Doctor Who – The Doctor Falls

By starrymag | July 7, 2017

By: Sharon Kurack

“Who I am is where I stand. Where I stand is where I fall.”

 

Where it was once thought that last week’s episode was an emotional rollercoaster, it pales in comparison to the emotional hurricane we meet in the season finale. Episode 12 opens to a beautiful, almost utopia-like place equipped with “scarecrows” that resemble the incomplete cybermen from the previous episode. We are on the 507th floor of that 400 mile long spaceship that is heading towards a black hole, where time flows differently (quickly) the further away from the top. There are lots of children under the protection of that would seem like normal villagers, farmers of solar farms, etc. The scene continues to unfold as a loud alarm sounds and more incomplete cybermen arrive to take the children for “upgrades.” Thankfully, the adults are able to fend off the attackers and place them along the fields as “Cybercrows.” Just as we think the calm has arrived, a shuttle ship crashes on this floor and a little girl named Alit (Briana Shann), who looks like Bill, goes to explore the wreckage and sees a CyberBill (Pearl Mackie) carrying the Doctor (Peter Capaldi).

 

Hold on! Last we saw our beloved Twelfth Doctor he was hashing it out with the tale of Two Masters (Michelle Gomez and John Simm) while looking in horror at CyberBill. Using the very convenient device of the flashback, we see the after events as Missy and the Master taunt a tied up Twelve with the Master’s version of Dystopia, cyber conversions complete. Through a flirty exchange, we confirm the following: Bill is indeed a cyberman, someone on Gallifrey actually cured the Master’s “drumming condition” before kicking him off the planet and the Master’s TARDIS got stuck on the ship where he eventually lead the people until they rebelled. Before we can get more, it turns out that during a previous scuffle among the two Masters and Twelve, the Doctor changed the cyberman definition of humans to include two-hearted beings as well. This causes the army of cybermen to start pursuing the Time Lords (oh, the irony) with the only way to stop them is the Doctor. Missy then knocks her past self out, having been on the Doctor’s side, and plans with him to escape from the floor with Nardole coming in clutch with a shuttle craft. However, before riding off into the cyberlit sky, Twelve is hit by a cyberman. Missy and the Master attempt to make their getaway with Nardole (Matt Lucas), but then it’s Bill who comes in clutch. Not only does she save her friend, but also carries him and latches onto the ship that’s bound for another floor. (Which would be Utopia-like floor 507).

 

On the utopian floor, our crew runs into Alit who leads them to where everyone is gathered. We then see Bill sleeping peacefully in the barn when the matron, Hazran (Samantha Spiro), explains to her the reason why she’s in the bar; Bill scares the children. At this point, although conscious in her own mind, Bill does not realize that she is a cyberman nor has any recollection of being converted. The audience sees Bill as herself, but everyone else sees CyberBill. However, brave Alit visits shortly after Hazran to speak with her and gives her a mirror. Unwrapping it carefully, we witness the dramatic first time Bill looks at herself as not herself. As she comes to the horrific realization that something terrible has happened, Twelve enters, hands Alit candy before she leaves and talks to Bill. CyberBill’s line of questioning begins with “what is a Cyberman” and ends with her raging at how she had been in that hospital for ten years. Contrary to “normal” cybermen, Bill retains her mind’s consciousness perhaps because she had steeled her mind against the monks when they took over. Regardless, she is angry CyberBill now, which results in lasers, exploding barn doors and…tears. (From a cyberman?)

 

Why are there so many children on this floor? Because children are the easiest to convert into cybermen. It was thought best to bring them up where time moved slower so the cybermen would be delayed in finding them. The two Masters, Twelve and CyberBill walk where the elevators should be and it becomes very obvious to Bill that Twelve is getting weaker. She then asks outright if he can fix her “condition, because she can feel the cybermen trying to overcome her mind. In an intense, tear-filled plea, Bill tells the Doctor that she doesn’t want to live if she can’t be her anymore. Twelve then responds cryptically, that where there are tears, there is hope. Once our crew finds the elevators, we see Missy starting to have empathy toward everything occurring. It turns out; however, there is no safe way to get to either TARDIS. But Missy sonics the elevator up anyway. The problem is that a cyberman is currently on that elevator. While it is easily killed by three sonics and a cyberlaser, their location and the children’s location has been not only identified, but also identified as hostile. The robots will come packing as Operation: Exodus is enacted.

 

Worry not, my friends! Nardole is on our defense and really steps up the leadership game, organizing and strategizing with the people. He also is able to mess with the computer of the ship and hacks into a program where the smallest of objects seemingly creates the largest explosions. As Nardole continues proving how invaluable he is, we confirm that the Master’s TARDIS is stuck at the bottom of the ship because he, like the Doctor, blew the dematerializing circuit. Through more word exchange, we also find out that Missy remembers “a scary woman” warning her (him) to always carry a dematerializing circuit, and ironically enough, she listened as she shows up with one in her hand.

