Doctor Who (TV Series) World Enough and Time (2017) User Reviews

World Enough and Time - a superb beginning of the end

[capaldifan · 10/10 · 24 June 2017]

Simply one of the finest episodes in Doctor Who's history. It contains some of the finest acting by all major characters involved, especially Michelle Gomez, Pearl Mackie and the wonderful Peter Capaldi.

The episode, to put it simply, both begins and ends with surprises. It maintains the best quality throughout, and despite Moffat's perhaps-controversial past with some stories and finales under his tenure as showrunner, he is certainly going to end that role on a high.

The entire of series 10 has, so far, been a pleasure to watch and this episode is clearly a symbol of such success. The pacing was perfect, the direction by Rachel Talalay was beautiful and the music by Murray Gold was just sublime.

I certainly hope that, with such a great beginning to the 2-parter finale, the end of series 10 encapsulates all that is fantastic about Doctor Who.

Now that's what Saturday Evenings were made for

[Sleepin_Dragon · 10/10 · 24 June 2017]

I don't think a summary is possible, as there was genuinely so much going on, a fast paced, dark, action packed, witty script, excellent special effects.

The penultimate episode of Series 10 was superb, perhaps the darkest episode since Dark Water. I'd be so bold as to say this is perhaps the best episode I've seen for some years, I can't remember feeling so desperate for a concluding episode since perhaps Journey's End. Some truly chilling moments, Bill walking round hooked up to a drip, with early Cybermen sat around.

Incredibly good performances, John Simm returned with a bang, a fabulous performance from him, not the out of control Master we last saw, but a measured, controlled performance, and nice to see him back in a disguise. The interplay between him and Gomez was a highlight.

I loved the almost 60's music that accompanied it, took me back to The Tenth Planet, the big win though came from the return of the Mondassian Cybermen, about time, they worked incredibly well. They looked and sounded just as I'd wished they would.

My only criticism here will be aimed at the media, I purposely ignore news on the show, avoid the trailers, but far too much was given away by the media. I can only imagine the impact of Mr Razor's unmasking, had I not seen the revelation in a newspaper.

Unbelievably good. 10/10

Quintessential Doctor Who

[timdalton007 · 10/10 · 24 June 2017]

"All good things must end," as the old expression says. That is true for seasons of our favorite TV series and the tenth season of the BBC's regenerated Doctor Who is no exception. In what seems like the blink of an eye, the final season for both Peter Capaldi's Twelfth Doctor and Steven Moffat's tenure as showrunner has come to the first half of a two part finale. World Enough And Time sets the ball rolling and does so in style.

I say that because World Enough And Time is a quintessential piece of Doctor Who. It is a meshing together of three different eras of the TV series for starters. There is the current TARDIS crew and Missy (played by the brilliantly bonkers Michelle Gomez) who are representing the Moffat era. The episode's opening minutes delivers on the season long build-up involving Missy in the vault and the Doctor's attempt to reform his oldest friend into a proverbial "good guy" and it goes about as well as you might expect. The episode also delves into one of Moffat's favorite tropes of things going "timey- wimey" from the jaw-dropping opening minutes of the episode to the very setting of the episode itself though the later is at least down to a scientifically plausible explanation (and one that viewers of the 2014 film Interstellar will instantly recognize).

Added to the mix are two very different blasts from the past, both of which announced well ahead of time. The first is the return of John Simm as the Master from the Russell T Davies era who appeared first a decade ago and the two-part finale to Davies (and Tenth Doctor David Tennant) era in 2009-10. Simm's Master is thankfully toned down a bit here from the manic, nigh-on self-parody of the character presented a decade ago though there is still a playful quality to the character but also a quite menace to boot. The episode also gives us, in another first, giving us two different Master's on-screen together with Gomez and Simm bouncing off of each other rather nicely which ties together the two quite different eras of New Who.

The other blast from the past comes is definitely an old one, dating back to the show's original run. The biggest result of that is the return of the original design for the Mondasian Cybermen, first introduced in 1966 and reappearing for the first time on screen since then. That original design is at once both iconic for fans and perhaps laughable to 21st century eyes which made some (this writer included) nervous about their reappearance in the series. Those fears were unfounded as the fifty year old designs look amazing having been given sympathetic and subtle alterations that preserve the look in all of its glory. Even the handling of the reveal of Simm's Master echoes so many of the Master's appearances in the original series, something that even the dialogue highlights. In the space of forty-five minutes, the series brings together its past and present (and even its immediate future) into one place.

Doing so doesn't automatically make this a great episode, as stories from the past like Attack Of The Cybermen prove. Having so much from the past can potentially alienate viewers and when making a show as long running as Doctor Who, there is a fine line to be tread. This episode is most definitely a case of getting that balance right as long term fans and even those who have merely watched the trailers from this season will know what is coming while those around them slowly catch on. It is an episode that rewards both the dedicated fan as well as the casual one who only tunes in occasionally albeit for different reasons. That is also down in large part to how Moffat's script and the production take all of these elements and build them up into a larger whole, slowly and sometimes with genuine creepiness, pushing characters and viewers alike down the path to the episode's cliffhanger ending. It's a strong piece of genre television with the series once again showing just what its capable of.

