Following on immediately from the events of Face the Raven, Heaven Sent shows us where the teleport bracelet Ashlidr gave to the Doctor has taken him.

Although exactly where or when the Doctor now is remains a mystery even to him.

All he knows is that he is trapped in a mysterious castle on a mysterious world in an unspecified time period, pursued by the mysterious but deadly Veil and with only his wits and his confessions holding death at bay.

With no TARDIS, no companion and no apparent means of escape, can he find a way out of his own bespoke torture chamber before it’s too late?




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The first episode of this year’s two-part finale runs to an extended 54 minutes and has Steven Moffat’s stamp all over it, while at the same time being an atypical Moffat story.

It’s complex and convoluted like many of Moffat’s tales – the pre-credits teaser is packed with Easter eggs that only makes sense once you have watched the ending – but it also lacks the frenetic, rapid-fire dialogue that is typical of his stories.

Indeed this is, until its final seven minutes, this year’s most leisurely paced story, with a plot that unfolds gradually and the Doctor spending most of the episode talking to himself. But the final act changes everything.

As for the other big question that is on every fan’s lips: did Clara really die? Well, you’ll just have to wait and see.

I rather suspect this is going to be one of those ‘Marmite’ episodes that viewers will either love or hate, with no middle ground in between. I loved it.

12 things to watch out for:

1. ‘I am the Doctor. I am coming to find you. And I will never, ever stop.’

2. A castle with a difference.

3. Shovels and skulls.

4. The Doctor hates gardening. Probably not surprising having narrowly escaped a wedding in one, as we were told at the beginning of Face the Raven.

5. ‘I’ve finally run out of corridor.’

6. A portrait of a familiar face.

7. Remember Missy’s story in The Witch’s Familiar about the Doctor and the invisible killer androids? We find out how he makes these miraculous split-second escapes.

8. There’s something odd about the stars in the night sky.

9. ‘I have to tell truths I’ve never told before.’

10. ‘I’m not scared of hell. It’s just heaven for bad people.’

11. Bird.

12. The contents of the Doctor’s confession dial are finally revealed.

Doctor Who continues on BBC1 on Saturday at 8:05pm.

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