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DOCTOR WHO - 12 Amazing Moments From DARK WATER

With so much happening in Dark Water there were loads of amazing moments. Geek Dave is your guide for 12 of them...

As you'd expect, there are major spoilers for Dark Water throughout this article.


"I love you"
It makes sense to go through these scenes in story order, as Dark Water was brilliant from start to finish. Even before the titles rolled the drama began, and thanks to that shocking pre-titles sequence you could easily be forgiven for thinking that Casualty had started early!

I'd had my suspicions all season that Danny Pink would die in the finale, but the way it happened took me by surprise. There was no Dalek there to exterminate him, no Mummy to give him just 66 seconds to say goodbye, no intergalactic space badger to make him his dinner! No, "It was boring. It was ordinary", and it was very true to life. The silent phone call as Clara declares her love for Mr Pink, only to eventually hear a strangers voice on the other end of the line - devastating. This perfectly set up what was easily the darkest episode of Doctor Who to date.


TARDIS Keys
The way this scene was edited and played out was phenomenal. Peter Capaldi and Jenna Coleman have turned in award winning performances this season, and this one may just be their finest together. Clara, knowing exactly what to do to destroy a TARDIS key, and showing absolute desperation and how much she really does love Danny, goes to extreme lengths to attempt to 'save' him. And after all that we discover just how much the Doctor truly cares for Clara. Not forgetting the subtle nod towards Pompeii, and the Doctor's appearance. Lava? "It's rubbish".


Reveal of the Nethersphere
It's clear why they cast Chris Addison now. Imagine if there was someone without his comic chops playing the part of Seb. Someone all serious and heavy. Danny Pink's introduction to the Nethersphere would've been way too much for pre-watershed television. But with Addison's Seb introducing him to "the Promised Land" it worked perfectly. There were many great moments (and I'll get to more later), the first being when Danny draws back the curtains to reveal the inside out world of the Nethersphere. Perfectly realised. Bravo.


Tombs
The very creepy water filled tombs, which include extra comfort for the deceased, added a new layer of mystery to Dark Water. Who's bodies are in there? And, unbeknown to the Doctor, how come those skeletons are moving? I was sure we'd find out quite soon, because seconds later...


Missy's in charge!
Mad as a box of frogs. Michelle Gomez as Missy is a delight to watch. I loved her declaration of "I am in charge!", followed by the Doctor at the receiving end of her welcome package. An enormous Missy Kissy. He might've looked shocked but I wonder if deep down the Doctor was channeling his tenth self and thinking "Still got it"?


You have iPads in the afterlife?
Steven Moffat silences those smart-ass fans (I include myself) who pointed out that Missy was seen using an iPad in Flatline. "We have Steve Jobs"! Again, a dark joke that could only work when delivered by someone like Addison.


Danny's past
All the clues were there really, so it came as little surprise to discover what he had done but the flashback footage of Danny's tortured past, his eventual sit down with the young boy, and his final talk with Clara gave Sam Anderson his finest scenes to date. I can't see a way back for Danny in the second part of this story (and I'm only speculating, I have no prior knowledge), and so it will be a shame to say goodbye to him. Mr Pink never really made it to the status of Doctor Who companion, not that he would've wanted to be, but I think the dynamic of having him aboard the TARDIS could've proved for some very interesting adventures.


Dark Water
The reveal of the Dark Water was genius. What an amazing idea. Although I'm against filling swimming pools with it! If you've been down to your local baths recently you'll notice they tend to be full of pensioners.


Three Words
Possibly the darkest ever moment in Doctor Who, and in the context of this one episode the most controversial one too. There were warnings, Doctor Chang's words were as much directed towards us, the audience, as there were the Doctor and Clara. But even so, let's run with the idea that this really is Steven Moffat's idea of the afterlife, because up until this point we have no idea one way or another. Could there be a more eerie three word message from a deceased one than "Don't cremate me"? This may well be a fictional TV show, but it's a pre-watershed family TV show, and even though we have the Doctor declaring it hokum, it's a difficult scene to watch and one that I expect the BBC will receive complaints about.


The Cybermen
A series of scenes that I need three screen grabs to do justice. First up, "The dead don't come back" - the Doctor might well think that, but as Missy claps her hands and the skeletons rise in their watery graves, it sure looks like the dead will be returning. Are we set for a tribute to Jason and the Argonauts? Or is the Doctor missing something obvious...


...We'd seen the single window in the Nethersphere before but Steven Moffat makes it very clear here who the Doctor is about to come face to face with. Even so, has there ever been a better way to introduce the Cybermen than this...


...I think this might just be the best ever introduction of a villain ever. Even rivaling my personal favourite reveal of the Master in series 3's Utopia. Talking of which, the next one's pretty big too..


"You know who I am"
After discovering that the Nethersphere was Time Lord technology, we finally find out who Missy really is. Well kind of. She's a Time Lord, one the Doctor left for dead. But still no confirmation of who just yet. Argh, is Moffat going to hold the reveal over until next week? No, damn you Steven Moffat, no!!!! There's so many Time Lords to choose from, it could be any of them. Would Moffat bring back the Rani perhaps?

Er.....no he wouldn't. Because a few minutes later we find out that Missy was last seen looking a lot like John Simm, but her new body clearly demanded a name change. After all Missy couldn't keep calling herself.......the Master!

We've thought all along that the Master would return this year, but Moffat kept us guessing to the end. But, this isn't the place to get into Missy/Master. That deserves a whole article in itself (watch this space). But wait, we're not yet done...


The Invasion
In a scene reminiscent of the 1968 Second Doctor adventure, The Invasion, the Cybermen descend the steps of St. Paul's Cathedral. But unlike the 1960s we've become hardened to this kind of thing. No longer do we pay any attention to the ranting Scotsman in the street, and those metal men are likely just the newest piece of performance art taking place. People will be throwing them cash next!

The scene is set for an epic hour long finale. On the back of Dark Water, Death in Heaven has a lot to live up to, but I have no doubt it will deliver the goods.

So, what was your favourite moment from Dark Water?

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