Legacy of the Daleks Review

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8th Doctor, 8th Doctor adventures, 8th Doctor Books, Dalek Invasion of Earth, Doctor Who, Doctor Who Susan, Doctor Who The Master, Doctor's granddaughter Susan, Legacy of the Daleks, Legacy of the Daleks book review, The Master

Legacy of the Daleks

Review by Paul Bowler

As the Doctor begins searching for his missing companion, Sam, a psychic cry of despair from his granddaughter Susan leads him to Earth in the late 22^nd century where England is gradually recovering from the Dalek invasion. This is where the Doctor left Susan after she fell in love with David and stayed to help the survivors rebuild. However, when the Doctor arrives in Domain London he finds that Susan has gone missing and the city is now divided by political infighting.

The Doctor’s attempts to find Susan leads to a confrontation with Lord Haldoran, who is planning all-out-war against his enemies. Haldoran’s military advisor, Estro, has installed power cables down an abandoned mineshaft, where they are attempting to reactivate a mysterious device. When the Doctor meets Estro he instantly recognizes him as the Master. However, this is the incarnation who regularly battled against the 3^rd Doctor, and he has been manipulating events so can he seize control of a powerful Dalek weapon.

But have the Daleks really been vanquished, or are they secretly rebuilding? The Doctor is reunited with Susan, and together with her husband David, and Donna, a knight of Domain London, they must find a way to stop the Master from escaping with the core of the matter transmuter and destroy the Daleks.

Legacy of the Daleks is set thirty years after the Dalek Invasion of Earth, where humanity is gradually starting to rebuild, but the shortage of natural resources has begun to cause conflict as opposing political factions begin to turn on one another. Although the Doctor’s companion Sam dose not appear in Legacy of the Daleks, this offers John Peel the chance to reunite the Doctor with his granddaughter Susanhe, as well as her husband David, and introduce us to Donna, one of the Knights of Domain London.

One of the most interesting aspects of Legacy of the Daleks is way Peel develops these characters, these are harsh times, and it seem that Susan and David’s relationship is in trouble. David is struggling to cope with the fact Susan is not aging like him, because she is a Time Lord, and it’s beginning to put a strain on their marriage. Donna is another really strong character, she is the black sheep of her family, and has had to overcome great adversity in her own personal life. Haldoran is a maliciously evil character; his plot to overthrow his rivals is utterly ruthless.

The Eighth Doctor is right in the thick of the action in Legacy of the Daleks. It was interesting to see the Doctor reunited with Susan, and the added bonus of having the Delgado version of the Master included as well brought a nice twist to the story. It takes a while for the Daleks to appear, but when they do the plot becomes really action packed as the Daleks go on the rampage. After such an exciting story, the ending did seem a little rushed and a bit contrived for my liking, but it was still a thoroughly entertaining book.

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About The Author

Hi, I’m Paul Bowler, blogger and reviewer of films, TV shows, and comic books. I’m a Sci-Fi geek, a big fan of Doctor Who, Star Trek, movies, Sci-Fi, Horror, Comic Books, and all things PS4.You can follow me on Twitter @paul_bowler,or at my website, Sci-Fi Jubilee, and on YouTube and Facebook

Doctor Who The Timeless Children Review

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13th Doctor, Chris Chibnall, Cyber Masters, Cyber Warriors, Cyberium, Cybermen, Doctor Who, Doctor Who Series 12, Doctor Who Series 12 finale, Doctor Who The Timeless Children, Doctor Who The Timeless Children Review, Gallifrey, Jodie Whittaker, Judoon, Revolution of the Daleks, TARDIS, The Lone Cyberman, The Master, The Timeless Child, Time Lords

Doctor Who The Timeless Children

Review by Paul Bowler.

The Cyber-Army is on the march in the emotional and epic Doctor Who series finale, The Timeless Children. With the last few survivors of the human race being mercilessly hunted down by the Cybermen, Graham, Yaz and Ryan must fight to survive the horror and carnage unfolding around them. Some civilisations will fall, while other with rise, new and reborn! Secrets, lies and unexpected truths will be revealed as battles rage. Even the Master has returned to wreak chaos! The Doctor is trapped, alone, and in the aftermath of the trials still to come nothing will ever be quite the same again for the Time Lord and her companions…

The Timeless Children, written by Doctor Who show runner Chris Chibnall and directed by James Magnus Stone, provides a stellar conclusion to this two-part series finale as events in Series 12 are brought full circle.

Following an upbeat, if somewhat underwhelming first series in 2018, Jodie Whittaker’s era of Doctor Who has really come into its own during Series 12, brining a wealth of exciting adventures and unexpected plot twists – with the brilliant reveal of Sacha Dhawan as the Master, a surprise return for fan-favourite Captain Jack Harkness (John Barroman), the resurgence of the Cybermen, and even a new incarnation of the Doctor played by Jo Martin. Some episodes have still been a bit preachy on occasion, but overall Series 12 has seen a big improvement in the quality of the stories and characterisation – with emphasis on a more mysterious, darker tone.

Ascension of the Cybermen saw the Cybermen back in force and hell bent on wiping out the last remnants of humanity. Now in the Timeless Children the Doctor (Jodie Whittaker) must confront the Master (Sacha Dhawan) in the ruins of Gallifrey, while Ryan (Tosin Coyle) and Ethan (Steve Toussaint) form a strategy with Ko Shamus (Ian McElhinney) to fight the Cyber-Death-Squads sent to hunt them down on the planet where the threshold of the boundary leading to Gallifrey resides, as Yaz (Mandip Gill), Graham (Bradley Walsh), Ravio (Julie Graham) and the surviving human refugees face the Lone Cyberman’s, Ashad (Patrick O’Kane), newly awakened army of unstoppable Cyber Warriors back on board the Cyber-War Carrier.

The Timeless Children is an epic and emotional 65 minute finale that draws together several key narrative threads, most notably the mystery of the Timeless Child – first mentioned way back in The Ghost Monument (2018) – which is finally revealed, the significance of the flashbacks to 20^th century Ireland involving the seemingly immortal Brendan (Evan McCabe) also gradually becomes clear, and even Jo Martin’s role as the hitherto previously unknown version of the Doctor provides yet more mystery waiting in the wings to be revealed over the course of this episode.

One of the biggest highlights in The Timeless Children through is the powerful confrontations between the Doctor and her arch nemesis, The Master. Jodie Whittaker and Sacha Dhawan are magnificent in these scenes, especially once the Master sets about challenging the Doctor while she’s simultaneously trapped inside a paralysing field in the Citadel of Gallifrey and the Matrix, where the shocking reality that everything the Doctor has ever believe in gets torn down before her eyes and exposed as a lie – and the shocking truth the Doctor is forced to acknowledge will shake the legacy of Time Lords to the core! It seems the Master is also set on forming an alliance – albeit an uneasy one – with the Lone Cyberman as well, inviting them to land on Gallifrey, leading to some fantastic moments featuring this seasons two most maniacal villains.

So, who, or what exactly is the Timeless Child? Well, as the Master gleefully reveals long ago, a scientist and explorer called Tecteun (Seylon Baxter) from Gallifrey’s indigenous race, the Shobrgans, found a child from beyond a gateway to another universe on a distant planet. She brought this child to Gallifrey, where in a fatal accident the child miraculously regenerated. Tecteun dedicated herself to studying the child to discover its secret of seemingly unlimited regeneration, until it could be bestowed in a limited capacity of twelve regenerations to the elite of the society that became the Time Lords who would also go on to discover the secret of time travel – the foundling child ultimately becoming the founder of Gallifreyian civilisation itself.

Yes, the Doctor is indeed the Timeless Child! Incarnations before the 1^st Doctor (William Hartnell) or any of the Time Lords later incarnations, including the unknown Doctor’s briefly glimpsed in The Brain of Morbius (1976), are, it seems, most definitely a thing now! Needless to say, this is something of a continuity busting revelation. It recons virtually everything that has ever been established throughout the long history of Doctor Who and turns it on its head. There’s also insight into the origins of the Time Lords non intervention policy in The Timeless Children, but intriguingly some details are missing from the Matrix. Even the Master hasn’t been able to reconstruct them, only lost memories remain, some link to events in 20^th century Ireland, while others seem to proffer a clue, possibly from a parent, and the burning question concerning how many lives the Doctor has actually lived has now become an insurmountable fact that’s potentially ad infinitum in scale to a degree that’s almost mind blowing to contemplate.

We have seen the Doctor’s companions struggling at times to balance their lives on Earth and their adventures with the Doctor over the course this series. Now in The Timeless Children the full impact of these events on their personal lives and their friendships with each other are brought into even sharper focus. Ryan must find his own path after he is separated from the Doctor on the planet, ever resourceful, he ends up fighting the Cybermen alongside Ethan and Ko Shamus, while Yaz and Graham have a moving heart to heart, and together with the human refugees they adopt an ingenuous disguise to escape the Cybermen on the Cyber War Carrier.

Tosin Coyle, Mandip Gill and Bradley Walsh all give emotionally charged performances in their roles as the Time Lords companions, events challenge the Doctor’s friends and reinforce their faith in the Doctor like never before, and Yaz leads the way as they cross the boundary with Ko Shamus and the refugees to reach Gallifrey and rescue the Doctor.

The Cybermen begin their reign of terror in earnest in this episode. With the Lone Cybermen unleashing his new look legions of Cyber-Warriors to wreak havoc, prospects certainly looks bleak for the Doctor, her friends and the human refugees. The Cyber-Warriors are a ruthless, unstoppable war machine, and are a worthy addition to the pantheon of the Cyber-Race. Their leader, the deranged Lone Cyberman, Ashad, is as malevolent as ever. Welder of the Cyberium, possessing the entire knowledge of the Cyber-Race, and the feared Death Particle capable of destroying all organic life on a world, Ashad’s character plays a pivotal role in the action. He is unwavering in his quest, and we also gain more insight into this ghoulish creature’s motivations. He’s especially menacing in the scenes where he searches for Graham and Yaz on the Cyber-War Carrier – leading to some genuinely nerve jangling moments – although his ultimate goal to purge the entire Cyber-Race of all organic components does seems like a rather narrow-minded quest for perfection to me…

However, the Lone Cyberman’s alliance with the Master is short lived as the renegade Time Lord uses his favourite weapon – the tissue compression eliminator – to turn the tables on Ashad and seize the power of the Cyberium for himself. The Master hasn’t just destroyed the Time Lords, he kept the bodies as well, and now with the power of the Cyberium and the technology of the Cyber-Race at his command the Master creates a new race of Cybermen, the Cyber-Masters, invincible new Cybermen that also have the ability to regenerate!

