The Return of Missy (and more Doctor Who News!)

After a bit of silence since the close of the last Doctor Who season, BBC has announced today that Michelle Gomez will be reprising her sinister role as Missy for Doctor Who series (season) 9. The news doesn’t strike me as all that surprising; Missy appeared in small cameos throughout series 8, and quickly became a fan favorite. I won’t spoil anything for you, but the way she closed out the season was positively diabolical. She brought a wonderful foil to Capaldi’s newly regenerated Doctor; who definitely wasn’t ready to handle her playfully insane antics.

Missy will appear in the new season’s 2-part opener, which will be directed by none other than Hettie Macdonald. If the name doesn’t ring a bell, that’s probably because she hasn’t directed an episode since 2007–a little story known as “Blink.” Also returning to Season 9 will be Jemma Redgrave, who played Kate Lethbridge-Stewart in the 50th anniversary. Clare Higgins (Hellraiser 1 & 2, The Golden Compass), who had a small role in one of the mini-sodes from the 50th anniversary, will also be making an appearance alongside a number of other guest stars.

Needless to say, I’m quite excited at the potential the upcoming season has to offer, not only because of these characters, but because the show is finally getting more girl power! We’ve been pining for a strong, non-companion female character since River’s last appearance. I love Madame Vastra and Jenny both, but sadly their characters haven’t been around much. I can’t think of the last time I saw a truly enjoyable Doctor Who anti-hero played by an actress as wonderful as Gomez. Fans have long clamored for a female Doctor; is this Moffat’s way of giving us a taste? Let’s certainly hope so! We’ll see Missy and the Doctor again in the fall of 2015.