Now the day bleeds into nightfall And you're not here to get me through it all
On the heels of the Rick Grimes tribute video, we have another video starring someone extraordinarily talented, whom I have not had the opportunity to gush about for a really long time. "Someone You Loved" has been out for many months now, but I kept putting off watching it until I then forgot about it, which is a shame. This one is not fan-made, but an original work from an artist I've heard but I'm not too familiar with, that somehow ended up being exactly what I've always needed from an actor I adore: a very intimate portrait of the heart and loss and second chances.
The hybrid will stand in the ruins of Gallifrey and destroy a billion hearts to heal his own.
I had seen the "Next Time" trailer after the last episode, but I missed this one. I wish I hadn't, because then I would have known about this fantastic quote six days days sooner. I am overwhelmed with quotes lately. How wonderful! I am also overwhelmed with the greatness of Doctor Who this year, maybe this year more than any other. I have deeply loved this series and the previous Doctors. Maybe it's just the thrill of a new actor in the role that has hit his stride and become comfortable, but not complacent, combined with fantastic storytelling and ideas, but that "maybe" and "just" I think takes away from the accomplishment of Peter Capaldi and series 9.
I loved Doctor Who immediately when it captured my 8-year-old imagination in the '80s. Thank you, public television. I loved it even more when it returned when I was 27, because then I could truly understand and appreciate every emotion and the wonderful dialogue...and it all now doesn't feel like a half remembered dream. I have adored the new Who, and every actor in the main role brings something fresh and exhilarating, all of them masters of their craft, and every series has had defining episodes and best moments, something to laugh about, cry about, and fall in love over again and again.
But the love I feel for series 9 may be unmatched. It has this nearly perfect synergy of every element needed to make the stories far more than just memorable. The acting is nothing short of flawless, feeling completely real at any of the many moments that demand wrenching of the viewers' emotions. Capaldi's talent allows for an intimate vulnerability, one that has this palpable feel of a beating heart: his heart, the Doctor's hearts, the heart of the series. There were fewer stories to tell, as most were two-parters, but that allowed for a greater depth, a depth that's almost enough to drown in. There has been a tighter focus on the endgame and all the smaller but no less important moments in between, and as a result there has been even more poignancy than usual.
There are things the Doctor has done that have haunted him, but now judgment is coming, and Moffat promised the end would leave fans a little bit devastated. I can see that from the preview, but still I can never really anticipate the effect of it. Even when things are alright in the end, when time and luck and the universe can be manipulated to save the day, Doctor Who can always, always manage to devastate in the most delightful - no, not the most delightful way, that's just Missy's "malevolent Mary Poppins" talking. What I meant to say was in the most effective way. So, as the season ends, no matter how it ends, I'll be content until the next time, knowing just how brilliant it was. And it surely was. Just how brilliant? Read my past posts. I haven't said a thing about "Heaven Sent," though, except for all the things I just said, because I was thinking I might just combine that post with the one for "Hell Bent" after I see it tonight.
Tonight. Where did the last twelve weeks go? By the looks of it, and knowing all that's come before in this emotionally-charged, incredibly-imagined, beautifully-written, and superbly-acted series 9, "Hell Bent" is going to be one hell of a story, with the Doctor facing all he's done and facing it alone. He's still aching from the loss of Clara and I'm thinking won't be getting a new companion just yet. For sake of story, he has to go through some stuff, probably turn into or almost turn into that monster that Clara was afraid he would become in her absence. But maybe he'll heed her words, remember her kindness, remember his promise, and not be vengeful in her name.
And maybe I'll get to talking about both "Heaven Sent" and "Hell Bent" before the Christmas special. I'm trying to get things ready for Christmas around here and so haven't gathered all my thoughts about the eerie beauty of the penultimate episode yet. I also need to rewatch it since it deserves multiple viewings to make sure I didn't miss a moment. "Heaven Sent" was just too good, one of the best episodes ever in a season full of best episodes. There is not even a slight bit of exaggeration when I say that. If you haven't seen it yet, don't delay any longer.