To say that Chris Chibnall’s ambitious script has a heavy amount of plot and exposition to convey during this episode is something of an understatement, however, Chibnall just about manages to keep everything on track, and the resolution is handled satisfyingly enough. It was intriguing to see the Doctor having another meeting with Jo Martin’s incarnation of the Doctor, this time inside the Matrix. The role of Joe Martin’s Doctor still remains somewhat vague, but she’s instrumental in helping the Doctor escape the Matrix and embrace the new status-quo established by the revelations about her origins. The scene where the 13^th Doctor gathers her memories is a cinematic masterpiece in itself, featuring a glorious montage from every aspect of the series’ history, and with the inclusion of the ‘Morbius Doctors’ Chris Chibnall effectively blows the bloody doors off decades of hotly debated continuity as well!

The final showdown between the Doctor, the Master and the Cyber-Masters positively crackles with tension and suspense, before Ko Shamus (the man responsible for sending the Cyberium back through time where it became entangled in the events of The Haunting of Villa Diodati) intervenes when the Doctor cannot bring herself to sink to the Master‘s level, and unleashes the Death Particle to defeat the Master and the Cybermen. Its in the aftermath where the plot contrivances get a bit tangled and strain credibility to the limit, as Chibnal throws in a TARDIS here and there to get the Doctor’s companions and the human refugees safely returned to present day Earth, while the Doctor takes a similar journey to reunite with her own TARDIS, where she suddenly gets arrested by the Judoon and sentenced to life imprisonment somewhere in deep space!

The Timeless Children is a superb showcase for the regular cast, with Jodie Whittaker giving a magnificent performance as the Doctor, the action sequences with the Cybermen are superb, and everything is all impressively directed by James Magnus Stone. It was thrilling to see the Cybermen invade Gallifrey and become the Cyber-Masters in this episode, and Sacha Dhawan totally knocked it out the park with another scenery chewing turn as the Master. This episode certainly gives us lots to process. The Timeless Children was an exciting finale for sure, game changing even, and that cliffhanger ending is sure to keep us all guessing until Doctor Who returns for the upcoming festive season in the episode entitled: “Revolution of the Daleks”. But, are the major retcons of the Doctor’s origins and the legacy of the Time Lords a stroke of genius, or a step too far by show runner Chris Chibnall?

Well, I for one don’t think it really changes all that much to be honest. I’m sure many will disagree with me. I’m no big fan of Chibnall as show runner, Series 11 wasn’t that good at all, but I do feel he’s learned from that and gone some way to restructuring the show significantly for the better in Series 12. Jodie Whittaker and the regular cast have all been great this season too. As for the potentially limitless number of incarnations the Doctor now apparently has available given the revelations of The Timeless Children… well, so what eh? As far as I see it makes very little or no difference, whether we acknowledge it or not, everything we knew is still there, and these developments just bring a new perspective to what we already have. Doctor Who has always been about change, and it always will. If the changes made during this episode doesn’t bring some much needed mystery back into modern Doctor Who and a wealth of exciting possibilities to explore then I don’t know what will, do you? I like “new Who”, I have since it returned in 2005, but for me “Classic Doctor Who” will always be my favourite version of the show. The Timeless Children won’t change anything for me one way or the other in that respect, although I’m sure some will hail this tampering with the history of Doctor Who as the beginning of the end and that Chris Chibnall has killed Doctor Who.

Well, time will tell won’t it? Viewing figures for Series 12 haven‘t exactly been out of this world, so maybe somewhere the tea really is getting cold again? Who knows? Personally I’ve quite enjoyed Series 12, and thought Ascension of the Cybermen and the Timeless Children brought this season of Doctor Who to a really exciting close. I must admit I did have some trepidation towards Series 12, as after Series 11 it did feel like modern Who had runs its course to me, but I was pleasantly surprised at how well this new series actually turned out to be. Just think, for the first time in ages we don’t quite know who the Doctor is anymore, there’s scope for a wealth of new adventures on an unimaginable scale still waiting to be discovered. I don’t know about you, but that sounds like a pretty exciting place for Doctor Who to be in to me…

Images Belong BBC.

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About The Author

Hi, I’m Paul Bowler, blogger and reviewer of films, TV shows, and comic books. I’m a Sci-Fi geek, a big fan of Doctor Who, Star Trek, movies, Sci-Fi, Horror, Comic Books, and all things PS4.You can follow me on Twitter @paul_bowler,or at my website, Sci-Fi Jubilee, and on YouTube and Facebook

Doctor Who Ascension of the Cybermen Review

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13th Doctor, Ascension of the Cybermen, Chris Chibnall, Cybermen, Doctor Who, Doctor WHo Ascension of the Cybermen, Doctor Who Ascension of the Cybermen Review, Doctor Who Series 12, Gallifrey, Jodie Whittaker, TARDIS, The Lone Cyberman, The Master

Ascension of the Cybermen

Review by Paul Bowler

In the distant future the Doctor and her companions face a brutal conflict in Ascension of the Cybermen. A war between humanity and the Cybermen has raged across the farthest reaches of space, and now the Doctor must do whatever it takes to save the last remnants of the human race from the relentless onslaught of the Cybermen!

Written by Doctor Who show runner Chris Chibnall and directed by James Magnus Stone, Ascension of the Cybermen gets the first half of Series 12’s eagerly anticipated two-part finale off to a great start. Seeing how the 13^th Doctor’s already defeated a Dalek in the 2019 New Year’s Day Special Resolution, it was inevitable the Cybermen would be next on the list of classic Doctor Who monsters for her to confront next.

The Doctor (Jodie Whittaker) has already faced the Lone Cyberman, Ashad (Patrick O’Kane), in The Haunting of Villa Diodati, where she made a fateful choice, and now together with her companions Ryan (Tosin Coyle), Yaz (Mandip Gill) and Graham (Bradley Walsh) she must fight the Cybermen in force, who return with their previous Nightmare in Silver redesign now sleekly updated (including new handles!), and seemingly more ruthless than ever!

Having given the Lone Cyberman the Cyberium (The embodiment of the Cyber-Races knowledge and history) the Doctor and her friends have travelled far into the future in Ascension of the Cybermen, to a ravaged planet during the immediate aftermath of the Cyber-Wars. The Cybermen have wiped out the majority of the human race, but the Cyber-Race has also been decimated. Now the last refugees of humanity are on the run from the last of the deadly Cybermen, it has brought them all to this dark corner of the universe, and the final battle in which the Doctor must prevent the Lone Cyberman from rebuilding the Cyber-Army!

Opening with the ominous aftermath of the Cyber-War in space (featuring a stunning transition through the eye of destroyed Cyberman into the title sequence), the Doctor and her companions soon end up facing some pretty extreme situations in Ascension of the Cybermen. Fortunately they find some help in the form of Ravio, played by Shetland star Julie Graham, as one of the desperate human refugees still battling for survival against the Cybermen on this planet – one of the last settlements of humanity in the universe. Despite brining countermeasures specifically attuned to some of the Cybermen‘s previously known weakness, the Doctor’s initial plans to help the human refugees fails when two Cyber Shuttles arrive, brining the Lone Cyberman and his Cyber-Guards to the planet – along with some especially lethal Cyber-Drones as well! The TARDIS team get separated during the attack, with Graham and Yaz fleeing with the surviving humans in their Grav-Raft vessel while the Doctor, Ryan and Ethan (Steve Toussaint) escape in one of the Cyber-Shuttles.

Intriguingly it transpires that Ravio and her fellow refugees are in search of something called Ko Sharmus, the fabled boundary to the gateway which they believe will allow them to escape to the other side of the galaxy. Chris Chibnal’s scrip is packed with action and suspense as the Doctor and her companions work alongside the refugees as they split into two teams, with each encountering vastly different outcomes during their quest to reach Ko Sharmus.

Another major subplot of the episode revolves around the mysterious flashbacks to 20^th century Ireland involving Brendan (Evan McCabe), the child abandoned at birth whose life unfolds over the course of Ascension of the Cybermen as he’s adopted by a young couple and grows up and becomes a Police Officer. He even gets killed in the line of duty at one point but miraculously seems unable to die – in a way that seems strikingly similar to Captain Jack Harkness! There is also an especially disturbing sequence involving Brendan near the end of the episode, where he is confronted by sinister versions of his father and mentor, although quite how this man’s life relates to humanities struggle against the Cybermen in the future remains a mystery for now. He presents a wealth of possibilities and no doubt Brendan’s story will be resolved in the second half of this series finale.

The Cybermen in Ascension of the Cybermen are relentless, unstoppable and brutal in the extreme in pursuit of their goal. Humanity is desperately clinging on, Cybermen lurk at every turn, and they never, ever seem to give up. The Cybermen have always been my favourite Doctor Who monster. I’ve sometimes felt they’ve been given a bit of a raw deal in the modern series, so it’s great to see them back to their menacing best in Ascension of the Cybermen.

Patrick O’Kane is also back as the Lone Cyberman, Ashad, he’s every bit as frightening as he was before, and perhaps even more so this time around now that the stakes have become so high. The Lone Cyberman makes for an imposing figure as he strides though a flaming battle scene, his chilling presence is almost palpable as he corners Ethan in an abandoned building, and he seems to delight in his power almost malevolently. In fact he seems quite emotional at times for a Cyberman. It is in his unsettling holographic communiqué with the Doctor on the Cyber-Shuttle where the Lone Cyberman seems almost frighteningly unhinged, believing himself to have been chosen to revive the Cyber-Race and instigate the death of everything!

