Doctor Who: 12 Best Twelfth Doctor Episodes

Commencing with the sudden, everyday death of Danny, Dark Water quickly secured its position as one of Doctor Who’s bleakest episodes. Jenna Coleman portrayed Clara’s grief with incredible truth and subtlety, as she betrayed the Doctor to force him to change history.

Their dynamic in the riveting volcano confrontation, in which they fought to take control of the situation and Clara demonstrated just how far she was willing to go, was breathtaking. It was followed by a deeply moving testament to their friendship, as the Doctor chose to forgive Clara and help her find Danny in the afterlife.

The Nethersphere itself proved to be a cold, grim realm, that forced Danny to confront his past in a particularly painful scene. His situation became increasingly nightmarish, as he was forced to sacrifice his connection with Clara to prevent her following him there, and was offered the chance to delete his emotions by the callous Seb.

Dark Water did a great job of gradually building up to some shocking revelations, as the Doctor and Clara investigated 3W and its apparent quest to protect the dead. It was chilling to realise that the Nethersphere and 3W were part of an elaborate plan to create an army of undead Cybermen, which was unleashed on London at the episode’s climax. But even this was overshadowed by the momentous revelation of Missy’s identity, as the Doctor learned that his old friend/arch-nemesis had returned in female form.