"The Timeless Children" has completely changed the lord of Doctor Who. Most of the Timeless Child arc is really interesting, and I think it could work really well. I don't mind the Doctor having a previous set of regenerations. I'm don't mind Tecteun and the Gallifreyans having been non-regenerative beings.
However, the Timeless Child shouldn't have been the Doctor. I think the Doctor Who universe would really have a better chance to expand if it had been the Master. Directly from this episode, the pain would have been swapped, with the Doctor having an identity crisis, now knowing that the Master is the progenitor. We could still have a conclusion such as the speech Jodie gives about her past making her stronger. She could still have had a past set of regenerations, and her friendship with the Master caused the Time Lords to wipe the Doctor's brain, having them begin life again.
And with the concept of bi-generation, it seems pretty likely that the Master could have bi-generated, with one dying off with Missy, and the other continuing on. Maybe the Time Lords took the Master again at an age after the First Doctor and experimented with the biology of the Time Lords, giving the ability to bi-generate. This could have been given to the Doctor at the end of "The War Games", with part of the Doctor's time before arriving on Earth as Jon Pertwee's 3rd Doctor being them receiving the ability to bi-generate.
But, the Timeless Child looks to be the Doctor. I really want to hate this decision, but I just can't muster up that hate. Yes, this ruins what we knew of the Doctor being a person who had failed and achieved nothing at home rising to help people in times of need, but we are seeing a new perspective. Give it time to set in, and I think this will be looked upon somewhat more highly.
However, the Timeless Child shouldn't have been the Doctor. I think the Doctor Who universe would really have a better chance to expand if it had been the Master. Directly from this episode, the pain would have been swapped, with the Doctor having an identity crisis, now knowing that the Master is the progenitor. We could still have a conclusion such as the speech Jodie gives about her past making her stronger. She could still have had a past set of regenerations, and her friendship with the Master caused the Time Lords to wipe the Doctor's brain, having them begin life again.
And with the concept of bi-generation, it seems pretty likely that the Master could have bi-generated, with one dying off with Missy, and the other continuing on. Maybe the Time Lords took the Master again at an age after the First Doctor and experimented with the biology of the Time Lords, giving the ability to bi-generate. This could have been given to the Doctor at the end of "The War Games", with part of the Doctor's time before arriving on Earth as Jon Pertwee's 3rd Doctor being them receiving the ability to bi-generate.
But, the Timeless Child looks to be the Doctor. I really want to hate this decision, but I just can't muster up that hate. Yes, this ruins what we knew of the Doctor being a person who had failed and achieved nothing at home rising to help people in times of need, but we are seeing a new perspective. Give it time to set in, and I think this will be looked upon somewhat more highly.