Doctor Who has not lacked for arresting images this season. Cuddly comedian Lenny Henry as a snarling dotcom megalomaniac. Lord Byron chased by ghosts. Fascist space-rhinos implementing a stop-and-frisk policing policy in Gloucester’s main shopping district (you haven’t forgotten "Fugitive of the Judoon" already have you?). But the terrifying tableaux we’re all going to remember is the one unleashed in the penultimate episode as the Doctor and her team are menaced by a fearsome flock of…flying Cyberman heads.

It’s certainly a new twist on the traditional sci-fi action scene and injects a big squishy dollop of absurdity into a solid but also rather po-faced and portentous helping of Who. Hopefully, it is a set-piece that will catch on too. Picture a future Avengers movie where Iron Man is pursued by miniaturised Thanos noggins. Or a round of post-Brexit trade talks in which Boris Johnson tips open a crate and dozens of flying Dominic Cummings heads emerge with chomping maws, sending Brussels bureaucrats fleeing for their panic rooms. Take THAT European common fisheries policy.

In Doctor Who, the airborne Cyberheads pop up early in an instalment that follows directly from last week’s face-off between the solitary Cyberman with the flaking mask and Lord Byron and chums. Using co-ordinates provided by early 18th-century poet and philosopher Percy Shelley (it’s a long story), the Doctor and her crew have traveled to the far future, where the Cybermen have hunted humanity to the brink of extinction.

The ten best sci-fi films Show all 11 1 /11 The ten best sci-fi films The ten best sci-fi films The ten best sci-fi films 10 - Solaris (1972) Andrei Tarkovsky's masterpiece, often described as the 'Russian 2001', centres around a space station situated over the mysterious Solaris Ocean. A minimalist, existential sci-fi drama, whose 2002 remake by Steven Soderbergh also achieved considerable success. The ten best sci-fi films 9 - E.T. (1982) Steven Spielberg's classic 'E.T.' tells the story of how Elliot, a 10 year-old-boy, discovers the extra-terrestrial alien in his family's garden shed. A warm-hearted movie which never descends into mawkishness - thanks to outstanding performances by Henry Thomas and Drew Barrymore. The ten best sci-fi films 8 - Planet of the Apes (1968) The dramatic crash landing of astronaut Taylor on a distant planet ruled by apes is one of the key movies of the first major science fiction franchise. An intelligent allegory, shot at the height of the Cold War, its ending is considered one of the most iconic moments in cinema history. The ten best sci-fi films 7 - The Terminator (1984) This tense and incredibly efficient thriller by James Cameron tells the story of the Skynet computer system fighting to take over the world. Facing defeat, Skynet sends 'The Terminator' on a mission to the past: the cyborg's job is to kill Sarah Connor, future mother of the human resistance leader. With Brad Fiedel providing one of the most memorable movie theme tunes of all time, Schwarzenegger's emotionless performance as a relentless killing machine made 'The Terminator' an instant classic. The ten best sci-fi films 6 - The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951) Special effects, including the flying saucer and robot companion Gort, made this 1950s sci-fi flick actually more convincing than its 2008 remake. At times of increasing Cold War tensions, 'The Day the Earth Stood Still' held an obvious warning about increasing brinkmanship between the USA and USSR. Getty Images The ten best sci-fi films 5 - Metropolis (1927) 80 years after its release, 'Metropolis' still manages to create the dazzling vision of a futuristic industrial society divided into two camps: the thinkers and the workers. While neither side is complete without the other, things are set to change when the son of the city's mastermind falls in love with a working class prophet… The original version did not enjoy a full reconstruction until 2002. Getty Images The ten best sci-fi films 4 - Alien (1979) The story of the Nostromo spaceship - stalked by an alien monster. Seemingly trivial at first glance, this movie has actually been much analysed for its complex portrayal of femininity as well as its sexual imagery. Played by Sigourney Weaver and Tom Skerritt, the crew members are all believable characters - whereas the xenomorph is just incredibly scary! Getty Images The ten best sci-fi films 3 - Star Wars (1977) If you've never heard of Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia and Darth Vader - well, then you probably shouldn't read a list of sci-fi movies at all! Even though it may not convey the big science fiction ideas of other classics, George Lucas's Star Wars is by far the most iconic, spectacular and epic space opera on our list. The ten best sci-fi films 2 - 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) Starting with the 'Thus Spoke Zarathustra' theme, Stanley Kubrick deals with grand themes ranging from human evolution to artificial intelligence. Thanks to its intellectual depth, this complex and magnificent masterpiece was even deemed 'culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant' by the US Library of Congress. Getty Images The ten best sci-fi films 1 - Blade Runner (1982) On its initial release, Blade Runner was neither a critical or commercial success. Yet, the story of blade runner Deckard, who has to track down and terminate four replicants responsible for hijacking a ship in space, has become a cult classic over the years. This is not least due to memorable performances by Harrison Ford and Rutger Hauer. The unforgettable depiction of a neon-lit LA finally makes 'Blade Runner' the ultimate masterpiece of the sci-fi genre.

This is Doctor Who at its most expansive and ambitious. Sadly, a whiff of pantomime intrudes in the final seconds when Sacha Dhawan’s Master turns up and cackles a bit. Dhawan is clearly having fun in the part. Dare we suggest too much fun? Oh for a jot of real menace to go with the cartoon nefariousness he conjures with so excitedly.

But wait – because we’re nearing the end of the season, show-runner Chris Chibnall has decided he fancies a spot of prestige-esque multi-layered storytelling. So there’s a parallel plot set in Ireland. Or at least Ireland as imagined by someone who has watched two, potentially three Father Teds and thinks they may have seen Darby O’Gill and the Little People when they were a child but can’t be positive.

It centres around a policeman called Paddy McShamrock – I haven’t checked but I’m pretty sure this is his actual name – who has Ed Sheeran’s hair and a potato sticking out of his back pocket. Oh, and he’s impossible to kill. This is confirmed when he is shot at point blank range and then pushed off a cliff. Not even the gentle Riverdance fiddles wafting in the background can keep him aloft and down his plunges. But he does not die!

Fascinating – but what’s it got to do with the Doctor in the far future? That remains to be seen. However, the fact that both Policeman Pat and the Cyberman are portrayed by Irish actors has set our antennae tingling. Another Irishman pops up at the end in the from of Game of Thrones actor Ian McElhinney.

He is playing a Gandalf-type named Ko Sharmus (you really wish they’d doubled down on the Celtic theme and called him Yo, Seamus) and is the guardian of a portal to another galaxy far, far away from the Cybermen. When the Doctor arrives in a stolen Cyberman ship he invites her to investigate this “boundary”. As she does it opens a gateway to Gallifrey – and then in pops the Master! Something is afoot, though what precisely is not clear as the end credits roll.

Yaz (Mandip Gill) and Graham (Bradley Walsh) likewise find themselves at a sticky impasse. Separated from the gang, they take shelter with other human survivors of the Cyberman genocide only to fly straight into a space hulk containing tens of thousands of box-fresh killer robots. They are quickly hunted down by our Lone Cyberman friend (Patrick O’Kane) from the Lord Byron episode who then powers up the new Cybermen. With an army at his disposal final victory is within his metallic grasp.