User Reviews

Doctor Who as a show is fundamentally scattershot. There are so many genres it can take on, so many different styles and moods and tones. It's one of the things that makes this show so special yet so frequently uneven - how can you craft a suitable, fitting finale to a show that can offer so much in any given season? I guess the question I'm really asking is, at the end of the day, what is Doctor Who?

After a run of highs and lows, we've reached the time for Doctor Who's tenth season to pinpoint its identity and wrap things up. I honestly cannot think of a better way to do so than everything that happens in "The Doctor Falls". This is an episode of unimaginable emotional power, but also one that doesn't sideline last week's major threat or abandon its central sci-fi concept. It wraps up any lingering threads from the whole season, it bids farewell to an unforgettable character in Bill, it brings a multi-Master episode into genuine focus and finds a way to please both new and older fans of the show - but what's more is that it does this without ever sacrificing Doctor Who's core principles.

Peter Capaldi has spoken in numerous interviews about Doctor Who's being a show of kindness, a story that finds the best in humanity even in its darkest corners. It's about togetherness and happiness and the unlimited potential of life. Kindness is also an element that really connects with Capaldi's Doctor, a man who has endured his own journey to discover this quality and to radiate it to those around him. Think back to series 8's "Deep Breath", an episode that found a Doctor stripped of his charm and eccentricity, grumbling his way to a conclusion. Just one episode later he finds himself asking Clara a pivotal question - "Am I good man?". And so the Doctor's journey begins.

Now, "The Doctor Falls" is the beginning of the end for Peter Capaldi, as the episode concludes with him fighting off his regeneration in time for one last adventure with the man he once was, many many years ago. But the cliffhanger ending isn't important right now, what we need to focus on instead is the depth of Capaldi's performance here. Many have criticised this Doctor for lacking an identity, but I fail to see the argument. This Doctor is a man searching for his place, trying to locate peace and kindness in a universe that threatens to pull it away from him. Capaldi tells this story with every word in "The Doctor Falls" - his heartbreaking revealing of the truth to Bill, his desperate plea for Missy to stand alongside him, his final anger at the universe for trying to take this body and life away from him yet again.

I've expressed frustration that series 10 hasn't allowed Capaldi to demonstrate his real talents, but these last few weeks have fulfilled my wishes. This is the Doctor that became my favourite back in series 9: the one who brokered a peace treaty between humans and Zygons; the one who calmed a scared young child and inspired the rest of his future; the one who caused unimaginable grief and pain to a Viking girl who only ever wanted to help. Capaldi's Doctor is a flawed individual - he makes mistakes a lot - but that's what makes him the most interesting version of the character that new Doctor Who has offered so far. Peter Capaldi has been crafting his legacy since series 9, but here he completed it.

"The Doctor Falls" is really an episode of standout performances. Michelle Gomez is notably more subdued here than usual, but that makes sense when she stands beside John Simm's Master - an unhinged, borderline psychotic character this time around, and probably the best version of Simm's Master we've seen. Missy's potential "turning good" has been a lingering thread all season, and "The Doctor Falls" concludes the arc in ways both smart and devastating. Missy does indeed "turn good", but the only person to stop her from letting the Doctor know this? The old version of herself. It's a brilliantly clever way of completing Missy's season-long arc without sacrificing the very core of the character.

Doctor Who has always been about the companions, though, and boy was Bill put through a lot here. Moffat's framing device of showing us how Bill sees herself is heartbreaking - we watch people back away from her in fear of the Cyberman standing before them, but all we see is a confused Bill not understanding the truth. Bill's resolution with Heather is sure to cause controversy - it's admittedly very sudden, and I'm not sure "The Pilot" put in enough work for this to really hit as hard as it could've done otherwise - but it's hard to fault this episode's telling of the story. It's a fitting end for Bill, who has been a delight to watch all series. Pearl Mackie has really grown as a performer across the year, and her performance in "The Doctor Falls" is the pinnacle of her Doctor Who work.

Look, "The Doctor Falls" is going to be a polarizing episode for a number of reasons. The ending has questionable logic to say the least, and Bill's sudden reunion with Heather does come completely out of the blue, but storytelling isn't about logic - it's about emotion, and feeling. "The Doctor Falls" is subtle with its emotional core, never screaming it in your face nor holding it out of reach. It's an episode that is tasked with an awful lot but is paced expertly, never dropping the ball on any of its five central characters - they all get pitch perfect endings. I'm not quite sure if it lives up to the unmitigated triumphs of series 9's "Hell Bent", but "The Doctor Falls" is a brilliant episode nonetheless, and an even better finale.

Warning do not read unless seen episode.

This is part 2 and it's a solid follow up. I kinda like how this one is sort of arranged as a character piece where we see each of the characters feelings as the end draws near.

