Continuing with the Top 12 Countdown of the [year redacted] fandom season and we’re back to the pre-quarantine days of the year, back when the world wasn’t a complete shitshow as it what was during the pandemic and just like with Rick and Morty in yesterday’s countdown, yet another series has entered the ring and of course, much like with yesterday’s countdown with Rick and Morty, another episode had to be picked at the last possible moment in the form of the number 11 spot of the Top 12 countdown in the form of Doctor Who with “Fugitive of the Judoon”.
And much like with Rick and Morty, this is one of those moments where I have to choose which one has to be filled up in the countdown list altogether. Besides, it’s either this episode of the Spyfall two-parter. At least that episode had a strong start of the season/series, whereas this one, while it’s a good, yet somewhat of a controversial episode which...apparently nowadays, it’s all controversial, don’t roast me on this, with some issues, mostly when it comes to a certain part of the episode but regardless of that, it’s an interesting episode, to say the least. Could say average but it feels like the episode was going heavy with the fanservice and the nostalgia to be thrown into the soup to make the episode.
I mean, I don’t mind having the Judoon back and being the center of attention as the enemy of the episode. It’s been like...what? A few years since we last saw them? Got to see them in action and of course, them being the space police and all unlike the Sontarans and in this episode, having them going after a certain few on their wanted list over a crime. More on that particular character later on. But for now, the Judoon, while it was interesting to be brought back and having them as the villain of the episode, fallen into the nostalgia/fanservice basket. But that one, I don’t mind. I mean, they did appear again at the end of “The Timeless Children” where they arrested The Doctor and into the prison, where we have to see her spending some time behind bars in the upcoming New Year’s special. Speaking of which...when it comes to the episode and the fanservice/nostalgia basket…
The return of Captain Jack Harkness. And I gotta say...I did not expect a classic character like Captain Jack to make a long return when coming across with Graham, who mistakes him as The Doctor who he tried to scoop but unable to thanks in part to Judoon activity on Earth and grabbed both Yaz and Ryan instead. Again, all part of the fanservice basket for the episode but it was a long time coming for a classic character, well from the modern era of the show, despite that it was only for a limited time in the episode. I guess pretty much underused in the episode despite being there for nostalgic reasons, hence the outfit he’s wearing for his return. The outfit he wore in the Torchwood days. That and of course, planting the seeds for the finale that didn’t make the cut, whether in the top 12 or even in the top 20 at best, about the lone Cyberman and telling The Doctor’s companions to alert her to not give it what it’s want. Which uh...spoiler alert… “The Haunting of Villa Diodati”...yeah. That happened with the cyber...liquid...thing. Cyber jizz. It’s probably cyber jizz. I mean, Jack is coming back in “Revolution of the Daleks” come New Year’s Day, so that’s going to be something. That and of course if we finally get to see both Jack and The Doctor reunite and loved Jack’s reaction when finding out from Graham that The Doctor is now a woman. Oh Jack, never change. But apparently, Jack’s return and the Judoon’s return in the episode has pretty much been overshadowed by another thing and that thing is pretty much the equivalent of a nuke being dropped towards the canon of the show. Most importantly, the regeneration of the Time Lord/Lady.
Yep, we have another Doctor. A new one. One where somehow, somewhere just popped up out of nowhere that pretty much have everyone stunned, including myself when finding out that we have another Doctor. And the episode in the beginning stages did focus on a woman named Ruth, who just getting ready to head out for her job as a tour guide. And at first, some think that if she’s going to be a one-off or someone that the Judoon were after like a runaway fugitive hiding from the law, or maybe setting her up as the new companion to The Doctor. Probably as the potential love interest for Graham but that’s where things begin to take a massive bump when making a curve after curve but the moment when the Judoon come up at the guy, named Lee, and called him the companion...well that’s not the stepping stone, could be anything because another word for companion is “friend” and could be anything but bringing up the lighthouse and showing Ruth kicking some Judoon ass became pretty suspect with some but not a lot suspecting who Ruth really is. But it isn’t until both her and The Doctor arrive at the lighthouse with The Doctor digging something up and Ruth breaking the glass that apparently turns out to be chameleon arch and the human known as Ruth turns out to be The Doctor. Something tells me...we may need a bigger flow chart...like...the size of a billboard.
Of course, with the revelation come the fan theories from the fans after the episode with some saying that she might be before William Hartnell’s Doctor. Some bring up Season 6B of the classic series and the gap between Troughton’s Doctor and Pertwee’s Doctor. Hell, some of the fans bring up the Timeless Child theory may have connected the dots with the whole damn thing. As for where does this Doctor, the Ruth Doctor if you want to call this incarnation, again, we may need a bigger flow chart when it comes to the regenerations of The Doctor. This was pretty much the highlight of the episode and overshadowed any moment of the episode whether being the return of the Judoon or the sudden return of Captain Jack or even bringing up the incoming threat of the Lone Cyberman and setting up the Series 12 finale. Though the music during the build-up to Ruth’s reveal after breaking the glass and The Doctor finding a TARDIS dug deep in the ground was enjoyable and giving props to the music department for that.
So yeah, number eleven in the Top 12 countdown. I mean between that and Spyfall...really should’ve gone with Spyfall but I think the damage is already done with that, And also between choosing between what the highlight of the most WTF moment when it comes to those two episodes, well three because Spyall if a two-parter whether being The Master making a comeback, Gallifrey in shambles, Jack returning, or that we have another Doctor that have fans having trouble where to put her in The Doctor’s history like doing a 1,000 piece puzzle and not starting off with the edges. I say the Ruth Doctor revelation was the most WTF for me in my opinion. Mostly because that was straight out of nowhere and didn’t even expect that to happen until the lighthouse scene.
Though while I said that the episode was pretty much fanservice heavy, to say the least, it was nice to see Captain Jack again, despite being there for a limited time and just being there to scoop up Graham, Ryan, and Yaz and not The Doctor and having them to alert her about the Lone Cyberman which was a pretty much aged well moment of the season because...stuff. But at least Jack is coming back with The Doctor somehow being pushed into the sidelines when looking at the trailer for Revolution of the Daleks...just have them reunite. Have them reunite for the love of God.
But yeah, wild episode to describe the episode that is pretty much feasting on nostalgia and fanservice that went from average to what the fuck to holy fuck to holy fucking fuck as the episode drags on whether being Jack’s return or the reveal of the Ruth Doctor, this episode was an insane ride for an episode in the middle of the season. And that’s why I put “Fugitive of the Judoon” at the number 11 spot of the Top 12 Countdown of the 2020 season.
The countdown continues tomorrow as we count down to the new year and for our universal nightmare to be over with for everyone by entering the top 10 portion of the countdown with a newcomer entering the list by bringing your date to meet your family...well unless your dad knows how to cook a pizza right and also finding out that the boy the girl is seeing is related to pretty much the show’s antagonist. About to enter the hardest parts of the countdown so...might as well since we’re ending the year anyway.
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