 

Everyone readies for the inevitable cyberman attack, with Twelve giving Alit an apple to demonstrate Nardole’s exploding genius. As per their cowardly nature; however, the Master and Missy decide to “exit, stage left” telling the Doctor that he cannot win no matter what. (Rule #2: Never tell the Doctor that something is impossible.) In a defining speech, Twelve explains to both versions of his fallen friend that it is never about winning; he does what he does because it’s right, decent and, above all, kind. Twelve is fully aware that he will die, but in the end it’s about where you stand when you fall. Of course, past version Master smugly doesn’t listen, but when we look at Missy you can almost feel her emotion. Twelve reaches out once more to his friend and although she doesn’t go with him, she whispers and gives him something in a handshake (the dematerializing circuit).

 

Before we even have time to process, the cybermen have arrived. Alit begins the defense with throwing the apple at the squadron of cybermen, who look at the object, perplexed. Within seconds, the group explodes along with the apple (How do you like them apples?) and more explosions continue as floor 507 is near the fuel tanks of the ship. These current explosions buy time for everyone to begin their ascent to safety as the cybermen regroup and stop tracking the children.

 

The plan? Nardole, who once again takes the reigns as a leader, will bring the evacuation to the elevators and climb to floor 502 while Twelve will blow the entire floor 507 full of cybermen. Although Nardole vehemently objects, he realizes that the Doctor has a point in that he is weaker than Nardole. The strong needs to look out for the others. So, Nardole is the one who leads everyone to the elevator to safety. And Bill? Knowing her limited fate as a cyberman, she decides to stay with Twelve when the floor is blown. Our two quirky villains aren’t completely done, either. As they make their way to the elevator, Missy hesitates and then hugs it out with her past self. However, the embrace turns deadly as Missy pulls a …well, Missy, and stabs the Master enough to cause him to eventually regenerate (into her!) and with enough time to get to his TARDIS. As she turns her back to stand with the Doctor finally, the Master shoots her full blast with his sonic and she collapses. Will there truly be no more regenerations for Missy now?

 

As Twelve sonics straggling cybermen with his sonic, he lists the places they’ve “upgraded,” until he gets shot by one. However, Twelve doesn’t fall. He stands, with regeneration energy in his hands, and blows up the floor while Bill witnesses. As the dust clears, you hear the Doctor hoping for stars as he closes his eyes. His sacrifice wasn’t in vain as we then see Nardole and the evacuation make it safely to floor 502. Nonetheless, the following questions loom: Will the cybermen regroup and follow them? What will they do if that day comes?

 

We return to the ground zero site with the Doctor in the middle of it and Bill falling to her (cyber) knees in grief, crying. Her tears as a cyberman then somehow trigger rain on that floor and we see a star in the pupil of one of her eyes. Said signs should remind us of Heather (Stephanie Hyam), the celestial, “Alex Mac” channeling pilot from the first episode. As if on cue, Heather solidifies from water in front of Bill and softly kisses her, also proving that neither she nor Bill are dead. Bill then turns and notices her cyber body next to her, now an empty shell as she stands in her own body. As the moment, she is like Heather: watery, celestial, but alive. How did Heather find her? It turns out from Episode One Heather had left Bill her tears, which was how she found Bill again. They take Twelve to the TARDIS where pilot Heather is able to fly and talk about Bill’s plans now. Heather gives Bill the choice: they can travel together or she can restore Bull to her life as human. Before any decision is made, though, Heather sweetens the deal by showing Bill around. Before they leave, Bill kneels by the Doctor again, not wanting to believe that he is dead and cries on him once again. They leave and the teardrop left on Twelve begins to flow with regeneration energy, causing him to awaken. He sees a montage of his companions, including Missy, and utters the infamous, “I don’t want to go.”

 

Just when you think the TARDIS is going to crash, she lands herself on the snowy planet we had seen in the beginning of the last episode. The Doctor fights the regeneration, not wanting to change again, not want to continue being someone else. Where has the TARDIS taken him? As we hear the voice of the first Doctor (David Bradley), we realize the TARDIS had landed at the end of the Doctor’s first regeneration. A figure then approaches in the snow: The Doctor, the original. And the we fade out until Christmas!

 

With about six months to go to Peter Capaldi’s last hurrah, the theories are sure to fly. Story arcs have wrapped in true Moffat fashion. Now, we wait. And as the Doctor said, “Time enough.”

 

“Without Hope, without Witness, without Reward.” — The Twelfth Doctor