New Doctor Who Series Discussion *Spoilers*

I think it was fairly obvious from her first episode that the lady playing Missy was channelling John Simm's performance as the master.
 
It was always on the cards ever since that female hand picked up the Masters Ring from the pyre ages back. Personally I think its a good and interesting way to open up the mythology, possibly paving the way for a lady Doctor in the future (although its debateable who'll will want to see her!! ). Missy does come across as a bit of a scary Mary (Poppins) and I thought the episode was very strong. Kudos to the lass playing Clara, she really pulled all the acting stoppers out at the beginning . I won't spoil anything else for those still to see it . Hope part II is as good>
 
I was really hoping it was going to be the Rani. The Master has been done to death, pun intended, and I was hoping for re-expanding the Doctor's universe by bringing in the Rani. Ah well, looking forward to the next one anyway.
 
That interaction between the Doctor and Clara in the TARDIS? THAT'S my Doctor. THAT'S what I was hoping to see sooner this season. Brilliant acting from Capaldi and Coleman in that scene. Sad that it came so late in the season, but I'm hoping they continue to show that side of the Doctor from time to time.
 
I was really hoping it was going to be the Rani. The Master has been done to death, pun intended, and I was hoping for re-expanding the Doctor's universe by bringing in the Rani. Ah well, looking forward to the next one anyway.
I agree it really should have been the Rani. When she said that he knew who she was my mind raced between Romana and the Rani. I was super excited that it was going to be the Rani but I was completely let down when she said she was the Master. The Master's been done to death let him rest. Why can't they bring out some other old characters to use, the Rani would have been perfect this type of scheme is just up her ally. Moffett has let me down yet again. It's time for him to go.
 
When Missy said "Time Lady, actually. The one you abandoned," for a second I thought it was going to be Romana! That would have been interesting, but I also think it might've been harder to believe than The Master/Mistress. The Rani would've worked a little better, though, I think.

What I'm finding myself bummed about is that, unless it happens in the Christmas Special (assuming we get one), we won't see a new companion for a whole other year. Also, on the whole, I'm a little disappointed with how they seem to be handling Clara's impending departure. I get that she loves Danny and is choosing him, but it all just seems a little too...I dunno...fraught? Like, she's only choosing him because he's dead (whether he comes back or not, I guess we'll find out), rather than it being a more sober choice to stop traveling with the Doctor and stay with Danny. Also, Danny's PTSD and such seem to have not really ended up mattering a ton in terms of the story of Clara deciding to be with him. Like, it was never shown that Clara was beginning to suffer from that, and Danny understood her better than others could. It seems to be used only in the scene in this episode, and otherwise to just add some air of mystery for him. I guess ultimately that Danny's character, while a better male "companion-ish" figure than most, just seems kinda...like wasted potential. I liked him, but I think they could've done a lot more with him than they did.

I guess this could change when we get the finale episode, but I'm betting things will just go totally bonkers by then and a more grounded departure will be eschewed in favor of an emotionally fraught, super-fast-paced, off-the-wall episode with the Cybermen.
 
You know now that we know its the master it does raise the question of what happened to him from the time he stepped into the fissure to seal the time lords away during Tennents final episode up to the last few episodes of Matt Smiths era.
 
The funny thing for me is earlier in the episode for some reason I thought, "Aren't we due for the doctor to be a woman?" Tired of seeing cybermen though. Maybe because I still do not like their new look.
 
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Dark Waters was brilliant. I thought it was pretty darn near perfect...

This season has been a lot of fun - if inconsistent. I'm still not too sure about Capaldi's Doctor, he's just a little too mean at times. I know quite a few folks here weren't all that happy about the focus on Clara - I think the payoff for that started with this episode, and I think it's been worthwhile so far.
 
It's taken me really until this episode during Twelve's "I like you too much to let a little thing like betrayal change things" to really buy into this incarnation. I appreciate the more pragmatic approach and cold, calculating attitude as compared to the last two incarnations but I feel like they swung a little too sociopathic with him. It's good to see that he actually does care, even if he doesn't show it well.

