10 Years Ago, This ‘Doctor Who’ Story Became the Show’s Masterpiece Across Its 800+ Episodes
What a whirlwind few years it has been for Doctor Who fans. With the promise of a shiny new Disney partnership and the return of Russell T. Davies as showrunner, the future of the timey-wimey series finally looked bright after several years in the shadows. Alas, as it so often does, all did not work out, and the once much-anticipated Disney partnership ended with the unexpected, controversial regeneration of Ncuti Gatwa‘s 15th Doctor, and the eventual parting of ways between the BBC’s flagship franchise and the House of Mouse.
Although confirmation of the show’s future has now been delivered, with Doctor Who set to return next Christmas after a hiatus, there is still plenty of uncertainty surrounding whether this sci-fi series can ever hit its peak again. Although many look to Davies’ first stint in charge and the acclaimed run of David Tennant in the lead role as the show’s zenith, there is one episode that came many seasons later, and under the guiding eye of an entirely different showrunner, that is the very best Doctor Who has delivered.
What Is “Heaven Sent” About?
The genius of the Season 9 episode “Heaven Sent” actually begins before the episode, with the surprise death of Clara Oswald (Jenna Coleman) following the betrayal of Ashildir (Maisie Williams) in “Face the Raven.” With fans expecting “Heaven Sent” to be the first half of the final two-part story of Season 9, its preceding episode was almost certain to be filler. Instead, viewers were caught off guard by the retrospectively inevitable demise of Clara, setting in motion the events of one of Doctor Who‘s most important stories of all time in “Heaven Sent.”
The episode itself is bottled almost entirely into one location, as The Doctor (Peter Capaldi) finds himself trapped in his confession dial, a prison from which he seems doomed never to escape. Pursued slowly yet ceaselessly by a creature known only as the Veil (Jami Reid-Quarrell), The Doctor spends an unfathomably long time piecing together the answers to this labyrinthine puzzle, all whilst monologuing to himself, and trying to overcome the loss of his closest confidant.
“Heaven Sent” Is ‘Doctor Who’ in Its Purest Form
At its best, Doctor Who is the exploration of the most human experiences, wrapped in a sci-fi coating, and packaged for all ages. Although each episode of the series will often focus on either of these elements (sci-fi or human experience), striking a balance between both can be a near-impossible task. However, if there is one person who has proven time and again to truly understand the ethos of the series, sometimes for better and for worse, it is Steven Moffat, the writer of “Heaven Sent.”
Trapped inside a confession dial, fighting for his future against an inevitable, pursuing entity that forces him to relive his most hidden memories and secrets, The Doctor isn’t simply fighting another frightening creature in “Heaven Sent,” he is battling grief. For anyone who has lost a loved one, the thought of a future without them doesn’t just seem impossible; it can seem worthless, and with grief proving a malevolent, incessant force, giving up can feel like the only option worth taking. Of course, as he so often teaches us, The Doctor isn’t going to give up. He instead spends billions of years, even without his trusty screwdriver, punching with his bare hands through an almost impenetrable wall to get to his ship — the vessel through which his future lies. Even in the darkest, most isolated moments in our lives, it is always worth remembering that, through fight and determination, this too shall pass.
Peter Capaldi Gives His Best Performance in “Heaven Sent”
“Heaven Sent” is supported by a genius script from Moffat, who spends the episode dropping existentially affecting lines such as, “The day you lose someone isn’t the worst — at least you’ve got something to do. It’s all the days they stay dead.” This, plus an unforgettably powerful final monologue, set to a rousing, series-defining “The Shepherd’s Boy” theme from composer Murray Gold, makes “Heaven Sent” one of the show’s best-written episodes.
But a great piece of writing is nothing without its performer, and Capaldi proves himself to be the series’ most underrated lead actor in these 54 minutes. Monologuing for almost an hour from a dense script packed with a blend of technical and philosophical content is a task most actors would find daunting, but the ever-brilliant Capaldi rises to the occasion with an emotionally devastating turn that still finds those moments of effortless charm his Doctor is famous for. Add to this one of the greatest visual achievements Doctor Who has ever seen from director Rachel Talalay, an achievement she would somehow better just one episode later, and there is truly not a single molecule of “Heaven Sent” that isn’t worthy of enormous praise.
The most recent Doctor Who is available on Disney+.
