The Cyberman in Chang's office advances on Clara, who points out that killing her would be a strategic error. It confirms her identity and says that she is unimportant, but Clara says that she's the one person who can change their face and get close to the Cybermen. The Cyberman demands to know who she is, and Clara says that she's the Doctor.
In the streets of London outside St. Paul's, Missy welcomes the Cybermen and people take photos of them. Missy tosses her hat down to ask for money and then shows the Doctor on her iPad that the Cybermen are all over the world. Osgood comes over and offers to take a photo of the Doctor and Missy together, and then yells "Now!" Undercover UNIT agents and soldiers all draw their guns and surround the Cybermen. Kate Stewart walks out and has her men take Missy into custody, The Cybermen insist that human technology is useless against them, but Kate tosses a Cyberman head at their feet and says that the Doctor is on their payroll.
The Cybermen all lift off and fly away, and more Cybermen fly away from the nearby St. Paul's. The Doctor explains that the Master used dimensional engineering to store all of the Cybermen inside of the building and realizes that one Cyberman is heading for each city in England. The Cyberman above London explodes and Missy explains that it's pollinating.
Inside the Nethersphere, Danny and the boy he killed stand at the balcony. Seb comes out and says that they will all soon be going home. He admits that he was being poetic when he referred to their location as the "afterlife" earlier, Seb explains that they're in a data cloud, and now it's starting to rain. Danny wonders if they're going back to their bodies, and Seb tells him that there's been an upgrade to them.
Missy says that the dead are coming home and in 24 hours, the human race as the Doctor knows it will cease to exist. Before she can explain further, a UNIT soldier shoots her with a tranquilizer dart. As the Doctor protests, another soldier shoots him with a tranq dart and he collapses. Kate makes a call and says that the first protocol has been implemented, while Osgood tells the Doctor that he has to let Kate take him. The Doctor yanks Osgood down and whispers something in her ear before he passes out. Kate asks what he said, and Osgood repeats, "Guard the graveyards."
At graveyards across London but nowhere else, rain pours down from the cloud. The water spreads throughout the city, moving on its own, and pours into funeral homes. It transforms corpses into Cybermen. In one such home, Danny stares at his new body in shock.
Kate has her people load the TARDIS aboard a flying command plane and tie the Doctor to a mobile rack. They wake him up and Kate explains that they have a protocol to make sure that the Doctor helps them. She releases him as they take the still-unconscious Missy by, and the Doctor asks where Clara is. Kate tells him that her team has been unable to gain access to the building, and the Doctor says that he needs Clara with him. They go aboard the plane and Colonel Ahmed salutes the Doctor and Kate says that the President of Earth is aboard. Kate explains that in case of a full-scale invasion, an Earth President is inducted and given full authority over the planet. The Doctor isn't impressed, until Kate tells him that he's the President of Earth.
In St. Paul's, Clara rattles off everything she knows about the Doctor. They demand specific proof and Clara is unable to provide it. The Danny Cyberman arrives and insists that Clara is Clara, reciting her biographical information. When she says that she's an incredible liar and made it all up, the Danny Cyberman agrees and stuns her unconscious. The other Cyberman realize that he's not under Cybercontrol, and Danny blasts them apart.
Missy wakes up and finds the Doctor staring at her. He asks why she's still alive, and Missy says that Gallifrey is in another dimension but it's not lost. However, she refuses to tell the Doctor where it is. The Doctor is summoned to the bridge and he points out that he now rules Earth. Osgood is examining Missy's iPad and asks the Doctor who she is, figuring that she's the Master in a female regeneration. She points out that the Cyber clouds have expanded to cover all land masses, and suggests that they should be looking up instead of down at the graveyards. The Doctor mutters, "all of time and space" and leaves, while Missy secretly frees herself.
In the plane's conference room, Kate and the Doctor watch news reports about silver creatures crawling out of graves.
Clara wakes up in a graveyard alone. As she looks around, calling out for anyone, she's unaware that Cybermen are starting to claw their way out of their graves.
On the plane, Kate tells the Doctor that each burial site is active but only a few Cybermen are emerging from each one. The Doctor explains that the "rain' was Cyberpollen, converting any compatible material into a full Cyberman. He realizes that was Missy's plan all along, and tells UNIT that they can't hope to win a war against an enemy that can weaponize the dead.
The Cybermen in the cemetery start mobilizing and Clara backs away.
