Doesn’t it feel like Series Ten has gone really quickly? Not so long ago we were being introduced to the wonderful Bill Potts in The Pilot. As we approach the end of the Capaldi era, Steven Moffat seems to be pulling out all of the stops to pull surprise viewers and create a sense of uncertainty as to how this era will end.
The first shock of the episode comes in the pre-titles sequence. We see the Doctor stepping out of the Tardis and start to regenerate in the middle of a snowy wilderness. It remains to be seen whether or not he actually completes this regeneration but it's already more intriguing than the one in The Lie of the Land because now we're at the end of the series. At this point, the departure of Peter Capaldi is almost upon us, and a sudden regeneration wouldn't seem too out of place.
After the titles, we are introduced to the main setting of this episode; an unnamed colony ship, reversing away from a black hole. A distress signal has been sent from the ship which is what brings the Doctor, Bill Nardole and Missy into the story. The Doctor intends to test the sincerity of Missy's redemption and this is the perfect scenario. With Bill and Nardole as her companions, Missy must assume the role of the Doctor and save the ship. It's a funny scenario, which viewers a glimpse into what it might be like to see a female incarnation of the Doctor. Paving the way for Chris Chibnall, perhaps?
But nothing is ever straightforward. Upon leaving the Tardis, Missy and her companions meet the only surviving crew-member, Jorje. The arrival of a human is bringing something up the elevator from the bottom of the ship. Jorje is determined to kill the human to prevent the elevator from arriving. The Doctor gets involved and tensions escalate until we get the second shock of the episode when Bill is shot. The image of Bill with an empty hole through her chest is horrifying for a pre-watershed show. But before the viewers can truly process Bill’s death, the elevator arrives and a group of freaky patients emerge and take Bill’s body away to the bottom of the ship.
Normally, it would be simple enough for the Doctor to go down the elevator and rescue Bill except for the fact that this ship is experiencing time dilation. Because the ship is reversing away from the black hole, time is moving slower at the back end of where Bill is, and moving faster at the top where the Doctor, Nardole, Missy and Jorje are. This means that in the few minutes the Doctor is devising a plan to save Bill, weeks and months are passing for her. It’s a fascinating concept for Doctor Who to explore and adds tension as to quite how long Bill will have to wait to be saved.
Meanwhile, Bill wakes up and finds that the hole in her heart has been filled with a huge chest unit. As she gets up and explores, she finds she is trapped in a really creepy hospital along with the patients. Her only friend is a mysterious man with an Eastern European accent, called Razor. These patients it seems are being prepared for the greater good, and long-time viewers of Doctor Who will start recognise that they are being turned into Cybermen. The months go by for Bill, as she befriends Razor.
When the group are eventually reunited it is after the three key revelations. The Space Ship is actually from Mondas and Bill has been converted into a Cyberman. Missy discovers that Razor is actually her previous incarnation in disguise. The duel threats of the Cybermen and Missy certainly represent one of the best cliff-hangers of this period of the show.
It is a sign of how likeable Bill is that you feel sorry for her in the episode. Amy and Clara being converted would never have seemed so sad. Pearl Mackie really sells the horror of the hospital and her disapproval of the Doctor’s plan to redeem Missy. Pearl's performance and some good writing have combined for a really interesting character. As much as I like Bill I hope the Cyber-Conversion sticks. It would be so much like Steven Moffat to reverse it.
Fans have long wanted to see a Genesis of the Cybermen on television and this is a really good one.
The Patients are creepy form of Proto-Cybermen with voice boxes and horrible bandaged faces. The designer is to be congratulated for adapting the Mondasian Cyberman. The ones here are more streamlined creature and Nicholas Briggs provides them with creepy voice. I also liked the idea that the handlebars were an early version of the emotional inhibitor. It went towards justifying that strange design choice.
The Doctor goes through a range of emotions. The look of disbelief on his face when he sees Bill has been shot is excellent, as is his look of surprise at the return of John Simm's Master in the climax. The Doctor's desire to redeem Missy’s is a little naïve but the writing makes it more understandable from his perspective. If he can turn an evil person like Missy good then it will be better for the rest of the universe. His mistake may end up in leading to not only the death of others, but the end of his current incarnation as well.
With so much else happening, Nardole doesn’t get a lot to do this week apart from cracking the odd jokes. Missy takes his place as a computer expert, making him almost redundant. Hopefully he will contribute a bit more to next week’s episode. It's not yet known for certain whether he will stay on for the Christmas episode, or even for Series Eleven. If the next episode is Nardole's last then it would be great if he could go out on a high. Matt Lucas has been great this series and I don’t want his departure to be a disappointment.
Missy also goes through the ringer here. The scenes where she pretends to be the Doctor are absolutely hilarious. Her look of uncertainty when she meets her other self is good. If she truly is searching for redemption then the appearance of her old self will be a temptation. It will be interesting to see where this goes.
John Simm is great in the dual role of Razor and the Master. The character of Razor is a bit of a funny caricature but Simm makes him hilarious. His Master so far seems just the same as before but now with a goatee and a really great costume designed by Hayley Nebauer. I can’t wait to see him in full in the next episode
The rest of the supporting cast play a fairly peripheral role. The blue skinned Jorje is a largely forgettable character, largely serving as a plot device to shoot Bill and then spout exposition. The crew of the bottom deck are far more effective. Paul Brightwell as the Surgeon is a wonderfully sinister character. Alison Lintott as the nurse is a nasty type. They are both the kind of characters you wouldn’t want to s meet in a real hospital.
Rachael Talalay is the best director of the Peter Capaldi years. Only Ben Wheately comes close. The scenes at the bottom of the ship are as close to a horror movie as you could get for an early Saturday evening family show. Murray Gold must also be congratulated for providing some very distinctive music. The violins and falsetto sell the creepiness. We're a long way from the work of Ed Bazalgette.
World Enough and Time is a fantastic episode. Steven Moffat has never killed off a companion before. As this is his very last series it would be a great opportunity for him to leave after doing something shocking.
9/10
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