TW: Yeah, difficult about sums it up.
After lunch, the group once more returned to the viewing room, retaking their seats before the TARDIS started the next recording.
In Yorkshire, 1893, a man is telling his wife to get the police if he hasn't returned in an hour. They share an emotional kiss before the man, Edmund assures his wife Evy everything will be fine but that they need to get the bottom of what is happening. He then heads into a room with glowing red glass as Evy watches him leave fearfully. A group of woman led by an old woman get off the lift and Evy faces them, greeting the old woman as Mrs. Gillyflower. Mrs. Gillyflower offers condolences for the loss of her husband but Evy informs her that Edmund is well before she hears Edmund's screams. Evy looks at Mrs. Gillyflower in horror as Mrs. Gillyflower apologizes for her loss. Evy screams.
"Well this is all very strange and creepy," Martha muttered as they all watched uneasily.
"In my experience, when someone knows someone has died before they actually die, it's because they arranged it," Jack noted.
"She practically screams 'fake and evil'," Donna added unnerved.
"She's like some cartoon villain," Mickey muttered.
"You have no idea," Jane said dryly.
In a morgue, a coroner uncovers Edmund's body, his skin now a blotchy red.
"Oi!" Donna exclaimed as the past viewers stared at the screen in disbelief.
"My word," Wilf said softly.
"Jack?" Martha asked, hoping he'd seen something like this before.
"Don't look at me. This is a new one," Jack said, wondering what was happening.
"It'll make sense later," Jane promised as the recording continued.
A man is standing by, watching as he and the coroner discuss the Crimson Horror, which is what the town is calling the recent epidemic of people appearing dead with red skin. The coroner demands payment in advance and the man gives him some coins. The coroner notes the police would have his head if the police knew he'd let the man come look at the body. But the man reveals Edmund is his brother and he came from Landon to bring him home.
"Well that explains why the man looks so similar to Edmund," Jack noted.
"I've never heard of this Crimson Horror," Martha mused troubled.
"You'd be surprised what becomes lost or forgotten in history," Jane shrugged.
In London, Edmund's brother is visiting Vastra and Jenny, explaining his brother was a Newsman who was working undercover. Edmund's brother asks if Vastra knows what an optogram is and Vastra scoffs, saying it's the belief that the eye can hold an image of the last thing it sees. Edmund's brother pulls a piece of paper out of his jacket and hands it to Jenny. She looks at it before handing it to Vastra. Shocked, Vastra pulls back her veil, causing Edmund's brother to faint.
Mickey snickered at this. He was the only one.
"For Vastra to not take such care, whatever she saw must be bad," Jack noted as the past viewers watched uneasily.
Later, Vastra and Jenny are in a Darkroom, Jenny hanging the picture after developing it. Jenny says they need to head north as Vastra walks over. Captured in Edmund's eye is an image of The Doctor.
"Spaceman," Donna said worriedly as the past viewers looked at the screen in concern.
"Well, guess we know how The Doctor is connected to this one," Jack noted.
"So GIllywflower is holding The Doctor prisoner?" Martha wondered.
"I think we'll find out soon," Mickey noted as the recording continued.
Later, Vastra, Jenny, and Strax are in a carriage, Vastra explaining the town's proprietor holds 'recruitment tribes' where she selects the most beautiful for her community. Strax immediately volunteers but Vastra clarifies she meant Jenny. Strax suggests Jenny take a barrage of arsenal, confusing Jenny and Vastra as he reminds them they're going to the north.
"I bloody love this guy," Mickey said with a grin.
"Yeah, Strax is a funny guy. Met him a few times," Jane said with a smile. "He's nice, for a Sontaran."
At the town hall, Mrs. Gillyflower is indeed holding one of her 'recruitment tribes', ranting about the evil of humanity. To prove her point, she unveils her daughter Ada, who is blind and has scars around her eyes, allegedly inflicted by Mrs. Gillyflower's late husband in a drunken rage.
"My God," Wilf said as the past viewers stared at the screen horrified.
"That poor girl," Donna said softly, the mother in her wanting to wrap Ada in a hug.
"Some people shouldn't have kids," Mickey said darkly as Martha gripped his hand tightly.
Jack was silent, observing Ada. Something felt off to him. He just couldn't put his finger on what yet.
As the crowd becomes horrified, Jenny watches curiously as Mrs. Gillyflower unveils a painting of Sweetville, her refuge from the coming apocalypse. After the sermon ends, Jenny signs up; Mrs. Gillyflower saying she's exactly what they're looking for.
"And she's in," Martha said softly.
