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“MISSY: PART 1 – STEAMPUNK HEIST WITH A TWIST OF KNIFE”

Dark Gallifrey continues its cryptic descent into the murkier corners of the Doctor Who universe with Missy: Part 1, a sharp-edged steampunk caper that brings Michelle Gomez’s chaotic Time Lady back to centre stage. Rochana Patel’s story launches the next arc with a playful, twisted heist and a mystery simmering beneath its brass-and-boilerplate surface.

The setting is Opus Tooli – a forgotten, tech-stunted world capped at steam power and bursting with Dickensian grime, whirring automatons, and a royal house teetering on the brink of revolution. It’s a gorgeously drawn world, and the attention to atmosphere shines, from the ticking tension of the mechanical enforcers to the smoky grind of the steam-powered trains. Think Oliver Twist meets The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen with a dash of Time Bandits.

RATCHET, CLANK… AND MISSY?

The action kicks off with two quick-witted thieves – the delightfully named Scratch and Klank – fleeing from robotic police, only to stumble into the path of Missy. Their names are a likely nod to the PlayStation duo Ratchet and Clank, and the resemblance doesn’t end there. They’re cunning, loyal to each other, and quick with a lockpick – the kind of scrappy rogues who’d be right at home in a Pixar jailbreak sequence. Missy, of course, immediately ingratiates herself under false pretences, clearly targeting the briefcase they stole and pulling them into her orbit like a grinning black hole.

What makes this setup work is the shifting power dynamic. Scratch and Klank are no fools – they’re wary of Missy from the start – but she’s always one step ahead, using charm, threats, and sheer manipulation to get what she wants. Michelle Gomez is in fine form here, slightly dialling down her manic energy in favour of a more quietly sinister edge. Her Missy is still wickedly funny, but also ruthless – she betrays her new friends with a smile, and it stings.

THE HEIST IS ON… SORT OF

The plot builds itself around a good old-fashioned train heist as the trio attempts to steal the crown jewels mid-transport. While the setup is classic – and the imagery evocative – the heist itself never quite pops. It’s executed far too easily, with little resistance or suspense, which makes it feel like the story skips a beat. There’s potential for clever reversals or clever problem-solving that never quite materialises.

In the background, the Queen of Opus Tooli and her confidant Voltaire (yes, really) add a layer of political intrigue. They know the Doctor. They fear revolution. But their subplot accelerates too quickly to land with impact. The uprising starts and ends without a satisfying build-up, and the courtly players never get enough time to develop.

SECRETS IN THE SMOG

Where Missy: Part 1 succeeds beyond its pulpy fun is in planting seeds for deeper mystery. We learn the Doctor is a legend on this world – celebrated for defeating something called the Malevolence. But something is off. The stars don’t shine. The laws of physics don’t apply. Missy clearly knows more than she’s letting on, and the whole planet seems wrapped in a larger enigma.

In true Dark Gallifrey fashion, the story never tips its hand. But the thematic breadcrumb trail is tasty enough to follow – Missy leaves chaos in her wake, helps spark a revolution just to seize power, and reshapes herself as a new leader in a broken world. It's deliciously on-brand.

A COMPANION IN CHAOS

The emotional core comes full circle when one of the thieves dies in the Queen’s final strike, and the other – perhaps out of revenge, perhaps out of need – chooses to stay with Missy. Their escape, nestled in the bowels of a royal ship, ends on a tantalising cliffhanger: the unmistakable hum of a police box. The Doctor’s TARDIS is here. But when, how, and why remain the series’ most intriguing unanswered questions.

📝 VERDICT: 8/10

Missy: Part 1 kicks off a new Dark Gallifrey arc with rich worldbuilding, slick steampunk aesthetics, and Michelle Gomez at her deliciously devious best. While the heist plot is a bit too smooth and the political revolution undercooked, the character dynamics, atmospheric setting, and breadcrumb trail of deeper mystery make this an enjoyable and promising beginning. With a companion in tow, a briefcase of secrets, and a TARDIS looming in the shadows, Missy’s next move is sure to be anything but predictable.