It is for all those reasons that World Enough And Time stands out as a highlight not just of this season but of New Who in general. It is that rare episode that takes elements from all across the show's long history and puts them together into a solidly entertaining package. It does so not just by proverbial "fan service" but also by telling a genuinely compelling story along the way that builds tension up rather well.

The only question now is if the next episode can deliver on this ones promise? Perhaps this Doctor said it best with one of his lines last season (one that he also shares with Sylvester McCoy's Seventh Doctor). "Time will tell; it always does."

Chilling!

[MoonIndy · 10/10 · 8 October 2018]

This was one of those episodes that gives me chills. It was so good from the very start, the cast were excellent, Peter excels as the Doctor and he is universally loved.

Doctor Who serves up an instant all time classic

[ryanjmorris · 10/10 · 26 June 2017]

Oh can you even begin to imagine how that ending would've felt if we didn't all already know it was coming? "World Enough and Time" is expertly paced in how it builds to two enormous reveals - the Mondasian Cybermen are making a comeback, and John Simm's Master has returned. Unfortunately, these two reveals were announced by the BBC way back before the season even began. It was a move to try and win viewers back to Doctor Who, to try and get the much needed casual viewer interested again with the return of an old face from the much-adored Tennant years, but that doesn't prevent it from being an incredibly frustrating decision by the BBC.

Let's get this straight first, knowing that these reveals were coming in no way lessened "World Enough and Time". This is a brilliant hour of television from Steven Moffat, beautifully directed by Rachel Talalay. It's an episode as smart as it is intricate, as bold as it is thoughtful. Every cast member is on top form throughout, arguably stronger than any of them have been all season. I just can't help but think - how unspeakably exciting would the final five minutes of this episode have been if we didn't know they were coming?

Alas, that's something we can't change, and so "World Enough and Time" must be judged as is. The genius of Moffat's script here is subtle, impressively so. The man's writing can often feel very loud, very "in your face" about how great it is, whether or not he's earned the right to do so. But this penultimate episode holds back from that, taking a brilliant concept and using it in unexpected ways. The Doctor, Bill, Nardole and Missy are on a 400-mile long spaceship that is reversing away from the gravitational pull of a black hole - AKA, on one end of the ship time is moving much faster.

Rather than use this concept to form an episode of conventional wibbly-wobbly-timey-wimey nature, Moffat instead uses it to craft something more emotional. By pulling Bill away from the rest of the cast and putting her on the other end of the ship, a race against time begins - but it's one the Doctor has already lost. Within mere minutes passing for the Doctor, Bill has already been fitted with a robotic heart and is forming a new life down on the bottom floor. The Doctor has left an imprint in her mind though - "Wait for me", he tells her, and so she does.

Only then, about fifteen minutes in, does the episode slow down and take some time to start thinking. It's unquestionably the strongest first act of any episode this series, but what's refreshing is that the slower parts of the episode are still just as strong. We follow Bill through a hospital ward in what can only be described as the most unnerving Doctor Who sequence in a decade - a room filled with masked patients, the only conscious one repeating the word "pain" over and over again. After nearly being discovered by a creepy man she soon befriends, Bill learns a horrible truth - the other patients aren't sleeping peacefully, they're just on mute.

It's downright horrifying, and it adds a whole new layer to "World Enough and Time". Moffat's episode tackles a lot here, but his script is seamless in how it juggles everything. We cut back and forward in time repeatedly, but the transitions are slick and there's a clear path from point A to point B. Complex and confusing are two things that frequently, unintentionally, come hand in hand - "World Enough and Time" is a deeply complex script, but not once does it leave you in confusion.

This is elevated even further by the reliably brilliant work from Talalay, the go-to director for Peter Capaldi era finales. Her magnum opus for Doctor Who - or maybe even her whole career - will always be her work on "Heaven Sent", but Talalay carries a multitude of visual tones through this episode and balances them all with precision. We range from the horror fuelled sequences in the hospital ward to that playful first act in the ship's cockpit, and Talalay captures each mood perfectly.

As terrific as it is, though, most of the episode would feel redundant if it weren't for that ending - and, boy, what an ending. There's an awful lot going on in the final few moments here, but the episode cuts between scenes smoothly, allowing the tension to build on both sides simultaneously. Bill's creepy friend reveals himself to be the Master in disguise all while Bill herself is turned into a Cyberman. If this really is the end for Bill Potts, it's a damn harsh way for her to go. As the Doctor finally learns the truth, the former Bill Potts only has two words for him - "I waited".

