Doctor Who S09E12 Review: Hell Bent

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Doctor guitar Doctor Who Hell Bent

In the Season 9 finale of Doctor Who, “Hell Bent” the Doctor (Peter Capaldi) plays a song of remembrance.

In “Hell Bent,” Doctor Who returns to the desert, causing a coup in Gallifrey and revisiting America for a last goodbye. It’s taken billions of years, but the Doctor has finally returned to Gallifrey for a less-than-joyful reunion with his fellow Time Lords. In “Hell Bent” it’s revealed that the struggle the Doctor endured in “Heaven Sent” was less about keeping the secret of the hybrid and more about establishing a bargaining chip to save Clara. Peter Capaldi uses his impressive ability to convey intensity and power even while being still, increasing the drama of “Hell Bent.”

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Doctor Who S09E11 Recap: Heaven Sent

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Doctor vines Doctor Who Heaven SentSeason 9, Episode 11 of Doctor Who, “Heaven Sent,” gives us the Doctor in a way we’ve rarely seen him—alone. Yet he is never completely alone—not because of the creature that slowly stalks him through the castle, but because his continually fresh grief means that the memory of Clara is never far. Though the Doctor is without a companion, it is the idea of Clara that serves as his audience, instructor, and, ultimately, his conscience.

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The Walking Dead S06E07 Recap: Heads Up

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Glenn Enid look The Walking Dead Heads UpIf you just finished watching The Walking Dead “Heads Up,” let the rejoicing begin and leave the recriminations for later. “Heads Up” resolved the question of Glenn’s survival, while leaving us wondering how the Alexandrians will survive the herd incursion. Season 6 of The Walking Dead has given us series of very unfortunate events taking place over two days. Some days are definitely worse than others.

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Doctor Who S09E10 Recap: Face the Raven

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Doctor Clara Doctor Who Face the Raven“Face the Raven” leaves us mourning the loss of another Doctor Who companion with the death of Clara Oswald. Though it had been announced that Jenna Coleman would be leaving Doctor Who in Season 9, closing out Clara Osgood’s chapter through death makes her departure stand out. “Face the Raven” is a strong episode not only because of the loss of companion Clara, but also because it’s grounded with the return of Rigsy and heightened with the appearance of Ashildr. It’s also fantastic because the Doctor (Peter Capaldi) changes into a maroon velvet jacket after the youth apparel he’s been wearing lately is destroyed during an adventure with Clara.

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Doctor Who S09E08 Review: The Zygon Inversion

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Doctor Osgood TARDIS Doctor Who The Zygon Inversion“The Zygon Inversion” was full of suspense and moral reflection, the things we love about Doctor Who. In “The Zygon Invasion,” the presidential plane had been shot down, leaving us to wonder how the Doctor and Osgood would survive. Though we know the Doctor must survive, it was still shocking to see the visage of Clara firing a bazooka towards the plane. “The Zygon Inversion” picks up here, showing us not only these events on the ground, but how the real Clara, trapped in the Zygon pod, comes to understand what’s going on through the mental link she has with the Zygon Bonnie who has taken on her form.

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Doctor Who S09E07 Recap: The Zygon Invasion

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Doctor face Doctor Who The Zygon Invasion“The Zygon Invasion” gives us a classic Doctor Who incursion, generated from the Doctor’s attempt to resettle 20 million Zygons on Earth. What could possibly go wrong with such a plan? The Doctor (Peter Capaldi) and Clara Oswald (Jenna Coleman) once again join forces with Kate Lethbridge-Stewart (Jemma Redgrave) and UNIT. The return of a classic Doctor Who creature enhances the story, and the Zygons are formidable opponents.

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The Walking Dead S06E03 Recap: Thank You

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Rick Glenn The Walking Dead Thank YouThe Walking Dead left us sad, shocked, and a bit puzzled by the end of “Thank You.” There was so much to process. We were enthralled during most of the episode, but much like Rick and his crew, we were left feeling hopeless and a little scared by the end.

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Doctor Who: David Tennant and Catherine Tate reunite for Tenth Doctor Audio Adventures

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big_finish_who_tate_tennant_largeThe Doctor Who universe is vast and deep. Not only has the television series entertained generations of fans, but the world of Doctor Who includes novels, short stories, audio stories, comics, magazines, and stage plays. Now David Tennant and Catherine Tate are returning to the Whoniverse to reprise their roles as the Tenth Doctor and companion Donna Noble in a series of audio dramas. Brilliant! Continue reading

Doctor Who S09E06 Recap: The Woman Who Lived

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Maisie Williams Peter Capaldi Doctor Who Season 9In Doctor Who’s “The Woman Who Lived” we discover what has become of Ashidr, “The Girl Who Died.” It’s 1651, 800 years after the Doctor saved her life, giving her immortality. As the centuries have passed she doesn’t remember her original name and her home village, but she has never forgotten the Doctor.

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Doctor Who S09E05 Recap: The Girl Who Died

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Doctor Who The Girl Who DiedDoctor Who continues to bring us dramatic two-part episodes as Season 9 progresses. What’s interesting about the most recent pairing of “The Girl Who Died” and “The Woman Who Lived” is that “The Girl Who Died” is an exciting standalone episode with a sense of closure at the end. Season 9 of Doctor Who continues to be a very strong season, even if the fifth episode doesn’t quite stand up to the previous four.

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