I have said it before with other favorite series that have had those perfect moments to capture and interpret in artwork, but the overwhelming sadness, incredible determination, and gorgeously haunting imagery of "Heaven Sent" I seriously think will be what finally gets me back into drawing. Prior to this, I would have said "Face the Raven," prior to that, "The Zygon Inversion." There is so much to inspire. I used to have a lot of fun drawing, and it required far fewer words to get a feeling or point across.
And now, some more videos! Can't get enough videos.
One of the most dramatic things is that the Doctor has to face himself and face his own actions and make a decision, which is not an easy one.
She's my friend.
What 'she'? Is he talking about Clara? Or is he protecting Ashildr even though Clara died because of her actions? This would be in keeping with Clara's orders to not let her death turn him into a monster, if he could overcome his sorrow and rage to help the person he hates most right now. But maybe Clara's story isn't quite over. She did appear after her death already as a helpful manifestation in his mind in "Heaven Sent." Maybe there's a bit more. He is, after all, answering for his life, and Clara was a big part of it and the most recent and quite devastating part of it. Or he's just having a dream or memory where Clara isn't referred to in the past tense.
I'm starting to think Steven Moffat likes making us cry. Trying to decide if he's evil and feeds off of our collective tears. Nah, he's wonderful. He couldn't write such beauty otherwise. Still, there has to be a small mean streak.
Even though she bears responsibility for Clara's death, I still love Ashildr. Maisie Williams is fantastic in the role, playing her at drastically different times in her long life whenever she returns.
That's the end of the fantastic previews. I can hardly believe the season is about to come to its end. But at least I can watch it many times over before the next. And there's the Christmas special to look forward to.
Where to Watch
"Hell Bent" will be on BBC America tonight at 9 PM Eastern. "Heaven Sent" and previous episodes are available on Amazon and various other places, like iTunes, or streaming on AMC.com and BBC America's OnDemand cable and satellite channel. For more options, please see BBCAmerica.com.
Trapped in a world unlike any other he has seen, the Doctor faces the greatest challenge of his many lives. One final test. And he must face it alone. Price: $1.99 SD, $2.99 HD Runtime: 54 minutes Air Date: November 27, 2015
The Doctor and Clara, with their old friend Rigsy, find themselves in a magical alien world, hidden on a street in the heart of London. Price: $1.99 SD, $2.99 HD Runtime: 46 minutes Air Date: November 20, 2015
Bonus Videos -
Fantastic fan edited speculative trailer of past hybrids, to fit the theme of the episode.
Are we really getting Peter Jackson to direct an episode (or hopefully a two-parter) next year or is is all just an elaborate joke? Either way, this was great. https://www.essential.tv/post/view/185
Images and video belong to the BBC. Check out more images from "Hell Bent" at BBC America.
TFCM20 - Valid Monday, November 30 for 20% off at TeeFury TFCT15 - Valid Tuesday, December 1 for 15% off TFCW10 - Valid Wednesday, December 2 for 10% off
TeeFury is having a sale for the next three days on everything! Well, almost everything. The daily t-shirts are excluded, but they're already at a very low price. Use the codes above to get 10% to 20% off all other tees, hoodies, posters, shoes or leggings that your heart desires. My heart has wanted a Doctor Who hoodie for a long time.
I've always loved hoodies, but I've always had them plain, no designs whatsoever, very boring. I have four in my closet right now. The cuffs on my little grey one are stretched out and no longer wash clean. The forest green one is very big and kind of blech. Yup, blech. Also, not very soft. And the maroon suddenly developed holes! That leaves only the black one that's actually in a condition I can wear in public and not have strangers come up to me and drop change in my cup.
So, I am going to get either 'All of Time and Space' or 'T4RD1S'. I think I tweeted both of them when they premiered as the daily tee, T4RD1S not that long ago. No idea why I didn't order it then, except maybe to save money. But now I'm buying them anyway. Not only that, but I have to get at least '12' as a tee so that I can wear Peter Capaldi on my chest...in a non-creepy way.
