Rate and Discuss: Death in Heaven

[Richard Brinck-Johnsen]

I'm sorry that the Cyberbrig caused offence but I genuinely believe Nick C would've been very amused of he was still around.
Also very much looking forward to the return of Michelle Gomez as hinted at by a previous post and Moffat's comments on DW Extra.

[Perry Vale]

I wasn't offended by the appearance of the Brig, it was just one bit of a messy pie too much in such a confused plot. I feel the show has honoured this character already, and showed respect, it simply wasn't needed here.

[Si Hunt]

kmlkmlm

[Ian Lethbridge-Stewart]

***I'm pleased if it is getting good reviews in places. However I really struggled to understand it (even more than usual these days). I still think Peter Capaldi is great. I hope that he continues to play the Doctor as he did during the last two episodes now that he has figured out who he is.As for the Cyberbrig I am not a fan of it either but I tend to deal with isolated bits like that by pretending they didn't happen, to me the whole of Love and Monsters didn't happen!

[Andrew Curnow]

I've seen a couple of very glowing reviews elsewhere, and am thrilled that at least one person on PS really loved it. Like I said yesterday, I didn't actually hate it but it did feel like a mess of maybe too many things in the mix, and none of them quite coming off as well as they should have.

That said, I really did enjoy Missy - the character & performance follow on very well from the John Simm version, so I guess part of the enjoyment or not of the new Master may depend on your opinion on the old? The scene with Osgood's death was very menacing, nicely done by all concerned I think.

One thought occurred to me this morning, prompted I think by Si's comment about DWM strips. Wasn't the final 8th Doctor strip, a Cyber story called 'The Flood' where the rain was in some way connected to making Cybermen? It was, granted, some years ago now so I may be mis-remembering.

[Martin Curnow]

"UNIT looks after its own, alive or dead."

[egdcltd]

I did like Capaldi in the episode - I'm an idiot! With a box! Evil Mary Poppins; that's probably the most over-the-top portrayal of the Master ever.

[dalekkiller]

One thought occurred to me this morning, prompted I think by Si's comment about DWM strips. Wasn't the final 8th Doctor strip, a Cyber story called 'The Flood' where the rain was in some way connected to making Cybermen? It was, granted, some years ago now so I may be mis-remembering.

Funny that thought occurred to me whilst watching the episode last night as I recall the rain caused people to go mad with their emotion so the Cybermen could conquer the earth.

[Alex]

It was one huge mess of an episode. So much potential, but none of it used.

I thought the Brig Cybermen was the worst moment of all. Far from being moving, it was crass and a horrible end for a much loved character. Why bother? Really? It made me so cross!

It doesn't have to be the end though, we might get a spin off series featuring him flying around in space solving crimes!*



*Though admittedly it is the most horrible idea anyone's ever had, ever!

[Mike Saville]

It doesn't have to be the end though, we might get a spin off series featuring him flying around in space solving crimes!*

I half expected the semi conscious Danny to take that stance actually, commanding the cybermen as the leader of a corps of space police.

[Rob McCow]

Here is my EXCLUSIVE REVIEW!!!!

Ready?

Ready?????

10/10 but I was quite drunk.

[Diddy Doc]

Seconded.

Thirded. I swore I wasn't going to watch the finale but since it was on the telly in the background I watched about 15 mins then immediately lost interest and turned the TV off!
The female "Master" is just utter bollocks anyway but Michelle Gomez just camped it up so much it was an utter ruination of a once classic villain.
I understand there was some garbage about Brigadier Lethbridge Stewart being a Cyberman now???? WHY????!!!! What the frelling hell is Moffatt doing to nu Who these days? I simply cannot believe this comes from the same mind as Name,Night,Day and Time of the Doctor last year. In the space of a year we've gone from brilliantly written Who to utter utter tripe! (Christ, even Twin Dilemma was more coherent than Moffatts latest offerings). The sooner Moffatt is shown the door the better in my view.
Regards
Diddy

[Zbigniev Hamson]

As usual, it was too turquoise/orange. But those are the only colours we get these days.

The glowing portal from heaven at the end... wtf? Did I miss the actual explanation of that? That was just awful. As bad as the magic sister bush from a few weeks ago.

It was a messy mish mash with far too much thrown in, and didn't really make any sense, but it was at least 10 times better than any of the RTD series finales.

And I'm not looking forward to the Christmas episode at all. In fact I'm really, really sick of Christmas episodes now. I'd be quite happy to have a nice big Doctor Who special AT Christmas every year, but the fact that every single one of the stories has to be also set at Christmas, or IN Christmas, is just ridiculously repetitive.

