Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 7/10

Cast: Peter Capaldi, Jenna Coleman, Michelle Gomez, Chris Addison, Jemma Redgrave, Sheila Reid, Andrew Leung, Nigel Betts, Joan Blackham, Sanjeev Bhaskar, James Pearse, Antonio Bourouphael, Shane Keogh-Grenade, Katie Bignell, Jeremiah Krage, Nicholas Briggs, Nick Frost,

The small signs have been there all season, the small nuggets of information that have filtered through should have been heeded. In their place, in one episode across 45 minutes they were easily ignored, a small rip in the fabric that not even the pickiest of fan would care too much to worry about. However as season closers go, it has to be said that Dark Water and Death In Heaven were easily the most frustrating of all since The Twin Dilema saw the beginning of Colin Baker’s era in the blue box in Doctor Who.

On paper it probably looked like one of the best ideas ever, the chance to discuss the very nature of existence and the dreadful hangover from the Victorian era of not discussing openly the nature of death and what is perhaps beyond. The concept of digitally downloading the brain to be stored and called upon is in itself a fascinating proposition and for that the episodes are worthy, however it was the inclusion in to the narrative, people that just didn’t sit right within the framework.

There can be no doubting that Michelle Gomez’s incarnation of the Master/Mistress will have divided the fans of the show and whilst change and a new direction can be a stirring thing, it conjures up radical thought and a new doctrine in which to espouse to the next generation of writers and television voyeurs; however, if you are going to do this, then it still has to retain the essence of what made it so good in the first place.

Forget all the nonsense about the Master’s return to the Doctor’s being dominated by the talk about a woman playing the part, that is only right in progression.  However, there was none of the true evil in the eyes or the fear and tension that the great Roger Delgado, the equally superb John Simm or Derek Jacobi bought to the screen, there was none of the fine line between genius/madness that was employed with such deftness of soul by Anthony Ainley. This was more like Mary Poppins strung out on bad case of narcotics and with a bad case of dramatics carried beside her but with none of the guile that a mad man/woman and with a sense of style that the role demands. All is not lost, at least it wasn’t the return of Eric Roberts to the position!

There are always characters within Doctor Who for whom the role is just so good that when something unexpected happens to them it really hits home just how fragile life is. The dichotomy of seeing Sanjeev Bhasker play a part that almost any actor could have performed equally as well and opposing that with the sheer quality that Ingrid Oliver brought to the role as Kate Stewart’s assistant Osgood was one that hit both emotions of negative apathy and heart stopping astonishment. Coupled with the reappearance of the equally cool Jemma Redgrave as the leader of U.N.I.T., the unstoppable momentum of Chris Addison, who really would have made the most outstanding Master and the wonderful nod to the show’s history, the programme both progressed to the point of radicalism and became stale with characters that were badly drawn and not fleshed out.

It certainly felt as though it had an effect on Peter Capaldi’s performance. Whereas Jenna Coleman excelled, especially where she takes on the mantle of The Doctor, the only times the emotion of the moment caught the glint in Mr. Capaldi’s wonderful eye was when he realised the misdirection he had been put through and the ability to be able to say to goodbye to a much loved old friend. Otherwise the closing episodes of Dark Water and Death In Heaven were ones that did little to stir the viewer’s appetite in what has been an absolutely resolute and interesting season.

Not even the appearance of Father Christmas at the end was able to put a bigger smile on the face, sometimes you just have to fail better.

Ian D. Hall