10 Darkest Doctor Who Moments

The fourth Tardisode (remember those?) depicts the SS Madame de Pompadour sustaining severe damage in an ion storm. In the aftermath, it shows a member of the injured crew relieved to see something mechanical-sounding approaching her – but in an instant, that relief turns to terror as she is killed off-camera.

We're all familiar with the story of the Doctor going back and forth through the 18th century French fireplace to see/snog Reinette (aka Madame de Pompadour), while Rose and Mickey search the 51st century ship equipped with "ice guns". They come across something truly disturbing, even for 51st century standards: a human eye and a beating human heart, both wired into the machinery of the ship itself.

Turns out that the Clockworks Droids were programmed to repair the ship by any means necessary – including harvesting the "parts" from the 50-strong crew, and believing that Reinette's brain would be compatible to replace the ship's broken command circuit.

We get an idea of the grisly ordeal the crew went through when Rose and Mickey are tied down and threatened by a Droid's mini circular saw – presumably, the entire crew was butchered alive.