No Strings Attached

Posted By Kathleen David on June 26, 2017

OK here’s the deal. I am going to allow for speculation about “the Doctor Falls” but no spoilers please. We can talk about any and all Doctor Who episodes up to this one but not beyond. I am putting my spoilers and speculation behind a cut. But I am warning those who have not seen the episode and want to keep spoiler free, stay out of the comments and above the cut.

Oh Moffat, what have you done? I know you are leaving the show. But did you have to do it by stomping hard on all our hearts?

This season has been one of the best in New Who. It has been sharp and witty. Pearl Mackie as Bill is rapidly becoming one of my favorite companions. Capaldi has become my favorite Doctor. The missteps, for me, have been few and even those contained gems.

I really feel that Capaldi has finally come into his own as the Doctor and it is at his exit, which stinks.

I think some people forget that even in Classic Who, there are times that the Doctor’s hubris gets people hurt especially when he thinks he is in total control and then he has to figure a way out of the mess that he practically manufactured.

This time his trying to do ‘good’ leads to a lot of bad and I am hoping by the end of the next episode, the bad has been sorted out because if not, it is going to be a bad note to a splendid season.

The acting was solid all the way around. Michelle Gomez is my vote for the next Doctor because she would be splendid in the role.

I am sad that this is the penultimate episode to this season.

I figured out that Simm was behind a mask pretty much when he showed up on screen. Just something about the eyes and voice that tipped me off. I wrote that on a post-it note and passed it to Peter to be opened after the episode and I was right.

“I waited for you” just broke my heart and the look on Capaldi’s face as the Doctor realizes what happened was golden acting. Then the tear going out of the eye and then out of the eye piece cracked what was left of my heart.

The Doctor and Bill talking about his relationship with the Master made just about everyone who has written slash-fic about the Doctor and the Master cheer. Their ship (fandom worship) was canonized on Doctor Who in the space of less than two minutes.

Bill trying to convince the Doctor that testing Missy was a bad idea was well done all the way around. I also love how Bill does not look happy the entire time she is with Missy as Missy tried to be Doctor Who. Kudos to Mackie whose character didn’t have an easy time of it all through the episode.

Nardoll got sidelined for the most part and I found that a little disappointing. I know he is commentary but he was just lost in this one.

That one side of the ship time moved faster than the other was a nice way of moving the plot along. Simm says that Bill and the Master were together for 10 years before she was converted. The eyebrow comment along with the explanation snark, was comic gold.

I want to see more of Gomez and Simm working together on just about anything. Less than 5 minutes of screen time and I want oh so much more.

The Doctor screwed up big time and now has to pay for that screw-up apparently with his face/life.

The call backs to Classic Who have been wonderful and I loved that Venusian Akido played a role one more time before Capaldi leaves.

I have no idea how Moffat is going to wrap this one up in one episode but the picture of the Doctor, the Master and Missy all holding out their various sonic whatevers is gold.

I want Bill back. Caroline was practically in a fetal position by the end of the episode as Bill has become her companion and Capaldi her Doctor.

Moffat is cleaning up his toybox for the next show runner. I hope he remembers to pick up and return our hearts before he goes.

Category: Uncategorized
Tags: