NOTE: This is my original review of this episode that I made on GateWorld Forum in 2014.
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Dark Water/Death In Heaven was a load of continuity-filled continuity-glazed continuity codswallop, as the British might say. I will admit it had its good side and the first and only dramatic moment in the entire Steven Moffat era so far though. Clap... clap... clap...
PLOT
The Master invents an undefeatable army of Cybermen to prove a point. Also, Cyber-Brigadier, "oh my giddy aunt!", "bow-ties are cool" etc. And of course, the whole world forgets about it because no one filmed 9/11 or anything...
CHARACTERS
This is the good part. Osgood is someone I enjoyed having back. She and the Doctor had chemistry. Real chemistry!! I almost forgot what that felt like.
The Cyber-Brigadier could've been utilised more. Where did he go, anyway? And wouldn't you have loved it if he walked by the Doctor and said: "WELL, HERE WE GO AGAIN." before flying off? It felt a bit empty without words. Okay, it didn't, but still, Cyber-Brigadier. Jeez.
[2015 Note: Not sure why I wanted him to say that particular line(right now, I'd pick "I'd rather have a pint."), but I still think they should've had him do just a bit more.]
The Gomez Master was a bit iffy. I liked her crazier moments, but the silly little girl villain thing was pure annoying. At those points, Jar Jar Binks would've been a better Master. So yeah, probably the worst Master.
Clara Oswin Oswald is my idea of the anti-Christ of this show by now. Putting the world in danger, carelessly going around Cybermen, BEING CREDITED BEFORE THE DOCTOR and threatening the Doctor's chance at finding Gallifrey.
Not that Mr. "Ego to the end" Pink was any better.
(2015 Note: The problem I had with Danny was not that he made the Doctor out as some kind of cackling office general, who refuses to see the truth, but that he was so persistent in that belief that he refused to help Earth and the Doctor until it affected Clara. That just completely negated any goodwill I had towards the character.)
Poor old Peter Capaldi. He's such a good performer and the Twelfth Doctor has grown on me. I want him to do a serious story, not this clutterfest. I did like the moment where the whole thing is revealed to him(the "You are a good Dalek" would be way cooler if they used the original line from Dalek though), but other than that, the Master was right about him being on a leash. The Doctor or Capaldi, you might ask? You know my answer to that.
Oh yeah, and what was up with Kate's "protocols"?
NOTES
*That one great, powerful moment I was talking about is when the Doctor realises the Master gave him the wrong coordinates. More of that, please.
*I sincerely hope the next companion won't have anything to do with Earth as we know it today. Doctor Who needs to get back to the "TARDIS is the only constant" formula.
*I liked the dark water, even though I'm not sure why they didn't just use a regular old x-ray. Seems old-fashioned somehow. Figuring out that it was the Cybermen in that dark water was a lot fun.
*The Master inventing afterlife was a guess(like most of the Doctor's deductions this season), so without further proof, I call this the one thing he got wrong.
Because it's one of the dumbest thing I've ever heard, offensive, even.
*Bye Danny! I guess Orson Pink ain't gonna happen!
(2015 Note: This seems to bother some fans so let me shed some light on my theory: since we saw Trenzalore in The Name Of The Doctor and that obviously never happened, the same can account for this. Orson was originally supposed to exist, but Missy screwed it up.)
*Here's a guess: the next Christmas special will be related to Victorian England.
(2015 Note: Thank God for small mercies.)
*For those tired of my cynicism, relax now: I've resumed watching 60s Who. Yeah, it's The Dominators, but heck, it's moving Troughton!! Watching him is like dipping a feverish-hot head in a bucket of cool water.
BEST LINE
"Pain is a gift." Unless it's the 50th anniversary special...
(2015 Note: Yeah, the special took almost two years for me to make sense. Just goes to show how incredibly convoluted the writing can be.)
CONCLUSION
What a mess.
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