For Bill it's really tragic, where we see her at first in her normal body and I remember seeing that thinking; how the heck did the Doctor convert her back because the conversion process to Cyperman is irreversible? Answer he didn't when it comes to a moment of rude awakening when she is looking in a mirror and sees what she really looks like when she doesn't see her face but that of a Cyberman. You really feel bad for Bill as she is just going thought the motions of what happened to her which is awful she didn't ask to be turned into the monstrosity she is now, not just has her body been taken away but her life.

However what really powers her story is despite what has happened to her, she choices to retain her humanity because she refused to give into the programming of the Cybermen she's going to stand and fight them with the Doctor to the end, as she really has nothing to lose. I thought it was touching and really shows not just her heroism but that you can never destroy any ones identity as long as you have a true and strong spirit.

The scenes with both versions of the Master are just fantastic. This is a much different conflict because instead of The Master vs. The Doctor it's The Master vs. The Master; wrap your head around that one. In a way it's sort of a game of shadow chess or the classic conflict motif of past vs. present/future. I really like how we see Missy/The Master is truly conflicted from whom she was in the past to who she is right now. In a way this is true about ourselves, whenever we change as time goes on we're always conflicting and questioning how much of ourselves is different and still the same; can we really go back or should we keep going forward?

We see in the end Missy/Master she changes her mind on abandoning the Doctor and decides to stand by her friend. It really shows how much she has truly changed and is different from her predecessors because for once she actually listens to her conscious and heart, which she ignored for so many decades.

We see her fatally wound the John Simm Master as she pulls a fast one on him, in a way signifying how she is a person that wants to look forward, for as we know this truly is the final time for the John Simm Master and he'll regenerate into her. But of course he pulls a fast one on her and she goes down.

So, this is the end for the Missy/Master however knowing the Master I just know he/she will be back, I'm thinking either she sabotaged the John Simm Master's laser screwdriver to a stun setting or the John Simm Master lied about it being on full blast and reduced the rate so that it will just fatally wound her, which would mean she would be able to regenerate. Whethter we'll see Michelle Gomez play the Master one more time or someone totally different; or whether the Master will go on the same path as the Doctor or back to his/her road to villainy is fine by me.

But of course what really powers the episode is Doctor 12 himself as we see he is aware that his end is near, and could just escape in the Tardis anytime he wants but he doesn't because it wouldn't be right and he could never live with that. I feel in a way it's a testament to his character, throughout every incarnation of the Doctor and all of his adventures he never did run from trouble despite always unintentionally landing in it; he chose to fight to defend himself but everyone else that needed help. That's part of who he always was and doesn't want to be or do anything else, heroism is in his blood and is going to stay, no matter what he changes into.

Really liked that scene seeing the Doctor just blowing away the Cybermen as he is just activating each of the placed mines and they are just getting thrown by the explosion like popcorn cournels. It was just epic one against the entire world but most of all seeing Doctor 12 go out with a bang.

I did like Bill's end, as we see once again Bill transitions from one different life form to another. Bill becomes just like Heather a water alien, this I felt was beautiful Bill not just has a new lease on life but she gets to be with the one she loves and they'll travel the galaxy together. Even though Bill isn't one of my favorite companions (I found her decent in my book), but I did like her which is why I'll miss her; but like all companions it's time for her to start her own journey.

I'll admit I actually did produce a tear or two when we see Doctor 12 just struggling to stop himself regenerating and he says a really heartbreaking thing "I'm not ready to go, I don't want to go!" At that moment I was thinking "I don't want you to go either, but I can't stop change." However, I wouldn't fret as somehow we see Doctor 12 delay the regeneration process for a while. but the biggest surprise is when we see from the distance a familiar figure, even the voice is familiar. The figure emerges and we see the very first Doctor. So, it looks like Doctor 12 has one last adventure yet.

Rating: 4 stars

This episode is easily one of the best I've ever seen: drama, action, suspense, and even a little romance. Everything I look for in a good story.

To start: Bill isn't one of my favorite companions, but she did a hell of a job keeping the Doctor on his toes. When I first saw Bill as a Cyberman, the first thing I thought was, "This is way worse than what happened to Donna!" But thankfully, Bill retained her sense of self and helped her friends survive the assault of her metallic brethren. And to top it off, Heather shows up and saves her from an eternity of stomping around in a tin suit. Bill gets a new life with the woman she loves, traveling the universe a lot faster than the TARDIS could.

Next up: Missy. Missy, Missy, Missy..... They would have to kill her off just as I was starting to like her! I'd had my doubts all season as to whether her desire for redemption was genuine, and her actions in the previous episode and the beginning of this one cast them in even darker shades. But I was happy to see that the desire was real, even thought she did kind of stab herself in the back. The Master couldn't wrap his mind around the concept that his future self would actually choose to turn good, so he decided to destroy her instead. But I wouldn't count Missy out just yet. The Master has proved to be extraordinarily resilient even for a Time Lord, so we might not have seen the last of her (Michelle Gomez's departure from the role notwithstanding).

