Death In Heaven
Written by Steven Moffat
Director:Rachel Talalay
Producer:Peter Bennett
Executive Producer(s):Steven Moffat/Brian Minchin
Length:60 minutes. 2nd part.
Originally Broadcast:8th November 2014
Synopsis
The Master's plan is finally revealed.
As dark clouds of Cyberman pollen hover over cemeteries, the world watches as they rain down, bringing the dead back to life.
As dark clouds of Cyberman pollen hover over cemeteries, the world watches as they rain down, bringing the dead back to life.
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| The Cybermen emerging from the dome of St Paul's cathedral. I don't know why they don't just use the side entrance like everyone else. |
Plotline
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| Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it's just some flying Cyber...Blast! I think one just pooped on my head! |
Missy's ultimate plan is revealed when 91 Cybermen (one for every major town and city) fly, yes you heard me, fly into the skies and explode. The explosion creates an ominous black cloud from which 'Cyber pollen' is released, raining down upon the cemeteries and bringing the dead back as Cybermen.
Meanwhile, Clara, still inside St Paul's Cathedral is detected by a Cyberman and bargains for her life by trying to convince it that she is really the Doctor. Having not pressed the delete button to erase his emotions back in the Nethersphere, (Dark Water) Danny Pink's deceased body, along with the stored consciousness of the dead who had been tapped in a Gallifreyan memory storage device (Matrix) by Missy, is brought back to earth, where he too is upgraded as a Cyberman. When Clara looks set to be deleted, Cyber-Danny shows up and destroys the Cybermen. taking her unconscious body to a graveyard. What she witnesses there, is a kind of metal apocalypse as hundreds of Cybermen (previously humans who have now been upgraded) emerge from their graves
The Doctor and Missy meanwhile, are surrounded by U.N.I.T, (Unified Intelligence Taskforce) led by Kate Lethbridge-Stewart. In the event that such an invasion should ever take place, a protocol has put into place whereby a President of the Earth must be elected. Much to his disdain, the Doctor finds that he is now Chief Executive Officer Of The Human Race and has complete control over the world's armies. Now on board the U.N.I.T aircraft, the plane is set upon by the airborne Cybermen, intent on pulling it apart.
Missy also on board and having escaped, kills Osgood, one of U.N.I.T's scientists and blows open the side of the aircraft before teleporting and leaving the Doctor and Kate hurtling from the plane.
As the Timelord falls through the skies, he calls upon the TARDIS, narrowly escaping falling to his death. The TARDIS takes him to the same graveyard where Cyber-Danny has deposited Clara and there she asks for his help in granting Danny's request to turn off the inhibitors and stop him from feeling. The Doctor refuses citing that once they do, Cyber-Danny will tear her from limb to limb before stepping over her body and continuing to kill.
He does however convince Danny to access Missy's plan from the core cyberhive, which results in the knowledge that a second rainfall is coming which will convert all living humans into Cybermen.
Missy reveals that she has gathered the Cyber army as a gift to the Doctor, which he rejects. He hands Missy's control bracelet over to Danny, who leads the army heavenwards where they explode, stopping the raincloud and saving the world.
In her grief, Clara attempts to kill Missy but the Doctor dissuades her from doing so, with Missy telling him that Gallifrey has returned and then stating the co-ordinates telling him that they could both go together. The Timelord moves in to kill her but a shot from another rogue Cyberman catches her instead and she is killed...or is she?
The rogue Cyberman turns out to be Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart, father of Kate, who also saved her life when she plummeted from the plane.
Later, it transpires that Danny, with the aide of the control bracelet, can resurrect himself as the bracelet has the ability to bring back one person only, from the dead. Instead he chooses to send through the boy that he killed as a soldier and although devastated, Clara agrees to send the child home to his parents. I would love to be there when she tries to explain his existence.
Two weeks later as Clara attempts to tell the Doctor about Danny, the Doctor interrupts her and tells her that he has found Gallifrey and plans to return home. Not wanting to stop him, she doesn't let on that Danny did not use the bracelet to be resurrected. In turn, the Doctor doesn't tell Clara that Missy lied about the co-ordinates to Gallifrey and they both part ways, believing the other to be happy.
The final scene ends with Santa entering the TARDIS and asking the Doctor what he wants for Christmas.
Review
Okay, I'm going to go against the majority of critics and say that Death In Heaven was one of the best finales that Doctor Who has produced in a long time. Yes, there were more questions that were left unanswered, but I've come to expect that from The Moffat. However, I thought the whole thing was executed brilliantly. The Doctor plummeting from the plane and hurtling through the skies, was worthy of any James Bond movie and the scenes as Cybermen emerged from their graves, could have come from any Zombie apocalypse film...if the Zombies were made out of metal and had a habitual liking for saying "delete."
