Christian Cawley's Blog, page 170

Box Art & Extras for Doctor Who – The Complete 8th Series US Release

Drew Boynton is a writer at Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews - All the latest Doctor Who news and reviews with our weekly podKast, features and interviews, and a long-running forum.

Say it with me, Kasterborites: “DVDs?!  But Series 8 isn’t even over yet!”  Well, it is hard to think about with the finale still to come.  But, BBC Home Entertainment has just announced that the DVD set of Peter Capaldi’s first series as the Doctor will be released in the USA in just a little over a month (!) on 9 December.  The DVD set will include five discs and be priced at $80.  The Blu-ray set will be four discs for about $100.

TV Shows on DVD reports that the BBC has also finalized the box art and the extras that will be included in the set!  The box art, which can be seen above, features Capaldi and Jenna Coleman in the foreground with the “clocks and cogs” motif in the background (including some familiar Series 8 faces).  Here is what the site had to say about the extras:

“Relive all 12 episodes of this electrifying season, as well as bonus features including EXCLUSIVE footage from the London Premiere Q&A with Peter Capaldi, Jenna Coleman and lead writer and executive producer Steven Moffat, four EXCLUSIVE episode commentaries, behind-the-scenes footage, a special documentary following Doctor Who: The World Tour, and many more.”

EXCLUSIVE footage from London Post-Premiere Q&A with Peter Capaldi, Jenna Coleman and Steven Moffat
EXCLUSIVE Doctor Who episode commentaries for Into the Dalek, Robot of Sherwood, The Caretaker, and Kill the Moon
Behind-the-Scenes featurettes (12 total)
Doctor Who Exclusive (4 total)
Doctor Who: The Ultimate Time Lord (special with Fifth Doctor Peter Davison)
Doctor Who: The Ultimate Companion (special with Fifth Doctor Peter Davison)
Doctor Who: Earth Conquest (World Tour Documentary)
Tour of the TARDIS
Doctor Who: Deep Breath Live Pre-Show & After Who Live (hosted by comedian and Doctor Who superfan Chris Hardwick)
FOXES – “Don’t Stop Me Now” (Music video from Mummy on the Orient Express)

Sadly, The Time of the Doctor is not included as one of the extras or included episodes.  That Christmas Special, of course, showed Matt Smith’s Eleventh Doctor regenerating into Capaldi’s Twelfth Doctor in its final moments.  This news will surely disappoint some fans and Capaldi completists, who would like to have all (well, except for that Day of the Doctor angry eyebrows cameo) of the appearances of the newest Doctor included in the set.

Here is what TV Shows on DVD posted about that matter:  “According to the BBC America’s online store, “The Doctor Who Shop,” per their information: “Doctor Who: The Complete Eighth Series will not have 2013′s Christmas Special (The Time of the Doctor). The special is available individually, or as part of The Complete Matt Smith Years Collection Set.” For that matter, the BBC also explains there that “The [the special prequel...shown in cinemas with Vastra, Jenny and Strax] will only be available in the Deep Breath DVD and Blu-ray.,” and thus that prequel will not be found on the Series 8 set, either. We wanted to share this information, so consumers would be aware to not expect those items on the upcoming release.”

Doctor Who: Season 8 is available on DVD, Blu-ray and digitally from Amazon.com and Amazon UK – place your orders in time for Christmas!

So there you have it, Kasterborites!  In about five weeks, you could be holding Series 8 in your hands!  Are you happy with the extras and packaging, or does the exclusion of Time of the Doctor make you want to repeatedly bang your head on a table?

(With thanks to Joe)

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The Entropy Plague Set for March 2015 Release!

Nick Kitchen is a writer at Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews - All the latest Doctor Who news and reviews with our weekly podKast, features and interviews, and a long-running forum.

A couple months back, we shared with you that the Fifth Doctor, Tegan, Turlough, and Nyssa were set to embark on a new Big Finish trilogy that finds the TARDIS crew in E-Space. As we draw nearer the 2015 Doctor Who Main Range releases, some new details are emerging about the audio stories. Today, we’ll look at the final audio story in the trilogy, The Entropy Plague.

