Well, I was right, all those weeks ago, about 'Missy' being a female regeneration of The Master. Vindication. Lots to like about this episode - the darkness of it, harking back to the dread-filled early Tom Baker stories; the sly nods to the past: "Doctor? Doctor Who?", and the lovely psychic paper gag: "A government inspection? ...And what's all this swearing?" A gag children would not understand, referring, as it did to Peter Capaldi's previous role as the irascible, sewer-mouthed Government spin-doctor, Malcolm Tucker, in the BBC show 'The Thick Of It', which also featured Chris Addison (a brilliant writer and stand up comedian, by the way), who plays the evasive Seb in this episode. I'm not going to ruin it for those of you who have not seen it yet (although I have, a bit. Sorry), but this was a superb episode, dark and chilling throughout, moving further away from being 'just a kid's show' as it could possibly get. I can't wait for the conclusion next week. On the strength of this season (gone far too quickly), Peter Capaldi has nailed it. Doctor Who needed that shot of darkness, of fear, of dread again. It's back, and by god, it's wonderful.