"World Enough and Time" is an unforgettable episode of Doctor Who. Not only does it give us two massive plot twists in its final act, but everything beforehand is so elegantly structured and beautifully executed that it would be a contender for the series' highlight even before these reveals take place. This is Doctor Who as smart, emotionally charged sci-fi, the kind of show it always should be. It's never going to operate at this scale on a permanent basis, but every other episode this series - bar perhaps "Extremis" - should take a long hard look at what Doctor Who is capable of when everything comes together like it did here. Chris Chibnall, take note.

The Danger Of Promotion

[Theo Robertson · 9/10 · 24 June 2017]

The viewing figures of DOCTOR WHO have been falling. Don't believe me ? Well go and research the viewing figures. Better still compare them with the RTD/Tennant era and you'll see that for a show constantly making the top ten shows for that week it's now in danger of slipping out of the top 30. The buzz that the show once had where you'd overhear strangers talking about the show on the bus or down the pub has long gone. What is left for the BBC to reverse this ? There's only one thing that's left and that is to launch a massive counter-offensive featuring trailer in between every other BBC show broadcast. Even in the halcyon days when the nation fell in love with David Tennant I don't think I've seen so much promotion. If nothing else it does show that the BBC still has faith in DOCTOR WHO

!!!!SPOILERS!!!!

The problem ? It effectively kills one of the greatest pieces of NuWho ever produced. Make no mistake even this hardcore reactionary fan of classic Who was blown away by what I've just witnessed but because of the promotion it gave a little bit too much away which lessened the impact. We know The Master as played by John Simms is returning so when Zathras Razor turns up it's very easy to second guess who his real identity is before the shock revelation. Patients in bandages sit in a hospital ward. We know where this heading. Bill is shot dead and is taken away by bandaged figures. We know where this heading . We know what this dying planet is and the fate of the inhabitants and what the shock plot turns are. Make no mistake these are shock plot turns that surpass the cliffhanger of say episode one of Earthshock in 1982 or the Dalek/Cybermen ending of Army Of Ghosts and if I hadn't known any of this in advance I'd consider this the greatest piece of NuWho. If Moffat can come up with something as wonderful as this then why has he been serving up so much dross over the years ? If the production team can come up with something as wonderful as this on a consistent basis then the BBC wouldn't have to promote the show because the word of mouth would have kept the show in the hearts and minds of Mr , Mrs . Ms and Master Joe Public. Let's hope Moffat can carry on the momentum for next week and the Christmas special

An impressive start to a two part story featuring two well know old foes

[Tweekums · 9/10 · 25 June 2017]

After a prologue where it appears that The Doctor is regenerating in a frozen wasteland we see the Tardis aboard a giant ship that is slowly retreating from a black hole. Missy, Bill and Nardole emerge and Missy announces herself as 'Doctor Who'. It turns out The Doctor is testing her to see how she reacts to the sort of situation he deals with… will she prove herself to be good or is she irredeemable evil. Soon they are joined by a blue alien who is concerned that there is a human amongst them; it becomes clear that the rest of the skeleton crew have disappeared and that lifeforms have appeared at the other end of the ship… lifeforms that come to any human on board. The doctor tries to defuse the situation but the alien shoots Bill leaving a hole where her heart used to be. A masked being appears in the lift and takes Bill away claiming that she will be fixed. She wakes in a strange hospital where there are many masked figures, they are undergoing a transformation and are clearly in pain. She is then met by Razor, a hospital worker who shows her that time at their end of the ship is passing at a much faster rate than at the front, where The Doctor is. Years pass for Bill as minutes pass for The Doctor. When he, Missy and Nardole finally get to Bill she has undergone the Transformation and the Doctor realises they are facing an old enemy. We also learn that Razor isn't who he initially appears to be.

This was a really fine episode; it would have been better of course if the BBC in its stupidity hadn't spoilt what should have been the big reveal at the end. Trying to ignore that. There are some really funny moments early on as Missy introduces Bill and Nardole as her Expendables 'Exposition' and 'Comedy relief'. Then things get impressively darker; first Bill is shot then she wakes in a distinctly creepy hospital. The way the patients kept repeating things like 'pain' and 'kill me' were rather disturbing. Having time travelling at different rates was interesting although I didn't feel as though Bill had really been away from the others for years. The cast do a fine job; I was particularly impressed by Michelle Gomez's performance as the ambiguous Missy. The episode came to a great conclusion that left me wondering whether Bill can be saved and whether Missy is going to prove to be good or evil… I can't wait to find out next week.

Masterfull

[tymbus · 9/10 · 25 June 2017]

It is hard to disagree with critics describing this first part of the season finale as among the best Dr Who has offered, so I won't. Yes, some of the humour was labored (Moffat loves winding up fans by calling The Doctor 'Doctor Who') and much of the story was taken up by standing around chatting (between Bill and a 'Mr Razor' who was played by an unaccredited Mark Gatiss).

But,apart from the above, this episode was chill filled and came with some nice science fiction ideas. The TARDIS crew lands on a spaceship trying to escape a black hole. The ship is so long that time is running faster at one end than the other.At the rear end nearest the black hole, enough time has passed to allow the creation of the cybermen in their Tenth Planet form.