And finally: the Doctor. Like Bill, the Twelfth Doctor isn't one of my favorites, but Peter Capaldi has done a hell of a job in the role and I'm going to miss him.

I can understand why the Doctor is trying to resist the regeneration. Going through the same old grind over and over again, having to start from scratch with a new body and personality, wondering if he should invite anyone along for the kind of adventures that could wind up getting them killed..... That would be enough to put anyone in a bad mood. But it usually turns out for the best in the end, and here's hoping that meeting the First Doctor will help him sort through all the tangled emotions and allow the transition to proceed.

Well, we'll just have to wait for Christmas to find out more on that last one. I, for one, am already on pins and needles. How about you? :)

P.S. All in all, a VERY good story.

This season finale perfectly follows up the cliffhanger of the previous episode. From Missy's (double) betrayal and The Doctor's escape to The Doctor's heartbreaking fall against the CyberMen as Bill (still trapped as a CyberMan) weeps over him, the episode pulls out all the stops with just the right mix of humor, heart and aplomb, perfectly wrapping up not only this story, but the entire season. The emotional poignancy has never been higher.

The actors were all in top form for this season finale. Pearl Mackie truly shines as she portrays Bill's struggle to cope with the reality that she is stuck as a CyberMan, in a constant battle for her individuality against the CyberMan programming. The ultimate fate of Missy and The Master, literally shooting/stabbing each other in the back was the perfect climax to their character arc. And The Doctor's speech as he begs them to stand with him and fight the CyberMen might be the best Peter Capaldi has ever delivered on Doctor Who. Even Nardole received a satisfying send off, becoming the leader of the Mondasian refugees from the CyberMen, and the CyberMen actually felt threatening this time. And The Doctor's battle against them was dramatic, perfectly believable, and devoid of camp - - finally a worthy CyberMen episode! Ad it perfectly circles back to the regeneration scene at the beginning of the previous episode, teasing the special that will serve as Peter Capaldi's swan song as The Doctor.

There are some who have felt Bill's fate was a bit convenient, shoehorning Heather (the alien puddle girl Bill had a crush on in the season premiere with the star iris) in just to give Bill an escape from death. I felt this way as well the first time I saw the episode, but after a re-viewing I noticed that it was hinted at not only throughout the episode, but even in the season premiere, when Bill felt Heather's tears in her own eyes. And while I'm still not a huge fan of Heather as a character, I do believe Bill's rescue by her and subsequent choice to travel the stars in Heather's form with her was a deserved conclusion to her arc. And I'm a sucker for a happy ending, so sue me. 10/10

Battles - emotions - skulduggery and even a hint of... well I can't say it in this review - but there was something going on between the Master and Missy.

The escape to another level of the spaceship could be seen as our attempts to run away from the horrors of our digital age where we can't always be sure of who we are - let alone the person we're communicating with on the other end of a social media platform. But will we all be eventually caught up?

But even if we have been sucked into our various cyber Worlds and feel as though we're suffering from depersonalisation - we can still give out little signals for help - a tear - and be rescued by a loved one.

As for the Master and Missy - well there you are killing your former self and then your former self decides it doesn't want to become you. I'm sure back here on Earth many have wanted to change who they are - only to discover they don't like who they've become.

As for the Doctor - well he's returned at the South pole in 1986 and meets his former self who has just defeated the Cybermen too and needs to regenerate - but our doctor is trying to prevent his.

Just Who will be Who? Christmas now seems a long way away.

**Minimal spoilers**

Although I've only seen Doctor Who from Series 1, I can confidently say that The Doctor Falls is the best series finale that I have ever seen on Doctor Who. The acting, the direction, the story, and the music are all at arguably the best they have ever been, and the final five or six minutes are as emotional as they are exciting. The Twelfth Doctor had a rocky start back in series 8, but Peter Capaldi has always been great, and here he once again demonstrates that he is simply the best actor to ever take on the role of the Doctor. As good as Heaven Sent is (and as good as Peter Capaldi is in it), I think that this is his definitive performance as the Doctor. From his speech to the two Masters, to fighting off the Cybermen, to refusing to regenerate inside the TARDIS, there's no question that he is the best actor to play the Doctor. It's a wonderful, commanding, and emotional performance that you just can't look away from. It's borderline criminal that he's barely been nominated for any awards for his work on this show. Likewise, Michelle Gomez does a phenomenal job playing the Master alongside John Simm, and Pearl Mackie puts in her best performance yet.

Although this episode says some goodbyes, it manages to be optimistic and exciting, and the last ten to fifteen minutes of this episode capture everything that makes Doctor Who the best show there is: there's sadness, triumph, and optimism, all in the right order. I can't remember an episode that just felt so as inspiring or satisfying as this one, and I'd argue that it's as good as if not better than Moffat and Talalay's "Heaven Sent" from last series.

