Story: Heaven Sent
Written By: Steven Moffat
Length: 55 Minutes
Year: 2015
What a tremendous effort this really is. Might be one of the finest episodes of Doctor Who's entire 52-year run! It is unlike any other Doctor Who episode I have ever seen before, yet at the sam time it is a VERY Doctor Who concept. It is simultaneously very simple but complex. Sure it has a creepy castle and a stalking monster chasing the Doctor...but it is also very introvert and very much about the Doctor's inner thought process. The episode is a brilliant tour de force from Moffat's script, to Rachel Talalay's perfect direction, and to Peter Capaldi's exquisite acting...he is a one man band this time around, just running around castle talking to himself, and to the deceased Clara (who did briefly appear in the Doctor's mind).
Essentially the episode is a great ride, it knew when to slow things down and when to speed things up...and it is just watching Capaldi act his heart out and seriously climb the ranks of top Doctors in just 55 minutes. Nothing against Smith (who was fun even if his schtick did grow a bit tiresome near the end of his run), but Capaldi may have out-acted Matt Smith's entire run with this single episode right here.
It all turns out that the Doctor is actually inside his confession (which before he was transported in the previous episode was taken by Ashildr), and in order to figure out the whole mystery of where he is he must tell the truth...truths he has never told anyone before. And when he finally unravels where he is, or just how to get out of it, he has to punch through a wall 400 times stronger than diamond. A few punches at a time, before being killed by his nightmare...and having to slowly climb back up to the control room where he arrived, to bring himself back in and start over and punch a few more times into the wall. Oh if it wasn't clear there is a copy of himself saved into the hard drive from when he first arrived. So he has to essentially keep reliving this nightmare, unraveling this mystery, then realize his only recourse is to punch a wall a few times before being murdered, and starting over to punch the wall enough times to break out. It's a very-Doctor Who version of "Groundhog Day" that is equal parts exciting and sad.
And when the Doctor finally breaks out after over a billion years of repeating himself? He is on Gallifrey. He has found it, and he will take on who ever was behind putting him in there (and inadvertently killed Clara in the process of getting him there as well). He also exclaims that the legendary Time Lord myth of "The Hybrid" that would leave Gallifrey in ruins is "me!" which when you first hear it sounds like the Doctor is the Hybrid, but I am assuming that it will turn out to be Ashildr, because she will most certainly play a role in the finale and she calls herself "Me" and the Doctor referred to her as a hybrid in "The Woman Who Lived." Maybe my theory is wrong, but have an idea of where things are going. I kind of saw where things were heading near the end of this episode, but that didn't hurt my enjoyment in the slightest...it was exciting to see things cleverly set up and be paid off.
This is a nearly (if not a truly) perfect episode, everything works, everything is thrilling, everything is emotional...it just works. I thought Moffat was running out of steam at the end of Series 7, but then he really nailed 50th Anniversary, and gave us a solid debut season for Capaldi...and if he is going to write and produce amazing stories like this? Stick around Moff, I'm happy you've still got it.
NEXT TIME: The Return of Gallifrey
Written By: Steven Moffat
Length: 55 Minutes
Year: 2015
What a tremendous effort this really is. Might be one of the finest episodes of Doctor Who's entire 52-year run! It is unlike any other Doctor Who episode I have ever seen before, yet at the sam time it is a VERY Doctor Who concept. It is simultaneously very simple but complex. Sure it has a creepy castle and a stalking monster chasing the Doctor...but it is also very introvert and very much about the Doctor's inner thought process. The episode is a brilliant tour de force from Moffat's script, to Rachel Talalay's perfect direction, and to Peter Capaldi's exquisite acting...he is a one man band this time around, just running around castle talking to himself, and to the deceased Clara (who did briefly appear in the Doctor's mind).
It all turns out that the Doctor is actually inside his confession (which before he was transported in the previous episode was taken by Ashildr), and in order to figure out the whole mystery of where he is he must tell the truth...truths he has never told anyone before. And when he finally unravels where he is, or just how to get out of it, he has to punch through a wall 400 times stronger than diamond. A few punches at a time, before being killed by his nightmare...and having to slowly climb back up to the control room where he arrived, to bring himself back in and start over and punch a few more times into the wall. Oh if it wasn't clear there is a copy of himself saved into the hard drive from when he first arrived. So he has to essentially keep reliving this nightmare, unraveling this mystery, then realize his only recourse is to punch a wall a few times before being murdered, and starting over to punch the wall enough times to break out. It's a very-Doctor Who version of "Groundhog Day" that is equal parts exciting and sad.
And when the Doctor finally breaks out after over a billion years of repeating himself? He is on Gallifrey. He has found it, and he will take on who ever was behind putting him in there (and inadvertently killed Clara in the process of getting him there as well). He also exclaims that the legendary Time Lord myth of "The Hybrid" that would leave Gallifrey in ruins is "me!" which when you first hear it sounds like the Doctor is the Hybrid, but I am assuming that it will turn out to be Ashildr, because she will most certainly play a role in the finale and she calls herself "Me" and the Doctor referred to her as a hybrid in "The Woman Who Lived." Maybe my theory is wrong, but have an idea of where things are going. I kind of saw where things were heading near the end of this episode, but that didn't hurt my enjoyment in the slightest...it was exciting to see things cleverly set up and be paid off.
This is a nearly (if not a truly) perfect episode, everything works, everything is thrilling, everything is emotional...it just works. I thought Moffat was running out of steam at the end of Series 7, but then he really nailed 50th Anniversary, and gave us a solid debut season for Capaldi...and if he is going to write and produce amazing stories like this? Stick around Moff, I'm happy you've still got it.
NEXT TIME: The Return of Gallifrey
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