Doctor Who Finale Teasers Resurrect The Cyberman And Visit The Land Of The Dead

By David Wharton | Published

This article is more than 2 years old

The first half of Doctor Who’s two-part season finale, “Dark Water,” premieres this Saturday night. Maybe it’s just because Matt Smith’s final season was split in two and wrapped up with a pair of epic specials, but it’s hard to believe that we’re almost at the end of Peter Capaldi’s freshman year. It’s been a hit-or-miss experience, with high points like “Listen” balanced against blunders like “Kill the Moon.” Now The Doctor and Clara are on a collision course with the mysterious Missy (Michelle Gomez), the “Keeper of the Nethersphere,” and we’ll finally get some answers about all those people who kept dying and winding up in “Heaven” over the course of the season. Plus: Cybermen!

Here’s the official synopsis for “Dark Water,” courtesy of the BBC, and another teaser:

In the mysterious world of the Nethersphere, plans have been drawn. Missy is about to come face to face with the Doctor, and an impossible choice is looming… ‘Death is not an end’ promises the sinister organization known only as 3W — but, as the Doctor and Clara discover, you might wish it was.

Lots of interesting things going on in there, including Clara apparently having nicked The Doctor’s TARDIS key. (Can’t he still just snap it open?) Attentive viewers may also have noted the presence of UNIT (they just can’t get enough of lifting the TARDIS off the ground, can they?) and a pair of related fan favorites: Jemma Redgrave as Kate Stewart and Ingrid Oliver as the lovable asthmatic Osgood. Hopefully she’ll be wearing her Tom Baker-esque scarf from The Day of the Doctor.

Showrunner Steven Moffat penned both “Dark Water” and its second half, “Death in Heaven,” and both final episodes were directed by Rachel Talalay, who has done tons of television work, as well as helming the Tank Girl movie way back in 1995.

We’ve got more questions than answers about “Dark Water,” but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. At least so long as the two-part finale actually provides some satisfactory answers. In the meantime, here’s a ton of images from the episode. “Dark Water” premieres Saturday night at 9/8c on BBC America.