Mr. Pink demonstrates once again that he has a bit of flare, also that he has a heart of gold that's generous and full of compassion and care. If this was a 13th Doctor episode it would be panned, but I thought this season finale was just grand, although it does take a few liberties with the way it plays its hand, especially with things that are best left buried under the land (although just about anything can be reanimated these days it seems). Anyway, Missy plays a masterful cissy, there's some tears for an old friend at the end, and like so many seasons past, the show runner recovers a downward trajectory with quite a blast, although there were three episodes that have left me aghast (egg, forest, line - all the opposite of fine and demonstrating decline).
46 Reviews
A dreadful conclusion to a superb season.
ryanjmorris8 November 2014
Warning: Spoilers
Oh, well. Doctor Who's eighth series has been, for me, nothing short of incredible. Sure it had a misfire in the form of a spontaneous forest, but no series of this show is perfect. Series 8 just about had it all and it was going perfectly. Until now. Death in Heaven may potentially go down as the most disappointing hour of television all year. It just did not work any shape or form, an ultimately wound up an incoherent mess of an episode. Hardly any of the plot threads wound together properly, an entire season's worth of character development was rendered pointless by the end, and it suffered from so many logical issues that any attempt of emotion fell astonishingly flat. I don't wish to end this post on a downer, but I sort of have to.
There were some nice touches littered throughout. The Doctor and Clara's final hug was effective and the Doctor's reaction after following Missy's coordinates was well done, but besides that, everything else sort of fell apart. Danny becoming an emotional Cyberman didn't make sense and Missy essentially became a comic relief character rather than a villain (and don't get me started on her death). The idea of the "pollen rain" bordered on idiotic, the plane felt like a set piece for the sake of being a set piece rather than serving any purpose to the episode's plot, and pretty much every scene involving Kate Stewart became almost unbearable to watch. Danny returning the kid to the world was nice, but felt entirely out of place with his character, and changing the opening credits to help back up the world's most obvious red herring was just a bit offensive. But hey, at least Osgood is back! Right? It's not as if they gave her a mind-numbingly stupid death scene involving the world's most oblivious guards, is it? Hmm?
Also, when will Moffat let Matt Smith go? Smith is my favourite Doctor, but it's about time they gave up referencing him now. As if Osgood's bow tie wasn't enough, we actually had to go and see him in a flashback again. It sort of hurt, a bit. I do believe Moffat is a talented writer, and I still believe Series 8 has been terrific, but this was just a mess, I was so impressed with last week's Dark Water; it was a superb setup, which unfortunately led to a major meltdown. This episode gained some focus in the final scene in the cafe, but even that was brought down by Clara and the Doctor lying to each other. I understand why they did it, it just wasn't necessary and seemed to forget all the character work done with Clara and the Doctor throughout this series. Season 8 has been a Doctor Who highlight, though, even if its finale let it down. There have been some misfires, but there have also been a few all-time classics, and a hell of a lot of episodes that weren't far off. And in a show on its eighth series, that is something worth praising.
SERIES GRADE- 9/10
There were some nice touches littered throughout. The Doctor and Clara's final hug was effective and the Doctor's reaction after following Missy's coordinates was well done, but besides that, everything else sort of fell apart. Danny becoming an emotional Cyberman didn't make sense and Missy essentially became a comic relief character rather than a villain (and don't get me started on her death). The idea of the "pollen rain" bordered on idiotic, the plane felt like a set piece for the sake of being a set piece rather than serving any purpose to the episode's plot, and pretty much every scene involving Kate Stewart became almost unbearable to watch. Danny returning the kid to the world was nice, but felt entirely out of place with his character, and changing the opening credits to help back up the world's most obvious red herring was just a bit offensive. But hey, at least Osgood is back! Right? It's not as if they gave her a mind-numbingly stupid death scene involving the world's most oblivious guards, is it? Hmm?
Also, when will Moffat let Matt Smith go? Smith is my favourite Doctor, but it's about time they gave up referencing him now. As if Osgood's bow tie wasn't enough, we actually had to go and see him in a flashback again. It sort of hurt, a bit. I do believe Moffat is a talented writer, and I still believe Series 8 has been terrific, but this was just a mess, I was so impressed with last week's Dark Water; it was a superb setup, which unfortunately led to a major meltdown. This episode gained some focus in the final scene in the cafe, but even that was brought down by Clara and the Doctor lying to each other. I understand why they did it, it just wasn't necessary and seemed to forget all the character work done with Clara and the Doctor throughout this series. Season 8 has been a Doctor Who highlight, though, even if its finale let it down. There have been some misfires, but there have also been a few all-time classics, and a hell of a lot of episodes that weren't far off. And in a show on its eighth series, that is something worth praising.
SERIES GRADE- 9/10
A somewhat disappointing series finale
Tweekums9 November 2014
Warning: Spoilers
The previous episode, the first of this two part story, ended with the chief baddie revealed to be none other than The Master, renamed The Mistress due to a change of gender, leading an army of Cybermen onto the streets of London. We soon learn that there are Cybermen in all the world's major cities and there is a plan to make more by converting the dead into Cybermen. The Doctor and The Mistress are taken into custody aboard a plane belonging to UNIT. Here The Mistress is shackled while The Doctor finds himself declared World President! Meanwhile Clara has been captured by the Cybermen; only to be freed when one of them kills the others and reveals himself do be none other than Danny Pink.
I've rather enjoyed Peter Capaldi's first series as The Doctor but must admit I was a little disappointed by its conclusion. I liked the idea of a female Master but having old foes the Cybermen return yet again was less good; especially when we learn that they, like the Daleks, can now fly! The idea of the dead rising to become a threat was good but would have been better if the cause was something other than an old enemy. The flaws are down to the writing as the acting was good; I particularly liked Michelle Gomez's portrayal of The Mistress even if the Mary Poppins impression was a little corny. On the plus side the expected saving of Danny Pink didn't occur I was convinced we'd get a cop out ending; instead we got a rather poignant one. The ending hinted at what we might get in the next series and that could be interesting even if the preview suggests the Christmas Special might not be so special; I hope to be proved wrong though.
I've rather enjoyed Peter Capaldi's first series as The Doctor but must admit I was a little disappointed by its conclusion. I liked the idea of a female Master but having old foes the Cybermen return yet again was less good; especially when we learn that they, like the Daleks, can now fly! The idea of the dead rising to become a threat was good but would have been better if the cause was something other than an old enemy. The flaws are down to the writing as the acting was good; I particularly liked Michelle Gomez's portrayal of The Mistress even if the Mary Poppins impression was a little corny. On the plus side the expected saving of Danny Pink didn't occur I was convinced we'd get a cop out ending; instead we got a rather poignant one. The ending hinted at what we might get in the next series and that could be interesting even if the preview suggests the Christmas Special might not be so special; I hope to be proved wrong though.
Season 8: Lacks discipline and judgment – too often spoiling its own good points, the biggest of which is Capaldi himself
bob the moo28 November 2014
I stayed out of the way when the new series of Doctor Who started, waiting instead till a few weeks after the season had finished before I started to watch it. In the meantime I had just ignored the hype and stayed out of the way of any news, opinion or otherwise – not because I was so frantic to experience purely and savor every minute, but rather just preference to watch things the way I want. This is not to say that I was not looking forward to it – because of course I wanted to see Capaldi in the lead role and see the changes that would, hopefully, come with that central change.
