I’m going to get the fan boyness out the way now. Simply put, I felt Doctor Who – The Doctor Falls was an outstanding season finale.
There’s obviously loads of spoilers below if you’ve not already seen the episode.
The pre-credit sequence felt a little jarring at first, moving the action away from the hospital and to a solar farm, but was over all successful in setting up the episode, bu can we forget about that shuttle coming out the ground? The effect didn’t quite work – but the sight of Cyber-Bill carrying the collapsed Doctor gave people an image to remember. (And one I’m tempted to screenshot for the computers wallpaper).
The jarring sensation was used to good effect after opening sequence, as the Doctor awoke to the sight of the Masters debating the best way to kill him.
As the episode settled, the story telling flew fast, and Bills fate as a cyberman was confirmed, The Masters fate post End of Time was suggested, we were told what was happening in the city, and The Doctor received electric shock treatment from a cyberman.
Fast brutal storytelling. The stuff that a good Doctor Who finale does well.
Thankfully there is space in the episode for character moments. Peal Mackie as Cyber-Bill, stuck in her own perception filter, topped off an amazing season as she struggled to realise what had happened to her.
The Two Masters simply worked fantastically with each other, both slightly scared, kinda flirty with each other, and neither as smart as the Doctor. The two Masters still seem slightly underused and under developed. As does the relationship that both the Doctor and Nardole seem to have with the kids on the farm.
On the subject of Nardole, I have to admit that I was confused when I heard Matt Lucas was coming back, but the toned down version of his character in this series has only suffered from underuse.
The second half of the episode launched into war movie territory, not full blown action, but one with an unrelenting sense of doom. A sense of doom that only became more fulled as Time Lords fell.
A sense of doom that was only released in the closing crazy moments. As Star Girl reappeared, armed with flash backs to the first episode that almost helped it all make sense and logical.
I’ve not mentioned yet, the speech from The Doctor to The Master Twins, if you ever wanted a manifesto for not just being the The Doctor, but for being a good Time Lord. That was the speech to listen to, and a reminder that perhaps, sometimes its good just to be kind.
After a series like this, it feels too soon too soon to be saying Goodbye to Peter Capaldi. At least we get to say hello again to an old face come Christmas.