Doctor Who: The Doctor Falls (10x12)

I really quite enjoyed this episode. I won't lie, though, I also had a few complaints. I can taste freedom, though. Moffat is almost out of here. Let's dive in.

Cons:

Basically, this is just a continuation of next week, which is perfectly lovely, in that we're wrapping up the only real through-lines of this season's plots. Namely, Missy. The problem is that this episode had a lot of endings, and I'm not sure I'm satisfied with them. Namely, Missy. The Master and Missy kill each other in this episode, which on the one hand is like the perfect way for them to go out, but on the other hand, it still feels like we didn't have enough screen-time with Missy to make her inclusion in this season feel worthwhile. There was so much more to explore. And I get the whole dramatic irony thing, because now we know that Missy was going to go back and stand with the Doctor, but the Doctor doesn't know that... yadda yadda.... I just feel like there was a more satisfying ending that could have come out of this.

And then there's Bill... On the one hand, I love the way her character ended up, going off with another immortal lesbian to explore the universe forever more. I'm all about that shit. But at the same time, my complaints from last week still stand. She did a lot of reacting instead of acting in this episode, and I still feel like we're only just beginning to understand her as a character. I really wanted her to be the carry-over companion for our new Doctor and new show-runner. We didn't get nearly enough time with Bill.

So, the Doctor bravely sacrifices himself in order to give Nardole a chance to help a bunch of children escape from the Cybermen. Bill, in Cyberman form, also stays behind. Essentially, they save the day by blowing up as many Cybermen as they can, thus buying Nardole and the others more time to get away and plan how to escape in the future. I understand the logic, and I'm not saying I know what the better alternative would have been, but at the same time there is just something so fundamentally wrong with the image of the Doctor blowing things up with the Sonic Screwdriver. It's just so wrong to see him exploding things and using violence to win. And I get that the Cybermen are trying to take over, but isn't part of the tragedy of Cybermen that they were once human? And if Bill was able to resist and still be herself in some way, what's to say that the human part of these other Cybermen couldn't come out to play?

The Doctor nearly regenerates at the end of the episode, but then the original Doctor shows up, which is cool and weird, and it looks like we're getting Peter Capaldi for the Christmas Special. I mean, good, yeah, I like that, but I also don't like fake-out regenerations. It lessens the impact of the real thing in some way.

Pros:

Those are some long paragraphs of complaints, but I honestly really loved this finale. Let's just touch on each character really briefly:

Nardole. He may get MVP for this one. He was just so caring and kind and he helped so much to save everybody. The last conversation he had with Bill and the Doctor was actually the most tragic part of the episode for me. He really wants to stay behind and make the Doctor go on, but the Doctor convinces him by basically forcing Nardole to admit that he's stronger than the Doctor. As he leaves, he tells Bill and the Doctor that he'll never be able to find the words. It's so sad to me that as this episode stands, Nardole has no way of knowing that Bill and the Doctor both actually made it out alive... sort of. Is Nardole carrying over to next season? I kind of hope so!

The Master. Evil til the end. I love the fact that he didn't have any sort of redemption arc that would overshadow the character work with Missy. It really wasn't about him. He's just evil. The moment when the Doctor gives his big speech about doing the right thing, and the Master clearly takes none of it in and just keeps walking away... ouch. I flash back to that moment in Series Three where the Doctor is cradling the Master in his arms and begging him to regenerate. The Master will do anything to spite his former friend and current bitter enemy, even if it means his own destruction. That's hardcore.

Missy. I mean, come on. She's incredible. All of the interplay between the Master and Missy was undeniably funny and great, but the moment when she tells the Doctor that she always wanted to stand by his side, but then says "no" and walks away... ouch ouch ouch my heart. And then the fact that she knows she's meant to stand with him, and then the way she laughs when the Master kills her... God. I don't even know how to speak coherently about Missy, to be honest. I loved her in this one.

Bill. She gets to run off with another immortal lesbian. This means that both of Capaldi's companions went off to be Doctor-like space explorers. I'm not entirely sure how to feel about that, and as I mentioned above I do really feel like Bill deserved more time on this show. That being said, her moments with the Doctor in this episode were adorable and tragic. Watching her deal with her new reality as a Cyberman was difficult to say the least, and her decision to stay with the Doctor at the end and die by his side felt like the perfect decision for her to make. I particularly like the fact that the Doctor didn't fight her on it. That's true friendship right there. Also, Bill snarking to the Doctor about how she normally likes women her own age was perfect.

The Doctor. Peter Capaldi has one more episode to get through, but honestly I rather wish he didn't, because he gave the best performance on his whole run in this episode. That speech he gave to Missy and the Master was a thing of beauty. I honestly don't even know what to say about it. The script itself was obviously good, but I also feel like it's the kind of dialogue that could come across so cheesy in the wrong hands. Capaldi knocked it right out of the park. It was glorious. I actually got a little choked up. And then of course his desperation not to be regenerated, his grief over Bill's fate, his missed connection with his dear friend Missy/The Master... there were a lot of intense emotions for the Doctor in this episode, and I think Capaldi did such a good job with all of them.

I'll end by giving a shout-out to some of my favorite small moments. When the Doctor tells the Master to "knock yourself out," Missy obliges by hitting the Master over the head, and then saying "I was secretly on your side all along, you silly sausage." Nardole's line about never being able to find the right words was really touching. Bill's final quip to the Doctor. The Doctor and Missy's final moments. The Master and Missy laughing as they die. Bill and Heather sharing a kiss and going off to explore. Nardole bashfully accepting one of the human woman's crushes. The list goes on.

I'm going to miss Bill, and if this really is the end for Missy and the Master, I'm going to miss them as well. I guess I'm happy that Capaldi isn't quite gone from us, but I'm curious if the Christmas Special will be able to top this! Time will tell...

8.5/10