Steven Moffat's penultimate script is full of symbolism and rich dialogue, giving beautiful endings to every character, and Rachel Talalay directs wonderful performances from every cast member and gives the episode a distinctive visual style. All of this is then complemented by one of Murray Gold's best ever scores for Doctor Who, and the episode ends with one whopper of a cliffhanger at the best moment possible.

10 out of 10. This is one of the best Doctor Who episodes I've ever seen.

The previous two seasons of this show have mostly been disappointing or frustrating, so I approached the tenth without great hopes – and watching it knowing Capaldi would be finishing didn't help give me great hope, since I think he is great in the role even if he is rarely well served in it. Mostly I was pleasantly surprised by this season; it continues to have the same problems as recent seasons, but it seems more controlled in its tone, sense of itself, and in terms of what it is trying to do. There is still comedy and silliness, but S10 has a lot more than is traditional scares, solid characters, exploration of the lead characters, and generally more for the actors to get their teeth into.

A quick rundown of the episodes of this season: - The Pilot: A funny and creepy start which serves as a pretty good introduction to the season, although after many mentions I didn't need Bill sexuality to be quite so forced. - Smile: Very much Blink-lite with all the usual AI ideas, but it is pretty good for the most part. - Thin Ice: Perfectly fine, and I think it was this one where I had settled in with Bill as a character. - Knock Knock: A a lot to like here with the contained horror, and the impact of the conclusion. Just a shame that the casting of the students felt like it was trying to tick every single 'diversity' box in the small number of people. - Oxygen: Effective zombies in space, although the anti-capitalist message is rather ham-fisted and crass. - Monk trilogy: Doesn't all scan, but stacks the silliness up front, builds drama well, and has a solid new monster throughout. - Empress of Mars: All seemed a bit daft and basic throughout, but the Ice Warriors are always solid, and it was an enjoyable core of an episode. - Eaters of Light: Solid episode but too much pressure on a young cast who can't match Capaldi or Mackie. - World Enough & Time / Doctor Falls: Strong finale that has stakes but avoids "total destruction" spectacle; serves the characters well even if it doesn't totally push into the darkness.

Nothing totally amazing, but a higher standard and consistency than in recent memory. Throughout Capaldi is great, and usually well served; the blindness plot maybe limited him a bit, but otherwise his older, lived-in looks and performance added to the character. He will be missed, at least by me. The news of his replacement came out as I was in the final third of the season (so was amusing to see it so clearly signaled in some dialogue in the final episodes). I'll stay out of the reactions but personally I don't see gender as being a prerequisite of the role or as a key part of the character. That said, I do worry that the show will not be able to resist making it a gimmick or thing that never goes away, or that the show can produce writing strong enough to make viewers put the gender to one side. We'll see, but if the performance and writing are both good, then the gender is not a thing for me.

Speaking of performances and gender swaps, the Master returns in both Gomez and Simm. Both are enjoyable and their shared time worked much better than I expected. For both though it was a shame that the BBC promotion essentially spoilt any surprise impacts they may have had. In other supporting roles we still have George Dawes with the scores running around; he is sparingly used which is good and generally his comedy element didn't spoil much – faint praise, but still praise. The casting that had the fanboards enflamed this season was that of Mackie due to her 'background' was a key factor in casting. Ahead of the show, a lot was made of the sexuality of the new character Bill – and indeed it is not a new issue as the new Dr Who's always seem to have made a point out of having characters of diverse sexualities, colors, genders etc. On one hand this generally it is a good thing – because why not? I disagree with those upset with the idea of this, however in S10 I certainly agree with those that take issue with the delivery of it. Here Moffat doesn't deliver diversity, he delivers cliché and stereotype. We see this in Eaters of Light (where all the Roman soldiers are bisexual and multicultural), but even worse in Knock Knock, which is a great episode if it were not for the tick-box characters running around. The issue is not that these characters have diversity, it is that they are diversity first and foremost – and characters a distant second (hence my only reservation on the gender change). Bill is the exception and I liked that – but even with her it is not enough that she is gay, it must be put into dialogue as often as possible. Aside from these clunky lines, Mackie is great, and it is a shame that she only has one season here.

The tenth season is a surprisingly strong entry. It doesn't become a totally different beast, but it seems more controlled, uses its assets more effectively, serves up to a diverse audience but without feeling like it is all over the place, and generally is more satisfying to watch. While some will return to the show for S11 because of it casting an actress rather than actor, I will return hoping that it can continue to do what it did here – although at the same time it does feel like this chapter is being deliberately closed and a clean slate laid out for the new team. We'll see, but I enjoyed this 10th season more than I have enjoyed Dr Who for quite some years.