The outlook did not appear to be good from the minute the opening episode saw a T-Rex in Victorian London, lesbian aliens, comedy little aliens, and general silliness. Actually that is unfair, because there was some darkness in that episode too, and some quite creepy moments, but they always seemed isolated, like they were a mistake rather than something the show was trying to achieve. This continues through the season; that most episodes have fragments of good ideas or good scenes, but generally they lack control of the tone, and in particular the discipline to just be reserved and not constantly be pushing to take things to 11. I don't mean volume or spectacle when I say this, but just content. There are many examples but to name a few; in Forest of the Night, there was no reason why the little girl had to have her sister returned at the end – it isn't really "from" anywhere, and the episode suddenly ends with no reason for the scene apart from the writer thinking it might be good it seems. Likewise (and more upsetting) the final episode decides to pretend to kill Lethbridge-Stewart (the daughter), then decides to save her in a most unusual fashion – specifically having a terribly judged and pointless few seconds where we see a Cyberman we are told is the original Lethbridge-Stewart (who then flies off, leaving the terrifying impression that he could also return).
These are two specific examples of lack of self-control in the writing, but the show is rife with these. The sheer lack of control on the tone of the show is seen in most episodes; the finest killing machine in the universe terrorizes a school but really seems like a toy robot they stuck in because they realized they needed something for the "next week" trailer. This is seen in other episodes where good ideas seem sidelined suddenly, or bigger ideas are shoved into small spaces to be used as a plot device for much less interesting ideas. This is not to say all the episodes are bad, indeed in most cases there is pretty much enough about them to engage – but more than enough to then frustrate at the same time; perfect example being Kill The Moon, which is really well done in the first half – terrible in big and small ideas in the second half. Only Flatline really stood out, although the darkness of the final two episodes was appreciated (were it not for all the silliness and poor judgment that came with it).
The best thing about the season is Capaldi, but he is also the most disappointing. The best thing is that even when he is being goofy, he has a darker air to him than the previous Doctors – he has a weight and presence that I like. When the writing uses this, the show is at its best, and even when the writing is poor but is trying (and failing) to be dark or complex, then Capaldi helps it a bit. Problem is that in almost every single episode, he feels better than the show around him. Coleman is okay, but there is never a time when her performance makes you forget that she is pretty – this is always what is first and most evident. Anderson is so-so in his interactions with her, but his tension with the Doctor is much better for him to deliver on. Gomez is okay in terms of doing what is asked of her; I do not care about the gender change – I care that she was not allowed more time with the Doctor to play off one another and produce some great scenes – there was so much darkness in these scenes (poor cute Osgood), but yet none of it really built up between them as it should – and then they just disintegrate her in a terrible writing decision (although one that will be ignored or explained when it suits them not to have done it).
I didn't hate season 8, I was just frequently frustrated or disappointed by it. Capaldi is consistently great, but the writing does not match this; they are too often undisciplined, lacking control of the tone, and guilty of delivering individually good scenes or aspects, but not doing it as well as they could have and should have. Unnecessary clutter and poor judgments abound, detracting from the bits that are good, and leaving one with the hope that maybe next season we can get some material that matches Capali – although Nick Frost dressed as Santa sort of dented that hope (and jarred really badly against what had otherwise been an enjoyably dark ending).
The outlook did not appear to be good from the minute the opening episode saw a T-Rex in Victorian London, lesbian aliens, comedy little aliens, and general silliness. Actually that is unfair, because there was some darkness in that episode too, and some quite creepy moments, but they always seemed isolated, like they were a mistake rather than something the show was trying to achieve. This continues through the season; that most episodes have fragments of good ideas or good scenes, but generally they lack control of the tone, and in particular the discipline to just be reserved and not constantly be pushing to take things to 11. I don't mean volume or spectacle when I say this, but just content. There are many examples but to name a few; in Forest of the Night, there was no reason why the little girl had to have her sister returned at the end – it isn't really "from" anywhere, and the episode suddenly ends with no reason for the scene apart from the writer thinking it might be good it seems. Likewise (and more upsetting) the final episode decides to pretend to kill Lethbridge-Stewart (the daughter), then decides to save her in a most unusual fashion – specifically having a terribly judged and pointless few seconds where we see a Cyberman we are told is the original Lethbridge-Stewart (who then flies off, leaving the terrifying impression that he could also return).
These are two specific examples of lack of self-control in the writing, but the show is rife with these. The sheer lack of control on the tone of the show is seen in most episodes; the finest killing machine in the universe terrorizes a school but really seems like a toy robot they stuck in because they realized they needed something for the "next week" trailer. This is seen in other episodes where good ideas seem sidelined suddenly, or bigger ideas are shoved into small spaces to be used as a plot device for much less interesting ideas. This is not to say all the episodes are bad, indeed in most cases there is pretty much enough about them to engage – but more than enough to then frustrate at the same time; perfect example being Kill The Moon, which is really well done in the first half – terrible in big and small ideas in the second half. Only Flatline really stood out, although the darkness of the final two episodes was appreciated (were it not for all the silliness and poor judgment that came with it).
The best thing about the season is Capaldi, but he is also the most disappointing. The best thing is that even when he is being goofy, he has a darker air to him than the previous Doctors – he has a weight and presence that I like. When the writing uses this, the show is at its best, and even when the writing is poor but is trying (and failing) to be dark or complex, then Capaldi helps it a bit. Problem is that in almost every single episode, he feels better than the show around him. Coleman is okay, but there is never a time when her performance makes you forget that she is pretty – this is always what is first and most evident. Anderson is so-so in his interactions with her, but his tension with the Doctor is much better for him to deliver on. Gomez is okay in terms of doing what is asked of her; I do not care about the gender change – I care that she was not allowed more time with the Doctor to play off one another and produce some great scenes – there was so much darkness in these scenes (poor cute Osgood), but yet none of it really built up between them as it should – and then they just disintegrate her in a terrible writing decision (although one that will be ignored or explained when it suits them not to have done it).
I didn't hate season 8, I was just frequently frustrated or disappointed by it. Capaldi is consistently great, but the writing does not match this; they are too often undisciplined, lacking control of the tone, and guilty of delivering individually good scenes or aspects, but not doing it as well as they could have and should have. Unnecessary clutter and poor judgments abound, detracting from the bits that are good, and leaving one with the hope that maybe next season we can get some material that matches Capali – although Nick Frost dressed as Santa sort of dented that hope (and jarred really badly against what had otherwise been an enjoyably dark ending).
A Grand Series Finale to a Splendid Doctor
SpoodermanDerp8 November 2014
"Death in Heaven" is action packed, thrilling, and emotional. These are usually the stuff you get from finales coming from Moffat. But yet again he surprises us with a well executed finale for the first series of the 12th doctor.
