Doctor Who season 10 finale: William Hartnell is back; is Michelle Gomez leaving?
Let’s look back at the title of “The Doctor Falls.” The moment that you saw that, you probably knew that something potentially terrible was coming. Our title Time Lord had to face off against not just the Cybermen, but also two iterations of The Master at the same time.
This was a story of many imaginative twists, just as many Doctor Who episodes play around with the idea of time, beginnings, and endings. Take, for example, the final fifteen minutes of the episode, which served as a surprising y tender farewell from one Master to the next. Even though they may be terrible people, there was still something with Michelle Gomez and John Simm that was certainly heart-melting. After all, it was almost two different Masters ending themselves; Missy was beloved, and if this is the end for her, it’s certainly a sad one.
It shouldn’t be a shock to learn that Michelle Gomez is likely done with the series for now, given that there is so much change for the franchise. Even with that, there are always ways for characters to return, so we’re not looking at her apparent death here as a sign that she is truly done with this series.
Hey, we’re worried about The Doctor and Bill, too…
There were certainly moments in the finale where it looked like the two were willing to sacrifice themselves (including what was left of Bill) for the sake of stopping the Cybermen army. This is where things started to get a bit brilliant, as it was someone from the very start of the season in Heather who came back and helped turn the tide. She found Bill a “different kind of living,” and brought The Doctor back to the Tardis.
Heather and Bill left the finale to explore new corners of the world together, leaving The Doctor back home, where he was left to channel through so many of his memories. The regeneration process was looking as though it was about to begin, and he had to figure out a way to curtail it as he came back to life. This was reminiscent very much of the David Tennant / Matt Smith regeneration’s, but it also is not over yet…
Your cliffhanger
William Hartnell is back! Well, sort of. David Bradley is reprising his role as the character for the Christmas Special, and this was the tease at the episode’s end.
Now, you must look ahead
All good things must come to an end, and later this year, we prepare to say farewell to the excellent Peter Capaldi. You can head over here to get some of the first details about the Christmas Special, which is the farewell to both Capaldi and Steven Moffat as showrunner. (Photo: BBC.)