When Moffat gets it right, he gets it right. When he gets it wrong.. well you get the gist. I think it’s safe to say he got this spectacularly right.
I have been beyond excited for Dark Water/Death In Heaven for weeks, the promise of something epic and utterly dark and delicious has been too much for me, I am so relieved that we FINALLY know who Missy is, and I have missed being left more confused at the end than when I started the episode.
Dark Water is everything a big two parter finale should be, full of chills, laughs, and tension. There was also some real dark moments too. The concept of the afterlife is something Doctor Who has rarely explored, with The Doctor saying early on that it’s something he has never got round to finding out. The pre-title scene where Danny dies was really quite harrowing, Clara’s reaction though is something I am struggling whether or not I liked. Grief comes out of us in very different ways, and needless to say the things Clara says to her Gran (hello Sheila Reid again) might have come across heartless and cold. I think that perhaps that that could’ve been written a bit better but that’s just me.
So Danny is dead, and Clara understandably is quite distraught. A fabulously tense scene with Clara and the Doctor on the volcano surface as she slowly throws away each of his TARDIS keys. The acting here was brilliant, with The Doctor ready to do something he might regret to Clara with those fierce eyes of his, you really do feel like Clara has lost it, and the Doctor is ready to tackle it. Alas, the whole thing was a ‘dream state’, reminding me heavily of Series 3’s Gridlock with the mood patches, Clara, thinking it was a sleep patch, actually picked up a hallucinogenic patch that showed the Doctor just how far she will go to get Danny back. I was disappointed that the scene wasn’t really real though but still great nonetheless.
There is so much to cover in one episode and it’s only part one, so I will skip to the main big plot points.
I love the properly dark undertones of this episode, and presumably into next week. the thought of staying conscious after you die and experience the pain of cremation is horrible. With 3W standing for the 3 words nobody who has suffered a loss wants to hear, “Don’t Cremate Me.” Moffat’s ability to play with basic human fears is something to behold, the show is verging on the adult now, with the later time slots and much darker plot arcs and themes, it does beg the question whether perhaps it is a bit too much for young ones now. However, they do manage to keep it on the lighter side, just.
There are of course, Cybermen. The idea of X-Ray water only showing the human skeletons was genius, the reveal when the water slowly poured out and it showed the metal Cybermen suits, was so chilling, and made me think how the hell did I not guess that? Also, never did I think I would get so excited over a door closing, where it showed the windows matching the outline of the Cybermen’s eyes; again, genius. Although it INSTANTLY reminded me of the Series 6 finale The Wedding of River Song where the Silence were kept in the water chambers.
Michelle Gomez, is an absolutely outstanding actress. Her performance so far has been one of the greatest we have had for a very long time, and I think she is a very worthy match for the Doctor. So Missy, is the Master! He has become a woman for the first time in Doctor Who history! I am still beside myself with glee over this. John Simm, to me will always be the Master, he is the one I grew up with and for me he was perfect, to have someone TOTALLY different is a welcome change, and I think it is the right time to bring such a significant enemy back. Having HER identity finally revealed, it does pose a lot of questions which I hope are answered next week. Such as, how did John Simm’s Master regenerate? Was it immediately after his self sacrifice in The End of Time? Has the drum beat finally left the Master’s mind now? If Gallifrey was locked into the Time Lock, and the events of the 50th Anniversary, how did the Master escape? Did he/she escape before the events of Day of the Doctor? Does she still own the fobwatch and green ring? Amongst others.. But I am hopeful that this will be properly explained next week. Maybe I am wishing too hard here but I would LOVE for John Simm to come back and cameo, bridging the gap and show him regenerate into Michelle Gomez. I for one am incredibly excited for what the future holds and how this will affect the Doctor and the Master’s dynamic, given with the 10th Doctor and Simm’s Master being somewhat compassionate towards each other in the end, and 10 crying when the Master ‘died’ in Last of the Timelords. Now that he has become a woman, and has become even more forward than River (is that possible?) then I’ll be intrigued what lies in store.
I think that Dark Water did blow a lot of previous episodes out of the water, especially last week’s episode. What is left in the balance is that, Danny is dead. Fact. Given what we learnt about the Cybermen it is basically confirmed that Danny is now a Cyberman? Physically anyway. Which could pose big decisions for Clara and 12. Not only that but how in the hell will the Doctor be able to save the world, try and rectify a new relationship with the Master, and save Clara from herself.
This week is going to drag rather badly but I am so excited for what I am hoping is going to be one of the best finales in years! With Osgood and Kate Stewart returning, it is sure to be a belter.
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