As Doctor Who Finales do, the episode tied up a lot, if not all, loose ends from the last series and the current one. Most of them were already speculated by fans alike and somewhat has no lasting effect. The narrative starts off from where it left off, and as usual the problem was solved within seconds and starts off with a very fast pace. The episode's antagonists (Cybermen) are well thought-out and Missy was incredible in the episode. Serving as a complete psychopath and menacing villain with the Doctor gives way to chemistry that is off the charts. Seeing Capaldi and Gomez together playing their roles as it should be is a fun watch and I really hope see more of her character in future episodes. Clara was already well developed in the episode and seeing her as Danny meets his fate was emotionally striking. There are several sequences where you are taken to the edge of your seat and blown away by the superb visuals. The Cybermen were nice to see back on screen with new features that may seem to be short lived. The concept of the dead turning into Cybermen was a clever and refreshing idea. Capaldi's Doctor was shining his way through the episode. He gave a great performance for the whole Series 8 and has totally won me over. Indeed he wasn't a hero, he wasn't a villain, he isn't an overly compassionate human being. He's a madman who will save billions of lives no matter what. Clara was a well rounded companion throughout the series and did well with Capaldi rather than Smith in my opinion. She has developed a Grandfather relationship with Capaldi's doctor and resulted in many heartwarming scenes. Even though getting hatred from fans alike, she has proved herself as a strong female character and she was also indeed "The Doctor". I'm quite sad that Series 8 has come to an end for many questions were still left unanswered. But one thing's for sure, the 12th Doctor will have one heck of a great ride further in the future.
+With some questions finally answered in the question, +Missy as a great psychotic and menacing Master, +Great chemistry between the Doctor and Missy, +Emotional scenes between Danny and Clara, +Thrilling scenes that will bring you to the edge of your seat, +Stunning visuals, +Clara proving to be a strong character throughout the series, +Capaldi's doctor making a lasting and fantastic impression. The Christmas Special and Series 9 will surely still be in my list to watch
Verdict: 9.0/10
As Doctor Who Finales do, the episode tied up a lot, if not all, loose ends from the last series and the current one. Most of them were already speculated by fans alike and somewhat has no lasting effect. The narrative starts off from where it left off, and as usual the problem was solved within seconds and starts off with a very fast pace. The episode's antagonists (Cybermen) are well thought-out and Missy was incredible in the episode. Serving as a complete psychopath and menacing villain with the Doctor gives way to chemistry that is off the charts. Seeing Capaldi and Gomez together playing their roles as it should be is a fun watch and I really hope see more of her character in future episodes. Clara was already well developed in the episode and seeing her as Danny meets his fate was emotionally striking. There are several sequences where you are taken to the edge of your seat and blown away by the superb visuals. The Cybermen were nice to see back on screen with new features that may seem to be short lived. The concept of the dead turning into Cybermen was a clever and refreshing idea. Capaldi's Doctor was shining his way through the episode. He gave a great performance for the whole Series 8 and has totally won me over. Indeed he wasn't a hero, he wasn't a villain, he isn't an overly compassionate human being. He's a madman who will save billions of lives no matter what. Clara was a well rounded companion throughout the series and did well with Capaldi rather than Smith in my opinion. She has developed a Grandfather relationship with Capaldi's doctor and resulted in many heartwarming scenes. Even though getting hatred from fans alike, she has proved herself as a strong female character and she was also indeed "The Doctor". I'm quite sad that Series 8 has come to an end for many questions were still left unanswered. But one thing's for sure, the 12th Doctor will have one heck of a great ride further in the future.
+With some questions finally answered in the question, +Missy as a great psychotic and menacing Master, +Great chemistry between the Doctor and Missy, +Emotional scenes between Danny and Clara, +Thrilling scenes that will bring you to the edge of your seat, +Stunning visuals, +Clara proving to be a strong character throughout the series, +Capaldi's doctor making a lasting and fantastic impression. The Christmas Special and Series 9 will surely still be in my list to watch
Verdict: 9.0/10
Emotionally Draining Finale that Lost Momentum by the End
tlfirth8 November 2014
Warning: Spoilers
I think Steven Moffat, by now, has decided that he's starting to lose his potential as a writer for Doctor Who, and that showed mildly in this episode. The main flaw that I had was its padding towards the end. It did seem as if something incredible was about to happen by the end, but that was already experienced in the first half.
Otherwise, I am very pleased with the finale, not only for its consideration of the entire series as a whole, but by introducing new and exciting ideas. I particularly enjoyed the graveyard scenes, they were especially creepy in parts.
Peter Capaldi has been superb this series, and that really showed in this finale. Both Coleman and Anderson upped their game for the finale episode and it turned out to be quite emotional for the pair in the end as they said good-bye. Gomez was fantastic as the Master - hilarious, scary, hideously cunning and completely barmy, it was just as she described herself - bananas!
Moffat took this time to really place some thought-provoking moments into the episode, such as the Brigadier returning to save Kate, Danny sacrificing himself to save the young boy, and the "hug" at the end was a very clever interpretation, particularly when the Doctor said "the hug hides the face".
I have enjoyed the series overall - it had its massive ups and downs, don't get me wrong, but it has been a great experience: Deep Breath - 8/10 Into the Dalek - 7.8/10 Robot of Sherwood - 4.9/10 Listen - 9/10 Time Heist - 8.1/10 The Caretaker - 7.4/10 Kill the Moon - 7.5/10 Mummy on the Orient Express - 7.8/10 Flatline - 8.3/10 In the Forest of the Night - 6.2/10 Dark Water - 9.3/10 Death in Heaven - 8.7/10
On to the Christmas special...!
Otherwise, I am very pleased with the finale, not only for its consideration of the entire series as a whole, but by introducing new and exciting ideas. I particularly enjoyed the graveyard scenes, they were especially creepy in parts.
Peter Capaldi has been superb this series, and that really showed in this finale. Both Coleman and Anderson upped their game for the finale episode and it turned out to be quite emotional for the pair in the end as they said good-bye. Gomez was fantastic as the Master - hilarious, scary, hideously cunning and completely barmy, it was just as she described herself - bananas!
Moffat took this time to really place some thought-provoking moments into the episode, such as the Brigadier returning to save Kate, Danny sacrificing himself to save the young boy, and the "hug" at the end was a very clever interpretation, particularly when the Doctor said "the hug hides the face".
I have enjoyed the series overall - it had its massive ups and downs, don't get me wrong, but it has been a great experience: Deep Breath - 8/10 Into the Dalek - 7.8/10 Robot of Sherwood - 4.9/10 Listen - 9/10 Time Heist - 8.1/10 The Caretaker - 7.4/10 Kill the Moon - 7.5/10 Mummy on the Orient Express - 7.8/10 Flatline - 8.3/10 In the Forest of the Night - 6.2/10 Dark Water - 9.3/10 Death in Heaven - 8.7/10
On to the Christmas special...!
Enjoyable if predictable
GameAndWatch9 November 2014
Warning: Spoilers
This two parter had a good set-up. 'Dark Water' was great, albeit for the Beeb leaking one of the big reveals. The significance of the dark water was what exactly?
The continuation starts with an ominous threat. Clara tries to dodge a bullet by pretending to be the Doctor. And for a moment successfully blags her way out of danger. Very Doctor like (Who's no fool or idiot). There is a nice hat tip to Clara being the Doctor in the opening credits. And for a nano-second you even believe that the show writers might attempt to pull off something as audacious as gender swapping a Time Lord and fooling us for a whole season.
