Doctor Who Review: Dark Water - 7 Ways To Deal With The Devil

By Mary Ogle /

1. The Game Is On

€œDark Water€ is a brilliant beginning to Steven Moffat€™s two-part series eight finale. Clara€™s underlying darkness is given real weight and her faded character comes alive with brutal expression. It€™s unfortunate that Danny Pink was not allowed more breathing room in previous episodes. The dramatic potential displayed upon his introduction was never fully realized in light of the decision to hold the reveal of his actions as a soldier until the end. We were told Danny was a complicated character but we weren€™t shown that until this episode. When Samuel Anderson is finally given a script worthy of his talents he imbues Danny Pink with nuanced sadness and a heartbreaking sense of regret and loss. With such a strong setup can Steven Moffat deliver a final episode that pays off in a satisfying way? There are some intriguing hints to where this may be going. Could Dr. Skarosa be a play on Skaro, the home planet of the Daleks? The 3W logo did look a bit like a dalek as seen from above. Does the Master have plans for the Doctor that go beyond the destruction of humanity? Can the Doctor and Clara€™s relationship survive in the face of grief and betrayal? One thing is sure. Series eight is going out with a very big bang.