10 Darkest Endings In Doctor Who
9. Face The Raven (2015)
The Twelfth Doctor and Clara’s old friend Rigsy asks the pair for help in figuring out the origin of a number tattoo that has appeared on his neck, and seems to be counting down to zero. The trio discover that the tattoo came from a trap street in London, which offers a home to alien refugees, run by Lady Me, another acquaintance of the Doctor’s.
Rigsy has been accused of murdering one of its occupants. When the tattoo reaches zero, he will be executed by an occult raven known as the Shade for his crime. Clara makes Rigsy agree to transfer the tattoo to her, saving his life. But all this is revealed to have been a ploy by Me to catch the Doctor and hand her over to the mysterious figures who are threatening the trap street’s occupants.
Me had always intended to free Rigsy from the Shade but Clara had broken the contract by transferring the tattoo to herself. She has no choice but to face the raven and sacrifice herself. Clara’s tragic end, along with the Twelfth Doctor’s vicious threat to Me that he will not show mercy if they meet again, makes this episode one of the bleakest lead-ins to a two-part series finale in the show’s history.