Story: Death in Heaven
Written By: Steven Moffat
Length: 56 Minutes
Year: 2014
Peter Capaldi's debut season as the Doctor comes to a satisfying conclusion as we get closure on most of the lingering storylines, character arcs, and themes that ran through this pretty solid season. How wonderful is that? It seems like the first time a whole season has had this much closure under Moffat's reign.
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The episode revolves around the Master's plot to use the Cybermen and their Cyber Cloud (which will pour Cyber rain that will turn everyone into Cybermen! Also Cyber!), to take over the Earth...while Clara tries again to be a huge liar, claims to be the Doctor, only to unknowingly tell big lies and then exclaim her everlasting faith in the Doctor...to a Cyber-Danny. Cyber-Danny is really hurt by it all...you know the fact that he has died, returned as a Cyberman and now has to face the woman he loved and realize she is not only a big ol' liar, but also really cares more about the Doctor than she probably ever did about himself. Ouch.
Like most of this season, it relies less on the plot-heavy kind of stuff Moffat played with to a bit of excess in the Matt Smith Era, and is more character driven. It isn't really about the Master or the Cybermen, though they are prominently featured and Michelle Gomez is pretty fun as the Master...it is about the Doctor, Clara, and Danny.
We finally get a conclusion to the whole "am I a good man?" question that the Doctor has been trying to figure out in these early days of his latest incarnation...and when the Master offers him a Cyber Army to him as a gift (the idea that the Master's whole plan was to offer the Doctor a gift and prove that they aren't so different feels surprisingly right when yo consider where the Master was left off, saving the Doctor's life). The Doctor realizes exactly what kind of man he is...not good or bad, or a hero or a general...he is just an idiot with a box and screwdriver, who is passing through and helping out. It really is the core of the character if you go back to the origin of the show. It really resonates with this stripped down Doctor.
The Doctor gives the army to Cyber-Danny, who despite having his emotions crushed still keeps his promise to not harm Clara...and orders all Cybermen (as well as himself) to burn up in the CyberCloud, thus negating it's powers. The Master is defeated, and gives the Doctor the coordinates to Gallifrey, claiming it is back where it had always been...and then the Doctor offers to kill the Master so Clara doesn't have to...luckily a Cyber-Brig does it. That's right! One of the dead bodies turned into a Cyberman was the Brig! He also saved his daughter from falling out of a plane, but I'm skimming through the plot here so that got missed (oh and the lovely Osgood we met in "The Day of the Doctor" gets murderd by the Master as well).
The Story ends on a sombre note...Danny had a chance to return to life via the cyber-controlling bracelet, but he instead chose to send the boy he had killed when at war...which is lovely but I wasn't entirely clear on how the bracelet could return anyone to life. It seemed vague...maybe a rewatch will clear such things up. Anyhow the episode ends with Danny remaining dead and Clara and the Doctor meeting up one last time. The Doctor claims to have found Gallifrey and says he will be heading home, though it is shown that the Master was clearly lying and a grief stricken Doctor finds nothing but emptiness where she claimed he would find it. Clara pretends that she has Danny back and can no longer travel with him. Both lie about happy endings to the other...it felt equally sad and fitting for this series' themes. It ends with them parting ways, and then during the credits the Doctor is told it can't end like that by Santa Claus. Bring on Christmas!
If I issues with this episode, I'd say it was mostly the apparent death of the Master...because he/she never stays dead, and I would've much rather enjoyed a "I'll get you next time Doctor!" kind of end for her...make him/her definitively a recurring villain again. I also must admit that I am a bit worried that this ending for the Doctor and Clara is going to be negated if she returns for more episodes. I think it would be a good move, considering all that happened this year, to say goodbye to Clara. I like Jenna Coleman, but her character got growth this year, and that growth would seem negated if she decided to travel with the Doctor again. She, as a character, needs to move on.
