It was a crisp Autumn evening in 2014 when fans across the globe tuned to their televisions to watch the Doctor Who episode “Dark Water.” Previews hinted at the identity of the enigmatic Missy (Michelle Gomez) who sporadically appeared over the course of season 8, and it was Peter Capaldi’s first season finale, so the hype was real.
It was in the closing moments of the episode that we were given the render-you-speechless revelation of Missy's identity: she was the Master. Now, a full five years later, Doctor Who has introduced a new Master in the form of the brilliant Sacha Dhawan, officially bringing Michelle Gomez's onscreen role to a close.
With that in mind, we've decided to take a look back at ten of Missy's best scenes. With several stories under her belt and a meaty redemption arc in her final season, there's plenty to choose from. Settle in, we're taking a look back at our favorite evil Mary Poppins.
10 Taking a Stand (The Doctor Falls)
After almost being executed for her crimes, Missy is placed in the Doctor's care in a secure vault under a university in London. The Doctor inevitably began to try and pull his closest friend and enemy back to the side of light, resulting in a season-long redemption arc.
The arc finds its climax in its final episode when Missy is lured back to her old ways by her former incarnation (John Simm). For a stretch of the episode, it appears as though Missy has betrayed the Doctor — until she makes a stand and tells the Master they need to stay and help defend against the impending Cybermen attack. It's a decision that costs her her life, and it's one that only we the audience know she made.
9 Dancing on the Rooftop (The Doctor Falls)
Following the revelation that John Simm was back as the Master and that Bill (Pearl Mackie) had been converted into a Cybermen in the previous episode, “The Doctor Falls” opens in a surprisingly chill manner: with the Doctor tied up as Missy and The Master dance together on a rooftop, ready to ring in their new reign of chaos.
It's a moment of calm before the storm, and allows us to witness the bizarre chemistry between Gomez and Simm, and enjoy the wonder that is the first-ever multi-Master story. It also reminds us of how delightfully extra the Master can be.
8 Remembering (Lie of The Land)
Redemption is a tricky road even for those who make small mistakes. With someone with Missy's history, it was always going to be a long and painful journey. We see that illuminated at the end of "Lie of the Land" when Missy confesses she keeps remembering the names of those she's killed.
It's a quiet moment filled with fraught emotion that Gomez masterfully brings to the screen (she has a knack for that, it's often on full display nowadays on Chilling Adventures of Sabrina) which Peter Capaldi effortlessly bounces off of with the Doctor's genuine pride for the steps Missy has made.
7 Down The Well (The Witch’s Familiar)
When Missy and Clara discover they and the Doctor have been taken to the home of Davros and the Daleks, Skaro, it doesn't take them long to find trouble. “The Magician's Apprentice” ends with us believing they've been exterminated by the Daleks — only for the following episode to explain that Missy teleported them both away at the moment of their “deaths.”
Thought to be dead, Missy and Clara are forced to work together to rescue the Doctor from Davros. In one of the more humorous scenes of this list, Missy and Clara find what they believe to be a way into the Dalek city: a well. When Clara asks how far the drop is, Missy responds by shoving her down and waits until she hears Clara hit the ground to answer how many feet down it is.
6 Contacting UNIT (The Magician's Apprentice)
The season nine opener “The Magician’s Apprentice” had us catching up not only with the Doctor and Clara, but a believed-dead Missy as well, who freezes airplanes in the air to catch everyone's attention
What really takes this reveal from good to great is the slow build-up as Clara and UNIT work out who's orchestrating the event, only to get a message from the woman herself using her own variation of the popular Toni Basil song “Mickey” to confirm her return. We haven't been able to get “Hey Missy” out of our heads since.
5 Tricking the Doctor (The Witch's Familiar)
While trying to make their way through the sewers under the Dalek city, Missy decides it'd be useful for infiltrating the city if she connected Clara to a Dalek casing. Missy then discovers that, while connected to the Dalek framework, Clara has no power to reveal her identity.
When Missy and Clara reunite with the Doctor, Missy takes the opportunity to trick the Doctor into believing that Clara has died and the “Dalek” in front of him is responsible, urging him to destroy it (and murder Clara). He almost does, too, until Clara — through the Dalek — begs for mercy, a concept Daleks can't comprehend, and the Doctor realizes what Missy was up to.
4 “You Win” (Death In Heaven)
After Danny Pink sacrifices himself to protect Clara and the world by destroying Missy's storm cloud that brought the dead back as Cybermen, Clara is ready for revenge for the devastation Missy has caused. Clara orders the Doctor the move out of the way so that she can kill Missy.
The Doctor doesn't allow Clara this killing to unfold, instead offering to do it himself to “save [Clara's] soul.” Delighted by the Doctor being forced to resort to murder, Missy asks him to say something nice as she prepares for her execution. “You win,” the Doctor responds defeatedly.
3 Her Execution (Extremis)
Missy's luck finally ran out though, as explained in flashbacks in the episode “Extremis.” Missy has apparently been captured and sentenced to death — the catch being that the executioner must be one of her own race. Enter: the Doctor.
Certain this will be her end, Missy informs the Doctor of the truth: that without witness, hope, or reward, she is his friend. Of course, the Doctor messes with the technology that would kill Missy so she doesn't actually die, but it's still a beautiful moment between her and the Doctor.
2 Hard to Resist (Eaters of the Light)
When it's revealed to Nardole and Bill that Missy is now allowed inside the TARDIS to do repairs, Missy and the Doctor share a small conversation about how Missy still isn't able to appreciate the music of the universe. This apparently sits heavily with Missy as the next time we see her, she's crying as she attempts to listen.
The Doctor finds her and tries to cheer her up before he confesses that he hopes it's time for them to become friends once again. Missy asks him if that's really possible. In a heart-wrenching moment, the Doctor admits he doesn't know, but the hope is a hard thing to resist. It's a quietly beautiful moment now made heartbreaking because fans know how close they were to rebuilding their friendship.
1 The Reveal (Dark Water)
What else could be number one besides the monumental scene that changed Doctor Who forever, left viewers gobsmacked, and began the true reign of the self-titled Queen of Evil?
When Missy reveals herself to be the true mastermind behind the season's overarching storyline, the Doctor is surprised to learn that she's a Time Lord as well. Missy lets him desperately try to work out which Time Lord she is before finally clueing him in on her identity: she's the Master.
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