As a reminder, here is what the Doctor and his companions are up against:

A Great Darkness is spreading over E-Space. Entropy increases. In search of a last exit to anywhere, the TARDIS arrives on the power-less planet of Apollyon, where the scientist Pallister guards the only way out – a mysterious portal. But the portal needs power to open, and the only power Pallister can draw on is the energy contained within the molecular bonds of all living tissue…The Doctor, Nyssa, Tegan and Turlough soon learn that neither Pallister nor his ally, the space pirate Captain Branarack, will stop at murder to ensure their escape. But they’re not the only menace on Apollyon.

The Sandmen are coming – creatures that live on the life force; that live on death.Death is the only way out into N-Space. Death, or sacrifice. But whose death? Whose sacrifice?

The other important and new detail is that the we have a firm release date of March 2015 (actually, not that far from now as this year seems to be speeding to an end…I digress) and it is available for preorder now.

Are you excited for a new return to E-Space? Share your thoughts down below!

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New Doctor Who Scarves & Jumper Launched!

Philip Bates is a writer at Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews - All the latest Doctor Who news and reviews with our weekly podKast, features and interviews, and a long-running forum.

Three new products from Lovarzi, the company that brought us the great Seventh Doctor Jumper, are now available for pre-order – and rather excitingly, the Fifth Doctor fans are being catered for!

Those of us with a love of Peter Davison’s Fifth Doctor will surely grab one of the Cricket Sweaters super fast, but two further items expand the range even further: there’s an 18ft Fourth Doctor Scarf, just like Tom Baker’s Time Lord wore in Seasons 16 and 17; and a beautifully- iconic TARDIS Scarf.

The Fifth Doctor Cricket Sweater is made from 100% Acrylic, based on the original design which debuted in Davison’s first story, Castrovalva. He wore this for much of his tenure: though it was superseded in The Awakening, the sweater also appeared in Steven Moffat’s charity special, Time Crash. I’m certain this one will be very popular indeed, thanks to the appreciation of such a fantastic era. I know I’ll be getting one (at least!).

The 18ft Fourth Doctor Scarf caters for fans who wanted an even longer scarf than Lovarzi’s first one, released in 2012. He wore this one throughout the Key to Time stories and the following season which featured fan-favourite episode, City of Death.

Finally, the TARDIS Scarf focuses on the most memorable aspect of the show: the Doctor’s trusty Time-Space Ship, which is, of course, smaller on the ou – -uh, bigger on the inside! Just like Lovarzi’s Dalek Scarf (released last year to celebrate the 50th anniversary), it comes in a nice presentation box so is pretty ideal as a present. It’s already on my Christmas list.

Maninder Singh Sahota, Director of Lovarzi, said:

“We’ve been overwhelmed and delighted by the reaction our Doctor Who products have garnered; the hard work and attention to detail we put into creating finest quality items is always worthwhile when we see the smiles of fans whenever we exhibit our ever-expanding range. We’re extremely proud to see dedicated Whovians indulging in their favourite items, and are sure these three new products will be welcomed into the fandom just as warmly.”

The Fifth Doctor Cricket Sweater, 18ft Fourth Doctor Scarf and TARDIS Scarf are all ready for pre-order now! (Alternatively, you’ll be able to get them from Amazon UK, the BBCShop, and, pretty soon, the Doctor Who Experience.)

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The Essential Doctor Who: Alien Worlds

Christian Cawley is a writer at Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews - All the latest Doctor Who news and reviews with our weekly podKast, features and interviews, and a long-running forum.

Panini’s latest Doctor Who bookazine is the ultimate guide to alien worlds, and as you can see features the Twelfth Doctor on the cover!

Issue 3 of The Essential Doctor Who comprises 116 pages of all-new material devoted to the numerous planets we have seen the Doctor visit. This comprehensive guide begins at Alfava Metraxis and ends at Zolfa-Thura. In between are entries on such significant locations as Karn and obscurities such as Tigus.

As well as this exhaustive encyclopedia, Alien Worlds includes an introductory overview by Toby Hadoke, an article by the Public Astronomer Dr Marek Kukula, a feature by Mark Wright on the history of Doctor Who production design and an interview with the lead writer and editors of Doctor Who Magazine’s comic strip. Other highlights include maps of Marinus, Dulkis and Spiridon by illustrator Paul Smith.

