Categories: reviewsseason 8

Series 8, episode 11 – Dark water

Tell me, what would make Clara to behave so strange that she tries to blackmail the Doctor in order to help her? What could make Clara and the Doctor to choose a path that bring them to a collision (or, at least, to a meeting) with Missy? You know, that mysterious lady that welcomes the people after that in hell / heaven / underworld / the world beyond, whatever it is / the gatekeeper at Nethersphere. What is the role of the Cybermen in this story with the world beyond death?

The answer is very simple, and you will find it in the first moments of this episode: Danny Pink dies in a car accident. And when the mad man with 2 hearts and a blue box, known as TARDIS, asks you what he can do for you, could you refuse the chance to save the person you love the most? What would you do to assure that goal?

By the way, Nethersphere is a real place, where TARDIS can go, and Missy has stored the souls / minds gathered from the dead people around the globe for several thousands of years in order to give them a new meaning. A new purpose in a brand new life. Don’t let yourselves be fooled by the promises made to these people by the guys hired by these mystery woman (you had the chance to watch them in action in the previous episodes) or the skeletons kept in the transparent sarcophagus, big rooms filled with a special water (the dark water the give in part the name of the episode, because the times are also dusky and desperate) that only let the organic tissues visible, hiding the chassis that was keeping them intact, working and very dangerous in the reprogrammed shape we know as Cybermen. Yes, I was little wrong about Missy’s identity. Being a Time Lord was very clear, but some people said that her identity was also obvious (we had only a few choices). Probably I was missing their logic or I would have preferred somebody else the Doctor’s old and famous foe, the Master. In the moment her official welcoming package offered to the Doctor were a very intense kiss and another 3 kisses on the nose the story becomes not only funny, but also a little frightening. Especially that Michelle Gomez (the actress playing Missy) is perfect for this role. And the game with words from some point is great, but you will have to watch the episode in order to understand what I mean – Dark Water is great and I hardly expect the second part, the next Saturday.

On the other hand, Master has had 7 different versions during the last 4 decades (starting from 1971), Missy / Mistress being the newest one. The only one being a woman. The last one he was seen in the episode The end of time, a story in 2 parts broadcast in 25 December 2009 and 1 January 2010 (the last one we’ve seen David Tennant as the Doctor) and he disappeared – presumed dead – fighting against the other Time Lords that wanted to break the time lock and return into the Universe. Master’s regeneration as a woman will bring a lot of fuel and heat to the idea of Doctor’s future regeneration as a woman, a first in the 5 decade history of the show.

Directed by Rachel Talalay, based on a story by Steven Moffat, producer Peter Bennett, executive producer Steven Moffat and Brian Minchin. Cast: Peter Capaldi (The Doctor), Jenna Coleman (Clara Oswald), Samuel Anderson (Danny Pink), Michelle Gomez (Missy), Joan Blackham (Woman), Sheila Reid (Gran), Chris Addison (Seb), Andrew Leung (Dr Chang), Bradley Ford (Fleming), Antonio Bourouphael (Boy), Jeremiah Krage (Cyberman), Nicholas Briggs (Voice of the Cybermen), Nigel Betts (Mr Armitage).

Next episode in Doctor Who, the last one of the series 8 before the Christmas special, is Death in Heaven. The second part of the cliffhanger that started with Dark Water.