Doctor Who Series 10: 7 Big Questions We're Asking After 'The Lie Of The Land'
1. Were Missy's Tears Genuine?
Michelle Gomez’s Missy is currently winning a Radio Times
poll for the best new character created by Steven Moffat and quite rightly so.
The actress has been a revelation as the current version of the Doctor’s oldest
friend and adversary. One of the highlights of The Lie of the Land is the
closing scene, possibly written by Moffat where Missy appears to be devastated
by the suffering she has inflicted upon others. But however emotionally
affective those tears are, can we trust such a scheming character?
The Doctor has more reason to doubt her than most. After all, he has let his sentimentality cloud his judgement before in the case of Davros (The Witch’s Familiar). Look closely at Capaldi’s understated reactions and you will detect a hint of unwanted scepticism. It’s almost too good to be true, could Missy really be a reformed character after having served just 70 years of her 1,000 year sentence?
Missy seemed less than sincere with her promise to be good at her execution (Extremis), but here she is stripped of all bravado, and there’s not even a hint of an ulterior motive such as a different facial expression out of sight of the Doctor. It would be a harsh way of deceiving the audience, even by Moffat standards, if her tears were not genuine.
The question therefore becomes, how long and how far with that contrition go? There can be little doubt that she will rediscover her evil streak and this may very well be where John Simm’s imminent return comes in. In the meantime it’s a lovely twist in the Master’s story, one that will no doubt add a degree of empathy to a character who has often lacked complexity.
What questions did Lie of the Land leave you with? Let us know down in the comments.