11 Great Doctor Who Moments The Writers Chickened Out Of

Of all the heart-wrenching moments in the show's history, the moment when companion Bill Potts realises she has been converted into a Cyberman, is utterly shocking. By far the best part of series 10, Pearl Mackie brought to life the character of Bill in spite of her being relatively underdeveloped, something that could have failed in other hands.

In the first episode of the two-part finale for the Capaldi reign, the seemingly impossible happens when Bill receives fatal wounds. The Doctor sends Bill to a space medical bay in an effort to save her life, but she is instead turned into a prototype for the epic Doctor Who villain, a Cyberman, a fate quite literally worse than death.

But in a typically weak piece of writing from show runner Steven Moffat, Bill's fate is retconned by the conclusion of the second part of the finale. While keeping her alive was poor enough, the manner in which she 'remains alive' is a travesty for such a likeable character, by turning into water, or rocket fuel, or something. Even this conclusion is largely retconned in a future episode, with the memories of Bill popping by to say goodbye to Capaldi's Doctor in the 2017 Christmas special, 'Twice Upon A Time.'

It's all just a disastrous mess, and a reminder of why the end of Moffat's reign was well and truly required.