Impeccably directed by James Magnus Stone, Ascension of the Cybermen gradually draws the numerous strands of the plot together in the most exciting and ingenious way imaginable. Graham, Yaz, and the human refugees find a huge Cyber War Carrier drifting in deep space. This eerie scene is littered with countless bodies of dead Cybermen floating in the void. The human refugees believe they’ve found a ship to help them reach Ko Sharmus, instead they discover this vast carrier holds a sleeping army of Cybermen, and when the Lone Cyberman arrives he quickly sets about reviving them.

These new look Cybermen Warriors have been subtly redesigned enough to make them seem fresh and revitalised for their return. Featuring sleeker armour, a chrome-like finish, spikes, and a head reminiscent of the Invasion style Cybermen from 1968 to complete their new image. The new Cybermen look amazing, an unrelentingly powerful force to be reckoned with, and I got a distinct Earthshock vibe watching the Cyber-Army marching though the cavernous interior of the War Carrier. I was quite shocked how the Lone Cyberman seemed to terrify the new Cybermen as they were revived – scary to think there’s a being frightening enough to actually make a Cyberman scream!

Meanwhile, the Doctor, Ryan and Ethan are astounded when their journey reveals that Ko Sharmus isn’t a location, it’s actually a person! On this strange world they’ve discovered the man called Ko Shamus (Ian McElhinney) explains that he remained behind to help other surviving humans escape the Cybermen. He also leads the Doctor to the boundary, where the gateway-like portal opens to reveal the ruins of Gallifrey beyond, and the Master (Sacha Dhawan) suddenly steps though the portal to confront her! With Graham and Yaz facing an army of Cybermen in space and the Master gloating to the Doctor that everything is about to change forever, Ascension of the Cybermen delivers one of the best cliff-hangers of this entire series.

It seems this time the Doctor may well have put her companions in terrible danger – more than perhaps even she can handle! The Lone Cyberman has achieved his goal with the revival of the Cyber-Army, the revelations about Ko Sharmus were certainly unexpected, and the surprise return of the Master rounded the episode off perfectly.

Featuring terrific performance all round, Ascension of the Cybermen is a superb return to form for the series. It had the Doctor and her friends on the run from numerous threats, the danger from the Cybermen has never been greater, and the episode builds to a game-changing cliff-hanger that has the Doctor, Graham, Ryan and Yaz in a situation that looks seemingly impossible for the TARDIS team to ever reunite or escape from.

As you probably all know I’m a big fan of the Cybermen, so I’ve been really looking forward to their return in these episodes, and I’ve been very impressed with the results. I thoroughly enjoyed Ascension of the Cybermen, it was a thrilling, action packed episode, and I can’t wait to see how everything’s resolved in the final episode of Series 12: The Timeless Children.

Images Belong BBC.

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About The Author

Hi, I’m Paul Bowler, blogger and reviewer of films, TV shows, and comic books. I’m a Sci-Fi geek, a big fan of Doctor Who, Star Trek, movies, Sci-Fi, Horror, Comic Books, and all things PS4.You can follow me on Twitter @paul_bowler,or at my website, Sci-Fi Jubilee, and on YouTube and Facebook

Doctor Who Spyfall Part 2 Review

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13th Doctor, Chris Chibnall, Doctor Who, Doctor Who Series 12, Doctor Who Spyfall, Doctor Who Spyfall Part 2, Doctor Who Spyfall Part 2 review, Jodie Whittaker, Lenny Henry, Sacha Dhawan, Spyfall Part 2, Stephen Fry, TARDIS, The Master

Doctor Who Spyfall Part 2

Review by Paul Bowler.

Following the epic cliffhanging season premier Series 12 of Doctor Who continues with Spyfall Part 2, where a terrifying plot to destroy humanity is about to be unleashed! The Master (Sacha Dhawan) has returned, and he’s more dangerous than ever! In the second half of this sci-fi spy thriller, written by Showrunner Chris Chibnall and Directed by Lee Haven Jones, the Doctor (Jodie Whittaker) and her friends must escape a plethora of deadly traps in their mission to foil the insidious alliance now threatening the universe.

Spyfall Part 2 certainly has quite an act to follow as it left us wondering how on earth the 13^th Doctor and her “fam” of companions Ryan (Tosin Coyle), Yaz (Mandip Gill) and Graham (Bradley Walsh) could possibly escape their combined plight – with the Time Lord spirited away to a strange otherworldly realm and her friends about to face certain death on a plane rigged to crash by the Master! Yet that’s exactly what they do as Jodie Whittaker’s ever resourceful incarnation of the Doctor and her team bounce back to take on the fiendish alliance endangering multiple dimensions in their race against time to save humanity from the Master‘s diabolical scheme.

But escaping the unknown dimension of the Kasaavin and the plummeting aeroplane are just the start of the TARDIS team’s adventures. So, as Ryan, Yaz and Graham to land the plane in Essex (thanks to some Blink style prearranged help from the Doctor) and set off to figure out Daniel Barton’s (Lenny Henry) plans, the Master pursues the Doctor across time, first to an exhibition in 1834, and then to German occupied Paris in 1943. Jodie Whittaker gives one of her best performances so far as the Doctor in this episode, and she seems totally sure of herself in the role of the Time Lord now. Its also fun to see Tosin Coyle get to save his friends by piloting the plane, Mandip Gill sadly still feel a bit like a third wheel as Yaz, and Bradley Walsh hilariously steals everyone’s thunder when he puts some nifty 007 gadgets to good use!

This episode also features a strong guest cast who play the three key historical figures that team-up with the Doctor, with Aurora Marion as Women‘s Auxiliary Air Force, SOE agent and wireless operator Noor Inyat, Mark Dexter as mathematician, philosopher, inventor, and engineer Charles Babbage, and Sylvie Briggs as mathematician and writer Ada Lovelace. Chibnall keeps the Doctor separated from her companions for much of the episode, this actually works to Spyfall’s advantage to further expand the scope of the story, and it’s also interesting to see the 13^th Doctor working alone and alongside these three historical characters as well.

In having the Master return Chris Chibnall has pulled something of a masterstroke – no pun intended – by launching this new series of Doctor Who with such a brilliant surprise that nobody saw coming. This latest incarnation of the renegade Time Lord is played by Sacha Dhawan (An Adventure in Space and Time, Sherlock, Iron Fist), and he brings a real sense of maniacal glee to the role. Of course last time we saw the renegade as Missy (Michelle Gomez) in 2017’s The Doctor Falls she’d apparently perished while confronting her former self, played by John Simm, so Sacha Dhawan’s latest incarnation heralds a new era for the Doctor’s greatest adversary. The beauty is that we never actually saw Missy regenerate, so the origins of Dhawan’s Master still remains full of intriguing possibilities that have yet to be fully explored.

The Master’s alliance with the Kasaavin, the shimmering aliens with the uncanny ability phase through matter and technology company CEO Daniel Barton (Lenny Henry) is finally revealed during this episode. The Kasaavin are cosmic spies that move through time collecting data, together with Barton their aim is to reformat humanity‘s DNA into biological hard drives, but it seems the Master has been playing them both off against each other simply to orchestrate a trap for the Doctor. The Master dominates much of the action when it comes to this trio of threats in Spyfall. Sacha Dhawan’s incarnation of the Master furiously chases the Doctor through time once she escapes the Kasaavin‘s dimension with Ada Lovelace, he gets very trigger happy with his favourite weapon, the Tissue Compression Eliminator, at times too, and there’s a number of riveting face-offs with the Doctor that become increasingly dangerous and unpredictable as the episode unfolds.

The resolution of the Kasaavin’s involvement in Spyfall Part 2 is handled quite well, although we still don’t get to know that much about these mysterious creatures apart from their name or scant details about the bizarre dimension they inhabit. Lenny Henry is ok as company CEO Daniel Barton, but his character seems a little sidelined, especially towards the end of the episode. Ironically it’s the Master’s own TARDIS (still disguised as O’s house from the Australian outback) that’s instrumental in getting the Doctor back to the present day UK in time to turn the tables on the Master and reunite with her friends.

It’s also no surprise that the Master’s double crossing ways see the Kasaavin turn against him and imprison him in their domain. The brief scenes which see the returning of Noor Inyat and Ada Lovelace to their proper place in time also provides good codas to their part in the story, and they each have some nice parting moments with the Doctor.

After the glitzy action-packed Series 12 premier things take a much darker turn in this second episode, the tone and visuals are far more atmospheric, and that’s thanks to the impressive direction from The Bay’s Lee Haven Jones who stylishly embellishes every ounce of drama from Chibnalll’s engagingly paced script. Despite cramming a plot bursting with action, time travel, along with the Doctor battling Nazis, a technological menace, together with an alien invasion across multiple dimensions and timelines, Spyfall Part 2 cleverly splices its complexities with a strong character driven narrative to deliver a highly satisfying adventure. If all that wasn’t enough there’s also wealth of Doctor Who themed Easter Eggs in this episode for fans to enjoy, both new, and classic old school Doctor Who as well – my favourite being the “contact” telepathic conference between the 13^th Doctor and the Master, something which we first saw the Doctor do when the 3^rd Doctor (Jon Pertwee) teamed up with his previous incarnations in The Three Doctors (1972/73).

There are also hints of a wider story arc bubbling away under the surface as Spyfall draws to a close, especially when the Doctor returns to Gallifrey following the Master’s cryptic remark about their homeworld to her in Paris at the Eiffel Tower, only to find it in ruins. The Master’s holographic message in the Doctor’s TARDIS potentially calls into question everything that he and the Doctor knows and stands for. But what could the Time Lords of Gallifrey have done that could have possibly horrified the Master so much that he’d unleash such carnage on his homeworld, and who or what is the significance of The Timeless Child (first mentioned in 2018’s The Ghost Monument) that is now clearly part of the main story arc Chibnall is setting up for the rest of the season?

Spyfall Part 2 provided an ambitious and exciting conclusion to this opening two-parter. It was an excellent episode, the confrontations between the Doctor and the Master were brilliant, and the ending set up major plot elements for the rest of Series 12. Most notably though, before the credits roll the Doctor does find she has some explaining to do, seeing as her companions point out how she hasn’t been that forthcoming until now about her past or previous selves, but her companions unwavering faith in her reinforces the bond between them as the Time Lord humbly brings her team up to speed and they rally to her side to face the new adventures ahead.

