Doctor Who: EVERY Steven Moffat Episode Ranked Worst To Best

24. Dark Water/Death In Heaven

Doctor Who Missy Dark Water
BBC Studios

For my money, Doctor Who works better with a more serious tone. That said, Dark Water/Death In Heaven arguably verges on going too far into morbid territory.

Controversial cremation lore aside, this story is all about Michelle Gomez, who steals the show in her first major outing as Missy. Without her this story would be ranked a lot lower than it is, but her sadistic charm brings some humour into the fold and softens what would otherwise be quite a bleak and frankly far less enjoyable affair.

It also stands as Danny Pink's best story, giving him his strongest material in the episode marking his departure from the show (barring Last Christmas). It's not enough to salvage the character but his death storyline and how that drives Clara was an unexpected yet interesting way to close the book.

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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.