I think Moffat himself noted his love for that incarnation of the creatures and has observed that their faces looked bandaged. Here that interpretation is actualized as we meet wards full of patients, their faces masked in bandages.

Moffat deftly mixed his own motifs with classic suspense moments such as an elevator full of as yet unknown creatures ascending to greet the hapless time travelers. Stand out moments included the realization that Bill had literally had a hole blasted through her and a scene in a hospital ward where she turns up a speaker system and finds that the 'patients' are crying out terrible pain.

Moffat is always contrived ( a single, blue alien was just a plot device to have someone on board who wasn't ripe for conversion into a cyberman) but some of those contrivances work. Missy parodying the Doctor embarking on an adventure made me laugh out load. And Moffat balanced humour and horror in equal measure.

I spotted all of the twists before they happened but that didn't make them less entertaining. I have only deducted a star because the conversations around sexuality and gender have become totally forced over the length of a season. And there was an awful lot of standing around. Ark in Space remains the unchallenged best stuck in a room on a spaceship story.

It is going to be a real shame to say good bye to a cast of characters that finally found its footing in this final Capaldi season. Word is that he isn't in much or any of the Christmas Special and with the story opening with The Doctor kneeling on an icy landscape it looks like rumors of an appearance by the first Doctor are likely to be fulfilled.

A dark yet creepy masterpiece from moffat!

[saltymonkey · 10/10 · 29 June 2017]

WarniNg! contains MAJOR spoilers

This is one of the best episodes of doctor who and probably Steven moffats best writing in quite awhile. This episode is really dark in tone and my god some concepts of the episode were really creepy and dark.

OK so the episode starts off with a wtf moment where the doctor regenerates but it cuts off before the end and the credits roll in. After the opening credits we are greeted to the spectacular visuals of the spaceship and black hole. Meanwhile Missy is being tested by the doctor in order to become good but however bill becomes a suspect because she is human and it is revealed that whenever humans come on the spaceship the cybermen take them. This is where things start to get horrifyingly dark, a character which is blue becomes scared because the cybermen were coming down the lift so he shoots bill, leaving a large scorched hole in her chest which gave me a huge shock!The cuber patients then collect a lifeless bill in order to be converted into a cyberman. Bill is then revived with a heart implant and finds herself trapped in a creepy hospital where patients lay to be converted into classic cybermen.We are introduced to Mr razor, a former master incarnation in disguise. It is then revealed that as bill is not fully a cyberman yet her heart implant is still weak so if she leaves the hospital it would stop working.This heart implant concept is absolutely gruesome even though no gore is shown. There is some true body horror references in this episode. Anways it is revealed that the people in the city aboard the spaceship are dying of illness so cuber conversion is in progress in order for them to survive. Latwr on in the episode bill is revealed to be a cyberman and the Mr razor is actually the master played by john simm. This was such a big ending to a great episode. Overall a solid 10/10

Trailers are not for fans!

[tenly-98797 · 25 June 2017]

Trailers are not for fans. They are meant to attract new viewers and to remind "sometimes viewers" that there's a new episode coming soon.

If you're a fan of a series - any series - hit the mute button and close your eyes for 20-30 seconds when a trailer for a future episode or season starts to play. If you're not a fan, and you watch the trailer, it may convince you to watch the show and it doesn't spoil many of the big reveals, shocks or plot twists because you're not familiar enough with the series to even understand most of them. But if you're a fan of the series, and you go ahead and watch the trailers - you've got nobody to blame but yourself for ruining the surprises. Complaining about it afterwards, or deducting a point from your review because YOU went ahead and allowed the surprises to be spoiled is kind of ridiculous.

It will be nice in a few years where all of the TV's are smart enough to know who's a fan of what and perhaps play trailers without any spoilers for "fans" of a series, or maybe swap out the trailer completely for "fans" and instead market a different series to you - one that you're not already a fan of - but for now, we don't have that and you all know what trailers are and how to avoid them - mute the audio and close your eyes.

It's not that hard. I do it all the time - and yes, I can see how a bit of foreknowledge could have diminished ones enjoyment of the latest episode - but, as I managed to avoid any foreknowledge - I greatly enjoyed this episode. I give it a 10 as I do most of Stephen Moffat's finales. There were a few bits of dialog I could have done without - but not enough to diminish my enjoyment of the episode.

There were a couple of reviewers that gave this episode a 4 rating and quoted some plot holes as one of the reasons for their low number. Seriously? Do these people realize that this was part 1 of 2? How can you complain about plot holes halfway through a story? Especially a Stephen Moffat story! He ties up all plot elements better than any other writer I know of. There's no way Moffat is going to give us a lame, unimaginative ending like Lost did. I hope that the 4's come back next week and upgrade their ratings after they see how deftly and cleverly Moffat wraps things up next week.