[Nyder]

I'm with Si Hunt on this - I liked it! I didn't like it last night, but I was tired and grumpy. One shouldn't watch Doctor Who when one is tired and grumpy. So let's get to the bits I didn't like first:-

The fake title sequence. Now I likes me gimmicks, but this was a lie wrapped up in a gimmick. As a viewer I didn't like being complicit in the lie that Clara was The Doctor. I wasn't even asked! On the other hand, I liked the gimmick of stopping the end titles, although I thought it was going to be for Children in Need. I didn't like the references to Thunderbirds / Captain Scarlett / Sylvia Anderson. Just didn't sit comfortably with me for a science fiction show to reference other science fiction shows. My love affair with Seb ended when he went "Squeeeee". If Missy hadn't terminated him, then I'd have been first in the queue. I have a real problem with Kate L-B. I just find her so dull. No sign of that L-B sparkle that her Dad had. But I do like the fact that she's a fantastic Bridge player (bit of bias there as I play Bridge )

So to the likes - the new Cyber voices. Far more chilling than the old ones. The '68 Cyber Head. Yay!! The fleeting shots of the Cybermen in the cemetery - wonderfully creepy. Missy applying her lipstick showing she is handcuff-free. I loved Missy full stop. I thought her bonkers / dangerous edge to the character really worked for me. I'd certainly welcome her back. Loved the "piece of cake" response from The Doctor when it took The Master/Missy years to try and conquer the Earth and it was suddenly handed to The Doctor on plate. The best line of the night for me was "that's the sound of your chain being yanked".

I thought the Cyber Brig was really touching, but I know a lot of people didn't like it and I understand why.

So we've had the dark season, now I want a slightly lighter season please. I don't mind a story arc, but wouldn't it be nice not to have a huge huge finale, just a story that ends with a wink. That's what I want for Christmas

Capaldi - you were wonderful.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Nyder]

Here is my EXCLUSIVE REVIEW!!!!

Ready?

Ready?????

10/10 but I was quite drunk.

What were you drinking?


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[dalekkiller]

This bit from the Doctor here sums up this episode

The Doctor: “Thank you. Thank you so much. I really didn’t know. I wasn’t sure. You lose sight sometimes. Thank you. I am not a good man. I am not a bad man. I am not hero. I’m definitely not a president. And no, I’m not an officer. You know what I am? I am an idiot. With a box and a screwdriver. Passing through. Helping out. Learning. I don’t need an army. I never have.”

That's great, Capaldi delivers it really well summing up who the Doctor is and how he operates.

But then he has to spoil it with this

The Doctor: “Because I’ve got them. Always them. Because love is not an emotion. Love is a promise. And he will never retire.”

[Philipnet]

What were you drinking?


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

What was he watching, too? ;-)

[Nyder]

900 minutes?? That's what I call a bumper edition!


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Si Hunt]

I liked Missy, but then I am a screaming gay who therefore thinks all women are like Shirley Bassey.

Si.

[Mike Saville]

I liked Missy, but then I am a screaming gay who therefore thinks all women are like Shirley Bassey.

Si.

I don't know. Are you? Because no one is saying all gays are screaming divas. In fact, of the gay males I associate with regularly, less than ten percent are screaming queens who lip sync to "I am what I am" while envying the sequined dresses. Of the other 90%, those with whom I have discussed Doctor Who, none find Missy remotely realistic.

I know for some realism is not required in any portion in Doctor Who, as many of the threads this season have testified to, but for a lot of us who like our female characters, (or transgendered characters) based on a little reality, Missy doesn't come close. Worse even than Celia Imrie a season or two ago. If they'd had a genetic male playing her as a transsexual diva and that was the performance, they would have been inundated with complaints about her conforming to a stereotype.

[Dino]

So we've had the dark season, now I want a slightly lighter season please.

Ooh, ooh, ooh! I don't even think we've had the dark season we'd been promised! It went near it, but didn't go for it. I'm still hoping the next series is basically this series but done right. With stuff that keeps the quality throughout the whole episode and not fall down in the last fifteen minutes. As so many did this year.
But then this could be just me. I'll still watch it regardless. The bastards...

[Nyder]

The world is only just big enough for one Shirley Bassey, never mind all women The thing I liked about Missy was that she could switch from being totally bananas to really sinister within one sentence. Granted, she needs to tone the Mary Poppins factor down a notch, but I was totally enchanted with her.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Andrew Curnow]

I'm not sure 'realism' is a fair benchmark for judging Missy against, is it. Or at least, I don't recall any discussions as to whether John Simm as the Master was a 'realistic' portrayal of a man - I'm not quite sure what the expectation is...?

Either way, I'm (too my surprise really) with Dave, in that I really liked the female Master. Maybe I as just relieved it wasn't bloody River Song!!

[Rob McCow]

Missy's characterisation was exactly the same as the John Simm Master (as I think has been mentioned!). I can imagine John Simm doing every line in exactly the same way and I think it would be a lot of fun. It does come across screamingly different having a woman deliver the lines though.

I was drinking Champagne! I'd had three, four glasses by the time it started. I enjoyed it tremendously, even with the sour faces all round. :drink

Would liked to have watched more Doctor Who with different people this year, but I don't know if everyone can withstand the screeching and hollering.

[dalekkiller]

It would have been better had Missy been Romana, now that would have been interesting one-time companion now his enemy.