I do wish they hadn't advertised the Cybermen being in this one though, leave the people who didn't pick up on the 3W logo in the dark until the water was drained. I also wish they hadn't played up things so much that the Missy reveal was a big deal that was filmed with the actors just mouthing the lines to protect the reveal. It would have been a bigger wham if people weren't going in expecting a big reveal. Minor gripes though.
 
I'm one that has liked Clara until this season, & what I didn't like, I feel was done on purpose. They really made her into a shrew this season, but again, I believe that is how we were supposed to feel. This incarnation of the Doctor has been beyond incredible, but there has still been a neediness to him that I believe Clara has exploited. Her personality has been explored in ways this year that are similar to your best friends girlfriend.

Last year there was a newness & mystery that really endeared her to the viewers, much like if your buddy met this really cool girl that made him over the moon happy, & you felt really good for him. Then after a year, you see her playing on his need for her in his life. You're outside of it, so it's crystal clear to you. She's always been a egotistical control freak. You just didn't see it, or thought it was cute for a while.

You feel bad for your friend, because you see him getting toyed with & emotionally manipulated, & you want to step in, but know it really isn't your place. Then something like in Dark Water happens. When he first told her those 3 little words I've been wanting to hear all season, I literally rewound the DVR a few times just to hear it again, all the time thinking, FINALLY! Then he hit her with the betrayal line, & you realize that he's been aware of the entire thing. He just has a love for her that overcomes HER shortcomings. That sealed this Doctor for me. I love when the Doctor is one step ahead of everyone on the show, but when he's one step ahead of me, the show really stands out.


I read elsewhere a pretty good explanation of how 'Missy' returned. Go back to the 50th special. After the 3 Docs come out of the Gallifrey painting, into the Black Archive, pay special attention to Clara coming out of the painting. Especially the placement of the right hand on the frame in relation to Clara's body.
 
This episode had a very RT Davies style darkness too it (I almost wonder if he worked on this one.).
it has a very different feel than any of the material from the last few seasons. If they go this direction the
next season has some real potential. I don't really like the newest style cyber men but this episode is one
of the most thought out uses of the character since age of steel.

The master was a huge let down though. they missed an amazing opertunity to bring back a rouge
version of Ramona. It would have been a new enemy and since she was in e-space there would be no
time lock issues to deal with. The doctor could have spent the next season blaming himself for leaving ramona.

as long as the cyber men do not get on the cyber phone and call every other ****ing Alian ever on the show
to meet up and attack the doctor we should have a good finally.:lol
 
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Or a rogue version of Romana. (sorry sorry can't help it) :p

I thought so too. Not that Missy being the Master was a let-down, it was actually kind of fun from my POV, but a pissed-off Romana gone bad would have been something, eh?
 
I have always said that the reason people haven't enjoyed Clara is that she's never broken our heart. Rose, Martha, Donna, Amy, Rory, even their families, all broke our hearts in one way or another.

But I felt she finally did last night
 
Soooo are they Cyber(iron)men in collusion with the Mastress or are they the Mastress's own version of Cyber(iron)men? And the new design is soooooo derivative but I did laugh at the noticeably shorter Cyberman as they stomped out of the cabinets. Why, oh why, they couldn't CGI an army of Cybermen coming out of St Paul's I don't know. The tourist party of 6 looked kinda lame. You could almost imagine them saying "That was nice. Can we see Buckingham Palace now?"
Nice to see Michelle Gomez is still channeling Green Wing in her performance.

"Tongues?"
"Shut up."
 
I'm still holding out a little hope that the Master reveal will be a red herring. Any of the other Time Lord (Lady) options out there, be it the Rani or Romana, would have known that the Doctor had a history with the Master. If this is someone who is trying to get the Doctor on his heels, they'd give him some info like this to knock him off balance while they continued with their plan.

Still, like I said last night, it's probably really the Master, based on the 50th Anniversary special. When we last saw him, he was in combat with Rassilon. The Doctor sent them both back into the Time War, along with the rest of Gallifrey. This was also the last day of the Time War. One could assume that the Master was mortally wounded during the battle & regenerated into Missy. Then, when the 3 Doctors & Clara came back through the 'Gallifrey Falls No More' painting, she slipped back into this universe. That was, IMO, NOT Clara's hand on the frame.
 
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