Series 8 Finale Trailer Breakdown

Connor Johnston takes an in-depth look at the first trailer for the Series 8 finale.

It’s that time already! 10 Episodes down and we’ve mourned a lost dinosaur, travelled into a Dalek, robbed a bank, battled alongside impossible heroes, against dimension jumping villains, made it through the first date, taken the scenic route with an ancient threat, survived a lush lathering of fireproof trees, had our morals challenged, skipped over parents evening and gotten to know and love a brand new incarnation of our favourite Time Lord. Series 8 culminates in the epic 2-part finale “Dark Water” and “Death in Heaven”.

So let’s waste no more time and take an in-depth look at the tantalising “Next Time” trailer which premiered at the conclusion of last night’s “In the Forest of Night”.

Note: The following will be based on casting, filming, rumours and plain old speculation. In other words if you’ve been reading our “What We Know” post all year, you can safety read on.

The trailer opens with one simple sentence that instantly has the entire fandom hooked. “Next Time – the Finale Begins!” … and boy are we ready! An explosion of smoke and fire reveals Clara standing in what at first seems similar to the interior of the Doctor’s time stream last seen in the concluding moments of the Series 7 finale: “The Name of the Doctor”. It is unclear if it is actually the time stream, but the rubble and shadows cast clear parallels. Regardless, it appears that this unknown location is not of Earthly origins – it doesn’t even seem to be part of a physical reality. Could we be looking at a less sterilised version of Missy’s afterlife/nethersphere? Perhaps yet another visit to Trenzalore in the aftermath of battle? We hear Capaldi’s narration mirror our own confusion and questioning Clara’s presence in this ghostly environment.

The Doctor emerges from the TARDIS in a mixed state of misunderstanding, fear and overwhelming shock. Could it be external forces have brought the Time Lord to this place? Clara’s voice echoes through the desolate frame. “Do I have your attention?” When did our sweet little impossible girl become so sinister? Coleman nails the villainous tone in one line and in the same piece of dialogue both the Doctor and the audience get the feeling everything they know is about to be flipped on its head.

“You will never step inside your TARDIS again!” threatens Clara holding up the TARDIS key. Is it a threat or a promise? Anger and revenge are intertwined into her words. We must remember it was one of Clara’s echoes who contributed to the Doctor first stealing the TARDIS… She who giveth can taketh away?

Capaldi’s iconic attack eyebrows pull back in defence. The Doctor is not a happy chappie – Nobody threatens to take a way his box!

Missy is as shocked as we are at the trailer’s early revelations! She snaps awake aggressively. Given the relevance of immortality and life after death that has been present throughout the series could this be her own waking from an endless coma? Or perhaps disconnecting from some kind of mind controlling/ body swap technology?

The scene then opens up to the insides of what looks to be the organisation known as 3W. Very Classic-Cybermen-Tomb-Esque.

Clara walks out of one of the 3W “Grave – Cells” which I’ve fittingly titled due to the “R.I.P” embedded on the head of the doors. Could these be perhaps a more literal interpretations of the “Gates of the Nethersphere” Missy has been carefully keeping. Inside the tomb are individual thrones, labelled with what could either be Gallifreyan writing or more likely a Cyberman eye. These are the same symbols spotted on memorial monuments during filming earlier this year. 3 Cybermen stand guard down the hallway, though their presence instils absolutely no fear in Clara. Her confidence is so chilling and heinous – Half of me is awaiting the Cybermen to break into song singing “Something Wicked this way comes!” The Doctor’s puzzled narration asks “Clara what are you doing?”; and the reply: “Time can be rewritten”. … What could she mean?

The Cybermen are seen here mimicking one of the most memorable moments from Doctor Who’s history marching out of St. Paul’s Cathedral in London. Filming pictures and press releases revealed this iconic re-enactment earlier in the year.

Just when we thought they couldn’t get more like Iron Man! St Paul’s opens up as some sort of launchpad for the new Cybermen who have apparently learnt some new tricks that make the saying “The sky is the limit” completely invalid.

Then to a shot that for some reason seems very “A Good Man Goes to War” to me. It seems that returning character and UNIT’s head of scientific research Kate Stewart, portrayed by Jemma Redgrave, did not take into consideration the Doctor’s distaste to having the TARDIS ‘picked up’ in their last meeting as a grappling hook has the blue box by the claws once more.

Kate and the Doctor board the plane. Given the Doctor’s recently emphasized disapproval of soldiers it’s going to be interesting to see how he copes when integrated into the UNIT platoon. UNIT is obviously taking the case to the skies is a tactic used to ensure zero interference from their invading enemies, but judging by the new abilities revealed a few moments ago this may be harder then it seems….