I can't say any more about the episode without spoiling something, so I'll let my 10 speak for itself and remind Who fans to NOT watch the trailers if they plan to watch the episode!!!

An instant classic

[pjgs200 · 8/10 · 24 June 2017]

World Enough and Time was an incredible episode. Right of the bat, it's entertaining, starting off silly and taking a harrowing turn 10 minutes in. Moffat's script deftly interweaves between present, past, and different plot lines to ramp up the tension and emotional impact of the episode, Rachel Talalay's direction is once again superb (with great lighting and framing), and Murray Gold's score is both unsettling and beautiful, contributing to the spooky feel of the episode. It's a shame that Capaldi didn't get a big part in the episode, but he's fantastic in the parts he's in. Still, Mackie carries the episode well, Michelle Gomez is fantastic, as always, and Matt Lucas is a wonderful presence on the show.

My main criticism, aside from the fact that the Doctor doesn't seem to be very affected by Bill's death (though that could be explained by saying that he was shocked or believed that she would be fine) isn't for the episode, but for the BBC.

The return of the Mondasian Cybermen and the planet Mondas was a huge event in itself, the return of John Simm as the Master was absolutely massive (his last appearance was 7 years ago), and Missy turning bad played out very well, but because of the BBC's promotional material, none of this came as a shock. To add to that, they included the fact that a major character was going to die in the synopsis of the episode! The BBC even included a clip of John Simm's return in the Next Time trailer after The Pilot- the first episode of series 10. Trailers are supposed to get you excited for the upcoming episodes- they're NOT supposed to spoil major character and monster returns in an attempt to get new viewers. If they hadn't done any of that I and many other viewers wouldn't have seen it coming at all.

Even so, the episode is so good that I can't give it anything but a 10.

*Note to the BBC: If you want to attract viewers, make sure your show is consistently great to keep people watching instead of ruining one of the largest cliffhangers in the show's history.*

As a side note, thank God that Nardole's still alive. He has been the highlight of a disappointingly average series of Doctor Who so far, and I really hope that Matt Lucas stays on for series 11.

Shock factor carries the episode

[TheFlamePrince · 7/10 · 25 May 2018]

The start of the episode is very slow, although this could be to increase the surprise of Bill being shot. The flashbacks are a bit too long for my liking and don't really add too much. The Doctor's reaction to Bill's 'death' is pretty much non-existent, which is not only disappointing, but lets the audience know that she will inevitably come back to life.

Having said that, I really enjoy the premise of the episode and the inclusion of realistic black hole physics was a great point about this episode. The reintroduction of the Mondasian Cybermen works really well; the Cybermen have finally regained their original creepiness, although something about them is not as intimidating as their appearances in classic Doctor Who episodes.

The conversion of Bill into a Cyberman at the end of the episode is a great cliffhanger and really leaves you wondering what will happen next. John Simm reprising his role as the Master is an excellent addition, but the shock was completely ruined by the spoiler of his return. Had this been kept as a secret, my rating of this episode would undoubtably be higher.

This episode has all the ingredients of a really fantastic episode of New Who. However, I feel it would benefit from having some scenes and dialogue removed. An episode such as this has to be concise, but too often it felt that extra dialogue was inserted simply to extend a scene or to create more 'humour'. One thing people who watched the classic episodes will always say, is that the show left them frightened and this is what made it thrilling. This episode has the potential to create this fear and does so to an extent, just not as much as I had hoped.

Slow

[johngraham1964 · 4/10 · 25 June 2017]

A disappointing and slow beginning to the finale of this season's Doctor Who.

Starting with another regeneration scene for Peter Capaldi's Doctor - and ending with yet another - when the actual regeneration occurs it will be an anti-climax.

And 'I am Doctor Who'??? Really? We haven't had this clunky idea since 'The War Machines' in 1966 when 'Doctor Who Is Required' got past the script editor. And saying that it's actually the Doctor's real name was a pointless piece of scripting. Yes I know people in the series have asked 'Doctor who?' but it was always a reasonable question. And it was always a question. Here it felt awkward - like a five-year-old putting pen to paper.

The 'one end of the ship is moving faster than the other' meant the increase in lifeforms came as no surprise, as they had years to multiply. Only the Doctor seems to realise this but it was as clear as glass.

The superfast lift manages the journey to the shiny end of the ship with no problem to collect the human. Bill, however, is told no-one can leave the dirty, run-down end. A previous expedition never returned - if they had any sense they found a nicer floor and stayed there! But the doctors can pop up to the furthest end of the ship whenever they like to pick up humans. In that case, so can anyone! Plothole alert BIG TIME!

Pearl Mackie uses both of her Bill Potts expressions (she seems to have only two throughout the season). I can't say I've warmed to the character. She comes across as rather annoying most of the time. So sympathy for her 'death' and then Cyber-conversion was rather limited. I would say her best bit was the tear from her 'real' eye under her Cyber eye - but even that's been done before by the head of Torchwood after Cyber-conversion.

