2nd Opinion: The Doctor Falls
Connor Johnston & Gustaff Behr give their verdicts on the final episode of Series 10.
Connor’s Verdict
It is no secret that Steven Moffat’s Doctor Who finales have differed quite dramatically from his predecessors in the fact that they’ve always been more reflective and character focused. In looking back over his last few ‘closing chapters’ there’s a clear prioritisation that favours concluding a character’s personal journey over the series over more event-based narrative developments. With The Doctor Falls, Moffat not only continues his dedication to rounded character journeys, but also achieves the perfect balance of intensity, emotion and spectacle that achieve the grandeur of a finale in impeccable fashion.
For the second last time on screen, Peter Capaldi soars in his performance as the Doctor. Wounded, facing an impossible victory and on the brink of regeneration – the Doctor’s actions this episode are a steadfast reminder of why the character remains one of the aspirational heroes on television. Floor 507 is Capaldi’s Extremis – where without witness, hope or reward the strength of his virtue is tested and his belief in kindness and fighting for those who cannot defend themselves is cemented. In a speech that musters up the same purpose and atmosphere of the Doctor’s oath in The Day of the Doctor, Moffat and Capaldi draw to a close not only a series long arc of the Doctor attempting to save the Master’s moral conscious, but also an era long arc that addresses the Twelfth Doctor’s earliest doubts about his own.
Following a cliff-hanger that saw Bill upgraded into a Mondasian Cyberman in last week’s World Enough and Time, this week’s episode saw the companion’s fate maintained for the majority of the duration – a challenge that Mackie, Moffat and Talalay overcome both visually and emotionally by alternating our view of Bill from her own perspective and the people around her. Mackie is heartbreaking, and offers unequivocally her best performance as her last. Bill’s eventual survival and the return of Heather was a development that completely blindsided and utterly fulfilled me. Aside from it making sense from a script perspective, it was just so gratifying to be able find joy and happiness in a companion’s departure without reservation for the first time in decades – and no character is more deserving than Bill Potts. Lucas also receives a thoroughly bittersweet final appearance with Nardole; a character that has been perhaps the best and most unexpected surprise in the show’s long history, and will be just as strongly missed and remembered.
And for the record, blood and death are far from the only way a show can take it seriously or be considered as “real drama”. Furthermore, death is not the only way a show can have consequence – unless one is dealing with a thoroughly simplistic concept of the word that completely ignores the depth and complexity of the show’s characters. Doctor Who is a show riddled with consequence, loss and sacrifice – and this is in no way diluted or lessened by the survival of a character in a way that honours their ongoing character arc and doesn’t buy into the laziness of being ‘killed’ off for nothing more than a shallow attempt at shock value that throws all substance to the wind.
Finally, Moffat uses the Cybermen’s attack on the settlement as the background for the series’ most prominent story arc: that of Missy’s morality. The motif of “a friend inside an enemy” has remained remarkably present throughout Capaldi’s entire era, and has formed the foundation for Missy’s incarnation of the Master from her initial appearance in Series 8 right through to her final moments in this week’s finale. It is so rewarding that The Doctor Falls also featured the return of John Simm’s portrayal, both because of how lethally entertaining the dynamic between the two Masters are; and because of how poetically allows all the elements of evil, ambition, cruelty and insanity that Missy has fought so hard to repress to take physical form and be played out in a conflict on screen rather than inside her head. The death of both incarnations is so alarmingly true to character, and speaks wonders of Moffat’s dedication to honouring the show’s long history as well as contributing to it.
The Doctor Falls is an energetic, enigmatic and emotional rollercoaster that is presented as one of the most fulfilling and engaging finale of the revival. Seamlessly bringing to a close the character arcs of all four of our leading characters in breathtaking and heartbreaking ways – this is a finale that not only meets the wholeness and cohesive quality of the series it closes, but manages to top it completely rewarding an audience that has invested so much over the last 12 weeks. Finally, it is the episode’s ability to look to the future and set up Capaldi’s regeneration that impresses further – ensuring our anticipation for the show’s bittersweet return on Christmas Day.
Gustaff’s Verdict
Given Steven Moffat’s finales over the years, I confess I didn’t have as much faith that he’d be able to capitalize on the sheer success that was World Enough and Time. So it goes without saying that while not as strong as The Big Bang, The Doctor Falls not only fires on all cylinders, it actually manages to hit most of the targets as well.
