Michelle Gomez (Missy), Samuel Anderson (Danny Pink), Jemma Redgrave (Kate Stewart), Joan Blackham (Woman), Chris Addison (Seb), Ingrid Oliver (Osgood), Sanjeev Bhaskar (Colonel Ahmed), James Pearse (Graham), Antonio Bourouphael (Boy), Shane Keogh-Grenade (teenage boy), Katie Bignell (teenage girl),
Jeremiah Krage (Cyberman), Nicholas Briggs (voice of the Cybermen), Nick Frost (Santa Claus)
CREW
Written by
Steven Moffat
Directed by
Rachel Talalay
Produced by
Peter Bennett
SYPNOSIS
With Cybermen on the streets of London, old friends unite against old enemies and the Doctor takes to the air in a startling new role.
Can the mighty UNIT contain Missy?
As The Doctor faces his greatest challenge, sacrifices must be made before the day is won..
NOTES
This is the first and only episode where the name of the actor playing The Doctor is not the first name to appear in the title sequence (Jenna Coleman appears first).
The Doctor is declared President of Earth following a UNIT protocol according to which, in the event of full-scale invasion, an Earth president is inducted immediately, with complete authority over every nation state’s armies. However, this is in slight error as there fifteen countries without a standing army.
Missy adapts the lyrics of Toni Basil’s 1982 song Mickey to sing, “Hey Missy, you’re so fine, you’re so fine you blow my mind…”
Missy descends from the clouds with her umbrella opened. That and her costume mimics another British character, Mary Poppins.
Missy does an impression of Marilyn Monroe singing, Happy Birthday, Mr President.
Kate presents a damaged Cyberman headpiece to the Cybermen who emerged from St. Paul’s Cathedral – a token from their previous attempt at invading Earth. (The Invasion)
This is the third and second time The Doctor has been shown meeting Kate Stewart (The Power of Three) and Osgood (The Day of the Doctor) respectively.
The Doctor offers to take Osgood with him as a companion, but The Mistress kills her before he can make good on this promise. This isn’t the first time someone was offered the chance to become a companion but died before they could take up the offer. (The Parting of the Ways)
Despite their statements about that, the Eleventh Doctor did salute Kate Stewart in The Power of Three.
This is the third time The Doctor salutes, this time saluting to the Cyber-converted Brigadier. The other two times were to Kate Stewart. (The Power of Three, The Day of the Doctor)
The Doctor continues to hate when people salute him. (The Sontaran Stratagem)
A news report mentions ‘accounts’ on file of earlier appearances of the Cybermen. (The Invasion, Army of Ghosts / Doomsday). Osgood notes UNIT has files on all ex-Prime Ministers in reference to The Master’s previous incursions, commenting ‘she wasn’t even the worst.’ (The Sound of Drums)
It is revealed that Missy was the ‘woman in the shop’ from whom Clara received The Doctor’s phone number for Wi-Fi support, as well as being the one that left the hint in a newspaper which led Clara and The Doctor to ending up in the hideout of the Clockwork Droids. (The Bells of St John)
Clara uses the identity of the Doctor for the second time. (Flatline). While masquerading as The Doctor, Clara notes many things from The Doctor’s past:
She notes that among his family is a non-Gallifreyan daughter created via genetic transfer. (The Doctor’s Daughter) Clara mentions the Twelfth Doctor has been married four times. He was married to Scarlette, Elizabeth I, Marilyn Monroe, and River Song. (The Adventuress of Henrietta Street, The Day of the Doctor, A Christmas Carol, The Wedding of River Song)
She mentions The Doctor having children (plural) and grandchildren (plural), which would include Susan Foreman (An Unearthly Child), though she indicate The Doctor believes them to be missing, presumed dead.
She says The Doctor graduated in Glasgow in the wrong century. (The Moonbase)
He is from the constellation of Kasterborous. (Pyramids of Mars)
He was a Prydonian. (The Deadly Assassin) Clara indicates he lost this status when he stole the TARDIS.
The Doctor already met Santa Claus in A Christmas Story, The Man Who (Nearly) Killed Christmas, A Visit from Saint Nicholas.
Missy states the Gallifrey has returned to its original place, with the coordinates of 10-0-11-00 by 02. (Pyramids of Mars, Full Circle)
Santa Claus knocks on the TARDIS‘ door three times with a rhythm of four, just like Wilfred Mott did when he fulfilled the prophecy, “He will knock four times”. (The End of Time)
This is the second time in series 8 and since Matt Smith left Doctor Who in The Time of the Doctor that the Eleventh Doctor is seen, although unlike Deep Breath which was an actual scene, this was a flashback.
This is the first episode to show a scene mid-end credits.
This is the first season finale to lead directly into a following Christmas Special since Last of the Time Lords.