The Doctor meanwhile grimaces at the thought of a Cybermen invasion. U.N.I.T. swoops in to foil the Master's dastardly plan, by kidnapping both Missy, The Doctor and his Tardis. It's not all bad, the Doctor is sworn in as Earth's emergency president. Soon after, he finds the presidential plane being attacked by rocket Cybermen. Missy pulls a Houdini, fries the likable geek, and soon after tries to down the Doctor as an encore.
Luckily Danny Pink is reunited with his newly augmented cyber-body, he rescues Clara. Fends off assimilation - as his love is so strong. And in a masterful turnabout, saves the day.
Missy is probably vapourised by the Cyber-Brigadier shortly after passing the co-ordinates of Gallifrey to his bestie. The Doctor subsequently travels there to find not a lot, and then smashes up the Tardis a bit.
The end. Well almost. Pink has a magic bracelet that allows one person through from the afterlife. He forsakes his love, and resurrects the boy he accidentally killed and passes him on through some dimensional slit to Clara.
A predictably saccharine jolly romp, with a splash of grace and danger. All finished off with a layer of sentimentality. Not a lot happened and the story was rather daft. But it was watch-able nonetheless. Missy was fun.
Like the rest of the season the show looked amazing. It was a melting pot of films, fictions and Who resurrections. Cartoon action, horror and zombies. Scenes stolen from 'Nightmare at 20,000 feet' and even 'Nightmare on Elmstreet' (red shirt being pulled through the window).
The 12th (or is it the 13th, 14th or 1st TNG Doctor?) is slowly bedding in now. But there has been a lack of character consistency. I'm happy that the formula has been tinkered with slightly. On the whole I feel the show is getting better.
Some of the fans are sharpening pitch forks. A grump I have is that I feel there are too many ideas being thrown into the stories but left mostly unexplored. You only need one clever thing per episode.
Dear Santa: Don't try and darken the Doctor, just his doorstep. If you must; bring on the Valeyard. Keep mixing it up. And heavens above, let us leave Earth more often. Transport me to another time and space. And bring on a brand new alien companion!
One last question, who is Orson Pink?
The continuation starts with an ominous threat. Clara tries to dodge a bullet by pretending to be the Doctor. And for a moment successfully blags her way out of danger. Very Doctor like (Who's no fool or idiot). There is a nice hat tip to Clara being the Doctor in the opening credits. And for a nano-second you even believe that the show writers might attempt to pull off something as audacious as gender swapping a Time Lord and fooling us for a whole season.
The Doctor meanwhile grimaces at the thought of a Cybermen invasion. U.N.I.T. swoops in to foil the Master's dastardly plan, by kidnapping both Missy, The Doctor and his Tardis. It's not all bad, the Doctor is sworn in as Earth's emergency president. Soon after, he finds the presidential plane being attacked by rocket Cybermen. Missy pulls a Houdini, fries the likable geek, and soon after tries to down the Doctor as an encore.
Luckily Danny Pink is reunited with his newly augmented cyber-body, he rescues Clara. Fends off assimilation - as his love is so strong. And in a masterful turnabout, saves the day.
Missy is probably vapourised by the Cyber-Brigadier shortly after passing the co-ordinates of Gallifrey to his bestie. The Doctor subsequently travels there to find not a lot, and then smashes up the Tardis a bit.
The end. Well almost. Pink has a magic bracelet that allows one person through from the afterlife. He forsakes his love, and resurrects the boy he accidentally killed and passes him on through some dimensional slit to Clara.
A predictably saccharine jolly romp, with a splash of grace and danger. All finished off with a layer of sentimentality. Not a lot happened and the story was rather daft. But it was watch-able nonetheless. Missy was fun.
Like the rest of the season the show looked amazing. It was a melting pot of films, fictions and Who resurrections. Cartoon action, horror and zombies. Scenes stolen from 'Nightmare at 20,000 feet' and even 'Nightmare on Elmstreet' (red shirt being pulled through the window).
The 12th (or is it the 13th, 14th or 1st TNG Doctor?) is slowly bedding in now. But there has been a lack of character consistency. I'm happy that the formula has been tinkered with slightly. On the whole I feel the show is getting better.
Some of the fans are sharpening pitch forks. A grump I have is that I feel there are too many ideas being thrown into the stories but left mostly unexplored. You only need one clever thing per episode.
Dear Santa: Don't try and darken the Doctor, just his doorstep. If you must; bring on the Valeyard. Keep mixing it up. And heavens above, let us leave Earth more often. Transport me to another time and space. And bring on a brand new alien companion!
One last question, who is Orson Pink?
Absolutely AMAZING.
callumtrevitt8 November 2014
First of all, it'd be just wrong to give this episode anything below an 8. I saw that the ratings vote opened before it aired and a few people voted for a 1, which is unbelievably moronic and pathetic.
Anyway, onto the review. This episode is probably one of the best we've ever seen (as a two parter). (and obviously the best finale/cyberman episode). It's extremely sad to see Jenna Coleman 'leave' Doctor Who and also the fan favourite Osgood. We were thrown into the deep end at this episode and thrown out of our comfort zones (which is brilliant). We now know that the Doctor IS truly a good man.
The interruption of the credit scene at the end was truly hilarious and brilliant! Steven Moffat is an artist and this is his best piece of work ever.
Anyway, onto the review. This episode is probably one of the best we've ever seen (as a two parter). (and obviously the best finale/cyberman episode). It's extremely sad to see Jenna Coleman 'leave' Doctor Who and also the fan favourite Osgood. We were thrown into the deep end at this episode and thrown out of our comfort zones (which is brilliant). We now know that the Doctor IS truly a good man.
The interruption of the credit scene at the end was truly hilarious and brilliant! Steven Moffat is an artist and this is his best piece of work ever.
Sadly it just never got going.....
Sleepin_Dragon19 September 2015
The Doctor now faces the threat of Missy, a new guise for the Master, she is converting the dead on Earth into Cybermen, using stolen Galifrean technology.
I had never waited for an episode so much, Dark Water had me utterly hooked, this just left me a little cold, I kept waiting for massive Cyber attacks, for it to kick off in a big way, it never did, it felt a little flat. Dark Water had built it up hugely, and it just simmered, it needed to spark and blaze.
Logically the Cybermen should have been invincible if what we had seen in Nightmare in Silver they should have been invincible and afraid of nothing. I also never understood why Danny remained the only person not to be converted, it made no sense. The Cyber Brig was utterly tasteless, I didn't like that one bit, it felt disrespectful.
More positively it boasts some of the best imagery I have seen on the show, from the Cybermen flying out of St Paul's and coming out of the graves.
The best thing about the episode is Michelle Gomez, no question. She gives the Master a new lease of life, I'd spent ages wondering who she was, personally I thought all along she was the Rani, and when I heard Mistress I felt sure.... but a clever twist. She was just so much fun, maniacal and funny, a scary mix. Her scenes on the plane were just wonderful, as was her Mary Poppins-esque drop in at the end into the Graveyard.
Mr Moffat please stop using the Cybermen, this is the third time, and sadly not one of the stories has worked at all. At least we hear that Gallifrey is back where it should be.
This should have been magical, it was good, just a let down, 6/10.
