The Doctor makes his last stand.

In many ways the best series finale of Steven Moffat’s era (or at least up there with The Pandorica Opens / The Big Bang), this is a thoroughly entertaining hour that blends hope and darkness, sacrifice and victory, and some fantastic performances – particularly from Matt Lucas, whose Nardole is absolutely essential to the story. John Simm and Michelle Gomez show why we should have had some sort of Two Masters story on screen a long time ago, and Pearl Mackie (who’s around a lot more than you might have guessed from last week’s cliffhanger!) should be able to use the episode as a terrific show reel, given how many facets she’s called upon to demonstrate.

But, as befits the fact it’s his final regular episode, this is Peter Capaldi’s hour. He shares scenes with all of the key cast, but it’s the moments when he’s on his own that he completely shines, and makes you desperately wish that this wasn’t his penultimate tale. His Doctor is fierce, intimidating, kindly, a hero who doesn’t see what he does as being heroic but simply doing what has to be done.

There are some clever Easter eggs in Steven Moffat’s script – DWM fans will wonder if they’ve quite heard one of them correctly – and threads are picked up from the entire season to play into the resolution. Sure, there are certain recycled elements from earlier stories, but in at least one case it feels better used here than it was previously!

Rachel Talalay’s direction is cinematic in scope – this is an episode that I really hope will get a big screen airing at some point – emphasising the severe nature of the threat the Cybermen pose while still focusing in on the characters at the key moments. Murray Gold’s score is more restrained at times than you might expect, and all the better for it.

Verdict: With so many ingredients, this could so easily have been a mess – instead, it’s a fitting conclusion for one of the best overall seasons of Doctor Who in many years. 9/10

Paul Simpson