The Single Biggest Mistake Every Doctor Who Series Has Made

5. Series 9: No Missy In The Finale

Series 9 had a different kind of story arc, with the various “hybrids” mentioned through the series an allusion to the Doctor and Clara’s toxic relationship rather than anything literal.

It’s much more abstract than usual, and has grown in appreciation in recent years.

Less forgivable is the decision to bring the Doctor and Clara’s story to a close without the person who orchestrated their friendship in the first place: Missy.

Missy wasn’t physically present at the Doctor and Clara’s beginning, with that crucial phone call taking place offscreen. But when she finally reveals herself as “the woman in the shop”, who not only put the Doctor and Clara together but kept them together, it’s clear that she has bigger plans for the pair.

The rampage that the Doctor goes on in Hell Bent is the closest thing we get to a realisation of these plans. So why is Missy not there watching, even from the sidelines? It’s especially puzzling when you consider that she was present in the series opener.

Having Missy back for the finale would've neatly bookended both Series 9 and Clara’s time in the TARDIS. She feels conspicuous by her absence.