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About The Author

Hi, I’m Paul Bowler, blogger and reviewer of films, TV shows, and comic books. I’m a Sci-Fi geek, a big fan of Doctor Who, Star Trek, movies, Sci-Fi, Horror, Comic Books, and all things PS4.You can follow me on Twitter @paul_bowler,or at my website, Sci-Fi Jubilee, and on YouTube and Facebook

 

Doctor Who The Doctor Falls Review

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Bill Potts, Cybermen, David Bradley, Doctor Who, Doctor Who 2017 Christmas Special, Doctor Who Series 10, Doctor Who The Doctor Falls, Doctor Who The Doctor Falls review, John Simm, Matt Lucas, Michelle Gomez, Missy, Mondasian Cybermen, Nardole, Pearl Mackie, Peter Capaldi, Steven Moffat, TARDIS, The 10th Planet, The 12 Doctor, The 12th Doctor regeneration, The 1st Doctor, The Doctor, The Master

Doctor Who The Doctor Falls

Review by Paul Bowler

[Contains Spoilers]

Time is running out for the Doctor! The Mondasian Cybermen are emerging and the Master has returned. All hope seems lost for the Doctor. Bill has been horrifically converted into a Mondasian Cyberman and Missy has sided with the Master against him. Now, with the parallel evolution of Cybermen past and present gathering on all sides the trio of Time Lords must face the ultimate choice as the time of the Doctor’s final battle draws near…

The Doctor Falls, written by show runner Steven Moffat, and helmed once again by the director of the penultimate episode of 2017’s tenth series World Enough and Time, Rachael Talalay (Dark Water / Death in Heaven (2014), Heaven Sent and Hell Bent (2015), is a series finale of truly epic proportions that pits the Doctor against a trio of his most deadliest enemies – The Master, Missy, and the Mondasian Cybermen!

The end of days is coming for the 12^th Doctor. Following the ominously scene-setting pre-title moments, we flashback to events that reveal how the shuttle reached the solar farm after the Doctor and his friends became trapped on board a huge colony spaceship caught precariously in the gravity well of a black hole. Having discovered that Bill has been transformed into a Mondasian Cybermen the Doctor must devise a way escape from the hellish hospital rooftop as the two incarnations of his arch nemesis Missy and the Master dance amidst the twisted maelstrom of chaos they have wrought as the Cybermen rise to challenge them all!

But the whole city is now a machine to turn people into Cybermen and its not long before the Doctor reveals how he’s already managed to turn the tables on the Master and Missy; altering the parameters of the Cybermen’s programming so that the Time Lord’s become targets as well as the humans. However, even when Missy knocks out the Master in a bid to help, the Doctor remains unsure which side she is on as Nardole returns with a shuttle. In the rush to escape from the rooftop the Doctor suffers an electric shock from a Cyberman, fortunately Cyber-Bill rescues him and they escape in the shuttle to a higher level of the gigantic spaceship.

Peter Capaldi is utterly magnificent here as the 12^th Doctor faces his darkest of days, John Simm and Michelle Gomez are also a delight to behold as their waltz of evil unfolds, and the electrifying chemistry between this opposing trinity Time Lord’s as they clash makes for compelling viewing throughout this episode. Bill Pott’s must also grapple with the tragic reality of her Cyber-Conversion, heartbreakingly played by Pearl Mackie, especially when Bill tells the Doctor that she doesn’t want to live like this is she can’t be herself anymore.

While the build up to the finale in World Enough and Time was dark and claustrophobic, The Doctor Falls strikes a markedly different in tone once the action shifts to floor 507 as the apocalyptic uprising of the Cybermen at the hospital gives way to gnarled forests, farmland, and rolling hills. The scenes at the solar farm where our alternating viewpoint between Bill’s human perception of herself and her actual Cyber-self, is heartrendingly portrayed as the Doctor explains to her how her inner strength – from dealing with the Monks mass delusion earlier in series ten – has enabled her to create a perception filter in her mind to cope with the horror of becoming a Mondasian Cyberman, and it’s this visual dynamic of Cyber-Bill that is continually used to great effect across the rest of the episode. Of course the time here has allowed the Doctor a brief respite to recover from being electrocuted, but he’s also exhibiting the early signs of his regeneration which he tellingly hides from Bill. Matt Lucas continues to shine in his role as Nardole, proving his worth and loyalty in more ways than one, with the character once again playing a surpassingly key role in the action.

Right from the stark openness of this episodes pre-titles sequence, The Doctor Falls is without doubt Steven Moffat’s most ambitious script ever. Its an impressively bold and exciting hour-long series finale, brilliantly directed by Rachael Talalay, the epic scale, big action set-pieces, hints of romance, and sweeping revelations ensures the extraordinary pace of this episode hardly lets up for a moment. The Doctor has a plan of his own worked out as he battles to save a group of humans on the solar farm led by Hazran (Samantha Spiro), along with Alit (Briana Shann), Gazron (Rosie Boore), and Bexhill (Simon Coombs), whilst single-handedly attempting to hold off an army of Cybermen and perhaps most devastatingly – his own regeneration!

Following their impromptu genesis of sorts in World Enough and Time, the original Mondasian Cybermen are back in force in The Doctor Falls, having been diligently remodelled for their impressive return to the series. The Mondasian Cybermen originally made their debut back in The Tenth Planet (1966), which starred William Hartnell as the 1^st Doctor, it was written by Kit Pedler and Gerry Davis, and directed by Derek Martinus, and as well as heralding the Cybermen’s first appearance this classic story also featured the Doctor’s first ever regeneration.

Now the Mondasian Cybermen are back in The Doctor Falls, and this time they are appearing alongside their modern counterparts from the 10^th and 11^th Doctor‘s eras as well! It goes without saying that the Cyber-Set-Pieces in this episode are an exciting fan pleasing spectacle in their own right, but it is Bill’s plight as a fully converted Mondasian Cyberman that really strikes a cord. This is as exciting a Cyberman episode I think I’ve ever seen in the modern series, and the Mondasian Cybermen’s return now brings the Cybermen’s journey full circle amongst the elite pantheon of Doctor Who’s most successful recurring monsters.

With the Cybermen flying through the levels of the ship to reach them and any hope of returning to the TARDIS on the bridge now a mathematical impossibility, the Doctor intends to use a camouflaged lift in the nearby forest to evacuate the humans to safety on another floor. The 12^th Doctor’s disdain as Missy and the Master refuse to stand with him against the Cybermen is almost palpable, as they are all forced to face some unsettling home truths, and the exchanges between them here is electrifying to behold. As they leave the Doctor to his fate, with Cyber-Bill at his side while Nardole reluctantly leads the humans away along their escape route, and it is here that the Doctor prepares to stand his ground as the combined forces of the Cybermen close in.

Michelle Gomez is fabulously wicked as Missy in The Doctor Falls, especially now that she’s teamed up with John Simm as the earlier incarnation of The Master, and as they abandon the Doctor to return to the Master’s TARDIS it seems Missy has indeed returned to the path of evil. The warped chemistry between the Master and Missy is superbly played by Simm and Gomez, yet their characters dark union ultimately sees Missy have a change of hearts (s), and true to their nature they end up – quite literally – stabbing each other in the back. I’ve really enjoyed Michelle Gomez’s portrayal of Missy, she’s brought a fresh new dynamic to the Doctor’s arch enemy, her team-up with the Simm incarnation of the Master has been great fun, and Missy’s demise in this episode provides a fittingly ambiguous final end to the renegade’s time in the 12^th Doctor’s era.

There are far too many to mention, but along with the obligatory mention of jelly babies, as you’d expect with any series finale there are also a number of references to Doctor Who’s previous series. Missy mentions she knows the Doctor has fallen before, because it was when the 4^th Doctor plummeted from a radio telescope in Logopolis (1981). The Doctor Falls also features a pre-regeneration sequence were the Doctor sees images of his past companions and friends, something which also happened to the Doctor in Logopolis, and the cloister bell which tolls after the 12^th Doctor forcefully holds back his regeneration was also first heard back in Logopilis when it was explained to be a warning of imminent catastrophe and a call to man the battle stations.

There’s a great mash-up of the 4^th Doctor’s comment to Harry from Robot “You may be a Doctor, but I am the Doctor. The definitive article you might say”, and the 1^st Doctor’s ( played by Richard Hurndall) comments to Tegan “As it happens, I am the Doctor, the original you might say.“ from The Five Doctors (1983), during the final scenes of The Doctor Falls with the line “You may be a Doctor, but I am the Doctor… The original you might say.” There are lots references to past Cybermen stories as well to look out for relating back to events on other worlds, including name checks for Mondas from The 10^th Planet (1966), Telos from Tomb of the Cybermen (1967), Planet 14 mentioned by the Cyber-Planner in Invasion (1968), Voga from Revenge of the Cybermen 1975), Canary Warf in Army of Ghosts / Doomsday (2006), and the Moon from The Moonbase (1967). Capaldi’s Doctor also echoes the 10^th Doctor’s finale words “I don’t want to go” from The End of Time Part 2 (2010) as he faces the prospect of his own regeneration.

The final battle in the forest between the Doctor and the Cybermen is explosive, violent, and potentially fatal for the Time Lord as he eventually succumbs to the overwhelming odds and firepower stacked against him. In the last moments of the battle as the Doctor detonates the pipes in this levels infrastructure, the resulting explosion kills all the Cybermen, but the Doctor is also mortally wounded as a result. Cyber-Bill arrives, distraught at the Doctor’s apparent demise, she weeps, and her tears suddenly summon Heather (the sentient water based life-form Bill fell for in the series 10 premier The Pilot). It transpires Heather left Bill her tears behind and it formed a connection between them. Heather restores Bill back to her human form and they set out to explore the universe together, but before she goes Bill says goodbye to the unconscious Doctor resting inside the TARDIS, leaving her own tear behind before she departs.

