Where theres tears, theres hope.
But lets not jump ahead in time, and instead focus on the here and now.
Last week left us with an impossible situation: Bill is a Cyberman.
Credit: Simon Ridgway/BBC America
They poke fun at his missing her conversion bytwo hours(after keeping her waiting for 10 years).
His rebuttal is questioning what happened to the Master after he left for Gallifrey.
Both Missy and the Master are excited about the Cybermen Foundries that have been created.
Simon Ridgway/BBC America
The Cybermen are coming for them.
The Doctor also notes that neither version of his frenemy is right.
Cybermen arent created, theyre just part of parallel evolution.
Simon Ridgway/BBC America
Here we see Missy knock the Master out and reveal she was on the Doctors side all along.
They both now have the requisite bump to prove it.
As the Cybermen attack, Nardole manages to fly to the rescue in a shuttle.
Nardole doesnt listen so the Master tries to take over, but they cant fly away.
CyberBill is holding on to the ladder, having killed the Doctor-attacking Cyberman a few moments ago.
Theyre near a small abode that houses the children and keeps them safe.
Among the rugrats is a young girl named Alit who Nardole now asks for help.
As the Doctor notes, she hasnt accepted the conversion yet.
Her mind has built a partition from the programming.
Kind of like why the Monks didnt get her.
They then join Missy and the Master as they go looking for the lifts (a.k.a.
elevators), which are camouflaged in the woods.
She asks if he can bring her back.
He regrettably informs her that no, he cant.
But he points out: Where theres tears, theres hope.
At the same time, the Master questions Missys inability to remember any of this.
The Doctor is trying to find the lift doors so they can evacuate the children to safety.
Missy goes ahead and calls one, which is abigmistake, as the Doctor notes.
Not only could it be full, but now the Cybermen know where they are.
Turns out theyve managed to get their suits a weapons upgrade.
So theyre only going to go up a few floors.
Speaking of our Cyber foes, a quick check-in reveals they dont even need the lifts.
Theyve learned to fly now.
He argues that itshisand that its in a city filled with Cybermen.
Missy points out that itstheirs, and the Cybermen are coming up.
He then reveals that he blew the dematerializer.
She then takes a spare dematerializer out of her pocket.
The Master asks if its wrong hes attracted to her.
Meanwhile, people are preparing for the impending attack.
When the Doctor goes to speak to Missy and the Master, they want to know his plan.
He says hes going to get all the children to a solar farm a few floors above.
They say the Cybermen will follow them there.
He replies that its the best he can do.
So hes doing it.
Its not because its fun.
God knows its not because its easy.
Its not even because it works because it hardly ever does.
I do what I do because its right!
And above all, its kind!
Its just that… Just kind.
If I run away today, good people will die.
If I stand and fight, some of them might live.
Maybe not many, maybe not for long.
Hey, you know, maybe theres no point to any of this at all.
But its the best I can do.
So Im going to do it.
And Im going to stand here doing it until it kills me.
And youre going to die too!
Some day… And how will that be?
Have you thought about it?
What would you die for?
Who I am is where I stand.
Where I stand is where I fall.
The same cant be said for Missy who is Missy-ty-eyed.
The Doctor notices and acknowledges her change, but she says sorry and leaves.
She tells him that her standing with the Doctor is where their self was always headed in the end.
He gets mad and blasts her in the back.
He tells her not to bother regenerating because it was a full blast.
He then heads back to his TARDIS to become her.
Missy laughs as she lays there on the ground.
At the house, the Doctor wants Nardole to lead the evacuation.
He tries to argue, saying hell start a black market (among children?)
and sell their ship back to them.
But the Doctor says one of them has to stay here, the other has to be strong.
This hits Nardole in the feels.
When he tries to take Bill with him she disagrees.
She says shes staying with the Doctor.
She feels this is the end for her.
Ill never be able to find the words.
With that, he goes off to lead an evacuation, while the Doctor and Bill head out front.
She then goes round back so they can attack from two sides.
Using his sonic, which has absorbed all of Nardoles programming, he sets off a series of explosions.
But thats when he gets shot in the back and the chest.
Doctors are not required, declares a Cyberman.
Im notaDoctor, says a gravely injured Twelve.
He starts regenerating but stops it.
Instead, he uses his sonic to cause one big explosion.
He whispers to himself, No stars…
I hoped thered be stars.
A few floors later, Nardole stares at an elevator as Alit reassures him his friends might come.
Another kid comes over and calls them in for dinner.
They note that Hazran might have a thing for him.
He quips, Shes only human.
NEVER CHANGE, NARDY.
Back on the Doctors floor, CyberBill finds him.
Thanks to Talalay, were shown Pearl again.
Heathers return frees Bill from being a Cyberman.
Talk about a Hail Mary!
Shes now water like her once-crush.
They get the Doctor on the TARDIS, the only place he might be able to rest in peace.
Bill notices Heather flying the TARDIS, which she can do because shes a pilot and can fly anything.
Here Bill asks, Back in time for tea?
Its a sweet callback (within a callback) to her first meeting with the Doctor.
Bill kisses the unconscious Doctor goodbye (Its a big universe.
But I hope to see you again.
With that, she takes Heathers hand and decidesshewill show her new lady love a thing or two.
And just like the Doctor with her conversion, our beloved Bill misses the Doctor springing back to life.
If you havent cried before this point,thismoment might elicit a few drops of face rain.
But the reminder of all his former companions reminds the Doctor that he does want to go.
Im the Doctor, he calls out.
No, I dont think so.
Dear me, no.
The original, you might say.
Its none other than theFirst Doctor(played here by David Bradley a.k.a.
Argus Filch over inHarry Potter, filling in for the since deceased William Hartnell).
Thus, we get a title card announcing that the Christmas special will feature none other thantwoDoctors.
After all, evenMissyhas been bid goodbye to.
(Though theres a chance she, too, could find a way around her death.
This isDoctor Whoafter all.
Wejusthad the Master on.)
Overall though, I think this episode did a really good job of paying offlast weeks hour.
The Doctor Falls fits in with that.
THE MASTER:Is the future going to be all girl?THE DOCTOR:We can only hope.
(On a related note, was this a hint that thenext Doctor is female?
I would like for that, but Im also not keeping my hopes too high.
Weve seen Moffat joke about this before.
But last episodedidhave the Doctor comment on Time Lords and gender and how inconsequential it is to them.)
After all, Nardole, a mixture of parts, is still himself at the end of the day.
It relates back to the hallmark of the show: regeneration.
Eventually, change is going to come, but who will you be at the end of it?
And really, thats all we can ask from our heroes.
Was the blue janitor on the bridge related to Oxygen?
Was Bill the key to something bigger?Would Susans picture hint to that?
Did the Colony ship from Smile have any relevance?
Turns out all of that was for naught.
The only callback we did get was Heather.
But with much fewer romantic undertones.)
Even John Simm got a great moment of restrained madness, preceded by one of utter callousness.
He expanded the Doctorandthe Masters histories (and futures).
And now, it seems hes going to give us two Doctors for the price of one.
All I can say to that is,Geronimo!
TheDoctor WhoChristmas special airs Dec. 25 on BBC America.