I had never waited for an episode so much, Dark Water had me utterly hooked, this just left me a little cold, I kept waiting for massive Cyber attacks, for it to kick off in a big way, it never did, it felt a little flat. Dark Water had built it up hugely, and it just simmered, it needed to spark and blaze.
Logically the Cybermen should have been invincible if what we had seen in Nightmare in Silver they should have been invincible and afraid of nothing. I also never understood why Danny remained the only person not to be converted, it made no sense. The Cyber Brig was utterly tasteless, I didn't like that one bit, it felt disrespectful.
More positively it boasts some of the best imagery I have seen on the show, from the Cybermen flying out of St Paul's and coming out of the graves.
The best thing about the episode is Michelle Gomez, no question. She gives the Master a new lease of life, I'd spent ages wondering who she was, personally I thought all along she was the Rani, and when I heard Mistress I felt sure.... but a clever twist. She was just so much fun, maniacal and funny, a scary mix. Her scenes on the plane were just wonderful, as was her Mary Poppins-esque drop in at the end into the Graveyard.
Mr Moffat please stop using the Cybermen, this is the third time, and sadly not one of the stories has worked at all. At least we hear that Gallifrey is back where it should be.
This should have been magical, it was good, just a let down, 6/10.
An amazing action emotional packed Finale
J-c-lewis1239 November 2014
Warning: Spoilers
Wow what can I say that was an amazing episode. It was fun it was dark and emotional and gripping. I honestly can't see what everyone's moaning about. Some people will never ever be happy. They will always want to hate on an amazing show and I feel sorry for them.
Anyway Missy made an excellent master evil and insane. Peter capaldi and Jenna Coleman were amazing as always. The plot was amazing and it showed great character development. Peters Doctor easily is the best of all of them. This season has been so much better than any David Tennant season. Stephen Moffat is the best writer ever for doctor who and I hope he stays for ages to come.
Anyway Missy made an excellent master evil and insane. Peter capaldi and Jenna Coleman were amazing as always. The plot was amazing and it showed great character development. Peters Doctor easily is the best of all of them. This season has been so much better than any David Tennant season. Stephen Moffat is the best writer ever for doctor who and I hope he stays for ages to come.
great plot, badly portrayed
lloyd-hughes05078 November 2014
Warning: Spoilers
Spoiler alert spoilers
so this is the finale part 2 of doctor who series 8 and here is my quick review
so I think that dark water was one of the best episodes of the series and I had high hopes for this episode. but the fact that the cybermen could fly, missy had not much good screen time and only a few locations this episode of very cheesy. we had a big reveal that missys the master but she wasn't in it much. it was pointless because she died in the end. some of the danny and clara scenes were stupid and poor because danny pinks character in this series boring and we didn't connect with the character. there's so many bad things in this episode but there are some good the brigadier unit missys craziness the plot (presides the flying cybermen and stuff) galifrey some plane scenes peter capaldi and doctor clara so I will be kind and give it a 6
so this is the finale part 2 of doctor who series 8 and here is my quick review
so I think that dark water was one of the best episodes of the series and I had high hopes for this episode. but the fact that the cybermen could fly, missy had not much good screen time and only a few locations this episode of very cheesy. we had a big reveal that missys the master but she wasn't in it much. it was pointless because she died in the end. some of the danny and clara scenes were stupid and poor because danny pinks character in this series boring and we didn't connect with the character. there's so many bad things in this episode but there are some good the brigadier unit missys craziness the plot (presides the flying cybermen and stuff) galifrey some plane scenes peter capaldi and doctor clara so I will be kind and give it a 6
The best finale yet!
scootersfood24 February 2015
Whoa, what a great ride it's been for Series 8, a series with such raw emotion and very different to the previous seasons run under Moffat. With a fantastic first part, the finale could have either been a huge flop or a masterpiece. While I know it's easily one of the most divisive series of the show, I think this episode is definitely worthy of a 10/10. It grabs your attention within the first few seconds of the episode, and it just keeps on coming. The danger seemed so real in it, and it had me genuinely worry for each and every character at some point. Nobody's safe, and that's always Doctor Who at it's best.
A wonderful series, and while it'll be very hard to beat such a great series it's been, I'm sure Doctor Who can!
A wonderful series, and while it'll be very hard to beat such a great series it's been, I'm sure Doctor Who can!
Dr Who falls to the liberal agenda
raernst62-243-18086419 February 2015
Seriously, this entire 8th season has been one long liberal propaganda war to destroy yet another of our heroes. It all started with the gawd awful weeping, overly sensitive, full of remorse soldier Danny Pink (please, please, PLEASE do not Rory him and bring him back). Then we have The Doctor running around shouting "I hate soldiers" and even denying a potential companion simply because she was a soldier. Then we jump from 'love conquers evil' to 'hugging trees will save the planet'. Add to that the portrayal of the companion disrespecting The Doctor IE:'I'm going to slap you so hard you regenerate', then claiming The Doctor 'owes' her after her dear pink dies. It sure seems to me that it doesn't matter how stupid or poorly written the episodes are anymore as long as the agenda is served and they throw the, admittedly beautiful Jenna at us to keep us distracted. I'm almost exactly one year older than Dr Who (born Nov 20, 62) so It's been a part of my life for a very long time. Mr. Moffit, your ruining our childhood hero, we'll stop watching before we let you completely tear down our hero. You've taken it to the point that we're really starting to despise Clara and hope she goes away like the pink did. Drop the agenda and let Peter do his job.
Gosh, that was all over the place
WeeClaude9 November 2014
Warning: Spoilers
Watch out, spoilers below.
So...the Doctor Who series finale. Let me start by reviewing the positive elements. There is some powerful imagery in this episode, particularly when the Cybermen emerge from their graves. Sure, it's ripped off from zombie movies, but it's effective. Also, Michelle Gomez is great fun as the Master. I don't even mind her bonkers plan to present the Doctor with an army, since it's an interesting take on the concept that the Doctor and the Master are competitive best buddies. Finally, Rachel Talalay's direction is solid and the special effects and spectacle are pretty sweet for a TV production.
I'm afraid there endeth the positive elements of the episode. So what went wrong? Well, Steven Moffat's script - despite containing some good lines and emotional moments - makes absolutely no sense when you really think about it. Here are just a few inconsistencies that I noticed:
A. At the beginning of the episode, the people of Earth think that Cybermen are fun, safe and cool, and are okay with taking selfies with them. However, minutes later when additional Cybermen emerge from their graves, a newscaster is heard discussing how the Cybermen are dangerous and have invaded the Earth before, and he notes their newfound ability to fly. Sooo...are humans aware that Cybermen are dangerous, or not? Apparently Moffat didn't care about consistency here.
B. The Master's whole plan is to present the Doctor with an army and make friends with him again. Yet in the middle of the episode, the Master tries to kill the Doctor by blowing up the UNIT plane, and seems upset when he survives (in a ridiculous manner, of course). Huh? That doesn't make any sense at all. Does she want him alive or not?
C. Why are Danny Pink and Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart the only Cybermen to retain their human emotions? None of the other millions (billions?) of Cybermen loved someone enough to retain their humanity? Never mind that it's hard to accept the usual New Who nonsense that the power of love always conquers evil. One wonders how the Cybermen ever effectively convert anyone, if commonplace love is enough to cancel out the process.