I enjoyed this episode, as I have the bulk of this year's episodes. It was exciting and fun, but despite the obvious fantasy elements of the show it remained somewhat more grounded than the show had been when the ever wacky Smith had been in the role. I like the more grounded tone, it feels like Eccleston's lone season. I'm ready for more with this Doctor, particularly now that he seems to have come to terms with some of his internal doubts about who he is. Time for him to truly become that idiot passing through and helping out.
NEXT TIME: Series 8 Recap
Written By: Steven Moffat
Length: 56 Minutes
Year: 2014
Peter Capaldi's debut season as the Doctor comes to a satisfying conclusion as we get closure on most of the lingering storylines, character arcs, and themes that ran through this pretty solid season. How wonderful is that? It seems like the first time a whole season has had this much closure under Moffat's reign.
.png)
Like most of this season, it relies less on the plot-heavy kind of stuff Moffat played with to a bit of excess in the Matt Smith Era, and is more character driven. It isn't really about the Master or the Cybermen, though they are prominently featured and Michelle Gomez is pretty fun as the Master...it is about the Doctor, Clara, and Danny.
We finally get a conclusion to the whole "am I a good man?" question that the Doctor has been trying to figure out in these early days of his latest incarnation...and when the Master offers him a Cyber Army to him as a gift (the idea that the Master's whole plan was to offer the Doctor a gift and prove that they aren't so different feels surprisingly right when yo consider where the Master was left off, saving the Doctor's life). The Doctor realizes exactly what kind of man he is...not good or bad, or a hero or a general...he is just an idiot with a box and screwdriver, who is passing through and helping out. It really is the core of the character if you go back to the origin of the show. It really resonates with this stripped down Doctor.
The Doctor gives the army to Cyber-Danny, who despite having his emotions crushed still keeps his promise to not harm Clara...and orders all Cybermen (as well as himself) to burn up in the CyberCloud, thus negating it's powers. The Master is defeated, and gives the Doctor the coordinates to Gallifrey, claiming it is back where it had always been...and then the Doctor offers to kill the Master so Clara doesn't have to...luckily a Cyber-Brig does it. That's right! One of the dead bodies turned into a Cyberman was the Brig! He also saved his daughter from falling out of a plane, but I'm skimming through the plot here so that got missed (oh and the lovely Osgood we met in "The Day of the Doctor" gets murderd by the Master as well).
The Story ends on a sombre note...Danny had a chance to return to life via the cyber-controlling bracelet, but he instead chose to send the boy he had killed when at war...which is lovely but I wasn't entirely clear on how the bracelet could return anyone to life. It seemed vague...maybe a rewatch will clear such things up. Anyhow the episode ends with Danny remaining dead and Clara and the Doctor meeting up one last time. The Doctor claims to have found Gallifrey and says he will be heading home, though it is shown that the Master was clearly lying and a grief stricken Doctor finds nothing but emptiness where she claimed he would find it. Clara pretends that she has Danny back and can no longer travel with him. Both lie about happy endings to the other...it felt equally sad and fitting for this series' themes. It ends with them parting ways, and then during the credits the Doctor is told it can't end like that by Santa Claus. Bring on Christmas!
If I issues with this episode, I'd say it was mostly the apparent death of the Master...because he/she never stays dead, and I would've much rather enjoyed a "I'll get you next time Doctor!" kind of end for her...make him/her definitively a recurring villain again. I also must admit that I am a bit worried that this ending for the Doctor and Clara is going to be negated if she returns for more episodes. I think it would be a good move, considering all that happened this year, to say goodbye to Clara. I like Jenna Coleman, but her character got growth this year, and that growth would seem negated if she decided to travel with the Doctor again. She, as a character, needs to move on.
I enjoyed this episode, as I have the bulk of this year's episodes. It was exciting and fun, but despite the obvious fantasy elements of the show it remained somewhat more grounded than the show had been when the ever wacky Smith had been in the role. I like the more grounded tone, it feels like Eccleston's lone season. I'm ready for more with this Doctor, particularly now that he seems to have come to terms with some of his internal doubts about who he is. Time for him to truly become that idiot passing through and helping out.
NEXT TIME: Series 8 Recap
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