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Doctor Who - Heaven Sent - Review: "The long way around"

5 Dec 2015

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© BBC Pictures
Episode: 9.11 "Heaven Sent"
Directed by: Rachel Talalay
Written by: Steven Moffat
Air date: 28 November 2015

Reviews so far:
Episode 9.01 - "The Magician's Apprentice"
Episode 9.02 - "The Witch's Familiar"
Episode 9.03 - "Under the Lake"
Episode 9.04 - "Before the Flood"
Episode 9.05 - "The Girl Who Died"
Episode 9.06 - "The Woman Who Lived"
Episode 9.07 - "The Zygon Invasion"
Episode 9.08 - "The Zygon Inversion"
Episode 9.09 - "Sleep No More"
Episode 9.10 - "Face the Raven"

"I am the Doctor. I am coming to find you and I will never ever stop."
This week's all about the Doctor. The entire plot of the episode can be summarized in a few sentences. The Doctor is trapped in the castle with his biggest nightmares. While he's trying to grieve Clara, he's being chased by the deadly Veil forcing him to reveal his deepest secrets in exchange for his life. The Time Lord figures out there's no way out of the castle, apart from one passage, seemingly to the TARDIS. However it leads through the Azbantium wall which the Doctor is only able to break a little piece at the time before he dies and uses the teleporter chamber (which resets to the moment the Doctor first arrived there) to copy his younger self and repeat the cycle. Over and over again, for more thantwo billion years... The episode that is mostly set in just one place with one character could easily be a one to forget, yet thanks to the marvelous work by Peter Capaldi and the crew, the hour ends up being of the best ones in Twelve's entire run. Absolutely brilliant. I can't possibly be more impressed with the wonderful work Capaldi is doing as the Doctor. All the monologues, the angry speeches, heartbreaking confessions, grief, pain and loss - all completely spot on and memorable.

Heaven Sent was one of the rare episodes without a companion. How strange it seems to only see one name in the opening credits. We did get a surprise appearance by Jenna Coleman though. I also hope for and expect one in the finale. The Doctor spending all that time all one alone in his prison couldn't help but talk to the absent Clara, like an echo of her is still right there beside him (like always), giving him strength to keep going against all odds. I really enjoyed those scenes when the Doctor was on the brink of dying and kept imagining himself back in the TARDIS, looking for a way to get out of his predicament alive. One part stood out for me especially. The Doctor wants to give up, tired of always being the one who has to go through the motion, searching for solution to save everyone, yet keeps losing the ones he loves. And that's when he sees Clara, he just knows what she would have said if she was there. Short and quiet moment to show how much the Doctor cares about and needs his friends, his companions...

The Doctor is willing to go through the cycle for what feels like an eternity, simply refusing to share any more of his secrets. He admits to being scared, now and before, when he decided to leave Gallifrey but the mystery of the Hybrid keeps to himself. Until he finally gets through the wall and the castle is revealed to be located within the Doctor's Confession Dial. But more importantly, he finds himself back home. I'm incredibly excited to see where we'll go from here, as I've always wanted to see and learn about Gallifrey. The planet wasn't exactly a place visited regularly in the New Who series, so it's great to experience that. The Doctor AND Time Lords - what a brilliant finale this one will be. Especially considering the spectacular setup it has been.

Whovian notes and questions:
1. The Confession Dial turned out to be a prison for the Doctor. What did you think about that twist?
2. Did you miss the adventure, the travelling, the people, or is the hour just with the Doctor exactly what you were hoping for? Any wishes to have more episodes like this one in the future?
3. What would you like to see in the finale? Any returns, reveals or references? Where are you thinking the story might be going from him?
4. First "the Doctor will see you now", then "Assume you're going to survive" and finally "home, the long way around". Small things like that are what I always love about the continuity on the series.
5. A shout-out to Peter Capaldi!

Memorable quotes:
1. "The Hybrid is not a half-Dalek, nothing is half-Dalek. The Daleks would never allow that. The Hybrid, destined to conquer Gallifrey and stand in its ruins... is me."
2. "If you think because she is dead, I am weak, you understand very little. If you had any part in killing her, and you are not afraid, then you understand nothing at all. So for your sake, understand this: I am the Doctor, and I'm coming to find you. And I will never, ever stop."
3. "Rule one of dying: don’t. Rule two: slow down. You’ve got the rest of your life. The faster you think, the slower it will pass. Concentrate. Assume you’re going to survive. Always assume that. Imagine you’ve already survived. There’s a storeroom in your mind. Lock the door and think. This is my storeroom. I always imagine that I’m back in my TARDIS, showing off. Telling you how I escaped—making you laugh. That’s what I’m doing right now. I am falling, Clara. I’m dying. And I’m going to explain to you how I survived. Can’t wait to hear what I say. I’m nothing without an audience."
4. "It’s funny. The day you lose someone isn’t the worst. At least you’ve got something to do. It’s all the days they stay dead."
5. "I can’t keep doing this. I can’t, I can’t always do this. It’s not fair! Clara, it’s just not fair! Why can’t I just lose! [NO!] But I can remember, Clara. You don’t understand. I can remember it all. Every time. And you’ll still be gone. Whatever I do, you still won’t be there."


What did you think about "Heaven Sent"? Any favorite scenes, quotes or theories? Feel free to let us know in the comments. Check out the trailer and episode info for the season finale "Hell Bent" here & the preview here. As always, thanks for reading!

Justyna JJ Kubica
23. SpoilerTV Writer. Loves Movies (especially Marvel Cinematic Universe), TV Shows (The 100, Agents Of SHIELD, Teen Wolf, Sherlock, Person Of Interest, Supernatural (especially 1-5), The Musketeers, Agent Carter, The Flash, Doctor Who, Fringe, Psych and many more) and Books (Harry Potter!). Fantasy & SciFi geek! Scene Of The Week articles author. Writes reviews for Doctor Who, Sherlock & The Musketeers. Member of SpoilerTV team since 27th November 2011.
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