Rate 8x12: Death In Heaven

[Lakenheath 72]

The Wormhole,

-Clara is born in 1986 totally contradicts everything previously established about her age. In The Bells of St. John she's stated to be 24, it's the most recent age written in her book, and that episode did take place in 2013, meaning she should have been born in 1989, and indeed her age given by Strax in Deep Breath of 27 does fit with this, since she would have been from 2016, and the year is now 2017, to take into account the fact that there was New Year's for Clara between Deep Breath and Into the Dalek. So she should be 31 now if she were really born in 1986. Damn it, they were doing a pretty good job staying consistent with this few years later thing for the modern day episodes, and now they've slipped up just so they can have Clara born in the same year as Jenna Coleman.

Clara never stated that she is 24 in that episode. The book, 101 Places to See, was updated last when she was 24. I don't know in what year she last updated the book.

For that matter, Danny's timeline doesn't really add up. Samuel Anderson is 30, so presumably Danny is to. I'm assuming he stayed in school until he graduate high school, he is a teacher, so that means he wouldn't have enlisted until he was 18. So in twelve years he enlisted in the Army, worked his way up to Sergeant, was discharged, went to university, got an education degree, and employment as a teacher? Or are education degrees easier to get than I've been led to believe, Clara practically got hers overnight after all.

According to the official British Army website,

Sergeant is a senior role of responsibility, promotion to which typically takes place after 12 years depending on ability. Sergeants typically are second in command of a troop or platoon of up to 35 soldiers, with the important responsibility for advising and assisting junior officers.

(http://www.army.mod.uk/structure/32321.aspx)

In the episode "Caretaker", it is stated that Pink served in the military for five years. He could never have become a sergeant; he would have been a private. The next highest rank, lance corporal, takes 6 to 8 years to achieve.

Danny wore a International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) badge in "Dark Waters", which employed British troops in United Nations security missions in Afghan between 2001 and the present.

-So we get the touching ending of Danny sending the kid he killed back to the world of the living, since as we know, children don't die in Moffat scripts. Clara promises to find his parents and send him back. Now I'm guessing he died several years back, Danny would need to be discharged from the Army and get his education degree while dealing with PTSD after all, this doesn't happen overnight, or does it? Anyway, won't the kid's parents be more than a little freaked their son has shown up years after his corpse was turned over to them by the British Army, and he hasn't aged at all?

Missy stated that the Netherspace was cyberspace. So, the boy was a virtual, or augmented, reality creation with his "soul" stored as data. So, I think the boy wouldn't be able to exist outside this virtual reality.

 

[Lonemagpie]

-The Valiant was destroyed in The Stolen Earth. Did UNIT actually build another helicarrier without the Master's assistance?

Series 5 established that the events of that story were erased by the Crack. (Remember, Amy didn't know about the Daleks in Victory Of The Daleks, and had no memory of the Earth being moved, and all the planets in the sky...)

Pf course that would also mean 10.5 was never created, so the list of regenerations in Time Of The Doctor is wrong, and Capaldi is actually the 13th of the original set-

Ah. fuck it...

 

[Mr Pointy Ears]

That wa a pretty good episode,didnt lke the flying cybermen(what is it with everyone ad everything flying?.)was missy really the master?,hope the next series is a lot better than this one was.

 

[Mr Awe]

A fine episode and really satisfying overall, despite the plot holes / absurdities / lack of plot continuity.

So, fine despite the fact that it sucked. Got it!

Mr Awe

 

[Guy Gardener]

Is she counting birthdays by the Earthican calendar or by the rings inside her leg?

 

[Mr Awe]

There were a ton of holes in this episode. Out of all the cybermen to come back to Earth, why was Danny special? Why was his inhibitor not enabled? It was never explained.

Maybe it was clicking on the delete emotions option on the tablet he was given enabled the inhibitor following cyberconversion and he didn't take that option.

So, Danny is the only one who didn't click that option? Right. Nah, there's no reason to suspect that Danny would be special. Not everyone would turn evil after being downloaded. Also, even with the inhibitor activated, Danny was still fine. And, he was just a regular guy, nothing special about him.

It just makes no sense whatsoever. And, if they were going to have an army that just followed the commands of one individual, why go to the trouble to digitize independent minds to download into the Cybermen? Simple programing would suffice.

But, there's no reason at all that Danny would've been different than the millions, or billions of other Cybermen,

Mr Awe

 

[Lakenheath 72]

I think Sgt. Pink was representative of the Cybermen faction who weren't fully converted, and he had importance to the central characters.

Though it's "cool" to see Cybermen and Iron Men having rockets in their boots, it's not "practical". Unless Cybermen have protection from tactical nukes and heat-seeking missiles, they are easy targets for fighter-interceptors. (I was amazed that the PotW's plane didn't have escort fighters. Would that be considered another plot hole?)

 

[The Wormhole]

The year 2013 is not mentioned in "The Bells of St. John". It is mentioned in a plot synopsis.

However, Name of the Doctor does mention the year being 2013, in fact the exact date is given in dialogue as being April 10, 2013, therefore the present day stuff in the second half of season 7 is set in 2013.

-The Valiant was destroyed in The Stolen Earth. Did UNIT actually build another helicarrier without the Master's assistance?

