A running theme in this series has been how ineffectual the Doctor has been in his post-regenerative muddled state – maybe even more than usual since the timelords reset the regen count? As per other episodes in the series, even here in the finale, he didn’t “save the world” but that honor was left to CyberDanny. Probably SM is very much aware of how powerful the Doc was becoming in the RTD era.. and is toning down the character. Peter Capaldi did a great job of nailing this out of sorts, less-confident doctor through the series. It was quite interesting watching a Doctor looking so helpless and out of ideas against the Missy/Cybermen threat.
Perhaps the only disappointment was how little threat there really was in the end! Missy building an army – to give to the Doctor? OK there is the irony card. But until that reveal there was no previous clues or build up to that point. It felt very “tacked on” the end. Overall i like the more adult / moral themes of this series.. thats a good direction and SM is a strong enough writer to pull it off.
The closing scenes of the Doctor visiting the co-ordinates Missy shared was very poignant, and shows the despair – surely this Doctor now clearly remembers his past… and what he’s gone through to save his planet in recent storylines. It also showed that even in defeat Missy had won this battle 😉