“Alien Worlds is a departure from the style of earlier issues,” says editor Marcus Hearn. “The encyclopaedic format has enabled us to cover everything from 1963 to 2014, and to harmonise the sometimes complicated histories of worlds such as Skaro, Trenzalore and the Moon. We’ve packed in a huge amount of information, but designer Peri Godbold has ensured that each page looks beautiful.”

The Essential Doctor Who: Alien Worlds is on sale now at WH Smiths and all good newsagents, price £9.99.

The post The Essential Doctor Who: Alien Worlds appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.

BBC Releases Death in Heaven Gallery

Christian Cawley is a writer at Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews - All the latest Doctor Who news and reviews with our weekly podKast, features and interviews, and a long-running forum.

It’s the end, but the moment has been prepared for. Doctor Who Series 8 comes to a stunning conclusion on Saturday night with Death in Heaven, and the BBC has today released this intriguing gallery of images…

Featuring Michelle Gomez as the Master, Jemma Redgrave as Kate Stewart and Sanjeev Bhaskar as Colonel Ahmed, Death in Heaven is written by Steven Moffat and directed by Rachel Talalay. Starring Peter Capaldi and Jenna Coleman, the 60 minute season finale airs at 8pm on BBC One in the UK on Saturday, November 8th and at 9/8c on BBC America.

Don’t miss it!

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BBC Releases Death in Heaven TV Trailer!

Christian Cawley is a writer at Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews - All the latest Doctor Who news and reviews with our weekly podKast, features and interviews, and a long-running forum.

Well, hold onto your Mary Poppins hats – the BBC has released a trailer for the second part of the Doctor Who Series 8 finale, Death in Heaven, by Steven Moffat.

You can – if you dare – click play above to enjoy the trailer, which gives very little away in its 37 second duration. You will, however, see Missy, the Doctor, Cybermen and UNIT.

Alternatively you might prefer to spend a bit more time thinking about Dark Water. Read our review, consider the reactions to the Missy reveal from the Kasterborous team, or offer your thoughts in our very busy post-episode discussion. You could also find out how the episode was received by the press.

Once you’ve done all that, go and lay down. It’s a long week between now and Death in Heaven, and we’d hate for you to feel spoilered. The Internet is not the place for spoilerphobes this week, after all!

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David Tennant Explains, Missy Talks & Rona Munro Recalls Survival

Drew Boynton is a writer at Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews - All the latest Doctor Who news and reviews with our weekly podKast, features and interviews, and a long-running forum.

Clearer than a pool of dark water, brighter than a Cyberman’s forehead, and a lot less complicated than the Master’s closet… it’s the Kasterborous News Blast! In today’s burst of tree-protected information, David Tennant charms on a big USA chat show, Jenna Coleman gets best dressed, a special Doctor Who special gets funded, and nearly everyone thinks that Pater Capaldi is the best ever! Now, take my hand… and run!

Dave Talks to Dave

Former Doctor David Tennant recently appeared on David Letterman’s Late Show on CBS in the USA. Tennant was promoting his new (so far less-than-a-hit, sadly) show Gracepoint, the US remake of Broadchurch. Of course, Letterman soon asked Tennant about Doctor Who, and the Tenth Doctor was happy to fill him in: “It’s been running 50 years – almost as long as you have,” he joked to Letterman. Tennant went on to praise current star Peter Capaldi as being “fantastic”, particularly because he’s “another Scotsman”.

He added: “[Capaldi's] the 12th – but also there’s another one so you could say there’s been 13, and there was a movie version, so you could say there was 14. Approximately 12.”  And after mentioning that his father-in-law was once also the Doctor, Letterman seemed pretty confused–although that’s not really out of the ordinary!

Hit or Missy?