Series 5 established that the events of that story were erased by the Crack. (Remember, Amy didn't know about the Daleks in Victory Of The Daleks, and had no memory of the Earth being moved, and all the planets in the sky...)

Pf course that would also mean 10.5 was never created, so the list of regenerations in Time Of The Doctor is wrong, and Capaldi is actually the 13th of the original set-

Ah. fuck it...

That didn't even make sense in Victory of the Daleks where it was stated since the Daleks in that episode were meant to be from the ship seen fleeing the Crucible as the other saucers start blowing up in Journey's End.

^ Cyber-Danny managed to avoid being under Cyber-control, Cyber-Brig too.

Do we get a Cyber-Brigadier: Protector Of Earth mini-series now?

Presumably, Cyber Brigadier if he is indeed still out there would serve as Kate's secret bodyguard. Always lurking in the shadows, and should she be threatened, well...

 

[Mr Light]

<<When the Master says that she is going to kill you in one minute, the correct response is to order the two armed men behind her to shoot the timelord in the leg, and maybe possibly trigger a regeneration to make her extra manageable. >>

I can only assume that Missy already had those two hypnotized.

And since UNIT knows about the Master's hypnotic power, shame on them for that crappy security.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Sea_Devils
"The Doctor and Jo visit the Master, now held in captivity on a small island prison, after being captured by UNIT (at the conclusion of The Dæmons). The Master is being held indefinitely and is the only prisoner. He is watched by CCTV and the island is patrolled by armed guards, trained to resist the Master's hypnotic powers, and even protected by minefields. He claims to have reformed but refuses to reveal the location of his TARDIS."

 

[Saul]

I'm used to how nuts and unplease-able some of you all are, but thinking that this was an insult to Courtney actually makes me mad.

Really? because I found it to be in very bad taste.

Having his painting on the plane was a nice homage.

Having his body crawl out of the grave as a Cyberman and then flying off at the end was not.

What happened to letting people rest in peace.

 

[Mr Light]

I agree having a character whose real-life portrayer just died 3 years ago climbing out of a grave to be an odd choice.

 

[kirk55555]

Most of this episode was really bad. The positives for me were:

- Danny's dead
- Cyber Brigadier, who was a much more interesting good Cyberman than danny, even though he didn't say anything
- The Master was good until she "died"
- The credit scene with Santa Claus

Everything else was either mediocre or just bad. I know the Master isn't actually dead (even if Moffat never uses the character again, there is basically zero chance The Master is gone for good) but they basically just had Batman kill The Joker because his friend is an ass. Clara was pretty bad in this episode, although the worse character is Danny for his stupid speech putting down The Doctor. Danny is a jealous ass, and I've never wanted a supporting character on this show dead so much (well, except maybe Mel). This two parter had some good parts, but overall this was a weak end to one of the weakest seasons of NuWho. Capaldi has been excellent for the whole series, but he needs a much better companion and I'm starting to side with the people who think Moffat needs to go. I'm not a Moffat hater, and I still like his old work, but Series 8 has been very hit or miss, and I think he's a part of that.

Still, the Christmas special looks good, and Series 9 could always be great. They have a good Doctor, and even with Moffat I think they've found their groove with the 12th Doctor, so I'm hoping that next year is an improvement.

 

[JRoss]

I'm used to how nuts and unplease-able some of you all are, but thinking that this was an insult to Courtney actually makes me mad.

Really? because I found it to be in very bad taste.

Having his painting on the plane was a nice homage.

Having his body crawl out of the grave as a Cyberman and then flying off at the end was not.

What happened to letting people rest in peace.

Exactly.

 

[Australis]

The Brig is a fictitious character. Courtney is... at rest.

 

[Saul]

The actor is associated with this character and clearly it's not just a tribute to the character but supposedly the man who played him.

 

[Mr. Adventure]

An interesting end to an introspective season. The plot makes little sense, the Cybermen don't really do anything, the Misster doesn't really do anything, the Doctor doesn't really do anything; the whole thing is just to push the Doctor/Clara/Danny arc. As I had started to notice earlier the whole Missy storyline really seems to be a red herring which may be why it's so haphazard. The season arc has actually been just about the characters themselves.

 

[Crusher Disciple]

I knew beforehand that UNIT would be in this, but I was wondering if Kate would also make an appearance. I screamed at the tv when she did show up.

When she was sucked out of the plane, I started looking at airline tickets to the UK so I could "explain my disappointment" in person to Moffet. Frankly, I'm just glad she's still around.

I thought the Brig's tribute was touching. I'm still tearing up about it. Given how many stupid decisions that were made during Courtney's years on Who and afterwards, I think it's almost a perfect reflection of "Oh, it's just those cheap bastards at the BBC again."

Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to get back to Dr. Who and the Silurians. The Brig is very much alive in my time period.

 

[JoeZhang]

So is there a cyber-brig now wandering around in agony hoping that someone will kill him?

 

[Guy Gardener]

Danny was in emotional agony because he couldn't boff Clara any more.

Really old dudes who retired their meat and veges decades ago, have more perspective than that.

 

[Ithekro]

One wonders...was "Handles" actually the Brigader? The Cyber-head the 11th Doctor picked up and kept as his friend-companion at Trenzalor while Clara was away.