D. Speaking of the Brigadier...did anyone really want to see this beloved character from the original series resurrected as a Cyber-zombie? I think not. And does it make any sense to have a character who hasn't appeared since 1989 (!!) take down the main villain of Doctor Who in 2014(?!) Nope. I can't even imagine what new viewers, who don't know the Brig, made of that.
E. How was the kid from Afghanistan resurrected at the end? I couldn't follow that bit about how the bracelet could bring someone back from the dead. Sure, I can just about accept that the Master turned the kid into a Cyberman at some point - but how could he come back in perfect physical condition?
Now, maybe I missed some of the explanations for this stuff. And maybe I didn't. A major problem with New Who is how rapid-fire the writing is; the series finales, in particular, zoom from one wacky idea and surreal scene to another, barely pausing for breath. Anyway, I don't think the plot would make sense to me, even if I watched this thing 10 times and wrote down every line of blurted-out dialogue. It really is nonsense.
It's worth noting that even the cheapest, lamest Colin Baker episode of Doctor Who had a plot that made sense, and advanced from point A to B to C in a way you could follow. And even on the rare occasions when old Who didn't make sense, it was never as sentimental and ludicrous as this episode. For example: Danny Pink feels guilt over killing a young Afghan boy, but the power of sci-fi nonsense gives him a chance to resurrect the kid he killed. Um...yeah, that's not how life works. PTSD and guilt and murder can't be undone with a wave of a writer's magic wand. And old Who never, ever was ridiculous enough to suggest such a thing. The power of love literally conquering death - the most persistent theme in New Who - indeed spits in the face of the far more realistic depiction of death from classic Who.
So...if you're okay with Doctor Who being a sentimental fairy tale with plot holes big enough for Iron Man (sorry, Cybermen) to fly through, you will enjoy this more than I did. And hey, even a cynic like me enjoyed parts of this episode...Capaldi is a good Doctor, Gomez is a good Master, and it's nice to see the show looking glossy and cool. But really...they need to start writing scripts that make sense. And they need to start depicting human emotion in a more honest, less sentimental way. Otherwise, this show is gonna remain a poor excuse for a drama, as well as a poor excuse for science fiction.
So...the Doctor Who series finale. Let me start by reviewing the positive elements. There is some powerful imagery in this episode, particularly when the Cybermen emerge from their graves. Sure, it's ripped off from zombie movies, but it's effective. Also, Michelle Gomez is great fun as the Master. I don't even mind her bonkers plan to present the Doctor with an army, since it's an interesting take on the concept that the Doctor and the Master are competitive best buddies. Finally, Rachel Talalay's direction is solid and the special effects and spectacle are pretty sweet for a TV production.
I'm afraid there endeth the positive elements of the episode. So what went wrong? Well, Steven Moffat's script - despite containing some good lines and emotional moments - makes absolutely no sense when you really think about it. Here are just a few inconsistencies that I noticed:
A. At the beginning of the episode, the people of Earth think that Cybermen are fun, safe and cool, and are okay with taking selfies with them. However, minutes later when additional Cybermen emerge from their graves, a newscaster is heard discussing how the Cybermen are dangerous and have invaded the Earth before, and he notes their newfound ability to fly. Sooo...are humans aware that Cybermen are dangerous, or not? Apparently Moffat didn't care about consistency here.
B. The Master's whole plan is to present the Doctor with an army and make friends with him again. Yet in the middle of the episode, the Master tries to kill the Doctor by blowing up the UNIT plane, and seems upset when he survives (in a ridiculous manner, of course). Huh? That doesn't make any sense at all. Does she want him alive or not?
C. Why are Danny Pink and Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart the only Cybermen to retain their human emotions? None of the other millions (billions?) of Cybermen loved someone enough to retain their humanity? Never mind that it's hard to accept the usual New Who nonsense that the power of love always conquers evil. One wonders how the Cybermen ever effectively convert anyone, if commonplace love is enough to cancel out the process.
D. Speaking of the Brigadier...did anyone really want to see this beloved character from the original series resurrected as a Cyber-zombie? I think not. And does it make any sense to have a character who hasn't appeared since 1989 (!!) take down the main villain of Doctor Who in 2014(?!) Nope. I can't even imagine what new viewers, who don't know the Brig, made of that.
E. How was the kid from Afghanistan resurrected at the end? I couldn't follow that bit about how the bracelet could bring someone back from the dead. Sure, I can just about accept that the Master turned the kid into a Cyberman at some point - but how could he come back in perfect physical condition?
Now, maybe I missed some of the explanations for this stuff. And maybe I didn't. A major problem with New Who is how rapid-fire the writing is; the series finales, in particular, zoom from one wacky idea and surreal scene to another, barely pausing for breath. Anyway, I don't think the plot would make sense to me, even if I watched this thing 10 times and wrote down every line of blurted-out dialogue. It really is nonsense.
It's worth noting that even the cheapest, lamest Colin Baker episode of Doctor Who had a plot that made sense, and advanced from point A to B to C in a way you could follow. And even on the rare occasions when old Who didn't make sense, it was never as sentimental and ludicrous as this episode. For example: Danny Pink feels guilt over killing a young Afghan boy, but the power of sci-fi nonsense gives him a chance to resurrect the kid he killed. Um...yeah, that's not how life works. PTSD and guilt and murder can't be undone with a wave of a writer's magic wand. And old Who never, ever was ridiculous enough to suggest such a thing. The power of love literally conquering death - the most persistent theme in New Who - indeed spits in the face of the far more realistic depiction of death from classic Who.
So...if you're okay with Doctor Who being a sentimental fairy tale with plot holes big enough for Iron Man (sorry, Cybermen) to fly through, you will enjoy this more than I did. And hey, even a cynic like me enjoyed parts of this episode...Capaldi is a good Doctor, Gomez is a good Master, and it's nice to see the show looking glossy and cool. But really...they need to start writing scripts that make sense. And they need to start depicting human emotion in a more honest, less sentimental way. Otherwise, this show is gonna remain a poor excuse for a drama, as well as a poor excuse for science fiction.
A terrific ending to the 8th series.
UNOhwen8 November 2014
Death In Heaven is either one of the best episodes of the series, or one of the worst.
This depends on what you as a viewer feels about the blatant pulling of their emotions.
While in the episode prior, we only had a (delicious!) taste of Michelle Gomez's terrificly demented The Master (or - as 'he' is currently a 'she' - The Mistress), here, Ms. Gomez is at full tilt crazy, and what fun - and thrills that entails.
The episode also gives a really terrific farewell to to Samuel Anderson's Danny Pink - who a lot of people had mixed feelings about (personally, I felt the relationship between Danny & Clara seemed forced - they really had no initial 'anything' to make Clara seem to make hooking up with Danny so important).
In the previous episode, we find out Danny had been killed crossing the road - right after Clara expressed her undying love of him.
Here, we find out that Danny - along with all other deceased - are being turned into Cybermen.
The thing is, the inhibitor Cybermen have - that circular plate on the centre of their chest - which controls (suppresses) their emotions, isn't yet activated, and Danny - unable to being dead, a Cyberman, and unable to ever again be with Clara - asks her to activate it.