And since this is a Cyber Week sale, I must include some more can't miss Doctor Who designs from the fantastic Whovian Style Collection. There are plenty of other designs from innumerable TV series and movies, but I'm on a Doctor Who streak lately. In his first season, I thought Peter Capaldi was a great choice for the role, and he nailed being the Doctor. But his heartbreaking performances this season, along with the beautiful stories and writing, have gone far beyond that. And that's why I chose here a couple tees with Twelve on them, one or two of which I think I need to buy. Capaldi and Twelve will never be forgotten.
Did you hear Twelve's worry about losing people in The Girl Who Died or his conversation with The Woman Who Lived, whose heart he didn't know would rust if he saved her life and gave her back eternity? Did you see Capaldi's emotional anti-war speech in The Zygon Inversion and the impeccably acted goodbye between him and Jenna Coleman in Face the Raven? Did you experience the 4 billion years of the Doctor's loneliness and terror and confusion in Heaven Sent? If you haven't and you're not a Whovian, I suggest you start right here, right now.
It's really best, of course, to start at the beginning of new Who or the first episode of the actor you're most interested in. You can go classic Who if you want, but that's quite a committment. If the imagination, poignancy, and flawless acting of any of the episodes I mentioned can't get you interested then it may not be the right show for you. If that's the case, you can check out What's Trending or Shop All for something more your taste.
Sometimes what I write could be considered sort of a hybrid of review and recap, but more often it's like impassioned reactions to the best, most traumatizing moments. So, what you will see here today are a lot of words about basically one scene.
Spoilers from here on!
I knew "Face the Raven" was going to be a sad one; Peter Capaldi confirmed it, and I do assume that most episodes will have some emotionally piercing moment. But I thought Clara would face her end in the finale, which is usually when a series would decide to off a main character or leave on a cliffhanger for the next season. I was quite sure I would need a few tissues. I was certain beyond all doubt that this departure would stick with me. If my experience with Doctor Who has taught me nothing else, it has taught me to expect change and brilliant heartache and to accept and embrace them.
It's inevitable that every companion and every Doctor leaves, so you might think it would get easier. But the writers and actors are relentless when it comes to wringing every last drop of emotion from a moment. You think you can prepare, and then they do something like this, something that was somehow even more poignant than expected, because they did the unimaginable: neutralized the Doctor and gave Clara no way out.
Clara, there's nothing special about me. I am nothing, but I'm less breakable than you! I should have taken better care of you.
"Face the Raven" was amazing. Haunting and beautiful and devastating. Ashildr - now going by Mayor Me - set a trap for the Doctor, a trap that works all too well. She knows he cares so much for others that he will always put himself in harm's way for them. Ashildr counted on the Doctor's selflessness, to do what he always does, to save people even when he knows something is up. She needed to exchange the Doctor for protection for her people. So, she tricked Rigsy, last seen in "Flatline," into thinking he killed a woman, which is a crime punishable by death by Quantum Shade, which takes on the form of a raven and destroys from the inside. Of course Rigsy didn't hurt anyone, so his memory had to be altered. A countdown tattoo was placed on his neck to draw the Doctor into the mystery and eventually to get the Doctor to use a TARDIS key to free the supposedly dead woman, trapping himself with a teleport bracelet in the process.
Though Ashildr's plan was elaborate, the outcome should have been simple: the Doctor would sacrifice himself, and Rigsy's countdown would be stopped. But Clara did something Ashildr never imagined and she was genuinely shocked by. Clara thought she had it all worked out, that the raven wouldn't come for her because she was under the protection of Ashildr, who had given the Doctor her promise that Clara would be safe. But taking Rigsy's fate upon herself broke the contract, and the raven could not be stopped by Ashildr or the Doctor, leading to another scene that will always be remembered as one of Doctor Who's most poignant.
You don't be a warrior. Promise me. Be a doctor.
What's the point of being a doctor if I can't cure you?
Heal yourself. You have to. You can't let this turn you into a monster.
It was the saddest goodbye ever, because they actually got to stand there and say goodbye. The dawning realization on his face that he really was losing her, saying that this wasn't happening, was unbearable. Then Clara ordered the Doctor to not seek revenge, lovingly touched his face, and he gently kissed her hand for the last time. And the raven cried out. If your eyes were dry throughout this, or if you felt nothing else, then you might be dead inside.