Because of this strength, let’s do away with the bad bits first. The Masters, whilst very entertaining (we’ll get to that in a bit), are not used very wisely, instead pushed to the side to allow for the Doctor, Bill and Nardole’s character development. While not a bad trade off, given that we probably won’t see multiple Masters onscreen for another 50 odd years, it seems a bit tragic that Michelle Gomez and John Simm weren’t more essential to the plot.
Next up we have Bill’s ending, which is basically a carbon copy of Clara’s: A female human companion departs the show in a series finale by failing to escape a deadly peril, being brought back to an immortal semblance of human life and setting out to travel through time and space with an immortal side character from that series with the Doctor unaware of their fate. As a big Bill fan that feels a tad offensive to the character. Bill has been a clear highlight this series. Ignoring whether you think bringing a companion back to life…again…is or isn’t a good idea, not giving Bill her own proper unique ending feels disrespectful to the character. And come on people, Deus Ex Machina resolution…we’re Doctor Who. We’re better than that.
Now that we’ve gotten that sorted, my god what a great episode! Even though they were basically cannon fodder, using the time dilation to give the Cybermen the advantage was an excellent way of raising the tension and making them feel like a genuine threat. It gave the episode a sense of urgency, even during the quieter moments. Not only that, but there is something both fitting and nostalgic about seeing multiple incarnations of the Cybermen onscreen together. The episode even manages to incorporate the proto-Cybermen in a brief, but disturbingly creepy scene.
Steven Moffat has always had a very special way with words. The man knows language. Love him or hate him. He does. No writer so far has come close to his unique, almost eccentric writing style and The Doctor Falls emphasizes that with dialogue that is razor sharp and…let’s be honest at the same time completely dirty. Some of the best jokes in this story are delivered by the Master (both of them) and most of those are pretty naughty.
The title of MVP, in my opinion, has to go to John Simm. It was not only a delight to watch him as the Master again, but tragic that his incarnation got killed off by Missy and locked out of continuity to Big Finish by Steven Moffat. Hopefully, either Chris Chibnall or the folks at Big Finish find a way to bring him back into the fold because he clearly belongs there. He is the Master we deserved, but not the one we needed.
Michelle Gomez as Missy on the other hand, turned out to be the Master we didn’t need, but deserved. It’s been stated plenty of times ever since Series 8 that her incarnation is not the Master as is tradition. I myself was very sceptical of this “Missy/Doctor friendship” storyline, given prominence in Series 10, but the way The Doctor Falls finally ties up Missy’s story has to bump your appreciation score regardless of whether you enjoyed the story arc or not. Steven Moffat also peppers his script with subtle tragedy. Missy redeems herself but it’s a truth that the Doctor will never know, and one she (or he) will likely never repeat.
Nardole has risen from being a bumbling buffoon that nobody wanted to a genuine series highlight. A year ago I was fuming at the decision to bring him back. Now, I can’t picture it any other way. Another subtle tragedy involves his death, the only “real” death in this episode, which most likely occurs off-screen 24+ hours after the battle with the Cybermen. I’m not sure if Steven Moffat forget about the time dilation still being in effect, but it must be plain to see that leaving Nardole on the colony ship is akin to sending him to his death given this war with the Cybermen is a battle he can’t possibly be expected to win.
Another highlight has been the Doctor/Bill partnership. I’ve liked Bill ever since The Pilot and the Doctor’s characterization this season has been on point. Knowing that, it’s fitting, not to mention satisfying that Peter Capaldi and Pearl Mackie both deliver such heartfelt performances and are given such juicy material to work with. Bill seeing herself as she was and having to cope with what she has become is beautifully cruel and a clever visual effect to not have her dressed up as a proto-Cybermen. In the same breath, you have the Doctor racing against time trying to do what’s “nice”, trying to rescue Missy from herself (literally) and staving off regeneration. It’s enough to make any body wear a bit thin.
Steven Moffat has one episode left before he bows out. He’s set the bar incredibly high for himself with World Enough and Time and The Doctor Falls. He’s enlisted the help of the First Doctor to make his swan song a success and has the Twelfth on his knees awaiting the executioner’s blade. Let’s hope the Moff leaves Doctor Who in the same way he entered back in 2005…with a bang!
