Doctor Who: 10 Brilliant But Overlooked Moments In NuWho
9. Me Suggests The Doctor And Clara Are The Hybrid - Hell Bent
Hell Bent lives in the shadow of Heaven Sent, its predecessor which is repeatedly named the best episode of Peter Capaldi’s run. However, it offers a dramatic and unexpected conclusion to the Doctor and Clara’s relationship.
The verbal chess game between the Doctor and Me, as they dispute the true identity of the Hybrid, is captivating and intriguing. Me’s theory that the Hybrid isn’t one person but two is a brilliant twist in series 9’s arc and her suggestion that those two people are the Doctor and Clara suddenly warps their previously heartwarming and fun relationship into a deeply sinister one.
The additional discovery that Missy orchestrated their coming together so they’d become the Hybrid only makes this moment more thrilling for fans, who appreciate that the seeds for this reveal were planted over two years before in The Bells of Saint John.
We see Clara react to all of this, watching on the TARDIS’ monitor. As the scene closes, this adds a layer of emotion as she’s positioned as a helpless outsider to the Doctor’s shocking decision to wipe her memory of him. Her haste to turn off the screen before he returns establishes an air of panic and we too panic as it seems the end is nearing for the pair.
This is a game-changing scene. It shocks us with momentous reveals, indulges us with stunning cinematography and threatens us with the imminent departure of a companion.