The blue alien seems to have no reason to Kill Bill (sorry!). The people in the lift are after humans and he isn't human. They haven't harmed him and they're not interested in him so what does it matter to him if they pop down to his end of the ship and waltz off with Bill? They make no effort to interfere with the Doctor or Nardole so they are clearly no threat to non-humans - so why become so paranoid that there's a human and why shoot her? Oh yes it achieves a dramatic special effect 'hole in the chest' but it makes no sense.

I have yet to see the point of the Nardole character - perhaps all will be revealed next week. I hope so - as so far he seems to have been there simply to remind the Doctor that he should be guarding the vault and to tell him off when he doesn't. The Doctor said he reattached Nardole's head to his body (though it seems to be a robotic body - or maybe a Cyber-body) but then he was left with an annoying man/bot who kept berating him. Maybe the Doctor can remove Nardole's head and pop Bill's there? Though personally I'd prefer Bill to go out in a blaze of glory saving the Doctor or the Universe or something. Hope springs eternal...

Are there any plus points then? Of course. Missy is on fine form - I loved her warnings to stay away from her or she'll kill. The gradual conversion of people into Cybermen was suitable creepy. Moffat is going out on his script device of repetition - one part converted Cyberman typing out 'Pain...pain...pain...' repeatedly. Although he's used it before more than once it still worked here. Though one has to ask, if the staff didn't want to listen to any of the converted humans, why build a speaker into their drips and why give them a keyboard to type on?

So now we wait for the finale episode. Can Bill be un-Cyberised? And do we care enough anyway? Will John Simm's Master overact terribly again or will he go for subtlety? To be honest, I am looking forward to the next stage of the Missy story more than anything else. She's meeting her former self - does that return her to her bad old ways or does meeting him and seeing him in action make her step further towards being good? Either way works for me. Michelle Gomez pulls it off whatever she does.

Finally - Peter Capaldi. A fine actor who was handed a bad characterisation for his first two seasons and some really dire scripts has produced his best work this season and finally settled into the role. It's taken a while - due to the factors mentioned above - but he has made a success of his time in the role - albeit against the odds at times.

Amazing, absolutely amazing

[Regula92 · 10/10 · 24 June 2017]

So for me this had been a pretty average series up until now. Having seen this episode though.. All I can say is this, if next weeks episode is on par with this one, it can be the best two-parter in all of NuWho.

I won't spoil anything, but I'm sure everyone will hear the hype about this, and it is totally deserving of it. It's well written, directed and edited. It's also creepy as hell, which is great because that's when Doctor Who is as it's best.

I don't want this series to end, but at the same time I need to see the conclusion right now..

Worth the wait? Definitely. - Prophet's Spoiler (ish) review!

[cameronclements-89940 · 10/10 · 24 June 2017]

This episode was an excellent beginning to an excellent ending for series 10. The acting was on point, the characters were very believable and the plot was amazing. This is exactly what I was looking forward to with the end of series 10.

I do have to admit something, I'm sure almost anyone could agree with me here. Series 10 so far was somewhat of a disappointment. We had to survive a whole year without any Doctor Who, excluding the Christmas special, I mean - Which I must add, a very good episode with some fun characters. - And I think I speak for a lot of people when I say that I was expecting a lot more from this series. I wanted the best, only the best of Doctor Who. Was that given to us in this series? No. It was not. However, I think that World Enough and Time has proved to us all that a single episode has the ability change an entire opinion on a series.

World Enough and Time has an amazingly gritty feel to it. Bringing back an old foe, missing from time for over 50 years. The Mondasian Cybermen have returned by the hand of... Your's Truly, the Master (Played by John Simm). But the question is, are they returning? Or are they only just beginning...

I am very excited for the next episode in this story, please, PLEASE don't ruin this for me.

FYI: For anyone interested in the Mondasian Cybermen, refer to the classic Doctor Who story: The Tenth Planet. Available on DVD here:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Doctor-Who-Tenth-Planet-DVD/dp/B00EF1I85Y/

Enjoy!

10/10

Perhaps a bit disappointing for us older fans but great for the younger generation

[ewaf58 · 9/10 · 24 June 2017]

Came across as a bit too theatrical. I just can't see how these cloth faced thespians turned into the murderous non feeling silver giants in the Tenth Planet.

I watched their original debut in 1966 and they were terrifying. There was a maturity about the writing which made you believe in the adventure.

This episode was very clever but sometimes lacked the original's drama. Perhaps too many wisecracks when it should have been played straight.

Or perhaps I'm just one if the older fans who can't appreciate how the younger fans feel. Of course there could be time dilatation here too and I'm writing to you from 1966.

To any of you newer fans try and check you the Tenth planet.

