Doctor Who – “Death in Heaven” Review

It was quite a joy to see UNIT actually on their game at least in London. All the people who were so chummy with the Cybermen were actually unit agents who turned the tables quickly on Missy. And yes I intend to continue calling the Master Missy as that is her current name. While UNIT may have been on the case, Missy was still ready to turn the tables as her plan was already in motion. She had the power of the dead after all. Ready to upgrade all of the recently dead. While I may not always love UNIT, they are often effective

In times of crisis the nations of the world decided that a single person would be elected as president of the Earth. The 12th Doctor’s expression when he realized that he was the president was quite amusing. It’s almost fitting that the man who’s saved the Earth so many times over the years with no real acknowledgement from most people is now the man in charge. And he thankfully has a very very effective people on his team.

Clara was mostly off on her own adventure having been left by the Doctor at the end of the last episode. When Cybermen surrounded her, she had no choice other than to pretend she wasn’t who she was to deceive and confuse the cyberman. It kind of worked until another cyberman destroyed those surrounding her, seemingly killing her in the process. When she awoke she was in a graveyard in the sky. In her graveyard she encountered the newly upgraded Danny. Unlike the other cybermen, he was somewhat able to control his cybermen urges in the presence of Clara. However, he felt the pain of being ruled by the cybermen. So much so that he egged Clara to turn on his inhibitor; taking away his pain, but also his humanity. It was nice allowing Clara the opportunity to see the love of her life even if he was a perversion of the man he once was.

Danny’s Cyberman activation was a tough scene to watch. While we hadn’t had the opportunity to see Danny too much this season, we got to see enough to understand his character. He’s a genuinely good man with a good heart. He may have been a soldier, and that certainly helped shape who he was. He may have butted heads with Danny for so long, but he didn’t want Danny to die. The Doctor wanted to keep Danny safe and keep his pain in their rather than becoming just a cyberman. Danny’s continued felt proper. It felt even more proper when the Doctor gave control to Danny who was the one Cyberman who even inhibited couldn’t give in to his programming because he loved Clara too much.

The thing about Missy is that she’s fabulous. She’s deranged. She’s bent on destroying the Doctor. The difference between this incarnation and previous versions of the Master is due much in part because of Michelle Gomez’s portrayal. Rather than Missy being abrasive and outwardly mad, she posses a more silent crazy. She’s filled with this drive to pervert the world and sow havoc not for a means to an end, but for enjoyment. Watching all that crazy manifest is something to behold.

Clara’s goodbye was very much like the goodbye to Martha in that they were able to part ways in an amicable way. It was a mutual decision that was being built toward the entire season. First Clara went through the emotional shift of dealing with a new Doctor and then she spent the second half of the season trying to cope with how she should separate herself from the Doctor. Her departure makes sense even more so when you consider the fact that the Doctor now knows where Gallifrey is. Well the drive to find it. He has things that he needs to do back home. The real question is this really a true goodbye forever?

What did you think of the episode?