This is another episode that will stick with me forever. No matter how it happened, it would have been sad, even had Clara just left, which would be wildly out of character, or been lost to time and space. I had hoped for an ending where she could live on. Instead it was the most devastating it could get, especially considering her life has ended before...in other times, before we and the Doctor knew her. I dreaded that happening again, but it seems inevitable it had to happen this way. It was just such an awful moment knowing Clara was about to do something that would lead to her death. An even more awful moment when the Doctor understood that this time he could do nothing. After all he's done, nothing could be done. With all his knowledge and brilliance and luck, he was powerless to save his best friend, his Impossible Girl.
You will not insult my memory. There will be no revenge. I will die and no one else here or anywhere will suffer.
What about me?
If there was something I could do about that, I would. I guess we're both just gonna have to be brave.
Oh my God, Capaldi's eyes and face in this scene, especially the sadness in his voice when he says, "What about me?" Ouch. His entire body language is spot on. He's slightly trembling with a grief that's about to overwhelm him, not able to do anything else but accept the inevitable, hardly able to look at Clara, trying not to break down. Could Capaldi be any more unerringly brilliant?
I love this scene for being exactly what I had hoped it would be, that Clara would make the Doctor promise that, through his pain, he would change not for the worse but for the better, that he wouldn't be out for blood. A scary, emotionally raw Doctor is an amazing one, but so is a forgiving and kind one. Either way, his hearts will still be broken, but he can choose whether that will make him less willing or more willing to let people in.
I loved this scene for being the the one where the Doctor needed a hug the most and, as at the end of The Zygon Inversion, didn't shy away from it. I loved this scene for being equal to his war speech in terms of the beauty and truth of the emotion, but surpassing it because the crisis could not be averted, only faced with bravery. I loved this scene for Clara's farewell to the clever boy who will want to run from his emotions but will forever remember her. It was terrible and beautiful and delicately handled.
And this is all okay. Everybody knows that everybody dies. Unfortunately, this wasn't one of those days in a million where everybody lived. Clara will be missed deeply. Her character grew and grew until she was indispensible. She saved the Doctor on numerous occasions throughout his existence as a time meddler. She was fun and funny. Coleman played her so well and was eminently likable. I can't say they should have given her a nicer end. Acting and thinking like the Doctor was always going to get her into trouble she couldn't get out of. Clara was so important to the Doctor that he would have found a way to keep her by his side if it were possible, so a death impossible to run from was the only way that was genuine for her to go, and it gave us one of the greatest gut-wrenching moments ever in the series.
This is as brave as I know how to be. I know it's gonna hurt you, but, please, be a little proud of me... Goodbye, Doctor.
If you're distraught (or even a little miffed) and don't understand how they could possibly do something like this to you, Doctor Who is a story about change and loss as much as it is about imagination and adventure. Without the pain, or the threat of it, how could you appreciate the good? Clara was always going to leave and she wouldn't have done so willingly. I'll let Capaldi and Moffat explain why Clara faced the raven.
That sorrowful music was just perfect. Did you hear the emotion in Capaldi's voice? He didn't expect her to die. Aww.
It is in keeping with the character that Clara would only stop running with the Doctor if she could no longer physically do so. The series wouldn't compromise its integrity by taking the easy way out and have Clara suddenly be who she isn't just for a happier ending. This will resonante with the Doctor for a long time to come, and I hope he heeds her words! If not immediately, because of his pain, then eventually, honoring her memory by being better. One thing's for sure, this will be one of the most memorable, remarkably acted and emotional moments ever in the entire series. And I can't say I would ever want to change it if I could to make the fans not feel these emotions. It's better with them than without.
The final two episodes, "Heaven Sent" and "Hell Bent," will let us delve even deeper into the hearts of The Doctor as he deals with yet another loss, and one so very personal. He could do nothing but impotently threaten Ashilr as Clara told him to stop. He could only stand there once he realized there was no going back, no way around it, no controlling what was coming, no negotiation, no talking his way out. He could only stand there with tears in his red eyes as Clara hugged him in the most beautiful embrace they've ever had, as she told him to not seek revenge, to not become a monster and taint her memory. And now the Doctor faces his emotions alone.