Great episode but the BBC should stop spoiling

[Funsickus · 9/10 · 25 June 2017]

Even tough i did not quite like the tenth planet and the Mondasian Cyberman and i was really worried about their return this turned out really well. It was a great acted episode and also like all of the other Moffat stories really well written. I hope Bill will stay gone because i don't like her but i like the other characters. The only thing that annoys me about this episode is that the BBC spoiled the return of John Simm's Master if they won't have done this the reveal would be way better so BBC PLEASE STOP SPOILING. All in all this was another Moffat masterpiece

Another amazing finale opener, Moffat is going out in style.

[nickalpha-28228 · 10/10 · 24 June 2017]

World Enough and Time is a beautifully crafted episode from start to finish. Everything from the pacing to the edge of your seat encounters help propel this episode to the top. The return of the Mondasian Cybermen and John Simm's Master (though not too surprising) had me jumping with delight. These things coupled with an eerie and fresh setting give World Enough and Time an old but familiar feel. Acting, atmosphere, dialogue, and anticipation all help skyrocket this episode to the peek of my Doctor Who experience.

Brilliant episode rounds out dismal season

[korereviews · 9/10 · 26 June 2017]

'World enough and Time' was fabulous and succeeded on so many levels: obviously, it was well-written; the direction was clearly superior to that of most episodes and just seemed to be on a higher level of sophistication; there were some fantastic performances, especially by John Simm; the special effects (particularly on the outside of the spaceship) were probably the best I've ever seen on Doctor Who; and even the musical score for this episode was innovative, strongly enhancing the texture and mood of the show. It's like they went from amateur hour to professional all at once. The story itself was wonderful in large part because it was very evocative of classic Who: darker, edgier, more surreal, more sci-fi. Of course, I don't want to get too excited, since this is a two-parter, and it wouldn't be the first time Moffatt totally ruined something that he began well. Anyhow, as a stand-alone episode it was superb. Which however raises the question (as other reviewers have rightly done here): If Moffatt is capable of delivering such an amazing episode of Doctor Who, why the heck has he been subjecting Who fans to such utter garbage for the last umpteen (it feels like forever) years? It's like he just checked out, returning only to put in an effort for his final episodes in an attempt to salvage his legacy. For comparison, just look at the previous episode, 'The Eaters of Light', which had to be one of the worst ones of all time. No, he didn't write it; but as show-runner he's certainly responsible for it. To leap from a run of 7.5 rated episodes to one that is (currently) 9.6 on IMDb surely indicates something is really wrong in Who-ville. Let's hope this gets addressed before the upcoming series...

Very solid start to a 2 parter

[starbugreddwarf · 9/10 · 25 June 2017]

I've been a fan of Doctor Who since the relaunch in 2006. That prompted me to go back and watch a lot of the older stories as well.

Was this episode on par with "Genesis of the Daleks" or "Blink" or any of the other critically acclaimed episodes? Maybe. I wait to see the second half to decide. But whether it was or not, it succeeded for a few reasons.

1. Current show runner Stephen Moffat seems to favor dark, brooding, mood heavy stories and settings, over some of the more light hearted and fast paced episodes of the previous Davies' era. Whether you like that or not is a judgment call, though it has lead to a certain stagnation of lack of new and exciting ideas. Those dark stories that Doctor Who can do very well seemed to get all kind of "samey." This episode breaks that mold by introducing a new aspect to a classic villain, something not really done since Asylum of the Daleks. In short, it isn't a forced or canned plot, it actually adds something to the show's history. 2. The companion isn't wasted, nor is she overshadowing. So often the companion either gets to just go along for the ride, or becomes the focus of the story. This episode had well-rounded separate story arcs for both Bill and the Doctor. Even the guest star (who turns out to be... SPOILERS...)

The Master... he gets a fair amount of screen time and development, unlike some of the other showings this season for guest stars. 3. Too often, something like the Sonic Screwdriver or even the TARDIS itself gets used as a McGuffin, a magic "solve anything" problem. That hasn't been done too much in the Capaldi era in general, and this episode is no exception. You the audience goes along for the ride as the Doctor tries to confront this issue and move the plot forward. While the plot stagnates around Bill for a certain time, that period is used to develop her relationship with the Master. 4. If you have never seen much (or any) classic Who, many episodes ended on a cliffhanger. For fans of that plot style, much of nuWho disappoints. Either the episode is self contained, or the cliffhanger is only at the end of the season. Even fairly recent episodes that were 2 or 3 parters more or less ended with "Next time...." without much emotional investment of the plot abruptly stopping in mid stream at a critical point. This episode achieves that classic serial cliffhanger.

In short I would say that this is one of, and perhaps the best mix of plot elements, character use and development, and tense rising action in all of the Capaldi era.

Feels like Classic Who in the best way possible

[adfgad-07112 · 10/10 · 20 June 2018]

World Enough and Time is a phenomenal episode of television. It's shocking, genuinely unnerving, and packs absolutely massive cliffhangers. Talalay directs it to perfection, but Moffat's layered and smart script is great as well. It also looks great and the score is good. My only complaint is that Peter Capaldi didn't get enough screen time.