The Scotland Now webpage recently had a short interview with the Mistress of the Nethersphere, actress Michelle Gomez. Much like Peter Capaldi, she hails from Glasgow and grew up watching Who every week with her three brothers. About getting the part of Missy, she said: “There was a devastating moment in my life when I had to turn down a role in Doctor Who because I was filming Psychobitches. I thought I’d never get another chance. After a few weeks of deafening silence I wrote to Steven Moffat to say how disappointed I was and he came back to me straight away and said ‘what about this?’, and it turned out to be the role of Missy. So here I am.” And, as we now know, history was made!

Impossibly Stunning

Jenna Coleman had jaws dropping all over the red carpet as she attended the Britannia Awards in Los Angeles.  As reported by The Mirror, the Clara Oswald actress materialized at the event in a light yellow dress that was designed by Victoria Beckham.  The awards, which were basically advertising for BBC America and Jaguar cars, celebrated the best of British TV and style.  Ms. Coleman remained silent about the fate of Clara and didn’t offer any hints about upcoming Doctor Who developments.  There’s probably not much of a chance that Clara will turn out to be a man, especially if she looks that good in a dress.

What, A Female Doctor Who Writer?

Scottish writer Rona Munro, who scripted the final story of classic Who, Survival, was recently interviewed by Scotland Now.  Munro grew up watching the show… and even has dim memories of the very beginnings of it: “I remember the very first episode – I was very young, which is a real tribute to the power of it. I don’t remember specifics, just William Hartnell as the Doctor and Carole Ann Ford as his granddaughter Susan in a spooky corridor with cobwebs.”

She was discovered by then-script-editor Andrew Cartmel and was thrilled to write for the Seventh Doctor and Ace:  “Sylvester got a lot of stick in his time as the Doctor, but I rather like him – he’s a Tom Baker or Patrick Troughton type of Doctor, with a quirky side but has a serious edge too… He was a good Doctor to write for, and Sophie was a much edgier companion at the time. As a young woman myself, I really liked writing for her.”  Survival, which featured the Master and his evil army of Cyberm… er, cats, was the last story to be broadcast until 1996′s TV Movie.

Animated Funds

Doctor Puppet, the popular (deservedly so!) stop-motion take off on Doctor Who, has raised enough funds ($15,000!) through an IndieGoGo campaign to make a special Christmas episode.  The Tech Times webpage is reporting that the ambitious project will now be completed and ready to view on Youtube sometime during the week of Christmas.  If you haven’t seen the Doctor Puppet shorts on YouTube, they are beautifully done and highly recommended!

Seb Knows Best

And finally–no, no, not finale–Peter Capaldi’s former co-star on The Thick of It, Chris Addison, tells What’s On TV that Capaldi is one of the best Doctors ever.  Addison, who can be seen as Missy’s right-hand-man Seb in the two-part finale, told the television news page:  “I’ve said for years and years, long before Matt Smith was the Doctor, that for me Peter would be the perfect Doctor!”  He goes on to tell how Capaldi enthusiastically showed him around the time-travelling set:  “Peter and I have been very good friends for years and as I was getting my costume fitted, Peter came bounding in straight from filming as The Doctor. He took me into the TARDIS and I sat in one of those canvas chairs and watched him be The Doctor. It was absolutely fantastic!”  Let’s just hope Seb doesn’t get a Malcolm Tucker-style tongue-lashing from the Twelfth Doctor!

Well, that’s it for today’s Kasterborous News Blast!  Tune in next time, Kasty Blasties, for more news and views from the universe of Doctor Who!

The post David Tennant Explains, Missy Talks & Rona Munro Recalls Survival appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.

Dark Water Reviews Press Roundup

Nick Kitchen is a writer at Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews - All the latest Doctor Who news and reviews with our weekly podKast, features and interviews, and a long-running forum.

Dear readers! What an episode Dark Water was, yes? Now we come to take a look at what the world is saying about the latest episode of Missy Doctor Who in today’s press reviews roundup, Dark Water edition.

Just what did the web think of the mysterious 3W and the return of the Cybermen? Or the passing of Danny Pink? Or *that* revelation? Let us take a look, shall we? Again, it behooves me to say if you haven’t watched Dark Water yet, spoilers abound (and for God’s sake, watch the episode and then come back here to read!).

