Dark Water (Doctor Who)

Last updated

252a –"Dark Water"
Doctor Who episode
Dark Water.jpg
Missy reveals her true identity as the Master to a horrified Doctor. The climax was removed from all preview copies of the episode, [1] and the actors involved recorded their lines in ADR to hide the reveal from spectators. [2]
Cast
Others
Production
Directed by Rachel Talalay
Written by Steven Moffat
Script editorDavid P Davis
Produced by Peter Bennett
Executive producer(s)
Music by Murray Gold
Series Series 8
Running timeFirst of two-part story, 46 minutes
First broadcast1 November 2014 (2014-11-01)
Chronology
← Preceded by
"In the Forest of the Night"		Followed by →
"Death in Heaven"
List of Doctor Who episodes (2005–present)

"Dark Water" is the eleventh episode of the eighth series of the British science fiction television programme Doctor Who . It was first broadcast on BBC One on 1 November 2014. The episode was written by showrunner and head writer Steven Moffat and was directed by Rachel Talalay. It is the first of a two-part story; the concluding episode "Death in Heaven", the finale of the eighth series, aired on 8 November.

Contents

In the episode, Danny Pink (Samuel Anderson) is killed, and finds himself in an afterlife called the Nethersphere. As the Doctor (Peter Capaldi) and his companion Clara Oswald (Jenna Coleman) try to find Danny, they find themselves in a facility that accommodates Cybermen, run by recurring character Missy (Michelle Gomez).

The episode was watched by 7.34 million viewers and received widespread critical acclaim, with the performances of Capaldi, Gomez, Coleman and Anderson being praised. Critics praised the horror strand of the episode, the maturity level, and the darker, more mature and morbid themes.

Plot

Clara phones Danny, ready to admit the full truth of her travelling with the Twelfth Doctor and that she sincerely loves Danny. Danny is killed by a passing car midway through the call. Visibly upset, Clara schemes to use a hypnotic patch on the Doctor to blackmail him into saving Danny. The Doctor eventually reveals that the patch did not work on him; instead, he had used it on Clara to learn why she was upset and to see how far she was willing to go. He offers—as a friend, despite her betrayal of him—to see if they can locate Danny in the afterlife.

Clara focuses on Danny's location with the TARDIS' telepathic interface. The Doctor and Clara arrive at a mausoleum called the 3W Institute, which holds several tanks of human skeletons submerged in a substance called dark water; the dark water hides the exoskeletons that support the skeletons. They are greeted by Missy, who says she is a welcome droid. The scientist Dr Chang explains to them that 3W was founded to protect the dead after voices heard within white noise broadcast signals suggested the dead are aware of their bodies being cremated.

During all of this, Danny is greeted by Seb in an apparent afterlife called the Nethersphere. Seb helps Danny adjust to his recent death. As part of his orientation, a meeting is arranged between Danny and a young civilian boy he accidentally killed while he was a soldier in Afghanistan. The boy runs off. Danny receives a call from Clara at 3W. The Doctor leaves with Chang to investigate further while Clara takes the call. Not wishing Clara to die, Danny does not convince her that he is really Danny, and tricks her into ending the call. Though Danny almost deletes his emotions, he hesitates when he sees the boy watching him.

Dark Water (Cybermen).jpg
Cybermen Emerge The Invasion.png
The shot of the Cybermen emerging from St Paul's Cathedral was intended as an homage to the similar shots from the 1968 serial The Invasion . [3]

Missy instructs the skeletons to rise and begin draining the tanks. She kills Chang with a handheld device. The skeletons are revealed to be Cybermen. Missy tells the Doctor that dying minds are uploaded to the Nethersphere—a spherical Time Lord "hard drive"—where the emotions are deleted and the mind is downloaded into upgraded Cyberman bodies. The Doctor realises that Missy is not a droid, but a Time Lady. The Doctor races out of 3W and finds that it is inside St Paul's Cathedral in contemporary London. Missy reveals her identity as a female incarnation of the Master, having changed her name to fit her new gender. Clara is trapped in Chang's laboratory with another Cyberman.

Production

The read through for "Dark Water" took place on 12 June 2014. Filming began soon afterwards, on 16 June 2014. Locations for the episode included Cardiff, Pontypool and St. Paul's Cathedral. [4] When filming the episode's climax, Peter Capaldi and Michelle Gomez mouthed their lines as the Doctor and Missy—recorded later using automated dialogue replacement—to hide the revelation from all spectators of the filming. [2] To further ensure there was no leak, the climax was removed from all preview copies of the episode. [1]

Dan Martin calls the scene with the Cybermen emerging from St. Paul's Cathedral "a direct reference" to a similar shot from the 1968 serial The Invasion , and suspects the tomb-filled mausoleum may likewise reference the 1967 serial The Tomb of the Cybermen . [3]

Cast notes

Sheila Reid made her second appearance as Clara's grandmother, having been introduced in "The Time of the Doctor"; she had previously appeared in Vengeance on Varos in 1985. Chris Addison appears as Seb.

