Actress Michelle Gomez will reprise her role as Missy on Doctor Who despite having died in the season finale “Death in Heaven.” She was seemingly disintegrated by a blast from the Doctor’s old ally the Brigadier, who had been downloaded into a Cyberman body. Of course, the bright flash could have just as easily been a teleportation beam. It’s also possible she downloaded her mind into another body. And let’s not forget timey wimey explanations for her return. Gomez made the announcement in an enigmatic video, in which she eats an apple while referencing the biblical story of Adam and Eve. The gender-bending Time Lord seems to suggest it doesn’t matter whether it was a man or woman who ate the apple. She stresses that it was the serpent at fault. Perhaps not coincidentally, Clare Higgins (Hellraiser) will guest star in the series opening.
“Things have been a little beige since I left Missy behind, so I’m delighted to be putting my Lippie back on. I’m positively dying to see the Doctor again!” Gomez told the BBC.
The villainess will return in the two-part season premiere “The Magician’s Apprentice” and “The Witch’s Familiar” written by Executive Producer Steven Moffat. The episode titles could be references to the Doctor and Missy. The Doctor’s wardrobe has been liken to that of a magician and Missy certainly has supernatural evil to her. Given Missy’s unhealthy obsession with the Doctor maybe she take on her own companion or the familiar could be the aforementioned serpent.
“Everybody hide – Michelle Gomez as Missy was an instant hit last year, so she’s straight back to plague the Doctor and Clara in the series opener. But what brings her back into their lives is the last thing they’d expect,” Moffat teased.
And what would be more unexpected than the Doctor and Clara saving Missy? The Time Lady introduced them by giving out Doctor’s phone number but, for all we know, that was her future.
Doctor Who season 9 premieres Autumn 2015 on BBC & BBCA.
