Home as the theme of Series 12
Something I quite enjoyed from Series 11 is that for all its flaws, it’s so consistent in its themes. Family, grief and change are present throughout of the entire of it. It’s probably why I was so happy when Chibs said Series 12 would also have a main theme!
At a first glance, it seemed the theme would be trust, even the trailers teased the idea of this. But the main theme is, in my opinion, home and how it shapes our identity.
So let’s us go from all the episodes released so far (I know we only got 5 episodes so far but I can always reblog this later and add more).
Earth: All episodes, even the ones that we only know the synopsis about, seem to be set on Earth. It might be a cheeky reference to the Third Doctor’s era but it shows Earth has been part of the Doctor’s history. It is the Doctor’s actual home. Gallifrey is important but only Earth embraced the Doctor.
Fam back home: the intro scene of all 3 of them back in Sheffield is a great way to catch up how their adventures in the TARDIS has been affecting them. It’s clear that the TARDIS has become more of a second home to them and even people around them are growing suspicious of their absence (this is more shown in Yaz’s family and the fact she’s “going” to her fourth secondment).
Barton: how his relationship with his mother grounded him, in a sense, she was his “home”. She was his last connection and with her death, he broke of the only thing he cared of (or maybe he saw this as an act of kindness), just so he could be free of guilt after conquering Earth.
Destruction of Gallifrey: the Master finding the secrets of Gallifrey and Gallifrey and how they destroyed his sense of identity. Even for someone who quite didn’t like home, it’s always difficult to find out something you believed in, is not true.
Bella and Kane: Kane’s abandonment of Bella and her plan to make Tranquillity Spa successful enough to compensate the fact she was never home. Bella’s wanting the destruction of the Spa and the fact how clear it is how much being left alone to take care of her father affected her.
Novosibirsk: the reveal that Orphan 55 was Earth all along and how its destruction parallels with Gallifrey. The fam’s disappointment with the fact the Doctor knew they were on Earth, their home and how she hid it from them. The final speech can be read as a bit of a guilt trip from the Doctor to the fam and how the destruction of Gallifrey is affecting her.
Nikola Tesla’s Night of Terror
America: Tesla moving to the US to have a better life and home, how he still prevailed for facing scrutiny over being a foreign man in a strange land.
Skithra: they are nomad junkers and work in a hive, making the queen, their home.
Lighthouse: the conversation between the Doctor and Ruth and the concept of the lighthouse as a guiding light to go back home. Super simple really.
