10 Doctor Who Cliffhangers That Made You Say WHAT?!

6. The Doctor Is Still Blind (Oxygen)

Doctor Who Oxygen Peter Capaldi Twelfth Doctor
BBC Studios

This terrific Series 10 episode centres around a space station and the value of oxygen among its crew members. So they called the episode "Oxygen". Very apt.

We see the Twelfth Doctor, Bill, and Nardole come up against zombies in spacesuits (what is it with Steven Moffat and killer spacesuits with a mind of their own?) and also the inhumane values of a company which places profit above human life.

This episode has a few near-fatal moments that give you a bit of a fright, including Bill’s suit malfunctioning and the Doctor giving her his, the Doctor going blind as a result of his prolonged lack of oxygen, and then Bill’s suit malfunctioning for a second time, seemingly killing her! Thankfully, the Doctor is able to save Bill, and Nardole is able to restore the Doctor’s vision… or so we think.

In a shocking twist at the very end of the episode, the Doctor reveals that he “Can’t look at anything ever again!” because he is, in fact, still blind. It's incredibly rare for the Doctor to suffer a serious injury like this, and it left us with a lot of questions heading into the next episode.

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Ellie has been part of the WhatCulture team since 2021 where she began as a freelance presenter for the WhoCulture channel. As a diehard Whovian with a BA (hons) degree in Drama and Acting, this role was the perfect opportunity for her to combine her screen presence training with her extensive Doctor Who knowledge. From there, she branched out to various other WhatCulture channels, including TrekCulture, and became a full time Content Producer/Video Presenter in 2023. Ellie is now a regular fixture on both WhoCulture and TrekCulture and has become a well respected public figure within both fandoms, building up a substantial following across her social media platforms and being given the opportunity to represent the channels and the wider communities at several industry events. Her favourite Doctor Who character is River Song and her favourite Star Trek character is Captain Janeway - which tells you everything you need to know about how she approaches her role within a generally male dominated field.