It was all quite intense and I wouldn't want it any other way. If a drama doesn't make me cry and feel for the characters then it's completely wasted my time. Doctor Who has never wasted my time.
To cheer you up after that depressing episode, just watch this blooper.
I would love to see Peter and Jenna working together again.
Just the sweetest words.
Listen to the Nerdist podcast if you need support. Someone tweeted that it was cathartic, like an episode of The Talking Dead. I haven't had the chance yet because of work this week and distractions and Thanksgiving and trying to finish this post before the new episode. Speaking of new episode...
Where to Watch
"Heaven Sent" will be on BBC America this Saturday night at 9 PM Eastern. "Face the Raven" and previous episodes are available on Amazon and various other places, like iTunes, or streaming on AMC.com and BBC America's OnDemand cable and satellite channel. For more options, please see BBCAmerica.com.
The Doctor and Clara, with their old friend Rigsy, find themselves in a magical alien world, hidden on a street in the heart of London. Price: $1.99 SD, $2.99 HD Runtime: 46 minutes Air Date: November 21, 2015
"Spoilers!" If you haven't seen "Face the Raven," do that first and then come back.
If you think because she's dead I am weak, then you understand very little. If you were any part of killing her and you're not afraid, then you understand nothing at all.
Wow, what a scene. This series has so many quotable moments that have emotional resonance.
I promised myself that I would get everything done that I needed to today. Then, of course, the BBC released a preview of the penultimate episode of this undoubtedly fascinating season of Doctor Who that's been overflowing with tremendously beautiful acting and writing. "Heaven Sent" picks up where "Face the Raven" ended, after one of the saddest character deaths ever on television, let alone Doctor Who. We will never be the same, and it will surely be very hard on the Doctor. Not only does he have to deal with the loss of Clara, but at the same time he has been kidnapped/taken prisoner by someone or something called the Veil.
Thanks a lot, Ashildr. Bet the Doctor's not too happy he saved her anymore. But remember, Ashildr never wanted anyone to get hurt. She offered up the Doctor in exchange for her own people's safety, and she did not count on Clara taking on someone else's burden. It's just an unfortunate thing that Clara was so gung-ho about being more like the Doctor and such a good person that she would risk her life for someone else the way she did, ignoring her own mortality because she was sure the Doctor could find a way out. Ashildr never wanted Clara to get hurt, and so I blame her, but I don't hate her. And you can't hate Maisie Williams! She's been brilliant.
It's a sad fact that companions never get to stick around for too long, and it's terrible Clara's fate was to die, but her goodbye was a perfect scene and her death will give some more incredible material for Capaldi moving forward. And we start moving forward by keeping the Doctor in one place, to face his loss instead of trying to run from it. From the images I saw the other day, it looks like he'll be emotionally and psychologically tortured while in the Veil's company or under his/her/its influence or control. And the Doctor's having none of it. He's kind of in a bad mood at the moment. I'm going to really enjoy watching Peter Capaldi give another top-notch performance.
After these pics and videos, these next few days of waiting for this episode are going to feel like weeks.
Where to Watch
Heaven Sent will be on BBC America this Saturday night at 9 PM Eastern. Previous episodes are available on Amazon and various other places, like iTunes, or streaming on AMC.com and BBC America's OnDemand cable channel. For more options, please see BBCAmerica.com.
The Doctor and Clara, with their old friend Rigsy, find themselves in a magical alien world, hidden on a street in the heart of London. Price: $1.99 SD, $2.99 HD Runtime: 46 minutes Air Date: November 21, 2015
Once again I have lost sleep over this series and the episode hasn't even aired. Here it is, folks. We have come to the end of Clara Oswald. I'd much rather it was a joke or something she could come back from in the future for at least a brief time, but that's highly unlikely, I would think. I had hoped Jenna Coleman would finish out this season of 12 episodes, but Capaldi confirmed that "Face the Raven" will be her last. It will be followed up by "Heaven Sent" and "Hell Bent." Those are two intriguing titles. Obvious that it's another two-parter. I love those. Even though there's an overall arc to the season, as usual, and this is a series where characters grow and past events influence the future (or even vice versa), I do adore stories that take longer to resolve and delve deeper.