Although some might find Bill’s fate a little contentious, I though it was handled really well, and gave the character a good sense of closure. Of course, it’s the closing moments of the Doctor Falls, as the Time Lord angrily refuses to regenerate, that events bookend with World Enough and Time’s astonishing pre-titles sequence where the Doctor kneels in front of the TARDIS about to regenerate, only for his regeneration to be delayed again before the surprise arrival of the 1^st Doctor, played by David Bradley, reprising his role from An Adventuree in Space and Time (2013) where he starred as William Hartnell in a dramatization of the early years of Doctor Who in the 1960’s. It’s a terrific moment, one that also brings with it heaps of nostalgia as well for good measure, and it certainly rounds off The Doctor Falls in fine style.

The Doctor Falls is a fittingly epic and action-packed finale to series ten. Overall this series of Doctor Who has arguably had one of the strongest runs of episodes that we’ve seen in recent years. There’s also been a distinct classic series vibe to this whole season, that has easily made it one the best and most accessible from Steven Moffat’s time as show runner. Needless to say, Peter Capaldi has been superb throughout as the Doctor; likewise, Pearl Mackie was also an absolute revelation as new companion Bill Pott’s. I was a little hesitant about Matt Lucas’ return as Nardole though, primarily because I was unsure that the character would work as a series regular, fortunately I’ve been proved wrong as Lucas and his role as Nardole has turned out to be a real boon for series ten

Now with the end of Moffat’s era and Capaldi’s tenure rapidly approaching, The Doctor Falls has paved the way for the 12^th Doctor’s departure, and engineered a thrilling lead-in to the 2017 Christmas Special in the most spectacular way imaginable as Peter Capaldi’s incarnation gets set to teams-up with David Bradley as William Hartnell’s 1^st Doctor for one last adventure before the impending regeneration of Peter Capaldi’s Doctor draws near….

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Doctor Who The Eaters of Light Review

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Bill Potts, Charles Palmer, Doctor Who, Doctor Who Series 10, Doctor Who Survival, Doctor Who The Eaters of Light, Doctor Who The Eaters of Light review, Doctor Who World Enough and Time, John Simm, Matt Lucas, Nardole, Pearl Mackie, Peter Capaldi, Picts, Roman legion of the Ninth, Romans, Rona Munro, Steven Moffat, TARDIS, The Doctor, The Master

Doctor Who The Eaters of Light

Review by Paul Bowler

[Contains Spoilers]

It is an enduring mystery, the Roman legion of the ninth vanished in the swirling mists of Scotland long ago in the past. Bill has an uncanny theory about what might’ve happened, and seeing how the Doctor just happens to have a time machine… But once the TARDIS has materialised in ancient Aberdeenshire they soon discover something mush deadlier than a Roman army, because in a secluded cairn there is a doorway, one that leads to the end of the world!

The tenth episode of series ten, The Eaters of Light, is perhaps one of the most eagerly anticipated episode this season, as it is written by Rona Monro, who returns to the series nearly thirty years after her first script for Doctor Who – the highly-regarded 1989 Seventh Doctor adventure Survival. The episode is directed by Charles Palmer, who, along with helming the series ten episode Oxygen., also directed 2007’s Smith and Jones, The Shakespeare Code and the acclaimed two-parter Human Nature / The Family of Blood.

Nardole isn‘t too pleased the Time Lord is off neglecting his oath to guard the Vault again; but he still goes along with Bill and the Doctor to investigate the bizarre mystery surrounding what really happened to Rome’s Ninth Legion who disappeared back in second-century Caledonia in AD120. In this hauntingly evocative episode strange music comes from the earth, the crows are talking, there’s a light-eating monster prowling the night, a Police Box has been carved in a standing stone, and a strange inter-dimensional gateway awaits as the TARDIS trio joins forces with Roman Centurions and Pictish warriors against a terrifying horror like something from Celtic myth that now haunts the lands.

Since she wrote Survival, the last story aired in the class series’ original twenty-six year run, Rona Munro has gone on to become one of the UK’s most renowned playwrights, writing also for radio, TV, and film screenplays. Munro’s wonderful script for The Eaters of Light weaves a magical thread of history, fantasy and sci-fi through this spooky saga of ancient legend, lost youth, and the fate of the Ninth Legion. As well as being a life-long fan of Doctor Who, Rona Munro now also has the added distinction, so far, of being the only person to have currently written stories for both the TV’s Doctor Who’s twentieth and twenty first century versions of the programme.

Peter Capaldi gives an especially towering performance as the Doctor in this episode, being both wise and heroic to a fault. Meanwhile, Bill finds this motley and diverse bunch of Roman’s are far more open-minded than she could’ve expected, especially where topics of sexuality are concerned, and Pearl Mackie one again brings a delightful sense of wonder and charm to the role of Bill Potts. Matt Lucas of course gets most the fun lines as Nardole, whose wry observations bring a welcome dash of mirth to the narrative. The Eaters of Light also features a great supporting cast: including Rebecca Benson (Kar), Daniel Kerr (Ban), Juwon Adedokun (Simon), Brian Vernel (Lucius), Ben Hunter (Thracius)), Arron Phagura (Marcus), Sam Adewunmi (Vitus), Billy Matthews (Cornelius), Jocelyn Brassington (Judy), and Lewis McGowan (Brother).

After discovering most of the Ninth Legion has been slaughtered by a “beast” known as the Eater of Light, Bill finds sanctuary with some of the surviving Roman soldiers. Meanwhile the Doctor and Nardole have found the remaining Pict warriors, the sole defenders against the Eaters of Light, whose weapons can refract and poison the light the monsters feed on. Their cairn holds the portal – where time flows more slowly – to the beast’s realm. Once in every generation, a lone warrior must enter to protect the gateway from an invading creature. Though they would survive only a few hours, it would be long enough to protect the world, but the Picts never suspected that each beast they battled was just the first of a deadly swarm that lurks beyond the portal.

It perhaps comes as no surprise that, much like The Empress of Mars which preceded it, The Eaters of Light also has a distinctly classic series feel about it. Charles Palmer’s excellent direction really makes the most of the impressive scenery. The episode is a bit low action in some places, but there is some great characterization, and the dark and atmospheric setting more than compensates for any lull in the overall pace of the story. This is an episode that once again has the Doctor and Bill separated for part of the story, so we get the Time Lord and Nardole teamed up for a bit, and the banter between them proves quite fun at times.

The Ninth Legion did really exist and they did disappear mysteriously. The Easters of Light is far from the first story in the programmes history to focus on such unexplained events. Real life mysteries have often provided the basis for many Doctor Who stories over the years: such as the inexplicable sightings of the Loch Ness Monster in Terror of the Zygons (1975), the extinction of the dinosaurs in Earthshock (1982), and Agatha Christie’s famous disappearance in The Unicorn and the Wasp (2008), are just a few examples where fact, mystery, and Doctor Who’s timey-wimey fictional world have collided with spectacular results. In the Easter of Light the Doctor’s companion Nardole also refers to the mystery of the Mary Celeste as he chats to the Picts when the Time Lord is absent for two days because of the time distortion while he’s investigating the portal. The abandoned Mary Celeste was found in the Atlantic Ocean in 1872, an enduring enigma, it has never been solved, but the 1^st Doctor (William Hartnell) adventure The Chase (1965) had the Daleks appearing briefly on board the Mary Celeste which then frightened the crew into abandoning ship!

I really liked how the way the TARDIS can translate languages is woven into the story in The Eaters of Light. First discussed in The Masque of Mandragora (1976), when the 4^th Doctor (Tom Baker) explained to Sarah Jane Smith (Elisabeth Sladen) how it is a ‘Time Lord gift’ that allows them to understand and interpret local languages. In the modern series its also become something linked to the TARDIS as well – which Bill quickly deduces in The Eaters of Light. It’s a moment that’s pivotal in getting the Roman and Pict survivors to put aside their differences and work together to fight the beast. Following the Doctor’s guidance, they mange to trap the beast at the gateway during daylight. Someone must stay and stop the monsters escaping until sunset. Because of the portals time dilation the Doctor believes only his Time Lord Physiology will enable him to complete the task, but the Kar and the last of the Ninth Legion overrule him and enter the gateway together to finally end this ancient battle and prevent humanity from being cast into darkness forever.

The Doctor offers no definitive explanation for the origins of the Eaters of Light; we get some idea of how these light-eating locusts can breach the dimensional cracks between worlds to feast on light. For the most part, the eponymous “beast” of the story only appears fleetingly.

Every hour of sunlight that feeds the monster makes the world darker by the moment. Striking from the shadows, the way it drains the light from its victims and hunts the humans is, initially at least, really effective. Sadly, when the monster finally appears in its entirety for the climatic final battle in the cairn, the CGI rendered creature isn’t that satisfying, which is rather disappointing considering all the effort that’s been put into establishing its threat to the world.

As the Doctor, Bill, and Nardole depart in the TARDIS leaving the remaining Picts to honour Kar’s memory, The Eater of Light has a wonderful coda featuring Michelle Gomez as the ever repentant Time Lady, Missy. It transpires she’s been on board during this adventure the whole time at the Doctor’s behest, doing maintenance on the TARDIS, and also observing their adventure – much to Nardole’s and Bill’s chagrin. We even get to briefly explore the complex nature of the Doctor’s relationship with Missy / the Master in an especially moving moment; and the dramatic tension Peter Capaldi and Michelle Gomez create here in this short scene is mesmerising.

Slightly ropey CGI monster effects aside, The Easters of Light is still an extremely good episode. Rona Munro’s script is bursting with pertinent themes and strong characterization for this final standalone episode of series ten, Capaldi, Mackie, and Lucas are all at the height of their game, and it’s all impressively directed by Charles Palmer. Now the stage is set first part of the big series finale World Enough and Time, and with the incredible ‘next time’ trailer also offering a glimpse of John Simm as the Master, and the original Mondasian Cybermen, I can’t wait to see what happens next!

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Doctor Who Series 10 New Iconic image featuring Missy & The Master!

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Bill Potts, Cybermen, Doctor Who, Doctor Who Series 10, Doctor Who Series 10 New Iconic image featuring Missy & The Master!, Doctor Who World Enough and Time, Doctor Who World Enough and Time review, John Simm, Matt Lucas, Michelle Gomez, Missy, Mondasian Cybermen, Nardole, New Missy and the Master Image, Pearl Mackie, Peter Capaldi, Steven Moffat, TARDIS, The 10th Planet, The Doctor, The Master

The Master Returns in new iconic image featuring Missy & The Master

for the Season 10 Finale!

