Doctor Who: 12 Best Twelfth Doctor Episodes

From the ominous opening monologue to the vengeful homecoming at its conclusion, Heaven Sent was an astounding masterpiece, which trapped a grieving Doctor in an elaborate torture chamber. Peter Capaldi rose to the challenge of a single-hander with seeming effortlessness, and demonstrated the full range of his unbelievable talent.

It was astonishing to be granted unprecedented access into the Doctor’s mind, as he struggled to devise solutions to apparently hopeless scenarios alongside an imagined construct of Clara, while dealing with the pain of her loss.

The Doctor’s environment was chillingly ghoulish, particularly the genuinely frightening monster that relentlessly pursued him. But Steven Moffat was still concealing the true horror of the situation, ultimately revealing that the Doctor had been trapped for 7000 years, and had died countless times in his seemingly futile attempts to punch through the Azbantium wall.

What followed was an unforgettable montage, as the Doctor relived his torment for 4.5 billion years, complete with the incredible revelation that he was gradually wearing the wall away through his unyielding efforts. The Doctor’s refusal to give up or give in despite the terrible cost was an extraordinary act of heroism, which culminated in a moment of beautiful triumph as he finally broke free and finished his story.

Thanks to the brilliant combination of Moffat’s writing, Capaldi’s acting and Rachel Talalay’s superb direction, Heaven Sent represented a magnificent peak for the Twelfth Doctor’s era, and stands as one of Doctor Who’s finest moments.