged himself upon his people. He destroyed his own homeworld, and apparently wiped out all the Time Lords of Gallifrey. The Master essentially committed a terrible act of genocide against his own race.

While this is certainly a dramatic twist, it feels more than a little repetitive given the prominence of the Time War plot. It also lessens the dramatic importance of “The Day of the Doctor,” with the Renegade Time Lord succeeding in saving his people. Now, according to Doctor Who season 12, the final destruction of Gallifrey was delayed rather than prevented outright. The Time Lords survived just long enough to grant the Doctor a new regeneration cycle, before being wiped out by one of their own. Of course, the one remaining question is just why the Master lashed out at his own people; was it simply an act of rage and fury, or did the mystery of the Timeless Child persuade him that Gallifrey did not deserve to exist? A satisfying resolution for that arc may still make this worthwhile.

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Thomas Bacon
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Tom Bacon is one of Screen Rant’s staff writers, as well as a Peer Mentor for new writers and a member of the Care Team, offering support and a listening ear to members of the Comics group. A lifelong fan of major franchises including Star Wars, Doctor Who, and Marvel, Tom is delighted his childhood is back – and this time it’s cool. You can find him on Twitter @TomABacon.

A graduate of Edge Hill University, Tom remains strongly connected with his alma mater as a volunteer chaplain. He’s heavily involved with his local church, and anyone who checks him out on Twitter will swiftly learn he’s into British politics too.

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