Several new villains in Doctor Who season 12 have been suspiciously similar to the iconic Time Lord’s previous enemies. There’s a general consensus among Doctor Who fans that the current season is a marked improvement on Jodie Whittaker’s debut, with a better mix of stories, the introduction of the Ruth Doctor and the return of some classic baddies. This final point has been an issue of particular importance, since season 11 featured no familiar enemies at all until the New Year’s Day special, and the presence of the Master, the Judoon and the Cybermen has been most welcome this time around.
But while Doctor Who season 12 has benefited greatly from bringing back those infamous foes, it has also introduced a handful of new monsters, some of which bear a striking similarity to other villains from the Doctor’s past. These parallels have either been addressed directly in the episode or been loudly called out on social media, but there’s certainly no coincidence at play with these evil-doing doppelgangers.
In “Nikola Tesla’s Night of Terror,” the eponymous scientist is abducted by the Queen of the Skithra, who is essentially a repackaged Empress of the Racnoss. Both aliens were female arachnid leaders of their species and had closely-matched speech patterns, while the Skithra’s matriarch bore a striking visual similarity to the horned beast from David Tennant’s era. The resemblance was so alike, many fans assumed the villain was the Racnoss when it was briefly glimpsed in the season 12 trailer and, after the episode aired, “Racnoss” was trending on Twitter. Doctor Who’s own social media later addressed the comparisons in a typically light-hearted manner.
Another bootleg bad guy emerged in “Praxeus,” which introduced a bacteria from outer space going around Earth manipulating plastic. To a point, this threat was extremely reminiscent of the Autons and the Nestene Consciousness, who would also possess and control plastics on our humble planet. Although the motivations were different, and Praxeus’ control was biological where the Autons were psychically linked, even The Doctor couldn’t help but reference the Autons during the episode.
The most recent example of this trend came in “Can You Hear Me?” which featured the villains Zellin and Rakaya. This devilish duo were immortal beings who delighted in using humans and other supposedly “lesser” species for their entertainment, amusing themselves by stoking war and playing with the nightmares of mere mortals. This is more or less identical to the First Doctor enemy known as the Celestial Toymaker and the Eternals who troubled the Fifth Doctor, both of whom are name-checked by Zellin in the episode itself. These previous villains were also Immortals and put the Doctor, his companions, and many others into fantastical and deadly scenarios for their own entertainment.
While there’s nothing intrinsically terrible about the Skithra, the Praxeus infection or Zellin as Doctor Who villains, their close proximity to existing, far more famous, enemies is both confusing and distracting, especially with 3 examples falling in quick succession. The real conundrum isn’t that these villains exist, but why they weren’t just written as the classic enemies they already resemble. Why not make the Skithra a surviving member of the Racnoss, or the Praxeus infection a part of the Nestene consciousness? And instead of Zellin, Ian Gelder could’ve actually played the Celestial Toymaker, rather than just referenced him.
The best seasons of Doctor Who mix exciting new villains with old favorites, but season 12 has too often relied on a murky middle ground, introducing new villains that feel like returning classics without being the genuine article. Although the current season has been an improvement in general terms, season 13 will need to draw a bolder line between which villains are throwbacks and which are fresh additions.
More: Doctor Who: All The Clues To The Ruth/New Doctor Twist
Doctor Who season 12 continues with “The Haunting Of Villa Diodati” February 16th on BBC and BBC America.