Broadcast and reception

Preview release

Scenes of "Dark Water" were removed from the DVD previews sent to reviewers, and a media blackout had been imposed on any plot details that were not released by the BBC. One notable scene removed by the BBC was the revelation of Missy's identity. [1]

Ratings

Overnight viewing figures were estimated at 5.27 million. It was watched by a total of 7.34 million viewers. [5] The episode achieved an Appreciation Index score of 85. [6] In the US, the episode was watched by an estimated 1.02 million on BBC America. [7]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
The A.V. Club B [8]
Paste Magazine 8.6 [9]
SFX Magazine Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svg [10]
TV FanaticStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svg [11]
CultBoxStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [12]
IndieWire A+ [13]
IGN 8.4 [14]
New York Magazine Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [15]
Radio Times Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [16]
Digital Spy Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [17]
The Daily Telegraph Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svg [18]
Daily Mirror Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [19]

The episode received critical acclaim. Michael Hogan of The Daily Telegraph gave it five stars out of five and called it "bone-rattling and suitably spooky fare". He praised the source of everyday fears such as death for the horror and praised the performances of Capaldi, Jenna Coleman, Samuel Anderson and Gomez. [18] Neela Debnath of The Independent said that the episode was "sad, funny, scary, romantic" and "is everything you could ask for from a Doctor Who finale the day after Halloween." [20] Richard Edwards of SFX gave the episode four and a half stars out of five, claiming "...in a series of great Capaldi performances, this is one of the best". He praised the opening premise and the big reveal at the end and also commented on its allusions to The Tomb of the Cybermen and The Invasion. [10]

Matt Risley of IGN praised the episode for its "tense and traumatic dose of Who", but was critical of the lack of action, which usually went hand-in-hand with the Cybermen. Overall, he rated the first part of the finale an 8.4. [14] Alaisdair Wilkins of The A.V. Club gave the episode a B rating, claiming that "Dark Water could be a good episode, or it could be a terrible one", indicating that it was only the first half of the story. [8]

Despite the positive critical reception, the episode received criticism from viewers concerning the use of death and cremation in the storyline. The BBC defended the use of the themes in the show's context. [21] The BBC also noted that it was stated several times that the truth may be distressing and that the Doctor dismissed this straight away. [22]

Critical analysis

A book length study of the serial (covering both "Dark Water" and "Death in Heaven"), was written by Philip Purser-Hallard, and published as part of The Black Archive series from Obverse Books in 2016. [23]

The serial was covered in volume 79 of the Doctor Who: The Complete History book series, which reprinted Andrew Pixley's Archive features from Doctor Who Magazine and the various Doctor Who Magazine Special Editions, as well as new articles created specifically for the book. [24]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Twelfth Doctor</span> Fictional character from Doctor Who

The Twelfth Doctor is an incarnation of the Doctor, the protagonist of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. He is portrayed by Scottish actor Peter Capaldi in three series as well as four specials. As with previous incarnations of the Doctor, the character has also appeared in other Doctor Who spin-offs. Capaldi's portrayal of the Twelfth Doctor has been met with praise.

<i>Doctor Who</i> (series 8) 2014 series of Doctor Who

The eighth series of the British science fiction television programme Doctor Who began on 23 August 2014 with "Deep Breath" and ended with "Death in Heaven" on 8 November 2014. The series was officially ordered in May 2013, and led by head writer and executive producer Steven Moffat, alongside executive producer Brian Minchin. Nikki Wilson, Peter Bennett and Paul Frift served as producers. The series is the eighth to air following the programme's revival in 2005, the thirty-fourth season overall, and the first series since series five not to be split into two parts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Clara Oswald</span> Fictional character in the TV series Doctor Who

Clara Oswald is a fictional character in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. She was created by series producer Steven Moffat and portrayed by Jenna Coleman. Clara was introduced in the seventh series as a new travelling companion of the series protagonist, the Doctor, in his eleventh and twelfth incarnations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Time of the Doctor</span> 2013 Doctor Who episode

"The Time of the Doctor" is an episode of the British science fiction television programme Doctor Who, written by Steven Moffat and directed by Jamie Payne, and was broadcast as the ninth Doctor Who Christmas special on 25 December 2013 on BBC One. It features the final regular appearance of Matt Smith as the Eleventh Doctor and the first full appearance of Peter Capaldi as the Twelfth Doctor following his brief cameo in the previous episode "The Day of the Doctor". The episode also features Jenna Coleman as the Doctor's companion Clara Oswald, plus several enemies of the Doctor, including the Daleks, Cybermen, Silence and Weeping Angels.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Danny Pink</span> Fictional character