Ahmed says that the Cybermen are just wandering around for now, and the Doctor says that they're being acclimated to their surroundings. He asks why Kate was at St. Paul's, and she says that they've been investigating 3W for a while and then were tipped off by Missy. The Doctor figures that his archenemy wanted an audience, and warns Kate that thanks to her TARDIS, Missy has been upgrading the dead for a very long time.
In the lab, Missy sings to herself and then tells Osgood that she has to whisper something important to her. Osgood finally goes over and Missy says that she's going to kill her in a minute. Osgood tries to ignore her and go back to work, but Missy counts down from ten. When she reaches zero, she tells Osgood to check her pocket, and the assistant finds Missy's handcuffs there. Missy grabs Osgood and disintegrates her guards with a blaster hidden in her iPad. Osgood says that she's more useful to her alive and Missy agrees... but points out that she's insane and then disintegrates Osgood. Missy then activates a control on her bracelet, sending the plane out of control.
In the conference room, the Doctor looks out at the clouds and wonders what else the Cybermen have... just as a Cyberman appears at the window. He looks up at the monitor and realizes that Missy has escaped, and goes to the cargo hold. The Doctor finds Osgood's discarded glasses and realizes that she's dead, and Missy steps out and asks if he has any more friends she can play with.
Clara walks carefully between the burgeoning Cybermen. Danny watches her and turns away when she notices him. Unware of who he is, Clara asks if he brought her there and Danny admits that he did. Danny clutches his death papers in his hand and identifies Clara as the Doctor's associate, and she says that she's the Doctor's best friend. He demands to know where the Doctor is, and Clara says that she would never give him up. She declares that the Doctor is the closest man to her in the universe, the one man she would never lie to. Danny raises his arm and prepares to blast her down, his arm trembling, but then removes his faceplate, revealing his human face. Danny says that Danny Pink is dead and begs Clara to help him, He asks her to activate the emotional inhibitor on his chest so that he won't feel what he's feeling.
The Cybermen begin tearing apart the plane and in the hold, Missy tells the Doctor that she has a gift for him. She tells the Doctor that he needs to know that he's just like her, just as the phone rings on the TARDIS. The Doctor goes to answer it and Missy says that it's Clara, and that she was the one who gave Clara his number, and placed the advertisement in the paper in Victorian London. Missy says that she knew that the Doctor would do anything for Clara, and he answers the phone. Clara says that Danny is alive and a Cyberman.
In the conference room, Kate calls Geneva and says that they don't anticipate survival. A Cyberman breaks through the window and grabs Ahmed, pulling him out.
The Doctor tells Clara not to turn on the inhibitor, insisting that Danny isn't a Cyberman yet. He warns that Danny will kill her once he loses his emotion, and refuses to help her commit suicide. Clara tells him to home in on the phone and help her, or leave her alone. She throws away the phone and apologizes to Danny, then starts pressing switches on the inhibitor.
Kate climbs down into the hold to warn the Doctor, and Missy opens the cargo hold, sending Kate out into the sky. The Doctor and Missy hang on and then Missy commands the Cybermen to destroy the plane and teleports away. A few seconds later, the Doctor is swept out just before the plane blows up. In the Nethersphere, Missy and Seb watch him fall and Missy complains that it's a boring way to die. They realize that the Doctor is reaching for the TARDIS key and directing his fall towards the TARDIS below. Seb is impressed until Missy deletes the AI interface. Meanwhile, the Doctor gets into the TARDIS and puts it into hover mode.
As Clara tries to activate the inhibitor, the TARDIS materializes nearby and the Doctor tells her to stop. Danny insists that he won't harm Clara and the Doctor takes in his condition in shock. Then he says that he once had a friend and he thought they were the same, but now Missy is trying to tear the world apart. The difference between him and her is that he feels pain and realizes the hurt that he's inflicted. The clouds gather above and the Doctor asks Danny to tell him what the plan is by looking into the Cyber hive mind. Danny tells Clara to see what the Doctor is really like, and then tells the Doctor that for him to find out, the Doctor will have to activate the inhibitor.
The Doctor backs away, shocked, and then says that he needs to know. Clara tells the Doctor to give her the sonic screwdriver. After a moment, he hands it over and walks away, and Danny says that he's a typical officer: keeping his hands clean. Clara points the screwdriver at the inhibitor and says that she wasn't very good at it, but she loved Danny. Danny says that he loves her as well, and they both realize they're never going to say that again. Clara says that it feels like she's killing him, and Danny says that he's already dead and this time she's there with him.