Nerdist

Kyle Anderson muses on the mysteries we didn’t get an answer for on Saturday:

“One thing they still have not addressed, and I truly hope they do, is the Doctor’s face. In “Deep Breath,” he mentions recognizing himself but he doesn’t know why. Clearly, they’re playing on the fact that Capaldi once played a Pompeiian saved by the Tenth Doctor from Mt. Vesuvius. I want to know why he looks like that, dammit! Why bring it up if it wasn’t going to be addressed. Also, is Missy the one who gave Clara the Doctor’s phone number? That’s another mystery we need to find out. I don’t think so anymore, unless there’s not some huge reason for the Mistress wanting to get the Doctor and Clara together. Maybe so.”

The Telegraph

The Telegraph’s Michael Hogan chats a bit about the story and script from Steven Moffat:

“Written by showrunner Steven Moffat, the taut script bore many of his hallmarks: rug-pulling twists, quip-laden dialogue (‘We don’t just have iPads in the afterlife, we have Steve Jobs’) and knowing in-jokes (references to the Daleks being unable to climb stairs and Capaldi’s previous creation, sweary spin doctor Malcolm Tucker). Moffat loves to play on our everyday fears and here it was death, specifically the chilling idea that we remain conscious and fully feel pain. ‘Don’t cremate me,’ came the spine-tingling plea from the recently deceased.”

IGN UK

IGN’d Dark Water review talks Danny’s pre-credit dispatching:

“Yet it still came as somewhat of a surprise that Moffat bumped off Clara’s beloved Danny in the most casual, lackadaisical of ways. For Danny, Clara’s perpetually normal (well, as normal as heroic ex-soldiers get) beau, there were no Dalek exterminations, no space-time paradox implosions… just a rubbish driver and a lack of attention crossing the road.”

Den of Geek

Simon Brew discusses Rachel Talalay’s direction:

“It would be remiss not to spare a word for director Rachel Talalay here. Her direction here drops all the fuss out of things, and has a laser-focus on what matters. Take the reveal of a Cyberman gradually behind Missy towards the end of an episode: it’s typical of the terrific way she approaches “Dark Water.” Shots are held, quick cuts are used sparingly, and her willingness to back stillness and quiet over frantic action and noise pays huge, huge dividends.”

Radio Times

Radio Times talks gender and implications of Missy’s reveal:

“”Since the 1980s there’s been a call for a female Doctor whenever the part is recast. I would have no problem with that, but woe betide the showrunner who makes that decision. By way of compensation, Steven Moffat delivers the next best thing. He’s had the balls to reassign the gender of the Master.

Surely, this puts paid to any whingers who, for reasons that escape me, have labelled Moffat a misogynistic writer. He’s been creating strong women characters ever since Nancy, the 1940s single mum in The Empty Child (2005). Now, surely, he’s outed himself as a feminist and a transgender supporter. Whatever would Roger Delgado, the first and finest Master, who died 41 years ago, make of all this? I like to think he’d approve.”

The Independent

Debnath discusses the “no kissing” mandate for Series 8 and it being broken in The Independent’s Dark Water review:

“And who said there would be no snogging action for the Doctor in this series? Missy locks lips with the most irritable man in Scotland for an uncomfortably long time. Undoubtedly, even the adults will have been looking away in horror, it’s only a wonder the Time Lord doesn’t end up with red lipstick on the end of his nose after Missy keeps kissing it repeatedly. Michelle Gomez looks like a deranged Mary Poppins as the villainous Keeper of the Nethersphere.”

SFX

SFX criticizes the marketing campaign that revealed the Cybermen prior to the episode:

“What a shame the BBC chose to reveal the Cybermen in the pre-publicity for the episode – the skeletons turning into Cybermen as the dark water runs away is a great reveal anyway, but it would have been magnificent if we had no idea what was coming. We’re just hoping that they’re rather more scary than they have been in recent Who outings.”

Be sure to look out for our own review of the penultimate Series 8 episode. For the record, I’m of the opinion Dark Water is one of the best episodes of Doctor Who, classic or NuWho. From story to direction to performance, this is a superb outing from Moffat and company. I cannot wait until the finale.