The Doctor knows the instant the Inhibitor is activated, 'Danny' will cease to exist, and an unfeeling, uncaring Cyberman will be In his place - and kill Clara & then - on Missy's plans - kill all of humanity.
I'm writing a review - not the plot, so, what happens, requires you to watch.
What I will say is that the dead Danny is given a chance to return to life.
It's made very clear - by the actions of Clara in the beginning of the prior episode towards the Doctor - how deeply she feels for him.
What Danny does causes a huge emotional change in Clara - and what she wants to do with her life.
As I like Doctor Who, and don't like spoilers told to me, I must've missed the announcement of Jenna Coleman's departing, so, the ending scenes really came hard at me.
Apparently, we haven't yet seen the last of Ms. Oswald, as a surprise visitor - during the end credits - makes clear.
Until Christmas, '14, this episode will be the series proper's conclusion.
I agree some of this series' episodes have been hit or miss, but, I think Mr. Peter Capaldi's portrayal of the 12th Doctor has been wonderful
I hope - and believe next series will only be better.
This depends on what you as a viewer feels about the blatant pulling of their emotions.
While in the episode prior, we only had a (delicious!) taste of Michelle Gomez's terrificly demented The Master (or - as 'he' is currently a 'she' - The Mistress), here, Ms. Gomez is at full tilt crazy, and what fun - and thrills that entails.
The episode also gives a really terrific farewell to to Samuel Anderson's Danny Pink - who a lot of people had mixed feelings about (personally, I felt the relationship between Danny & Clara seemed forced - they really had no initial 'anything' to make Clara seem to make hooking up with Danny so important).
In the previous episode, we find out Danny had been killed crossing the road - right after Clara expressed her undying love of him.
Here, we find out that Danny - along with all other deceased - are being turned into Cybermen.
The thing is, the inhibitor Cybermen have - that circular plate on the centre of their chest - which controls (suppresses) their emotions, isn't yet activated, and Danny - unable to being dead, a Cyberman, and unable to ever again be with Clara - asks her to activate it.
The Doctor knows the instant the Inhibitor is activated, 'Danny' will cease to exist, and an unfeeling, uncaring Cyberman will be In his place - and kill Clara & then - on Missy's plans - kill all of humanity.
I'm writing a review - not the plot, so, what happens, requires you to watch.
What I will say is that the dead Danny is given a chance to return to life.
It's made very clear - by the actions of Clara in the beginning of the prior episode towards the Doctor - how deeply she feels for him.
What Danny does causes a huge emotional change in Clara - and what she wants to do with her life.
As I like Doctor Who, and don't like spoilers told to me, I must've missed the announcement of Jenna Coleman's departing, so, the ending scenes really came hard at me.
Apparently, we haven't yet seen the last of Ms. Oswald, as a surprise visitor - during the end credits - makes clear.
Until Christmas, '14, this episode will be the series proper's conclusion.
I agree some of this series' episodes have been hit or miss, but, I think Mr. Peter Capaldi's portrayal of the 12th Doctor has been wonderful
I hope - and believe next series will only be better.
Be grateful
jaydavismcse7 January 2020
The best finale yet!
willrmuse19 May 2015
It's hard to match the quality of the last episode. Not only one of the best written episodes of the show, but it also has quite a cliffhanger (though, you can't have a DW finale without a whopping cliffhanger!). This episode completely matched the quality of the last episode, if not even better. I've heard some complaints that it was "too dark", but honestly that's I loved about. It was so intense. I was genuinely worried about every single character, and the threat is shown throughout the entire episode. However, the writing isn't the only thing about the episode that makes it so good, there's also the acting. My, the acting! I feel as though every single episode Jenna Coleman has proved herself to be one of the greatest actresses the show's ever had, and Michelle Gomez clearly shines as well, as her brilliant portrayal of a (possibly) familiar enemy. I haven't forgotten about Capaldi, The lead actor of the show! While Coleman's acting skills have possibly overshadowed Capaldi's, his acting capabilities are shown in this episode in his best performance of the show. If aren't convinced that he's the Doctor by this episode, I don't know if you will ever be convinced. An easy 9/10, and I sincerely hope that the show can make the next season just as good as this one!
Doctor Who - Death in Heaven
Scarecrow-883 January 2015
Warning: Spoilers
Well, "Death in Heaven" sure plays around with the conventional approach of the opening credits as Coleman getting starring credit (and her face impression as the Tardis travels through time) over the Doctor, Peter Capaldi! Well, a busy plot this episode has! So the Master is now in the form of a woman, Missy (Michelle Gomez), and she has "invaded the afterlife", using cybermen (exploding in a dark cloud that will spring "cyber-pollen" on graves resurrecting all the dead turning them into cybermen!) as her/his means to once again perhaps build an entire army to rule the universe. Incredible plots are a custom within the science fiction of Who. Anyway, one of those dead humans resurrected as a cyberman is Clara's dead beau, Danny, and he may be her only savior among cybermen who see through her attempts to prolong her life by proclaiming herself to be the Doctor! UNIT in London (led by the Brigadier General's daughter (Jemma Redgrave)) and all of the planet gives the Doctor a status of President over them all, hoping he, in his wisdom, can save them from the Master's cybermen plan. The afterlife used in such a way is certainly unique and seeing the cybermen rising from graves and in the morgue has a creepy edge to it. Cipaldi's special brand of annoyance and curmudgeon is quite a difference in the last few Doctors we are accustomed to. I like the idea of going with someone older this go-around if just to mix things up a bit. When it comes to Doctor Who, it seems we are always say goodbye to precious characters/actors involved in the on-going occurrences of the show and now we must bid adieu to Jenna Coleman and her much-loved character, Clara Oswald. The Master knows the coordinates of Gallifrey and perhaps, when she/he so decides, might just provide them to the Doctor. Osgood, a member of UNIT, bites the dust thanks to the Master's unwillingness to let her live. The Master is shown here as primarily psychopathic and inhumane. The Master delights in the evil she wields and in this warped masterplan, she/he is so fond of the Doctor the twist involving how he plays into the cybermen army is quite unexpected! How Danny (and even the Brigadier General!) is allowed to save the day is a fitting and nice way to say so-long to him. It just astounds me how the cybermen have been used in story lines over the past few years (or since 2005), and their housing the dead parts of once-living humans rising in graveyards and the morgue is just another odd touch Moffet and his writing team have employed. So Cipaldi will move on to who-knows-where as Oswald is left behind to help find a boy's family. Will he go to Gallifrey or pursue adventures on his own? Who might be his next companion or will he have one? This episode leaves us with an interesting future for the series. Several stories are concluded here, including how Clara and the Doctor were introduced and remained together (the Master!), where Gallifrey now resides, the afterlife's "fate" (including the conclusion of the character of Jeb), and the re-introduction to UNIT before the Master ripped them apart. I will miss Coleman because even as Matt Smith moved on, she really had great chemistry with Cipaldi. But I understand that this new era of Doctor needs his own new stories without being tied so to what Smith's era left behind. The idea that human spirits are within a "data cloud" is quite a bizarre use of the afterlife as a plot device!
Strong, emotional and entertaining.
masonbingley200024 August 2015
Warning: Spoilers
The final episode of Series 8 is a good one. It is a fairly criticized episode, but I feel that it was good and is definitely worth a watch. The episode is quite mixed up, there's a lot of different things happening throughout.