As always, Michelle Gomez as Missy was a scene stealer. From singing 'Hey Mickey' (Oh Missy you're so fine, you're so fine you blow my mind, hey Missy...) to her Mary Poppins entrance, with flying umbrella in tow. And Peter Capaldi as the Doctor, smashing up the TARDIS console on discovering that Missy had lied about the whereabouts of Gallifrey, was a real emotional moment. But here's where the the Moffman lets us down. The trailers didn't deliver on their promises, such as Clara declaring that she has never existed.
Danny was still able to feel emotions because the inhibitor hadn't been turned on, but once it had, he was still able emit those same emotions. Are we then led to believe that love conquers all and if so, what about the others who had been converted? Had they not loved anyone enough to keep their feelings intact?
And what of Clara's timeline where she meets a future descendant of hers and Danny? Will there be an announcement that she is suddenly pregnant in the Christmas special? Or has that future vanished along with Danny's death?
Another letdown was the senseless death of Osgood. Why bring back such a character, only to then kill her off? Like me, Osgood was highly intelligent. Would she really have gotten so close to Missy knowing just how deranged she was? And what of the boy that Danny accidently killed whilst serving in Afghanistan? How would Clara even begin to relate to his parents why he is now alive?
The greatest disappointment however, is the Cybermen being used yet again as a filler as in recent years. The fact that they can now fly was a gasp out loud moment but there hasn't been a decent episode Cyberman since the 1988 special Silver Nemesis.
And what happened to the Impossible Girl who inserted herself into the Timelord's life? In the last few episodes, Clara has seemed like a shadow of her former self(s) and in Death in Heaven, remained firmly in the Background. Danny's rousing speech to the Cyber army was cringe inducing and unnecessary. I had begun to feel some sort of sympathy at his conversion but that speech made me remember why I hated him in the first place.
I did like how Missy pleaded with the Doctor that she wanted her friend back, which is indicative that you cannot have the Doctor without the Master and showing that the two are intrinsically linked and are who they are because of the other
Despite my negativity, I enjoyed Dark Water and Death In Heaven enormously and there were some fantastic moments (Seb squeeing at the Doctor's antics before being obliterated by a bored looking Missy) which far outweighed my dismissive rantings.
Roll on Christmas Special. Bring on the fat man in the red suit.
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| Zombie Cybermen after emerging from their graves. ♪ Cos this is thrilleeeer, thriller night...♪ |
Missy also on board and having escaped, kills Osgood, one of U.N.I.T's scientists and blows open the side of the aircraft before teleporting and leaving the Doctor and Kate hurtling from the plane.
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| Fling Cyberman attacking the U.N.I.T aircraft. "Peek-a-boo! I see you" |
He does however convince Danny to access Missy's plan from the core cyberhive, which results in the knowledge that a second rainfall is coming which will convert all living humans into Cybermen.
Missy reveals that she has gathered the Cyber army as a gift to the Doctor, which he rejects. He hands Missy's control bracelet over to Danny, who leads the army heavenwards where they explode, stopping the raincloud and saving the world.
 |
| Cyber-Danny. Now he really does have a reason to be all sad eyed. |
The rogue Cyberman turns out to be Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart, father of Kate, who also saved her life when she plummeted from the plane.
Later, it transpires that Danny, with the aide of the control bracelet, can resurrect himself as the bracelet has the ability to bring back one person only, from the dead. Instead he chooses to send through the boy that he killed as a soldier and although devastated, Clara agrees to send the child home to his parents. I would love to be there when she tries to explain his existence.
Two weeks later as Clara attempts to tell the Doctor about Danny, the Doctor interrupts her and tells her that he has found Gallifrey and plans to return home. Not wanting to stop him, she doesn't let on that Danny did not use the bracelet to be resurrected. In turn, the Doctor doesn't tell Clara that Missy lied about the co-ordinates to Gallifrey and they both part ways, believing the other to be happy.
The final scene ends with Santa entering the TARDIS and asking the Doctor what he wants for Christmas.
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| The Doctor and Clara say goodbye. |
Okay, I'm going to go against the majority of critics and say that Death In Heaven was one of the best finales that Doctor Who has produced in a long time. Yes, there were more questions that were left unanswered, but I've come to expect that from The Moffat. However, I thought the whole thing was executed brilliantly. The Doctor plummeting from the plane and hurtling through the skies, was worthy of any James Bond movie and the scenes as Cybermen emerged from their graves, could have come from any Zombie apocalypse film...if the Zombies were made out of metal and had a habitual liking for saying "delete."
As always, Michelle Gomez as Missy was a scene stealer. From singing 'Hey Mickey' (Oh Missy you're so fine, you're so fine you blow my mind, hey Missy...) to her Mary Poppins entrance, with flying umbrella in tow. And Peter Capaldi as the Doctor, smashing up the TARDIS console on discovering that Missy had lied about the whereabouts of Gallifrey, was a real emotional moment. But here's where the the Moffman lets us down. The trailers didn't deliver on their promises, such as Clara declaring that she has never existed.