The last episode was amazing, truly, and to be fair to this episode, the first 50 minutes followed the legacy of the last episode perfectly. However, the ending was completely offensive, trash. The solution popped up with no real reasoning, just convenience. I thought Bills relationship with a puddle was dumb in the pilot but at least we could have left it in the past. Now the unrealistic love is the reason why the day is saved? So, so, so dumb. Every word puddle woman spoke was like a giant middle finger from Moffat to his loyal fans. So the puddle woman was apparently linked with Bills tears, it makes sense, sort of. But it's not as if she'd cried way earlier in the episode when she was equally screwed by being a Cyberman accept i guess it wasn't the conclusion so puddle couldn't appear then? Stupid. I haven't even got to how they saved the companion again. I had joked that off cause Bill wouldn't survive. Moffat surely couldn't do the same thing that got him so much backlash last time. Why was the doctor no regenerating? vanity issues again? Nothing until this episode ha suggested he's so insecure about regenerating. He bloody faked it earlier in the series like it was nothing. Why did Missy get shot in the back? another stupid thing. in the season 3 last episode the audience was clearly told the master would never ever ever kill himself. Then the same incarnation kills himself?... well probably not because death means nothing anymore when time traveling puddles are able to save you whenever a robot cries. Why could Bill even cry? A 'strong mind'is all we get. Shut up, it's only because you need a reason to get to your silly ending. A way more satisfying ending would have been for Missy to give support. It's not as if the entire season had been leading up to it, not puddle love, but no, she got a screwdriver to the back. The reasoning for why puddle lady can pilot the Tarids is because she's called the pilot? Shut up, i hate this writing, I've never been so offended in the last 10 minutes of the show.

The rest of the episode was amazing and I'm sorry that i only now feel bitter hatred. It was shaping to be possibly the best season ender of all new who. But no.... Christmas looks good though.

** Spoilers **

There was a lot of over enthusiastic plot driven drivel through this episode. The result of which is a turgid display of pyrotechnics associated with psychobabble

I know that there was meant to be pathos, I saw only indulgence in all performances except that of Missy.

Ms Gomez surpassed Mr Capaldi by a fair margin in this endpiece. I enjoyed the art of that circularity, and wonder/hope/pray how Missy might possibly return.

Some of my grumbling Issues are:

* The cleverness of the Time dilation due to a black hole as a temporary plot device was remarkable in it's first delivery, however subsequently it is stupid or is ignored.

For example, the stationkeeping of the ship is stupid, if the engines are at the bottom of the ship, are they not spending their fuel at a far faster rate than the top of the ship. So how can the ship spend thousands of years with thrust using volumes of fuel, and we see the rapid evolution taking place and aging of the buildings taking place, yet there is only *one* evolution burst of cybermen taking place

* The decision not to use the lifts but for the Cybermen to burst THROUGH the hull plate numerous times looking for this small patch of unadulterated humans. Both mondasian cybermen and upgraded evolved cybermen. Yet Billy, an original version Mondasian cyberman survives a One to Many battle against a hoard of sheet covered, basic and evolved cybermen. That stretches credibility greatly.

* The Doctor's connection to Billy just makes no sense to me. A promise of longing for her company I can get. But a promise to keep her safe which does not deliver anything really. He promises what he cannot achieve, yet says he does not lie. Yet he also knows the Cybermen's programming cycles are, predicting when they retreat to return on a different war like footing. That shows a deep ignorance of how the wetware conversion of cybermen is, (which is bloody obvious one would thought) and deep understanding of how their programming works. Again, the inconsistencies annoy greatly.

* The Pilot/Heather - back again - in that way - oh, what an annoying mcguffin. Disappointed is not the word. Bloody poor way to stitch up another Clara like ending into this series. The companions should show human frailties. Not godlike resurrections.

* While the Master's demise is poetic justice, I did find it also of poor writing even though it is a clever outcome. Far better for the trip to the Master's Tardis to take place, it's repair, then it's return to disgorge a Missy before taking off in their pathway of destruction. No, I see so many better ways of writing that particular vector.

I really think that the writing is poor, indulgent and I wished that the arcs and characters did their pathway better.

Matt Lucas was wasted. Sigh.

Farewell Mr Capaldi. I had high hopes for you, and unfortunately you were not able to deliver them despite some very engaging acting. Gravatas and Acting should have been your legacy, but instead it is poorly shaped plots that seemed indulgent of actors seeking more simplistic activity rather than something that reflects a more suitable doctor who-niverse revelation. Mr Capalidi is not as young as Matt Smith nor as athletic as David Tenant. He should not have been trying to be that type of energetic actor. I do not know who our new doctor is going to be, but I am set up to be disappointed in him or her already.