I wonder who or what is Heaven sent. Will it be the Doctor who is Hell bent? On revenge? On trying to get Clara back? He won't succeed if that's the case, so that's a devastating scenario right there. It's always sad to see a great companion go, and I keep reading that it certainly is not a happy time, but you only have to look at their eyes in the trailer to see how devastating it will be for both Clara and the Doctor. Whatever happens, I wouldn't be surprised if it matched the series high point of Twelve's ardent speech about war, which happened quite recently in "The Zygon Inversion." Can I dare hope that this mostly excellent season have another episode to remember? Bitter but still so sweet with the emotion that comes through from Capaldi and Coleman? Yes, I think I can.
Any time I think of ravens, I of course think of Edgar Allan Poe's "The Raven." So, even if this sure to be devastator has no hint of inspiration from or tribute to that Gothic poem, I'm sure I'll feel a tug forevermore whenever I read it, hear mention of it, or watch that Simpsons Treehouse of Horror episode. I'm not going to delve deeper in to any synopsis of the episode, because I'd like to go in as fresh as possible. I would rather have not even known which was Clara's exit, though I and everyone else knew for a long time that it was coming this season, but it just popped up in my Twitter notifications from @Superhero Feed yesterday afternoon and I just had to share a thought or two.
I don't doubt this will be a proper farewell for Clara. She was a highly enjoyable, smart, strong, capable companion, and I can't see the Doctor getting over her any time soon...or ever. She'll likely be mentioned now and then in passing for a while, then on down the road at random vulnerable moments for this Doctor or even the next. Theirs is a deep friendship, one that was strengthened immeasurably when Clara lost Danny, and she was so desperate to get him back she threatened the Doctor outright rather than take the chance that he would refuse. She didn't know if she could trust him to do something so massive for her, so outside the realm of possibility. She didn't really know his new incarnation at all, but Twelve cares for her so much that he forgave her betrayal without a second thought.
I can't see anything other than him being devastated by this, after everything they've been through together, and everything he's been though before, like when Amy and Rory were zapped to the past by Weeping Angels, when he had to wipe all of Donna's memories of him, when Rose was pulled into another dimension, and many other devastating things. He's lost everyone he's ever loved and that will only continue. Farewell to the Impossible Girl and I wish Jenna Coleman luck in her new role. If you'd like to say a few nice words, you can find her on Twitter, @Jenna_Coleman_.
Where to Watch
If you missed Sleep No More, The Zygon Inversion, or any other episode, you can buy them on Amazon and various other places, like iTunes, or stream them on AMC.com and BBC America's OnDemand cable channel. For more options, please see BBCAmerica.com. And don't forget to watch "Face the Raven" Saturday night at 9 PM Eastern.
P.S. Bring a box of tissues. We're losing a valued companion here, which would be a poignant enough moment on its own, but we also have to see the dawning realization on the Doctor's face and the brokenhearted aftermath of this parting of the ways, whether that be through distance or death. And this just after he finally started getting used to hugs, too.
Look at that smile. *swoon*
I hope this experience doesn't shut him down - not for too long anyway - but instead bolsters his insatiable love of life and makes him hold onto his relationships that much tighter. And not just the characters themselves. No matter how great they are, remember that these are two actual people that work closely together in intensely emotional scenes and seem also to have a lot of fun and enjoy each other, and now they're saying goodbye. The feelings and tears are always real and truly conveyed, because Capaldi and Coleman are consummate actors, but there will be an extra layer of palpable pain there.
Until the series ends, I'll always be behind adding to this playlist. I had to stop for quite a while, so there's a big gap. Still, there are 170 songs to enjoy.
This is the essence of The Blacklist. Probably my favorite is Disturbed's cover of "Sound of Silence." The scene it played over was one of the most devastating ever in the series.
, 
, or any other episode, you can buy them on Amazon and various other places, like iTunes, or stream them on AMC.com and BBC America's OnDemand cable channel. For more options, please see BBCAmerica.com. And don't forget to watch "Face the Raven" Saturday night at 9 PM Eastern.