A new image has just been released for the Doctor Who series 10 finale, featuring Missy (Michelle Gomez) and the Master (John Simm) together for the first time. The pair are seen either side of the Doctor (Peter Capaldi) as they put their own chilling spin on the iconic poster image that previously accompanied Doctor Who’s 50th anniversary special, The Day of the Doctor.

Simm is returning to Doctor Who as the Master for the first time since New Year’s Day 2010, when he was instrumental in brining about the Tenth Doctor‘s regeneration. Now the Master will come face-to-face with Missy, his own later regeneration, and battle the Doctor in the series’ two part finale which begins next weekend.The episodes also feature the return of the Cybermen – including the original Mondasian Cybermen, for the first time in over 50 years. Peter Capaldi’s 12^th Doctor is accompanied by Bill Potts (Pearl Mackie) and Nardole (Matt Lucas) in an epic story that will change Doctor Who forever!

Doctor Who’s series finale begins with episode 11, World Enough and Time, at 6:45pm on Saturday 24 June on BBC One. It concludes on Saturday 1 July with episode 12, The Doctor Falls – an extended, 60 minute episode.

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Doctor Who The Pilot Review

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Bill Potts, Daleks, Doctor Who, Doctor Who Series 10, Doctor Who The Pilot Review, Jennifer Hennessy, John Simm, Lawrence Gough, Matt Lucas, Movellans, Nardole, Pearle Mackie, Peter Capaldi, Stephanie Hyam, Steven Moffat, TARDIS, The Doctor, The Master, Time For Heroes

Doctor Who The Pilot

Review by Paul Bowler

[Contains Spoilers]

We’ve had two Christmas Specials and a hiatus between series, but now the waiting is finally over as Doctor Who’s tenth series gets underway with: The Pilot. Worlds collide when the Doctor meets Bill Potts! There’s a girl with a star in her eye, a race across the universe, and old enemies lurk in the shadows as Bill joins the Time Lord and Nardole on board the TARDIS for a whole new series of adventures in time and space!

Even though series ten will be a year of big changes for Doctor Who, with it being Stephen Moffat’s sixth and final year as Doctor Who show runner, and Peter Capaldi final season as the 12^th Doctor, The Pilot begins the series’ journey towards a new era with what is effectively a soft-reboot for the series, and of course the introduction of Pearl Mackie as the Doctor’s and Nardole’s new travelling companion – Bill Potts.

If you thought you’d have to wait for series eleven and Moffat’s successor as show runner, Chris Chibnall, to revamp Doctor Who, then you’d be mistaken, as Steven Moffat’s somewhat cheekily entitled series ten premier The Pilot actually turns out to be very effective and refreshing reboot of the series’ overall format. It ticks all the right boxes, there are lots of fun references for long term fans to enjoy, but just as importantly the episode also provides a good jumping on point for new viewers, and serves as a great introduction for the new companion Bill as she becomes embroiled in the Doctor’s madcap timey-wimey adventures.

Pearl Mackie makes a great debut as Bill Potts, a bright, geeky, twenty-something who lives with her foster mum, Moria (Played by Jennifer Hennessy, who also appeared as Valerie in the 10^th Doctor story, Gridlock, in 2007), Bill also works at the canteen in at St Luke’s University, in Bristol, where she’s fallen for a girl that she’s been serving extra sized portions of chips to in the canteen. There’s a scene were Bill looks in a box containing old photos of her late mother is also especially touching, it gives us further insight into Bill’s life, and is really well played by Mackie. Of course, The Pilot still has all of the familiar tropes that we’ve come to associate with the series – since its return in 2005 – when a new companion joins the TARDIS: such as a contemporary present day setting, with the explanation for the TARDIS being bigger on the inside than on the outside, and its chameleon circuit malfunctioning Police Box exterior, touching all the necessary bases. Indeed, Bill asks all the right questions, and some rather new and unexpected ones as well! Because of Bill, and in another first in the series‘ history, we also get to learn where the TARDIS toilet is located! While it might take Bill a little while to get to grips with the TARDIS and its amazing interior dimensions, she gets there eventually. Her first moments inside the TARDIS are a joy to behold, and Bill’s introduction makes the Doctor’s world feel all the more richer for her presence as she brings a very real sense of fun, innocence, and wonder along with her.

Naturally, it goes without saying that Peter Capaldi is as superb as ever. The Doctor is now giving lectures at the university, but what is the real reason for his mission on Earth? Capaldi’s eminent Professor becomes Bill’s tutor after he notices her sneaking into his lectures, there’s a great teacher / student dynamic between them, and Pearl Mackie’s scenes with Peter Capaldi are beautifully scripted as the Doctor and Bill explore the mystery of the strange puddle that’s far more dangerous and powerful than anyone could‘ve suspected. Following his appearance in the last two Christmas Specials, Matt Lucas also returns as the alien Nardole, and he’s been helping the Doctor investigate the mysterious Vault they seem to be guarding at the university. Nardole pops up intermittently over the course of the episode, but still has a key role to play, and he gets all the best jokes!

Superbly directed by Lawrence Gough (whose previous television work includes episodes of Misfits, Atlantis, and Endeavour), The Pilot sends the new TARDIS crew on frenetic chase across the world to Australia, before embarking on a voyage to the other side of the universe, and back again. There are a some scary moments with Heather (Stephanie Haym), the mysterious girl with a haunting connection to a liquid spaceship, strange pools of water prove deadlier than they seem, romance blossoms in a war zone, a Dalek battle – featuring the same three minute Friend From the Future scene which was originally shown during half-time of the FA Cup Final last April that announced Pearl Mackie‘s casting as Bill Pott’s – is another highlight and the exciting and emotional finale that will leave you eager to see where the Doctor, Bill, and Nardole’s adventures will take them next.

There are plenty of fun and nostalgic links to past to look out for in this episode as well. The Doctor’s study in the university is reminiscent of Professor Chronotis’ study at Cambridge from Shada (the abandoned story from the Classic series’ seventeenth season in 1979/ 80), framed pictures of River Song and the Doctor’s granddaughter, Susan, adorn his desk, there’s even a pot filled with a collection of the Time Lord’s old sonic screwdrivers, and the “Out of order” sign on the TARDIS door is a nice throwback to the one used in The War Machines (1966). The Movellans, a race of robots that waged war on the Daleks, last seen in Destiny of the Daleks ( 1979), also make a blink-and-you’ll-miss- it appearance. The Pilot also has numerous hints towards the modern series as well, especially with its depiction of Bill’s everyday life, which seems reminiscent of Rose Tyler’s introduction in Rose (2005). Most notable though, is when the Doctor attempts to wipe Bill’s memories at the end of The Pilot, which clearly mirrors the moment when the 10^th Doctor took Donna Nobel’s memories away to save her life in Journey’s End (2008), but the Doctor’s change of heart and Bill’s subsequent avoidance of this fate uncannily resonates with previous companion Clara’s decision to erase the Doctor’s memories of her during the 2015 season finale: Hell Bent – a point accentuated further by the short inclusion of Murray Gold’s score for Clara’s theme.

But it is the closing moments of The Pilot after the next time trailer for Smile, where the addition of a tantalizing coming soon mini-trailer featuring none other the return of The Master himself, played by John Simm, that really provides the icing on the cake that elevates the excitement surrounding this new series to a whole new level. John Simm’s gave David Tennant’s 10^th incarnation of the Doctor a run for his money when he played the Master in 2007’s Utopia, The Sound of Drums, and The Last of the Time Lords, and The End of Time Parts 1 & 2 (Dec 25^th 2009 / Jan 1^st 2010). Simm’s return is even more thrilling because we also know Michelle Gomez is returning as Missy, so, thanks to the wonders of time travel it looks like Peter Capaldi’s Doctor will be confronting two incarnations of his old nemesis this series. If that wasn’t enough, the coming soon trailer also seems to provide a startling glimpse of Peter Capaldi’s Doctor swathed in even more regeneration energy than we‘ve seen in pervious trailers! Could this momentous event be happening sooner than we think, or are we just being teased?

Posing almost as many questions as it does answers, chiefly the mystery surrounding the vault that the Doctor and Nardole have been watching over at the university and why the Doctor wants to keep his true identity there a secret, The Pilot gets series ten off to a really exciting start. Boasting some impressive special effects, this fast-paced adventure has a decidedly more upbeat tone, along with an energetic sense of fun, and the Doctor even belts out a smattering of Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony on his electric guitar for good measure too. The Pilot makes the Doctor Who universe feel fresh and invigorated again, a palpable sense of anticipation has built up around this new series, and there is a great rapport between The Doctor, Bill, and Nardole. One things for sure, if the rest of series ten is as good as this episode we are going to be in for one hell of final jaunt around the universe with Peter Capaldi’s Doctor!

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Doctor Who Death In Heaven Review

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Chris Addison, Clara Oswald, Cybermen, Danny Pink, Doctor Who, Doctor Who Death In Heaven, Doctor Who Series Eight, Ingrid Oliver, Jemma Redgrave, Jenna Coleman, Kate Stweart, Michelle Gomez, Missy, Osgood, Peter Capaldi, Rachel Talalay, Samuel Anderson, Sanjeeve Bhaskar, Seb, St Paul's Cathedral, Steven Moffat, TARDIS, The 12th Doctor, The Gate Keeper of the Nethersphere, The Master, The Nethersphere, UNIT

Death In Heaven

Review by Paul Bowler

[Contains Spoilers]

In 24 hours the human race will cease to exist. The Cybermen have invaded London, a new indestructible army built from humanity’s dead. Missy has been revealed as the Doctor’s arch nemesis, the Master! With Danny deceased, trapped in the Nethersphere, an impossible decision looms for Clara as the Cybermen close in. As the Cyber-Invasion spreads around the world, the Doctor joins forces with old friends, but can even the might of UNIT help the Doctor defeat this terrifying alliance between the Master and the Cybermen? The Doctor must his face the greatest challenge of all and difficult sacrifices will have to be made to save the world…

Death in Heaven concludes the exciting two-part series eight finale, as the Cyber-Invasion continues in this special hour-long episode, written by show runner Steven Moffat, and directed by Rachael Talalay. Now that the secret of the “Promised Land” and Missy’s true identity has been revealed, the dark and ominous tone of this this action packed season finale kicks into high gear as Steven Moffat engineers the mother all showdowns for the Doctor and his UNIT allies as they battle the combined menace of Missy and the Cybermen.