I deeply regret that this was not a better episode. The bones are superb, the delivery is indulgent and distorted. 4/10

As this episode opens we see what appears to be rural England sometime in the nineteenth century; but strangely there is a number in the sky and the people are fighting off attacks from 'scarecrows'… we are still on the colony ship and the scarecrows are early Cybermen. On a lower level The Doctor is being taunted by The Master and Missy as they talk about ways to kill him and the fact that he failed to save Bill. They don't realise he has reprogrammed the Cybermen to look on Time Lords as human so they converge on their location. Just as it looks too late Nardole rescues the three of them along with Cyber-Bill. They escape to the level we saw in the prologue. Here we see Bill as she sees herself only to discover that she is still a Cyberman. As more advanced Cybermen approach the level plans are formed; Nardole is to take the mostly young inhabitants to a higher level while The Doctor will stay and fight; a fight he knows he is unlikely to survive. Meanwhile The Master and Missy discuss escaping on his Tardis… but will Missy choose to run or to fight alongside The Doctor?

I really enjoyed this series finale; I found it had a real sense of pathos. The previous episode strongly suggested that this would be the end for Peter Capaldi's incarnation of The Doctor; ultimately that proved not to be. It was however the end for Missy, and it was stated that she won't be able to regenerate but I wouldn't bet against seeing another incarnation of Missy/The Master in future. Her departure was done in a fine way that was rather tragic. Bill's departure on the other hand was far happier than one might have expected. I know some people will think it is yet another cop-out departure for a companion and it was certainly very similar to the way Clara left… however I really liked it; especially how it linked to her first episode. There was plenty of exciting action with lots of explosions as Cybermen from different generations are fought off. The cast was on fine form; Peter Capaldi did an impressive job as The Doctor and Pearl Mackie shone as Bill, the scenes where she discovers that she has become a Cyberman and her departure were particularly effecting. John Simm and Michelle Gomez were brilliant as The Master and Missy; their scenes together were a delight; especially their 'good bye scene'. Finally the very last scene set things up for an intriguing Christmas special. Overall I really enjoyed this episode; it was a great end to the season that provided a good farewell to more than one character.

Perhaps my expectations were too high. I rated Part 1 of the Finale a full 10/10 and expected the same from its conclusion.

Moffat did a good job of clearing the playing field for the new showrunner next year by seeming to eliminate the Master, sending Bill away and forcing the regeneration that we all knew was coming - but there was too much "magic" in an episode where I expected science and cleverness. I did enjoy the episode and I struggled with whether to give it a 7 or an 8 - but I have to say it was my least favourite Moffat-written episode. Don't get me wrong, I'm a big fan of Moffat - and I think that his worst episode is still better than most other writers best episodes - with the possible exclusion of Davies.

Here are some of the reasons I was disappointed:

The Master: The Master committed suicide, albeit a delayed one. That's just wrong. It was a major plot element in a previous finale under Davies that the one thing the Master would NEVER do is to end his own life - and that's what he did by killing the future version of himself. I'm sure it won't be permanent - but the way he killed Missy seemed pretty permanent. A better objective/motive for the Master not liking who he had become in Missy would have been to "kill" her in a way that forces a regeneration - but he just left her there to die. Completely out of character for him. I'm sure they'll find a way to bring him/her back in the future - but I felt that the murder was wrong and Missy's exit could have been handled better.

Selective memories: Moffat did a fairly good job of explaining why Missy had no memories of being the Master in this story by saying that since there were 2 versions of the Master present, they couldn't both retain the memories - which was a bit inconsistent with previous episodes but passable - until Missy throws the Master against a wall and makes him promise to always carry a spare Tardis part with him - which is apparently the one thing that he remembered from this time period? What? Missy remembered to carry the spare part - but she didn't remember that she was going to kill herself? Puh-leeze!

The Pilot: In the end, there was no cleverness to save the day, the doctor died and Bill was a cyber person until out of nowhere - from the beginning of Season 10, the Pilot shows up and magically fixes everything with Bill - and then in a Disney-like fairy tale ending, a single tear from Bill revives the Doctor. I'm sorry but this was too far-fetched for me. It would have been better/more believable to have Clara show up to save the day in her diner-form Tardis than The Pilot.

The Doctor Falls: ...eventually... but he withstands 3 direct blasts from a cyber weapon and keeps standing/talking?

The Elevators: The detonation can't be triggered remotely? What? Not plausible. The Doctor's body is unscathed from the massive explosion that killed all of the evolved, well-armoured cyber men - but left him untouched - and also spared Bill - who was wearing much less armour than all the rest. Surely he could have triggered it from inside an elevator - and then ridden up to his waiting Tardis. And after Bill declared she was staying, why was there any need at all for the Doctor to ALSO stay and die? Finally - in a ship full of technology that included the ability to send camera feeds from top to bottom - what are the reasons that the explosions couldn't be triggered remotely (besides Capaldi leaving the show). I think Moffat, with a bit of thought could have come up with a much better way for the Doctor to "almost die". It's clear to me that he did not give this episode his full attention, imagination and talent. Perhaps he's already begun work on his next project and rushed through this one?

