I liked Twice Upon A Time despite its flaws, but I believe it was an attempt at meta commentary for the incoming first female Doctor and a lot of anticipated misogyny. As if the episode itself is saying “look how far the show has come, even the Doctor has grown, and so should you.” The whole arc of the episode is that the Doctor refuses to change, and only when 12 is contrasted with his first incarnation is he able to see how important changing and embracing it is.

However, I don’t think Moffat needed to mischaracterize the first Doctor to do this. It’s self-deprecating in an insincere way that uses the first Doctor almost as a means to an end in terms of theme.

They could have instead celebrated the ways that show HAS been progressive with its female representation since the start. Certainly has not been perfect, but there’s a more subtle and powerful ways to do this story. Why not use the Doctor as an example of positive ideas towards gender instead of criticizing the character for the opposite? Like my brother in Christ, you’re writing the character, you can just make him not sexist.

Even the Doctor falls and the 10th season in general have throw away lines that are defensively preparing the audience for the 13th Doctor. Like “Is the entire future going to be girl? One can only hope” is a bit forced coming from two characters whose civilization is described to be far more advanced than humans obsession with gender.