There are a fair few things that are a bit dodgy about the two part
finale to Capaldi’s first series. Some of the explanations for certain
concepts are a bit woolly, the motivations for pivotal characters in
relation to the events depicted require something of an imaginative leap
on the part of the viewer. However, "Dark Water"/"Death in Heaven" is
so engrossing that these observations are totally blown away when one is
watching it and the real impact of the ideas and emotion of the story
ensure that they cannot even come close to ruining it. Rachel Talalay
brings her considerable experience to bear in a very assured production
with epic action scenes working hand in hand with more intimate
sections, combined with some stunning visuals, especially the
technological vault of the firmament that features early in the story.
The Cybermen of 21st century Doctor Who may physically revamp
themselves less than their 20th Century forbears, but conceptually, it
is another matter. They started out (as did their predecessors) as
humans who took spare part surgery a step too far. In "Nightmare in
Silver", they were a cyborg collective controlled by a central
intelligence. Now, they are nothing short of being a cybernetic undead
plague controlled by a hive mind – for the first time ever, the Cybermen
seem genuinely unstoppable. Conceptually, the Cybermen’s effectiveness
has always been driven by the fact that they are based on the fear of
death and nowhere has this been more chillingly explored than in this
story. The afterlife that we have been teased with (or 'NetherSphere' as
it is dubbed) is simply a reservoir of minds that have been harvested
throughout human history, to be installed into Cybermen. The existential
horror of the Three Words would be arguably going too far for a
programme made for children, if it were not part of the story’s aim of
death and how we can deal with it.
However, although the Cybermen are central to the plot, the heart(s) of
the story are the characters in it. The key event in the story is the
totally unexpected death of Danny in the opening scene of the story. It
occurs in an all too common way, making the loss seem more real than
others have been. Clara’s reaction to Danny’s death is as unexpected as
it is believable and the scene where Clara tries to blackmail the Doctor
is completely convincing thanks to Jenna Coleman's astonishing
performance. She is complemented by great work from Samuel Anderson as
Danny, showing real grit combined with vulnerability. UNIT make a very
welcome return with Jemma Redgrave’s brilliant Kate Stewart and the sad
demise of Ingrid Oliver’s Osgood. Sanjeev Bhaskar’s Colonel Ahmed isn’t
as lucky as his wife’s character was four years ago, but it is always
good to see him, as is Chris Addison. However there is another very
important returnee. I’m sure I wasn’t the only one who had guessed that
Missy was the Master. Michelle Gomez’s is, physically, as close as one
can get to a female Roger Delgado - both possessing 'demonic' good looks
– and her unhinged, yet controlled performance makes her great fun to
watch – yet we do not forget the sheer wanton sadism of her murders. It
proves, without a shadow of a doubt, that changing the sex of a regular
character can work perfectly well, if the right actor is found...
This series of Doctor Who has been seen by some as being darker
in mood and having the Doctor himself as a darker character. The Doctor
has less time for fools in this incarnation and certainly less time for
tears. However, it is clear that this is still the man we love; if there
were any doubts, his unconditional forgiveness of Clara silenced them
forever. The Doctor has wondered whether he was a good man, has been
called a good Dalek, but here, he embraces what he truly is – an idiot.
His anger is still real, as his enraged frustration over Gallifrey show,
but he is still that madman with a box. I never doubted Peter Capaldi
for a second and his performance in this story caps an astonishing run.
Peter Capaldi’s triumphant first season makes me look forward all the more to a very Frosty Christmas...
NEXT: "Last Christmas"
Sunday 14 December 2014
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