So that’s what the world is saying; how about you, dear reader? How did you feel about the episode and the return of the Master and the Cybermen? Sound off below!

The post Dark Water Reviews Press Roundup appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.

How Our Team Reacted To The Missy Master Reveal

Christian Cawley is a writer at Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews - All the latest Doctor Who news and reviews with our weekly podKast, features and interviews, and a long-running forum.

It was always going to be a tough sell. The Master has always been a chap (apart from the time he was a morphant snake) and a wily one at that. But who would have guessed – and settled on it being the answer without dismissing it out of hand as “too easy/cheap/obvious” – that Missy was actually the Master?

We’ll leave the various arguments that she might be lying to one side, for now, and focus instead on the reactions of the Kontributors of our website, who each have some very interesting opinions about Missy Master…

Simon Mills

I did not see that coming! Well, I did actually, having seen a nice spoiler posted by the BBC last night before I’d had a chance to watch the episode… Anyway, I’m quite excited by the possibilities thrown up by a female Master. It’s a new dynamic which DOESN’T have be high camp like Servalan and Avon in Blake’s 7. Please, Moff… don’t make it camp! I, for one, don’t need an explanation on screen of how he became she. I like to speculate and fill in the gaps with my own imagination. Let’s just accept it for what it is and enjoy the shenanigans that will ensue!

Jonathan Appleton

‘Hidden in plain sight’ is maybe the way to describe it. Can’t say I guessed it, though I imagine plenty of people did. It did make for a memorable cliffhanger, something we’ve had too little of for a while. Any feeling of ‘meh…’ I have is not so much at the thought of a female Master but more because we’ve been presented with yet another forty-something female character portrayed in that knowing, arch way so beloved of this era of the show. Maybe those feeling appalled can cling to the idea that it wasn’t a proper regeneration, more a case of the Master stealing someone else’s body?

Maybe those feeling appalled can cling to the idea that it wasn’t a proper regeneration, more a case of the Master stealing someone else’s body?

Andy Frankham

What is the reason for it? None I can see. It doesn’t serve the story at all. Just another shock revelation for the sake of a shock revelation. Moffat knew he’d never get away with turning the Doctor into a woman, so he did so to the Master. Wasn’t clever, or interesting, and serves no purpose within the realms of the fictional world of Who.

Philip Bates

I’m pretty appalled. When I saw the rumour, I thought, ‘it’ll never be that. That’s ridiculous.’ The episode was good but the “revelation”, and its implications, has spoiled the character for me. I love Moffat, but I now want this era over – and that’s something I never thought I’d say.

Alex Skerratt

Brilliant revelation! I laughed – a lot! I can’t wait to see how this affects the Doctor / Master relationship in the future. Of course I was slightly disappointed that she wasn’t the Rani, but kudos to the Moff for being so bold.

That said, I imagine he will get a lot of stick for it, probably from the same people who admonished him for not having cast a female Doctor. And goodness knows what that chap from TIEA is going to make of it all!

In short – very happy, very excited, very amused! A brave move.

Nick Kitchen

The Missy reveal is by far the most satisfying mystery/arc that Steven Moffat has produced in his tenure as Doctor Who show runner. While it is certainly controversial amongst some members of the fandom, Michelle Gomez absolutely shines in the role. What implications the gender swap incarnation has for the storied relationship between the Doctor and the Master/Mistress is yet to be seen, but it is certainly one of the freshest developments in the 50 year old programme of late. I genuinely cannot wait to see what Moffat has in store for us in the finale.

Scott Varnham

The droid thing was amusing but I’m glad that wasn’t the reveal. It’s nice to see the Master back, even if it’s as the Mistress. It would’ve been nice to be surprised though. Everyone saw it coming.

James Lomond

I won’t say it would be straightforward or easy for me if the Doctor changed gender but I’m game for it. Any other Timelord/lady – I’m not bothered. Regeneration sex-change has been discussed so much, I don’t even find it that shocking. I love Michelle Gomez and the most important thing is the dynamic she creates with Capaldi’s Doctor – can it match the interplay between Delgado and Pertwee? The kissing was crass but other than that I’m looking forward to seeing how this plays out. I’ve always found the Master boring but with someone a bit “Satanic” in the role I might get interested.