Daniel "Danny" Pink is a fictional character created by Steven Moffat and portrayed by Samuel Anderson in the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. He is a supporting character in the eighth series of the program, first appearing in the second episode, "Into the Dalek". He appears alongside Peter Capaldi's Twelfth Doctor and his storylines stem primarily from being the colleague, and later boyfriend, of companion Clara Oswald, portrayed by Jenna Coleman. He appears in every episode of Series 8 except for the series premiere "Deep Breath" and the third episode "Robot of Sherwood".

Listen (<i>Doctor Who</i>) 2014 Doctor Who episode

"Listen" is the fourth episode of the eighth series of the British science fiction television programme Doctor Who, first broadcast on BBC One on 13 September 2014. It was written by Steven Moffat and directed by Douglas Mackinnon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mummy on the Orient Express</span> 2014 Doctor Who episode

"Mummy on the Orient Express" is the eighth episode of the eighth series of the British science fiction television programme Doctor Who. It was first broadcast on BBC One on 11 October 2014. The episode was written by Jamie Mathieson, and directed by Paul Wilmshurst.

Deep Breath (<i>Doctor Who</i>) 2014 Doctor Who episode

"Deep Breath" is the first episode of the eighth series of the British science fiction television programme Doctor Who, first broadcast on BBC One and released in cinemas on 23 August 2014. It was written by showrunner and executive producer Steven Moffat and directed by Ben Wheatley.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Into the Dalek</span> 2014 Doctor Who episode

"Into the Dalek" is the second episode of the eighth series of the British science fiction television programme Doctor Who. It was written by Phil Ford and Steven Moffat, and directed by Ben Wheatley, and first broadcast on BBC One on 30 August 2014.

The Caretaker (<i>Doctor Who</i>) 2014 Doctor Who episode

"The Caretaker" is the sixth episode of the eighth series of the British science fiction television programme Doctor Who. It was first broadcast on BBC One on 27 September 2014. The episode was written by Gareth Roberts and Steven Moffat, and directed by Paul Murphy.

Last Christmas (<i>Doctor Who</i>) 2014 Doctor Who episode

"Last Christmas" is an episode of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who that was first broadcast on 25 December 2014. It is the tenth Christmas special since the show's revival in 2005. It was written by Steven Moffat and directed by Paul Wilmshurst.

"In the Forest of the Night" is the tenth episode of the eighth series of the British science fiction television programme Doctor Who. It was first broadcast on BBC One on 25 October 2014. The episode was written by Frank Cottrell-Boyce and directed by Sheree Folkson.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Death in Heaven</span> 2014 Doctor Who episode

"Death in Heaven" is the twelfth and final episode of the eighth series of the British science fiction television programme Doctor Who. It was first broadcast on BBC One on 8 November 2014. The episode was written by showrunner Steven Moffat and directed by Rachel Talalay. It is the second of a two-part story; the first episode "Dark Water" aired on 1 November.

The Magicians Apprentice (<i>Doctor Who</i>) 2015 Doctor Who episode

"The Magician's Apprentice" is the first episode of the ninth series of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It was first broadcast on BBC One on 19 September 2015. The episode was written by showrunner Steven Moffat and directed by Hettie MacDonald. It is the first of a two-part story; the second part, "The Witch's Familiar", aired on 26 September.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Witch's Familiar</span> 2015 Doctor Who episode

"The Witch's Familiar" is the second episode of the ninth series of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It was first broadcast on BBC One on 26 September 2015. It was written by Steven Moffat and directed by Hettie MacDonald, and is the second part of the story begun by "The Magician's Apprentice" on 19 September.

"The Girl Who Died" is the fifth episode of the ninth series of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It was first broadcast on BBC One on 17 October 2015, and was written by Jamie Mathieson and Steven Moffat and directed by Ed Bazalgette.

"Under the Lake" is the third episode of the ninth series of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It was first broadcast on BBC One on 3 October 2015. It is the first part of a two-part story, the second of which is "Before the Flood" on 10 October; both were written by Toby Whithouse and directed by Daniel O'Hara.

The Black Archive is a series of critical monographs about selected individual Doctor Who stories, from the series' earliest history to the present day. Rather than focusing on behind-the-scenes production history as much Doctor Who fan scholarship has done, the series aims to analyse and explore the stories as broadcast. It has been described by Sci-Fi Bulletin as "a fascinating series of short books", and by Doctor Who Magazine as "a grandly ambitious thing to attempt with something as exhaustively detailed as Doctor Who. But they actually manage it."