While Clara tries to deceive the Cybermen that she’s really the Doctor, the Cybermen hidden in the Dark Water tanks at the 3W Institute begin to emerge onto the streets of London, where the Doctor, still reeling from discovering that Missy is his old enemy, the Master, can only look on helplessly as the Cybermen march past St Paul’s Cathedral towards the unsuspecting civilians. Missy encourages people to take selfies with the Cybermen, giving the concealed UNIT forces time make their move, but even though they capture Missy the dome of St Paul’s cathedral opens and 91 Cybermen take to the air – except for one that remains and explodes over London to unleash a deadly cloud of Cyber-Pollen. Missy gleefully informs the Doctor, Kate Stewart, and Osgood the Cybermen will target the other key areas of significant population density in the UK to spread the Cyber-Pollen – something the Cybermen are now doing simultaneously on a global scale in every town and city around the world. As the dark clouds gather over graveyards, funeral homes, and mortuaries, the rain starts to fall and the Cyber-Pollen begins its heinous work – infusing the corpses of the dead and reanimating them as Cybermen.

Steven Moffat rounds off series eight of Doctor Who in fine style with Death in Heaven, building on the deeply unsettling premise established in Dark Water (Where all of Earth’s dead had been transformed into a Cyber-Army, their minds stored in the Nethersphere – a Gallifreyan Hard Drive – were their emotions are subsequently deleted before transplantation back into the Cybermen), to provide a harrowing and emotional roller coaster ride for the Doctor and Clara that will test their friendship to the limit.

Needless to say, Peter Capaldi is superb as the 12th Doctor in Death in Heaven. Here we see just how dark and uncompromising this incarnation can be, and Capaldi delivers an absolutely magnificent performance that will have you on the edge of your seat. Jenna Coleman is also brilliant as Clara Oswald, whose character has constantly evolved over the course of series eight, and the culmination of the events and decisions Clara ultimately makes in Death in Heaven makes this arguably one of Coleman’s best episodes to date.

Death in Heaven also marks the welcome return of UNIT to help the Doctor fight the Cybermen and Missy. Peter Capaldi’s 12th Doctor has constantly voiced his dislike of the military since his regeneration, which creates a really interesting dynamic here as he’s forced to work alongside the Brigadier’s daughter, Kate Stewart (Jemma Redgrave), together with Ossgood (Ingrid Oliver), now sporting an 11th Doctor style bow tie instead of the 4th Doctor scarf she wore in The Day of the Doctor (2013), and Colonel Ahmed (Sanjeev Bhaskar). The Time Lord takes to the skies as the newly appointed President of Earth, where he is given control of the worlds military forces and is expected to coordinate their retaliation against to the Cyber-Invasion.

Its good to see Jemma Redgrave return as UNIT’s chief scientific advisor Kate Stewart, she gets some really powerful scenes alongside the Doctor, even confronting the Cybermen in London where she throws the head of an Invasion style Cybermen – that originally featured in The Invasion (1968) – at the feet of their new counterparts to make her point. When Kate brings the Doctor, the TARDIS, and the captured Missy to a special UNIT aircraft that serves as its secret mobile headquarters (just like her father Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart used in The Invasion), there’s a great scene where the Doctor notices a portrait of Kate’s late father – its a fleeting moment; and one which resonates poignantly with events later in the episode.

Samuel Anderson gives a particularly moving performance in Death in Heaven as Clara’s boyfriend, Danny Pink, the former soldier turned Maths teacher, sent to the Nethersphere after he died, where Missy’s conniving assistant, Seb, sinisterly played by Capaldi’s The Thick of it co-star Chris Addison, now explains to Danny that he – along with the other minds of the recently deceased stored in this Gallifreyian data cloud – are about to be sent back from what they believed was the afterlife with an added upgrade…

Transformed into a Cyberman, the moment where Danny awakens in the Chaplet Funeral Home is genuinely chilling. He saves Clara from the Cybermen at the 3W Institute and takes her to a graveyard, where Danny’s role becomes even more vital, and the groundwork already established earlier in the series really comes to the fore. The traumatic event that caused Danny to leave the army, when he accidentally killed a young boy (Antonio Bourouphael), continues to haunt him in Death in Heaven while his love for Clara remains undiminished, despite her lies, and she becomes his guiding light as he later confronts the most heartrending decision of all.

The army of Cybermen created from the remains of every human being that ever died, is a deeply unsettling concept, and one from which Steven Moffat skilfully wrings every ounce of horror from as we witness Clara stumbling through a graveyard just as the Cybermen begin to rise from the graves. Danny’s Cyber-resurrection in the mortuary is another scary scene that’s sure to send a few chills down the spine before the realisation of who he actually is begins to sink in. The Cyber-Pollen is perhaps the most grotesque use of cyber-technology that we’ve ever seen in Doctor Who, used to weaponise the dead, the Cybermen have created the ultimate form of Cyber-Conversion, and the way its implemented in this episode is truly horrific. These Cybermen also have a new ability, the power of flight, and their chest units emit a scanning beam to try and validate Clara’s identity when she tries to buy herself more time by pretending to be the Doctor – a witty subterfuge that cleverly spills over into the opening titles of the episode to keep us guessing.

It doesn’t take Missy long to orchestrate her escape, she ruthlessly kills Osgood, and summons the Cybermen to attack the plane mid-air. I was really surprised when Osgood was killed, and the senseless nature of her sudden death left us with no doubt just how evil and manipulative Missy can be. When the Doctor confronts Missy he’s horrified by what she’s done to Osgood, but when the Doctor receives a call via the TARDIS from Clara whose just discovered that Danny is a now a Cyberman, Missy finally reveals that she was the one that originally gave Clara the phone number to the Doctor’s TARDIS in The Bells of St John (2013), and she also put advert in the paper in Deep Breath (2014). Missy is the person who brought the Doctor and Clara together, the control freak and the man that should never be controlled, and the irony of her grand design to keep them together really hits home as the Cybermen tear into the fuselage, sending Kate Stewart plummeting to her doom before Missy teleports away and the plane explodes. The special effects used to bring us the Cybermen’s attack on the plane are stunning, the action doesn’t let up for a single moment, and the aftermath of the aircrafts destruction throws the Doctor into a nail biting freefall towards the TARDIS.

The gender reassignment for the Doctor’s old enemy, the Master, has given the renegade Time Lord a whole new lease of life as the gloriously twisted Mary Poppins-like incarnation known as Missy – the woman that we’ve seen welcoming the recently deceased in series eight after they’ve arrived in the faux afterlife of the Nethersphere. Michelle Gomez gives a wonderfully villainous performance as Missy, successfully channelling the sinister charm and menace of the Master with a mischievous twinkle in her eye as she revels in her evil scheme. The scene where she kills Osgood, initially taunting her, and then crushing her glasses underfoot after killing her is really cold. Missy’s scenes with the Doctor are the real highlight of Death in Heaven, especially when she taunts him about killing his friends and teases him with her claims that she actually knows the location of Gallifrey. The chemistry between Michelle Gomez and Peter Capaldi is positively electric, their verbal sparing perfectly captures the essence of the classic rivalry between these two characters, and it certainly makes for a fittingly epic confrontation between the 12th Doctor and this new version of the Master.

After using the TARDIS to reach the graveyard, where Clara is trying to activate Danny’s emotional inhibitor to end his suffering because even though he’s a Cybermen he has still retained his emotions, the Doctor is reluctant to help as he fears Danny will try and kill Clara after his emotions are deleted. The Doctor also needs to know what the rumbling storm clouds of Cyber-Pollen will do next, however, Danny informs him that in order to access the Cybermen’s hive mind his emotional inhibitor will have to be switched on. The Doctor reluctantly agrees and Clara tearfully says goodbye to Danny before using the sonic screwdriver to switch on the inhibitor. Danny reveals that a second rainfall is imminent, and this time all humanity will die and rise again as Cybermen. Missy teleports to the graveyard and offers the Doctor control of the Cyber-Army as a twisted birthday present for the Time Lord, so he can use them however he wants to save the universe from tyranny. Aghast that anyone should have such power, the Doctor rejects the offer, giving the control bracelet to Danny, whereby the former soldier takes command of the Cyber-Army and orders them to fly into the skies where they explode and destroy the Cyber-Pollen clouds.

These riveting final moments of the battle conclude with a furious Clara threatening to kill Missy with her own weapon, and she’s angry that the Doctor hasn’t done so before. The Doctor intervenes, saying he will kill Missy for her, but before he can act a lone Cyberman suddenly fires at Missy and vaporises her. The Doctor and Clara discover Kate Stewart unconscious on the ground nearby, she’s still alive, and was saved by the Cyberman. The moment when it suddenly dawns on the Doctor that the Cyberman that saved Kate is her father, the Brigadier, also resurrected by the Cyber-Pollen, is both haunting and deeply moving, and the Doctor’s farewell salute to his old friend before the Cyberman soars into the sky makes this beautifully poignant scene even more special.

Death in Heaven really shows what the Doctor and Clara are made of. We’ve seen over the course of series eight how both of them have been capable of making difficult choices that haven’t always necessarily rested easily with them, secrets and lies have also shaped and defined their adventures, so it is perhaps fitting that this series finale concludes with the Doctor and Clara not being entirely honest with each other. The coda that unfolds two weeks later as Clara meets with the Doctor to end her travels with him and say goodbye is tinged with sadness and deceit for both of them.