Alasdair Shaw

I saw all the theories at the time, but dismissed them as I figured they wouldn’t have the guts to do a gender swap regeneration as that’d be laying the groundwork for a female Doctor (gasp!) and would therefore be deeply unpopular.

I also seriously think we would have lost a lot of the impact of this episode if the Mistress had remained the Master.

I’m seriously excited that not only has that groundwork been laid, but that it gives us a chance to expand upon an element of the relationship that RTD was only able to hint at during his run.

I haven’t been this excited by a Doctor/Master dynamic since we saw the android Master in Scream of the Shalka.

Christian Cawley, Editor

Steven Moffat will no doubt argue that switching the gender of the Master is something he had to do to keep the character interesting.

It’s a fair argument to suggest that if that is the most interesting thing he could do with the Doctor’s arch nemesis, perhaps using a different character would have been better, or just trying harder.Now in fairness, Michelle Gomez does a superb job as Missy. She’s barking mad and sinister, all in one go. Like Capaldi, she switches fast – you never know how she is going to react, making her the perfect evil foil.But swapping gender as a proxy for the Doctor, as an “aren’t I clever you guessed this but never thought I’d do it” or as a laying of the groundwork for Doctor 13… well, they all trouble me.

The first as it seems like a waste of a potentially good new villain (the evil Clara splinter was a particular favourite), the second that Moffat has truly been at his word processor for too long, and the third more or less the date and time that I will bring an end to this site in its current form (or even completely). There are many characters to love in Doctor Who. The Master, despite being barmy and arch, has been one of them since he arrived in 1971 with the face of the incomparable Roger Delgado. Gomez doesn’t ruin this (I think she’s pretty faultless and I’ve enjoyed her appearances) but I’m sorry to say the man I once lauded as The Grand Moff has.

As ever, the thing that stands out most is how fans are completely divided on the change. But this isn’t something that should cause contention or attract insults from fans with differing viewpoints. After all, no two fans have quite the same viewpoint on Doctor Who.

The post How Our Team Reacted To The Missy Master Reveal appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.

Missy Revealed! Dark Water Review

Meredith Burdett is a writer at Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews - All the latest Doctor Who news and reviews with our weekly podKast, features and interviews, and a long-running forum.

We all took a deep breath; we went inside a Dalek, saw the end of the Universe, a mummy on the Orient Express in space and even witnessed London turn into a dense forest.

But really, honestly, all of that just seems like baby steps for the Doctor and Clara after the events that took place in Dark Water, the first act of the series eight finale.

First of all, you’ll all be pleased to know that Steven Moffat’s grand plans that have been seeding their way into the show since 2013 all start to pay off for the viewer here. There’s not just a season arc to tie up, there’s a bigger plot in play. Rather than offering all the questions and hardly any of the answers (as Moffat has been prone to do since 2010), the writer gives us an adventure with a satisfying conclusion albeit in the form of a cliffhanger. And what a cliff-hanger it is, glorious, fun and best of all, exciting.

It’s been a while since we had a proper, full on Doctor Who cliff-hanger, one that leaves families on tenterhooks and clawing at the walls for more Doctor Who. It seems only fitting that Moffat and the Doctor Who team deliver this belter of a two parter during the Capaldi era, when they are trying to bring a bit more ‘old school’ to the feel of the show.

It was obvious and yet so well hidden: the Mistress is a new and female incarnation of the Master!

This reviewer will admit that whilst there has been a lot to love about the latest series of Doctor Who, it’s been a somewhat disconcerting journey in the hands of the Twelfth (or Fourteenth, or One point Two, depending on your stance of regeneration cycles) Doctor. Gruff is fine, gruff can be good, we certainly know that the Doctor is no angel. But there have been perhaps too many moments of self-stylised anger that can run the risk of pushing many away. They do say ‘treat ‘em mean, keep ‘em keen’ but let’s face it, sometimes you just can’t beat a good smile and a friendly joke or two.

Dark Water is where the Twelfth Doctor finally begins to melt. Not a lot, not to the level of some of his predecessors but to a point where we can see the skin under his minimalist look, slightly.