Clara activates the screwdriver and Danny's face goes blank. She hugs him and the Doctor runs over, asking what the clouds are going to do. Danny says that the rain will fall again, wipe out humanity, and raise them as Cybermen... and cannot be stopped. Missy arrives offers to relieve Clara of her pain. The Doctor yanks away her iPad before she can disintegrate Clara, and Clara picks it up. Missy demonstrates that the Cybermen obey her orders, and then tells the Doctor that she controls an indestructible army that she can send across the universe, swelling its ranks with everyone that they kill. She then wishes the Doctor a happy birthday and gives him the control bracelet. The Doctor insists that he doesn't want an army, but Missy says that he's always wanted an army to stop the bad guys and rescue the innocent.
The Doctor insists that he doesn't want an army, but Missy tells him that the only way to stop the clouds is to conquer the universe. He rips off the bracelet and asks why she's doing it, and Missy says that she needs the Doctor accept that they're not so different. She tells the Doctor that she wants her friend back, and asks if he trusts himself. The Doctor remembers the damaged Dalek saying that he's a good Dalek, and wondering if he's a good man. After a moment, the Doctor thanks Missy, saying he wasn't always sure, and gently kisses her. He says that he's not a hero, and not a villain. He's an idiot with a box, helping where he can, and love is a promise. Danny hugs Clara and the Doctor tosses the bracelet to him
Missy says that it's not possible, but the Doctor says that with all her plans, she ignored the one soldier who disobeyed her orders. Danny steps forward and says that the clouds will burn... because he will burn. When Missy points out that one burning Cyberman won't save Earth, Danny agrees. He then orders all of the Cybermen to fly up into the clouds and burn, destroying themselves and the clouds with them. Before he goes, Danny tells Clara that she will sleep safe that night.
Once the clouds have cleared, the Doctor says that they have won. He then apologizes to Clara. Missy recites the current coordinates of Gallifrey, saying that it returned to its point of origin. She suggests that they go together, but the Doctor says that she will be imprisoned. Clara prepares to use Missy's iPad to disintegrate its owner, warning the Doctor that if he lets his old friend live then everything that happened is on him. The Doctor says that he'll kill Missy if it will stop Clara from becoming a killer. Clara gives him the iPad and the Doctor turns to Missy. Missy braces herself and asks who will save his soul, and then asks him to say something nice. The Doctor says that she wins… and a Cyberman disintegrates her.
Clara sees someone and they run over to find Kate lying on the ground. The Doctor realizes that one of the Cybermen must have caught her. He turns to the Cyberman and realizes which dead man it must be... and salutes his old friend. After a moment, the Cyberman flies off.
Two weeks later, Clara is sleeping and wakes up when she hears Danny's voice. She goes out into the living room and finds a glowing portal. The Doctor told her that the bracelet can allow travel from one world to another. Danny says that the place he's in is dying, and there's only power for one trip for one person. Clara begs him to come home, but Danny sends the boy that he killed and asks Clara to find his parents. Danny apologizes to Clara, saying that he has promises to keep, and the bracelet shorts out and closes the portal.
Two weeks later, the Doctor meets Clara at a diner in response to her message. He notices that she's wearing the bracelet and figures that Danny worked out a way home. Clara tells him that she has some bad news for him, and the Doctor figures that she and Danny are together, and that's how it should be. He says that it's fine and that he's found Gallifrey at the coordinates that Missy gave him.
The Doctor goes to the coordinates and discovers that there's nothing there. Furious, he pounds on the TARDIS console.
Lying, the Doctor tells Clara that he's going to go home. Rather than disappoint him, Clara tells the Doctor that she and Danny will be fine. She suggests that they break a habit and hug, and the Doctor agrees. They hug and then Clara accompanies the Doctor out to the TARDIS. She thanks the Doctor for making her special, and he thanks her for making feel the same. The TARDIS dematerializes and Clara walks away.
Later, the Doctor is sitting alone in the TARDIS, brooding. There's a knock at the door and a man calls to the Doctor, saying that it can't end like that. The man insists that Clara and the Doctor are not all right and they need to get it sorted. The doors open and Santa Claus comes in and asks what the Doctor wants for Christmas.
Written by Gadfly on Sep 18, 2015