"World Enough and Time" is the eleventh and penultimate episode of the tenth series of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It was written by Steven Moffat, directed by Rachel Talalay, and was broadcast on 24 June 2017 on BBC One. The episode received overwhelmingly positive reviews from television critics.

"The Doctor Falls" is the twelfth and final episode of the tenth series, and 843rd episode overall, of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It was written by Steven Moffat, directed by Rachel Talalay, and was broadcast on 1 July 2017 on BBC One. It is the second episode of a two-part story, the first part being "World Enough and Time". The episode received overwhelmingly positive reviews from television critics.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Dark Water Advance Preview". Doctor Who TV. Doctor Who TV. 29 October 2014. Retrieved 30 October 2014.
  2. 1 2 Kelly, Stephen (30 October 2014). "Who is Missy in Doctor Who? The answer made the director Rachel Talalay shriek". Radio Times . Immediate Media Company. Archived from the original on 1 April 2019. Retrieved 2 November 2014.
  3. 1 2 Martin, Dan (1 November 2014). "Doctor Who recap: series 34, episode 11 – Dark Water". The Guardian . Retrieved 3 November 2014.
  4. ↑ "Doctor Who, Series 8, Dark Water – Dark Water: Fact File". Doctor Who . 1 November 2014. Retrieved 2 November 2014.
  5. ↑ "Series 8 Ratings Accumulator". Doctor Who TV. 27 October 2014. Retrieved 27 October 2014.
  6. ↑ "Doctor Who Series 8 (2014) UK Ratings Accumulator". 11 February 2015.
  7. ↑ "SHOWBUZZDAILY's Top 25 Saturday Cable Originals: 11.1.2014". Showbuzzdaily.com . Archived from the original on 6 November 2014.
  8. 1 2 Wilkins, Alasdair (1 November 2014). "Doctor Who: "Dark Water"". The A.V. Club . Retrieved 2 November 2014.
  9. ↑ Rozeman, Mark (2 November 2014). "Doctor Who Review: "Dark Water"". Paste Magazine . Retrieved 5 November 2018.
  10. 1 2 Edwards, Richard (1 November 2014). "Doctor Who S8.11 Dark Water Review". SFX Magazine . Retrieved 2 November 2014.
  11. ↑ Pavlica, Carissa (1 November 2014). "Doctor Who Season 8 Episode 11 Review: Dark Water". TV Fanatic. Retrieved 5 November 2018.
  12. ↑ Smedley, Rob (1 November 2014). "'Doctor Who' review: 'Dark Water'". CultBox. Retrieved 5 November 2018.
  13. ↑ Welsh, Kaite (1 November 2014). "Review: 'Doctor Who' Season 8 Episode 11, 'Deep Water,' Is To Die For". IndieWire . Retrieved 5 November 2018.
  14. 1 2 Risley, Matt (1 November 2014). "Doctor Who: "Dark Water" Review". IGN . Retrieved 2 November 2014.
  15. ↑ Ruediger, Ross (2 November 2014). "Doctor Who Recap: Cyber Scam". Vulture.com . Retrieved 5 November 2018.
  16. ↑ Mulkern, Patrick (1 November 2014). "Doctor Who Dark Water review: Gender reassignment and life after death launch a challenging finale". Radio Times . Retrieved 5 November 2018.
  17. ↑ Jeffery, Morgan (1 November 2014). "Doctor Who series 8 'Dark Water' recap: A new twist on an old classic". Digital Spy . Retrieved 5 November 2018.
  18. 1 2 Hogan, Michael (1 November 2014). "Doctor Who: Dark Water, review: 'bone-rattling'". The Daily Telegraph . Retrieved 2 November 2014.
  19. ↑ Beech, Richard (1 November 2014). "Doctor Who review: Dark Water brought our favourite bad guy back - but she's a bad girl". Daily Mirror . Retrieved 5 November 2018.
  20. ↑ "Doctor Who, Dark Water, review: A belter of an episode". Independent UK. 1 November 2014. Retrieved 2 November 2014.
  21. ↑ "Doctor Who: BBC defends Dark Water death and afterlife plotline". BBC Newsbeat. 4 November 2014. Retrieved 5 November 2014.
  22. ↑ "'Dark' Doctor Who storyline defended by BBC". The Guardian. 5 November 2014. Retrieved 27 January 2019.
  23. ↑ Purser-Hallard, Philip (2016). Dark Water/Death in Heaven. ISBN   978-1-909031-40-1. OCLC   1064473135.
  24. ↑ "Doctor Who: The Complete History". Doctor Who: The Complete History. 2015. ISSN   2057-6048. OCLC   978424294.

Further reading

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.