As we approach the finale, one can conclude that this has been a very strong series of Doctor Who containing a number of original ideas. Heaven Sent is the most daring of all with a premise which involves only the Doctor trapped within his own personal nightmare. Steven Moffat's excellent script inspires Peter Capaldi to give his greatest performance as the Doctor and composer Murray Gold to provide his most ambitious musical score.
The Doctor is pushed to limits of his courage and intellect by the relentless creature named in credits as "the Veil." The first of many thrilling sequences shows the Doctor escape the Veil by diving from a window. We then see inside the Doctor's mind, visualised as the TARDIS console room, This technique is similar to Sherlock's "mind palace" from Moffat's other show. Clara's presence is very important despite her death in the previous episode. The Doctor continues to talk to his companion in his internal monologue which helps him unravel the mystery.
During another attack from the Veil, the Doctor realises that the Veil can only be stopped by telling the truth: the Doctor is being tortured into making confessions. He admits that he didn't leave Gallifrey because he was bored but actually because he was scared. Perhaps we will find out the reasons for the Doctors fears in the next episode or this may be just add to another lay of mystery to the Doctor's origins.
Heaven Sent is a mystery episode which gradually reveals the truth of the Doctor's situation. He has had lived and died in the castle countless times, each time rebooting the transmat machine before his death so a new copy of himself arrives to take his place. It is unclear how this loop began. The dry set of clothes would not have been provided the first time round which suggest that the initial version of the Doctor walked around naked before his death!
Another odd moment is the appearance of the word "Home" at the top of the diamond wall discovered by the Doctor. This leads him to believe that the TARDIS on the other side. It is unclear when he realises that it is really Gallifrey: the position of the stars should have made the location obvious to him.
The montage sequence which reveals the Doctor's cycle of lives and deaths in the castle is superbly edited. It is also disturbing because each version of the Doctor really does die in agony. His burnt features after being attacked by the Veil could also be upsetting for younger viewers. Although the ratings for this series have suffered due to later broadcast time, the darkness of many of this year's episodes would not sit well in the traditional early evening timeslot.
When the Doctor walks through to the Gallifreyan desert, he proclaims "the hybrid is me" or is that "the hybrid is Me" (referring to Ashildr). All will be revealed in what looks like a ground-breaking finale. Heaven Sent and Hell Bent are both directed by Rachel Talalay. Hopefully, these episodes will stand as classics and superior series closers to last year's quite disappointing Dark Water / Death in Heaven.
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