After the heartbreaking opening scene featuring the death of Danny Pink, we’re whisked into possibly one of the most dramatic scenes that the Moffat era has ever offered the viewer. The tension, the dialogue, the Direction, it’s all simply wonderful. Seeing Clara become more manipulative and angry, raging against the death of her lover and the loss of her relationship shows the viewer how much the Doctor really means to her. The Time Lord is now angrier, so is Clara. The Time Lord is colder, so is Clara. Her mirroring of her best friend, as many of us are prone to do with someone close) offers us a huge look at how much she invests in this Doctor of hers. And just as Clara condemns herself and the Doctor to death, it turns out that old Twelvy knew all along what she was trying to do and reversed the situation on her in order to help.

He clearly cares; he’s hurt by her betrayal and yet will still help. Because underneath it all, he’s still very much our Doctor, his line to Clara ‘Do you think I care for you so little, that betraying me would make a difference?’ almost leaves one with a lump in the throat, it’s just that tender a moment.

Whilst Dark Water certainly takes the Doctor, Clara and Danny through the emotional wringer, the episode still has its lighter moments to remind you that it’s not all doom and gloom. The Doctor’s face after Missy kisses him is classic and his follow up question to Clara serves as comedy gold. Chris Addison as Seb is also a delight throughout this episode. Addison serves as something of a buffer for the info –dump that is much needed to help explain what the Nethersphere actually is. He also adds little touches of mirth through facial expressions and mannerisms that are layered enough to enjoy again and again with multiple viewings.

Underneath all the laughs however, you get the feeling that there is something very nasty about his character, something snide and uninviting that makes one hope he’ll get a decent comeuppance in Death in Heaven.

But, of course, Cyberman invasions aside (which, as the Cybermen started their attack on London through St Paul’s, was just magnificent), Dark Water is where we find out who Missy really is. Steven Moffat you clever, clever liar.

Right at the end of Dark Water, we have Danny about to possibly delete himself to get past the pain of being dead and longing for the Clara he thinks he’ll never see again. We have Clara locked in a room with a Cyberman and we have an army of the metal monsters on the rampage in the centre of London. That’s good enough for any strong cliffhanger.

Then Moffat throws everything out of the window and reveals Missy as the latest incarnation of the Master. It’s enough to make one quite giddy with excitement.

Moffat twists and turns us, first with Time Lord technology and then with the reveal of who Missy is. He plays the viewer like a finely tuned guitar, Missy reveals she’s a Time Lady, one that the Doctor abandoned. Long time viewers instantly think of the Doctor’s granddaughter Susan or perhaps even his other former travelling companion Romana and then start to drool with fan glee. Then, Missy reveals her name is short for Mistress and everyone instantly thinks that it’s the Rani, the Doctor’s old sparring pal from Gallifrey. Finally, when the viewer can take no more, it’s revealed. It was obvious and yet so well hidden: the Mistress is a new and female incarnation of the Master.

And it’s excellent!

Michelle Gomez as the Master is a brilliant piece of casting; she’s been electric in every scene that she has surprised us with throughout the 2014 series and now to have her permanently placed in Doctor Who lore as one of its biggest and deadliest characters seems so natural that you have to question why it didn’t happen years ago. She’s clearly three sandwiches short of a picnic and as mad a Master as ever we’ve seen one but it’s her chemistry with Capaldi on screen that gives her that extra sizzle that leaves the viewer desperate to watch the two of them go head to head next week. The Master is now female and Doctor Who is better for it, a game changer like this gives a wonderfully fresh dynamic to the Doctor and his oldest enemy.

Dark Water is, so far, this reviewer’s top story from the 2014 offering of episodes. There’s plenty of old school elements, plenty of new ideas and characters to enjoy and a story regarding what might happen to us after death that is so horrifying and engrossing it reels the viewer in until they’re chomping at the bit for Death in Heaven. Plus, it features the return of the Master which for many has been something that has been overdue for a long, long time.

Death in Heaven has a lot to deliver next Saturday but if it is as good as Dark Water, then no one need worry at all.

Except for the Doctor, who is really up against the wall in this story.

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