To begin with, the episode offers an insight to the female version of the master who is perfect on all terms. Missy (Michelle Gomez) offers true heartache and potential to become a profound member of the Who cast. Her aim in this episode though is somewhat skewed, as she suddenly wants something totally different which may seem quite strange. Another good point to the episode is the raw talent and emotion from the main cast. Clara has a beautiful storyline throughout and the ending with her was truly fantastic, brilliantly portrayed by Jenna. There are also some very shocking scenes, which leave you gasping for air as it is truly breathtaking.
Moving on, I think this finale has a lot going on in it that could of been spread into the penultimate episode. I must say, Death in Heaven definitely does offer a great sense of satisfaction and has a pleasing storyline despite the jumbled plot.
To begin with, the episode offers an insight to the female version of the master who is perfect on all terms. Missy (Michelle Gomez) offers true heartache and potential to become a profound member of the Who cast. Her aim in this episode though is somewhat skewed, as she suddenly wants something totally different which may seem quite strange. Another good point to the episode is the raw talent and emotion from the main cast. Clara has a beautiful storyline throughout and the ending with her was truly fantastic, brilliantly portrayed by Jenna. There are also some very shocking scenes, which leave you gasping for air as it is truly breathtaking.
Moving on, I think this finale has a lot going on in it that could of been spread into the penultimate episode. I must say, Death in Heaven definitely does offer a great sense of satisfaction and has a pleasing storyline despite the jumbled plot.
The doctor peter Capaldi
thomas_vreeswijk_42 January 2020
I was really not sure about Peter Capaldi as a doctor but oh how wrong whas i.
This season finale is as good as any season finale, how many emotions can a "children show" show (sorry for my bad English) I'm so glad I watched this series
Dang this was amazing
ianweech16 January 2021
Bring Out Your Dead
boblipton8 November 2014
So the Master returns.... the Mistress... Missy.... returns as a Time Lady and .... converts all the dead in graveyards into Cybermen under her control and.... uh...
I've just watched the concluding episode of Season Eight of Doctor Who and I have no idea of what I've watched. I do think that Michelle Gomez makes a magnificently mad version of the Master. I think the image of the Cybermen flying past a Travelodge and rising from the graves of Earth is amazing. The dialogue is beautifully written and emotions run rampant. The actors are so good that they can make any line that Steven Moffat writes sound good.
However, the story logic of this episode and issues of continuity make me think that Doctor Who has Jumped The Shark. Mr. Moffat has written himself into corners and gotten out of it by distracting his audience with high-speed film-flam before, particularly with Season Six's "The Wedding of River Song". All too often, people confuse the boundaries of science fantasy and assume you can do anything. However, there needs to be an internal logic, and the sudden upgrade of Cybermen at the hands of Missy's Time Lord technology completely rips apart the logic of how Cybermen have been established as behaving. It's too abrupt a change and reduces story logic to mush. If anything is possible, then nothing is really surprising, even if you shout "Boo!" and whip it past the viewer very fast.
Judging by the comments already up, this seems likely to be an unpopular opinion. Well, it won't be the first time.
I've just watched the concluding episode of Season Eight of Doctor Who and I have no idea of what I've watched. I do think that Michelle Gomez makes a magnificently mad version of the Master. I think the image of the Cybermen flying past a Travelodge and rising from the graves of Earth is amazing. The dialogue is beautifully written and emotions run rampant. The actors are so good that they can make any line that Steven Moffat writes sound good.
However, the story logic of this episode and issues of continuity make me think that Doctor Who has Jumped The Shark. Mr. Moffat has written himself into corners and gotten out of it by distracting his audience with high-speed film-flam before, particularly with Season Six's "The Wedding of River Song". All too often, people confuse the boundaries of science fantasy and assume you can do anything. However, there needs to be an internal logic, and the sudden upgrade of Cybermen at the hands of Missy's Time Lord technology completely rips apart the logic of how Cybermen have been established as behaving. It's too abrupt a change and reduces story logic to mush. If anything is possible, then nothing is really surprising, even if you shout "Boo!" and whip it past the viewer very fast.
Judging by the comments already up, this seems likely to be an unpopular opinion. Well, it won't be the first time.
Death in Heaven
MrFilmAndTelevisionShow17 April 2021
Warning: Spoilers
Definitely not as good as part one, which is the inverse of what usually happens, it was however a good enough episode, there was certainly good bits in it, however Missy was beaten far to easilly she didn't even put up a fight. I suppose it could be see has her own hubris that was her downfall however.
Death..just kinda everywhere really for no real reason
dkiliane26 April 2019
Warning: Spoilers
After the shocking (to at least some I'm sure) reveals from the previous episode, we have the season finale. The Cybermen take off since they can now fly (which should make them much more dangerous than they seem) but not before UNIT captures both the Doctor and Missy. Meanwhile, Clara is desperately trying to convince the Cybermen that she is the Doctor cause somehow they would then spare her, which goes completely contrary to all the times they have specifically tried to kill the Doctor. So..some problems already but still makes for a fun scene, especially once Danny Pink shows up and rescues her ..as a Cyberman (but still in control). Seriously, this poor guy. Even dying isn't the worse thing that happens to him.
While we do have some fairly exciting scenes with the Cybermen attack on the British equivalent to air force one (also, the Doctor is the president of Earth..for reasons...it's cool, don't worry about it), some of the Missy scenes are a bit over the top (though not quite John Simms over the top) and even slightly disturbing at times, especially with Osgood's death. But to be fair, it makes her a rather scary villain. Also, her motivations are played up a little much for dramatic effect but it still mostly works.
My only real problem is that even after Danny Pink eliminates his emotions he is still independent from Cybermen control which completely negates everything we know about them. There are some scenarios where I would believe this outcome, but the explanation of "love isn't an emotion it is a promise" falls really flat and is obnoxiously sappy.
Even so, the wrap up is done rather nicely with Clara lying that Danny survived so the Doctor will return home to Galifrey, and the Doctor lying that Galifrey is back so that Clara can live happily with Danny. It feels heartfelt, and a bit bittersweet. Would have been a fitting end for Clara's adventures in the TARDIS but that'll have to wait til season 9. 8/10
While we do have some fairly exciting scenes with the Cybermen attack on the British equivalent to air force one (also, the Doctor is the president of Earth..for reasons...it's cool, don't worry about it), some of the Missy scenes are a bit over the top (though not quite John Simms over the top) and even slightly disturbing at times, especially with Osgood's death. But to be fair, it makes her a rather scary villain. Also, her motivations are played up a little much for dramatic effect but it still mostly works.
My only real problem is that even after Danny Pink eliminates his emotions he is still independent from Cybermen control which completely negates everything we know about them. There are some scenarios where I would believe this outcome, but the explanation of "love isn't an emotion it is a promise" falls really flat and is obnoxiously sappy.
Even so, the wrap up is done rather nicely with Clara lying that Danny survived so the Doctor will return home to Galifrey, and the Doctor lying that Galifrey is back so that Clara can live happily with Danny. It feels heartfelt, and a bit bittersweet. Would have been a fitting end for Clara's adventures in the TARDIS but that'll have to wait til season 9. 8/10
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