I hope the Christmas special is suitably phenomenal. I would hate for a mediocre episode like this one to be the last one we get from Moffat.

The acting in this episode was very good. I have no complaints about anyone's performance. The story itself though, should have been better for a season finale.

In the review I wrote for World Enough And Time, I wondered if showrunner Steven Moffat would actually be able to deliver on its promise. There have been times in the past where finales failed to lived up to expectations after a strong build-up (Wedding Of River Song and especially Hell Bent). What would Moffat do with his final finale episode given he had two versions of the Master, a companion turned into Cybermen, and a Doctor preparing to exit the series? Would he deliver or would The Doctor Falls turn into "Moffat Fails (Again)"?

Almost from the moment it starts, Moffat uses his last finale to keep the viewer on edge. From an incredible shot that ends the teaser sequence, few things in this episode go quite as you might expect from the handling of the two different incarnations of the Master to the Cybermen (and which ones turn up in the episode) and indeed the very meaning of the episode's title. All things considered, this could have been an RTD era "throw everything and the kitchen sink in!" finale where style trumped substance to the detriment of the story.

Thankfully that isn't the case here. For all the feeling of this being a spectacle driven hour, Moffat keeps the episode firmly grounded with the characters. From the Doctor trying to do his best in an increasingly terrible situation, Bill's reaction to her new status as one of the Cybermen (nicely performed by Pearl Mackie and Cybermen voice actor Nicholas Briggs backed by some nice visual work from director Rachel Talalay), and two Masters being present are all driven by who those characters are and what their reactions to the situations they find themselves are effects those around them. Indeed the presence of the latter pays off the season long story arc involving Michelle Gomez's Missy and closes a gap in the character's history left with Simm's previous appearance nearly a decade ago. The Cybermen, all the different kinds that appear, are well represented here and the time dilation set-up in the previous episode allows for the different kinds as well. For all the recent criticism of Moffat and Doctor Who as a series in general being too interested in "fan pleasing" in recent times, The Doctor Falls shows that isn't the cast at all.

There is some sense of deja vu to the episode though. Bill's status as one of the Cybermen hearkens back to Danny Pink in the finale to Capaldi's first season though done through the eyes of the companion rather than a never firmly established love interest. Bill's send- off in the closing minutes is one that hearkens back to Clara's final exit in Hell Bent yet improves massively upon it but not finding a cheat around her previously established fate and tying back into something introduced with the character to begin with. Even the presence of Missy and the Cybermen hearkens back to the aforementioned first Capaldi finale but the episode turns that on its head thanks to Simm's presence and a plot twist early in the episode. It is almost as if Moffat as a writer has looked back over his era, taken note of some of his flawed finales, and given himself a chance to let those ideas shine properly.

Though if this is anyone's shining moment, it is Peter Capaldi. After a rough first year in the role where the writer's seemed unsure what to make of his Doctor to a more secured footing in his second year, the Scottish actor (and life-long fan of the series) has been knocking it out of the park in his final season. The Doctor Falls is a prime example of that as Moffat gives Capaldi a wide range to cover that highlights everything that has made Capaldi's Doctor what he is: charming, often putting on a brave face in spite of impossible odds, a man who will stand up and speak his heart with a speech any actor who would kill to deliver. Capaldi shines throughout from his first scene on a rooftop tied up to a wheelchair to that final, jaw-dropping scene which sets the stage for Christmas and the episode is all the better for it.

Performances are solid all around with virtually everyone getting something akin to a send off in terms of main cast. The aforementioned Mackie hands in perhaps her best performance as Bill as she comes to term with her existence with plenty of shades of the creature from Mary Shelly's Frankenstein which gives the actress some of her most powerful material. Matt Lucas' Nardole never quite escapes his having sidelined for most of the season yet gets some nice moments here. The two Masters (that's John Simm and Michelle Gomez) are also a highlight of the episode, wonderfully playing off of each other both in a comedic and dramatic sense which shows the real differences between them. Indeed, one almost wishes there had been more of the two together but it is perhaps better to leave viewers like children with candy: wanting more rather than risk giving them too much.

More than anything else, The Doctor Falls feels like the beginning of the end for the Moffat/Capaldi era. It nicely ties off so much of the Capaldi era while also paying homage to and bringing back elements from its past. It sees Moffat turning tables one more time and even improving upon elements he had used far less successfully in previous finales. It also sets the stage for one last hurrah at Christmas that will see showrunner and leading man alike finally leave the stage.

If it's as good as this was, then we're in for a treat.

This week's episode saw the Doctor facing two Masters, an army of Cybermen, and the apparent loss of a companion. As he juggles the odds, he comes to terms with what he is willing to lose in order to do what is right.

Before i start, I'll be the first to admit this season has had its issues... From the complete waste of an intriguing story telling device in the Doctor's (temporary) blindness, to the anticlimactic reveal that The Mistress was the big bad villain in the vault, this season has been mediocre at best.