Entertaining Yet Contrived

[zomgzomg · 7/10 · 7 March 2019]

This episode of DW definitely had the potential to be great, but unfortunately a lot of it comes off as melodramatic and contrived.

NEGATIVES:

1. Why did the Blue Man shoot Bill if they only took humans? He surely had nothing to worry about.

2. Overlooking that plot hole, the moment itself was successful dramatic and directed well. However, the sudden cut to flashbacks ruined the overall punch that scene could've had. The flashbacks themselves added nothing to the story.

3. The doctor didn't seem to care very much about Bill's seeming demise. This spoiled the fact to the viewers that she would inevitably be revived.

4. The cross-cut scenes with the Master's reveal and Cyber-Bill we're so awkwardly stretched out. Viewing it was absolutely tedious as I had figured out both twists before the show itself actually revealed them.

5. (Referring back to point 4) if the BBC hadn't SPOILED the Master's return, it would've actually been a surprise.

6. The final couple of shots were so over-dramatic I almost laughed.

7. The whole arc with Missy trying to be good was contrived in the first place but then it was completely squandered when she senselessly went bad again.

8. Why does Nardole exist in some of these episodes? I really hope he is given a purpose soon.

POSITIVES:

1. The overall atmosphere of this episode was pretty fantastic. The classic Cybermen are successful creepy.

2. It was (mostly) well directed and shot.

3. The idea of time moving slower the further down the ship you are was interesting.

4. Mostly well edited.

(OTHER):

I hope the in the next episode it is explained how the Master is there. (And why he was wearing a disguise. How he knew the doctor was coming)

I'm hoping Missy is only pretending to be bad as it just felt so forced.

Decent enough, but it changes nothing

[studioAT · 4/10 · 25 June 2017]

Dr Who, lets face it is on the way down. Yes, I know it sells well overseas, but it's no longer a must watch show, or indeed one that people are talking about on the street. Much like supporting a football team though, fans remain loyal despite it all.

The BBC had over-hyped this series finale like it was going to be the best thing on TV ever. It could never live up to that. What we did get however was a solid, if unspectacular episode of the show, with all the bells and whistles (and silly plotting) you would expect from a series finale. Would I wish to see it again? No.

John Simms is back as The Master, and while that's good, it only serves as a reminder of his previous appearances when the show was actually at the top of its game. Those days are gone.

I really want to give it a 10/10

[warlordartos · 9/10 · 4 May 2021]

But I just can't. While this was THE best episode of Doctor Who in a long time it still had some problems if you look back closer to the start of the episode. I personally don't like flashbacks, they remove the tension in the moment, so that is 1 problem. Problem 2 is that the blue guy seemed way to concerned about them taking humans, he isn't human so why is he worrying? The final problem being that The Doctor seems very unfazed by Bill's death, thank god he flipped that guy on his arse in the end, but really it wasn't enough for what happened.

Not enough time in the world to fully explain how great this episode is

[dkiliane · 9/10 · 1 January 2020]

But I'll try. This episode is excellently crafted from beginning to end. The opening scene is The Doctor stumbling out of the TARDIS into a snowscape on the cusp of regeneration. From there we go back to the adventure that will eventually lead up to this event. Missy, accompanied by a not so enthused Bill and Nardole, somewhat mockingly dons the role as The Doctor, who is watching her from inside the TARDIS to test if she really has changed. They find themselves on a massive ship (hundreds of miles long) successfully but slowly reversing away from a black hole. Things quickly get out of hand, however, and despite The (real) Doctor leaping into action, Bill still is stuck with a gigantic hole in her chest. And that's just the beginning!

After an ironic flashback of Bill confessing her misgivings about The Doctor giving Missy a chance, the meat of the episode is Bill waiting in a mysterious hospital at the bottom of the ship after having a chest unit surgically implanted to save her life. She befriends a quirky orderly called Mr. Razor after attempting to investigate the hospital's other "fully converted patients" while she waits for The Doctor to come rescue her. Because of the time differential on the opposite ends of the ship, The Doctor's few minutes at the top of the ship, explaining what's going on and getting past the ship's pilot in true Doctor Who fashion, take years at the bottom of the ship where she is waiting. Despite basically being a damsel in distress scenario, the episode moves along nicely, thanks to the perfectly directed macabre atmosphere punctuated by some fun humor with Bill's interactions with Mr. Razor.

The twists at the end seal this episode as one of my all time favorites. Mr. Razor is in fact John Simm's The Master in disguise and The Doctor is too late to save Bill from "full conversion" ... into a CyberMan! I'm not usually big on the CyberMen but this take is so eerie and the twist perfectly executed and heart-wrenching, I actually genuinely and thoroughly enjoyed the CyberMen appearance. Now, technically, these twists were spoiled by the BBC's own preview trailer, but thankfully I didn't see it the first time I saw it. But even on subsequent viewings, knowing the twist lends deeper insight and more emotional impact to the episode, so much that I never tire of it. 9.5/10