REVIEW Ncuti Gatwa’s first series as Doctor Who was picked apart online, leaving people wanting more from the beloved Time Lord. Did the 26th season’s grand finale help him redeem himself? Rounding off Ncuti Gatwa’s patchy debut series, Empire of Death gave us some much-needed swashbuckling action. Now that was more like it.
The debut series of the new-look Doctor Who reached its climax with scary monsters, thrills, spills and slightly hokey sci-fi. There was even a good gag about cultural appropriation. The extended 55-minute finale Empire of Death ended an iffy series with a bang.
It teemed with knowing nods to the show’s 61-year lore. We saw clips of Elisabeth Sladen, Carole Ann Ford and Tom Baker. We heard name-checks for previously visited planets.
There was even an Aladdin’s cave of old props - a “remembered Tardis, full of bits and pieces of every Tardis there ever was, held together by hopes, wishes and luck”. From Colin Baker’s cravat to Bessie’s “WHO 1′′ number plate, there was plenty to make long-time fans gasp with recognition. It was like Emily’s shop in Bagpuss , starring the most magical saggy old Time Lord in the whole wide world.
Spoilers for Empire of Death below. The adventure itself was the usual mix of high drama, mild camp and nonsensical plotting. Following on from last week, the Doctor’s immortal enemy Sutekh, the ancient god of death - voiced by Gabriel Woolf at the grand old age of 91, reprising his role from 1975 classic .