Last week's episode, however, did more than just give us a glimmer of hope for this Doctor's departure. It blew open all expectations and showed what Doctor Who could be- surprising, dark, and twisted. Luckily for us, this week episode continued that trend.

After the heartbreak of last week's cliffhanger, we pick up with the confirmation that Bill is, indeed, a fully converted Mondasian Cyberman. Her realization of her recent conversion offers viewers the first real opportunity to empathize with Bill. It's too bad it finally just came in her last few scenes.

Nardoles short but impactful goodbye to the Doctor also shined as one of the more succinct and effective examples of dialogue in this episode. A bright spot on a dark season, it's sad that we won't be seeing any more of Nardole.

Missy was yet another character to say goodbye this week. After quite literally being haunted by her past, she unexpectedly turns a new leaf and kills former regeneration, only to die alone... Without witness, without hope, without reward. A fitting end to her characters arc.

The most gratifying part of watching this episode, however, is watching Capaldi masterfully step into the Doctors shoes for almost the last time. You feel every scene along with him, whether it's his moving speech about kindness, to his superb lament on his need to withhold his regeneration. His performance as the Doctor will not be forgotten.

I look forward to the Christmas special, but not to Capaldi's ending. Such a good episode to look remember his run as the Doctor.

The finale of the previous episode saw Bill being converted to a Cyberman and the Doctor coming face to face with two Masters.

In the opening of this episode we think Steven Moffat has done a common trick of starting his episode with some kind of flashback with Bill as a child with other children in the rural countryside and an eerie family of scarecrows.

It is just that this is in fact another floor of the spaceship. Time is still moving in a differential level and now the Cybermen have themselves been upgraded and still searching for humans to be converted.

The Doctor has problems of his own, he seems to be injured and staving off regeneration energy. Bill is a Cyberman and it looks like the Doctor cannot change her back. He also has the Masters conniving against him as well as saving the lives of the children stuck in this floor with the Cybermen now catching their scent.

Just like Oswin Oswald in Asylum of the Daleks, Bill does not see herself in her cyborg form allowing the viewer to see the normal Bill at times.

We get a delicious bit of mischief making from the Master and Missy. He really does fancy himself but Missy is torn between her former self and helping the Doctor. At the ends both versions of the dark Timelord reveal themselves to be backstabbers.

Nardole had a poignant ending, charged with keeping the kids safe at another floor of the spaceship but it cannot be long before the Cybermen locate them. Nardole still waits by the lift on the hope the Doctor might just arrive.

As Moffat always had trouble keeping people dead which is maybe where Bill's story should had ended. We get a repeat of Clara Oswald's exit or is it Kylie Minogue's? At least we get a call back to the first episode of series 10.

Rachel Talalay again shoots a beautiful looking episode but it was not always well paced. It is in many ways smaller scaled and lacks the bombast of previous Nu Who finales.

The episode leads to the Christmas Special, the Doctor staving off his regeneration and out of the snow he sees a familiar figure with an original face.

Rachel Talalay has been a massive bonus to the Who franchise. She captures the mood beautifully every time, & Murray Gold adds a great score to her vision every time. This was a great episode, but if I wanted to deconstruct it. I'm confused at when exactly the master visited this ship within his timeline. Essentially his time was spent on earth as PM for that year, then he died. I would of liked to see a goodbye between the Doctor & Missy, such a great character. There was a lot to cover in this episode.

So. Some spoilers from the off. If you do not want to be spoiled. Stop. Stop. I warned you. Spoilers. OK. Here we go. So. Worst Who ever. Best Doctor Who actor? Maybe. Worst script writer? For sure (Gattis you too) The Wardrobe? The Superhero? The Two Masters? Yup. Moffat you've penned some howlers. Firstly to mess up a pretty good part one with, again, a misdirection and false ending seems to be a pattern here. Secondly to reintroduce a former master Scooby Doo style and get away with it Genius. To then screw up this accomplishment? A Moffatism. To kill off Bill. Kill Bill. Awesome. Then to have her resurrected by a magic puddle? Moffatism. To have the Doctor turn in to Billy the Kid with his Scewdriver? A Moffatism. To have the Doctor pause his regeneration? A Moffatism. Oooh. I am Regenerating. I do not want to. Stops Regenerating. Starts regenerating again. Oh I do not want to. Parks Tardis, puts hands in snow. Stops regeneration. Snow delays or stops a regeneration? Who Knew? No respect for your audience and fan-base Mr Moffat. Trying to pull the heartstrings by a sizzle reel of all the loved ones of Nu WHo. Cheap. Quoting Tennants departing line. Cheap. There you go. I did not like it, but some will and that is the beauty of individuality. Mr Moffat. If I was writing your school report it would read, could and should do better. (Blink) ]