We know Danny found enough power in Missy’s bracelet to return to the living world, but Clara doesn’t tell the Doctor that Danny chose instead to send the young boy he accidentally killed when he was a soldier back in his place – sacrificing his last chance of being reunited with Clara – knowing she will help him put things right. Likewise, we see the Doctor take the TARDIS to the coordinates that Missy said were for Gallifrey – having claimed the planet had actually returned to its original location – only to find an empty region of space, where he flies into a furious rage inside the TARDIS at being given this glimmer of hope by his old enemy only to have it cruelly snatched away. After saying their farewells, unaware of the others lies, the Doctor’s solitary travels in the TARDIS are suddenly interrupted by a very unexpected and special Christmassy visitor…

I really liked how Dark Water and Death in Heaven were not quite as time twistingly complex as some of the previous season finales, instead we had the focus placed firmly on making it a more straightforward action-adventure, and I think that made these episodes all the more enjoyable. Sure, it’s not 100% perfect, few season finales ever are. The resolution to the cliff-hanger was initially a little stilted, with civilians taking selfies with the Cybermen, and I was really sad to see Oswin get killed. However, overall I thought Missy was an excellent foil for the Doctor, and the Cybermen were used effectively by the story and were really creepy in the graveyard scenes. Steven Moffat’s tense and exciting storyline was fast paced and skilfully brought all the elements of series eight together, and Rachel Talalay’s confident direction made this two-part series finale gripping viewing.

Death in Heaven was a great way to bring Peter Capaldi’s impressive first season as the 12th Doctor to a close. I’ve really enjoyed series eight, there’s been a great mix of stories, and the performances by Peter Capaldi and Jenna Coleman as the Doctor and Clara have been excellent. Samuel Anderson has also been exceptionally good as Danny Pink, and Michelle Gomez was superb as Missy. Peter Capaldi has completely won me over as the 12th Doctor, he’s proved to be a perfect choice for the role, and I can’t wait to see what happens next in the Christmas Special!

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Doctor Who Dark Water Review

Tags

Andrew Leung, Chris Addison, Clara Oswald, Cybermen, Danny Pink, Dark Water, Doctor Who, Doctor Who Dark Water, Doctor Who Series 8, Dr Chang, Jenna Coleman, Michelle Gomez, Missy, Peter Capaldi, Rachel Talalay, Seb, St Paul's Cathedral, Steven Moffat, TARDIS, The 12th Doctor, The Gate Keeper of the Nethersphere, The Master, The Nethersphere

Dark Water

Review by Paul Bowler

[Contains Spoilers]

The finale begins… Somewhere, in the mysterious realm of the Nethersphere, a sinister plan has been devised. When the secret organisation known as 3W promises “death is not an end”, the Doctor and Clara must face the darkest day of all. Missy is about to meet the Doctor at last, soon an impossible choice has to be made, and it is during this blackest hour the Time Lord will confront his old enemies – the Cybermen!

Dark Water moves the action to the Nethersphere for the start of this two-part season finale, with a story written by show runner Steven Moffat, and directed by Rachel Talalay. This deeply unsettling and dark episode doesn’t pull any punches as Moffat’s grand design for series eight begins to fall into place, tackling concepts of heaven and the afterlife as the mystery of the “Promised Land” is revealed – delving with unflinching clarity into the chilling life-after-death experiences that await in Dark Water when someone dies.

When Clara decides to phone Danny while he’s on his way to her flat, tragedy strikes, and Danny is struck by a car and killed. Some time later, while Clara’s Gran (Sheila Reid) is visiting her flat, the Doctor finally answers Clara’s telephone call. Hiding her grief, Clara deceives the Doctor to get the TARDIS to a volcanic world, before attempting to force the Doctor to help her change what happened and save Danny – throwing the TARDIS keys into the lava each time he refuses to comply. However, the sleep patches Clara believes she’d managed to subdue the Doctor with have actually been used by the Time Lord to send her into a dream-like state, one that allowed Clara’s grief stricken scenario to play out – albeit harmlessly inside the TARDIS console room – so the Doctor could see how exactly far she was prepared to go to save Danny.

Dark Water gets this two-part series finale off to a cracking start, with its harrowing opening scenes testing the Doctor’s and Clara’s friendship to breaking point. Peter Capaldi is magnificent as the 12th Doctor in this episode, he dominates every scene he’s in, and the sheer gravitas that Capaldi bring to his performance is utterly compelling. Jenna Coleman is also superb in Dark Water as Clara Oswald, whose role has now become so integral to the ongoing narrative of this eighth season, and this episode really rewards us with some major turning points for her character.

Samuel Anderson also returns as Danny Pink in Dark Water, and his sudden demise in the opening moments initially leave you wondering if that’s his lot. Danny soon himself being welcomed to the unsettling realm of the Nethersphere, just like so many before him this series. Samuel Anderson gives his strongest performance yet as Danny Pink, his anguish at discovering he’s apparently dead, is heartrending to watch, and over the course of this episode we also discover the terrible tragedy that caused him to leave the army. Chris Addison (Peter Capaldi’s co-star from The Thick of it) is also excellent as Seb, a being who exists inside the Nethersphere as Missy’s assistant, and there are some terrific scenes between Seb and Danny as the real nature of this otherworldly realm is gradually revealed.

In a brilliantly scripted moment between the Doctor and Clara by Steven Moffat, were even treachery and betrayal fails to diminish their timeless bond of friendship, the Doctor resolves to help Clara bring Danny back from whatever hereafter might exist. With the navcom offline, the Doctor has Clara use the telepathic interface to locate Danny (just like she did in the episode Listen), which brings the TARDIS to a foreboding mausoleum, where the individual tombs contain seated skeletal corpses immersed in a clear fluid.

On closer inspection, the Doctor and Clara discover the mausoleum is the 3W Institute, and following their initial encounter with Missy (Michelle Gomez), who pretends to be a multi-function interactive welcome-droid, they encounter Dr Chang (Andrew Leung) – using the psychic paper to establish the Doctor’s credentials in a way that humorously references Capaldi’s former well known role as the foul-mouthed Malcolm Tucker from The Thick of it – who offers Clara the chance to talk to Danny Pink, via signals the institutes founder, Dr Skarosa, discovered in broadcast white noise signals that are believed to be telepathic messages from the recently departed. The horrific nature of Dr Chang’s and Seb’s claims, that the dead remain conscious and fully aware of everything that’s happening to them, provides a ghoulishly disturbing afterthought that takes this episode into some of the darkest territory that has been explored so far over this course of this series.

The Cybermen make a dramatic return in Dark Water. Ever since they made their first appearance in the 1st Doctor’s final story, The Tenth Planet (1966), the Cybermen have become one of the Time Lord’s deadliest enemies. The Cybermen have undergone several upgrades over the years. This latest version of the Cybermen, which debuted in Nightmare in Silver (2013), are sleek, fast, and have the ability to quickly adapt and repair themselves. In Dark Water the Cybermen are in league with Missy, and this time they have ingeniously hidden in plain sight. The skeletal bodies, which Dr Chang explained to the Doctor and Clara as being held in a support exoskeleton and suspended in a “Dark Water” solution that makes the exoskeleton invisible, are really the Cybermen – their metal bodies hidden because inorganic material cannot be seen in the liquid.

Dark Water illustrates just how inhuman the Cybermen really are, perhaps more so than ever before, revealing how little organic mater actually remains within them to make the prospect of Cyber-Conversion seem even more grotesque, transcending the horrific loss of emotions and individuality, and taking the concept of body horror to the ultimate extreme as we realise how completely their victims humanity is stripped away.

The tombs seen in the 3W Institute are reminiscent of the Cybermen’s frozen tombs in the 2nd Doctor’s adventure, Tomb of the Cybermen (1967), and when the Cybermen are unleashed in Dark Water, director Rachel Talalay portrays a Cyber-Invasion that re-creates one of Doctor Who’s most iconic scenes from the 1968 story The Invasion, were the Cybermen also invaded London and marched past St Paul’s Cathedral. Impressive set designs, especially the doors and offices in both the Nethersphere and the 3W Institute, also carry subtle hints of Cyber-Design. Along with the chilling scenes with the skeletons in the tanks, the impressive visual effects also give us our first glimpse inside the Nethersphere itself as Danny contemplates the afterlife.

Having established contact with the Nethersphere the Doctor leaves Clara to talk to Danny in the 3W Institutes office, having prompted her to question Danny to make sure that its really him she’s speaking too, while he goes with Dr Chang to investigate the tombs and finds that Missy is waiting for them. While a distraught Danny faces a fateful decision, one that will delete his pain and thereby all his emotions, Missy kills Chang and gives the command to drain the tanks and release the Cybermen. The Nethersphere is revealed to be a Gallifreyan Hard Drive that is actually contained within the 3W Institute itself, where the memories of the dead have been stored so their emotions can be removed before they are transplanted into the Cybermen in the tanks. The Doctor races outside where he is shocked to find himself standing outside St Paul’s Cathedral in present-day London. The Time Lord desperately tries to warn the civilians to flee the area as the Cybermen emerge, but there is one more surprise in store for the Doctor as Missy finally reveals her true identity…

Michelle Gomez gives a mesmerising performance as the villain known as Missy, or perhaps we should say Mistress… Yes, the big reveal of the identity of this mysterious Mary Poppin’s like character that has been welcoming the recently deceased to the Promised Land (one of the many names the Nethersphere is known by) over the course of this season, finally happens in Dark Water. Missy is The Master, the renegade Time Lord and arch enemy of the Doctor! Now the Master is back, as a new female version of the classic villain, having forged a frightening alliance with the Cybermen that will take advantage of mankind’s biggest weakness – the fact that the dead outnumber the living – to strike against humanity in the most horrific way imaginable. The Master’s love of disguises is also utilised in this story, when Missy pretends to be a multi-function interactive welcome-droid, and she even kisses the Doctor at one point!

Michelle Gomez and Peter Capaldi both give incredible performances in Dark Water, the chemistry between them is brilliant, and this episodes cliff-hanger sets up a fittingly epic confrontation between the Time Lord and Time Lady that is sure to keep us on the edge of our seats. With its dark themes, excellent performances all round, great story by Steven Moffat, and taut direction by Rachel Talalay, the first instalment of this two-part series finale is an exciting and thought provoking episode. Dark Water certainly lives up to all the hype, it was great to see the Cybermen return to the series in a more prominent role as well, and I look forward to discovering the full extent of the Master’s grand plan in the concluding part of the series eight finale: Death in Heaven.

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