Danny was still able to feel emotions because the inhibitor hadn't been turned on, but once it had, he was still able emit those same emotions. Are we then led to believe that love conquers all and if so, what about the others who had been converted? Had they not loved anyone enough to keep their feelings intact?
And what of Clara's timeline where she meets a future descendant of hers and Danny? Will there be an announcement that she is suddenly pregnant in the Christmas special? Or has that future vanished along with Danny's death?
Another letdown was the senseless death of Osgood. Why bring back such a character, only to then kill her off? Like me, Osgood was highly intelligent. Would she really have gotten so close to Missy knowing just how deranged she was? And what of the boy that Danny accidently killed whilst serving in Afghanistan? How would Clara even begin to relate to his parents why he is now alive?
The greatest disappointment however, is the Cybermen being used yet again as a filler as in recent years. The fact that they can now fly was a gasp out loud moment but there hasn't been a decent episode Cyberman since the 1988 special Silver Nemesis.
And what happened to the Impossible Girl who inserted herself into the Timelord's life? In the last few episodes, Clara has seemed like a shadow of her former self(s) and in Death in Heaven, remained firmly in the Background. Danny's rousing speech to the Cyber army was cringe inducing and unnecessary. I had begun to feel some sort of sympathy at his conversion but that speech made me remember why I hated him in the first place.
I did like how Missy pleaded with the Doctor that she wanted her friend back, which is indicative that you cannot have the Doctor without the Master and showing that the two are intrinsically linked and are who they are because of the other
Despite my negativity, I enjoyed Dark Water and Death In Heaven enormously and there were some fantastic moments (Seb squeeing at the Doctor's antics before being obliterated by a bored looking Missy) which far outweighed my dismissive rantings.
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| Seb Squeeing. |
Cast
Peter Capaldi: The Doctor
Jenna Coleman: Clara Oswald
Samuel Anderson: Danny Pink
Michelle Gomez: Missy/The Master
Chris Addison: Seb
Jemma Redgrave: Kate Stewart
Ingrid Oliver: Osgood
Sanjeev Bhaskar: Colonel Ahmed
James Pearse: Graham
Antonio Bourouphael: Afghan boy
Katie Bignell: Teenage girl
Shane Keough Grenade :Teenage boy
Jeremiah Krage: Cyberman
Nicholas Briggs: Voice of the Cybermen
Nick Frost: Santa
There seemed to be a lot happening there but I guess it was the big finish so to be expected. As for Mary Poppins and Santa turning up are they nicking my idea of sneaking in all sorts of other stuff (like Mary Poppins), its not the first time my ideas have suddenly turned up on Dr Who not long after I have used them on the blog. . . . I am suspicious indeed, Even more so after that tenth picture. . . . Just look at that and then look at my profile picture Ooooooo there is an odd resemblance me thinks MMMMmmmmmm.
ReplyDeleteWell done I hope you plan to keep a regular post going now the series is over.
Instead of the usual 45 mins, the last episode had been extended to an hour, so there was quite a lot of loose ends to tie up.
DeleteMaybe you should become a script writer for Doctor Who! You could cross over Daleks with Cybermen and Davros and Harry Potter could fight for control over who is the supreme ruler of THE UNIVERSE!
Thanks. I do plan to carry on blogging and have a few sci-fi related programmes that I may also write about.
first Daleks that can climb stairs and now Cybermen that can fly! What next I ask you? Stone statues that can send their victims back in time, whilst feeding off the potential energy that would have been their lives? Preposterous!
ReplyDeleteNext thing you know, they'll be coming up with nonsense like the Moon being an egg. But who in their right minds would write such a tale?
DeleteYOU MEAN THE MOONS NOT AN EGG. . . . . HAH AH HA HAhah h h ah h h h h h hah aha hha h ah ha ha hah ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ha ha ha ha h h hah ah ah ah ha ha hah
DeleteIt can't be Rob. That would be like flying through time and space in a blue telephone box!
DeleteYour review was much better than the episode and even answered a few of my questions.
ReplyDeleteCapaldi has been underplayed in this series, he can act better than this and Missy should have been in it A LOT MORE!
Maybe I'm just being very grumpy (writing this on a monday morning) but I think there has been a huge lack of imagination with this series.... don't know why, but it lacked a sense of wonderment and potential "wow" factor that Dr Who should have at it's core.
Anyway - Loved these reviews and hope to read more in the future, or is that past? - it's all timey wimey.... hahahahahahah (sorry, tried to make a dr who joke there)
I get the feeling that he was finding his way through this series in trying to establish his version of The Doctor. Now that he has, maybe he'll bring something more dynamic to the next series.
DeleteAt first, I did think that each episode was missing something. But on watching them again, I've slightly changed my mind.
Haha! Thank you Bumferry.