"Which is probably going to be the easy part," Jack noted.
"Good luck Jenny," Donna said worriedly as they watched uneasily.
In an alley behind the hall, Vastra and Strax are discussing the plan, Vastra explaining to locate The Doctor, Jenny needs to run towards any form of danger that presents itself and ignore all keep out signs. "Business as usual then." "Business as usual."
"Seems par for the course," Martha noted, remembering many moments traveling with The Doctor where she'd had to do just that.
"It's honestly not that different from traveling with him," Donna agreed, picking up on where Martha's thoughts were headed.
In Sweetville, Ada blindly walks up some stairs before opening a doggy door and sliding a bowl of food under it. "Did you think I'd forgotten you, dear monster?" she asks before heading back down the stairs.
"So Ada keeps a monster as a pet?" Donna asked, the past viewers looking at the screen oddly.
"Not exactly. It's a long story that'll be explained later," Jane explained.
"It always is," Jack mused as the recording continued.
In town, Edmund's brother knocks on a door to house, saying he's traveled from London to see Vastra. Strax opens the door and Edmund's brother faints again.
This time no one could fight the laughs that burst from them.
"And this is why it's best some people remain in the dark. Not everyone can handle this kind of thing," Jack said with a chuckle.
Later, Edmund's brother is lying on a couch, Strax fanning him as he informs Vastra what happened. Vastra muses Mr. Thursday likely wanted a progress update. Vastra is curious how The Doctor's image ended up in Edmund's eye and how Jenny is doing. Strax suggests a frontal assault if Jenny hasn't contact them by night but Vastra shoots that down.
"Oh Strax," Jane said with a fond sigh.
"Not someone you'd want on a stealth mission then," Jack noted with a grin.
"I'm surprised all of Victorian London doesn't know about them," Donna said with a laugh.
In Sweetville, Jenny stands in line, having a casual conversation with a girl named Abigail. Abigail mentions having a friend move to Sweetville a few months ago but not having heard from her since. Seeing a door, Jenny begins unlocking it as the line begins moving; asking Abigail to cause a distraction, bribing her with money and Abigail fakes a faint. While everyone crowds around her, no one notices Jenny pick the lock and head through the door.
"Clever girl," Jack said with a grin.
"She didn't get this far by being stupid," Jane shrugged.
"So far so good," Martha muttered, unable to shake the uneasy feeling that was coming over her.
Heading into a room, Jenny finds three machines that make loud noises. Jenny hides behind one as several people carrying containers of red liquid pass her and walk out. In town, Vastra is paying a visit to the coroner, asking about the Crimson Horror. He gives her a bottle of red liquid. Vastra lowers her veil as she stares at it in disbelief, revealing she's seen these symptoms before, sixty five million years ago.
"So Vastra's seen this before then," Wilf noted.
"Seems that way Gramps. But what's with those machines that make noise?" Donna wondered.
"Either way, something that should have died out millions of years ago can't be good, for anyone," Jack said darkly as they watched uneasily.
In Sweetville, Mrs. Gillyflower and Ada have dinner, Ada asking if Mr. Sweet will join them for dinner. Mrs. Gillyflower says Mr. Sweet is tired before sprinkling some powder onto her skin.
"You all saw that right?" Mickey asked the past viewers looked at the screen oddly.
"Did she…" Donna trailed off.
"Yeah," Jane nodded. "That makes sense later."
"Bloody hope so, because she seems quite mad," Martha muttered, wondering what was going on.
A few floors below, Jenny finds the red room Edmund entered at the beginning of the recording. Hearing the noise from earlier above, Jenny climbs the stairs Mrs. Gillyflower's daughter climbed and finds the room. Unable to open it, she opens the doggy door and a red arm reaches out, grabbing her by the throat. Although startled, Jenny is confused as it lets go and retreats back through the door.
"Looks like Jenny's found the monster," Martha noted.
"Not so sure it's a monster. It has the same skin as Edmund," Jack noted.
"So maybe it's a person who survived it?" Martha wondered.
"Or someone who is still suffering from it," Jack said, wondering what was going on.
Using the bangs to communicate with the person on the side of the door, Jenny offers to open the door and they bang on the door in approval. Jenny threatens to leave them here if they try 'anything funny' before picking the lock on the door. Opening the door, Jenny is stunned to find The Doctor with red skin and chains around him.
"Spaceman!" Donna exclaimed in surprise as the past viewers started.
"What's happened to him?" Wilf asked horrified.
"Whatever's been happening to the others, but it didn't kill him," Jack noted.
"And he's been kept prisoner," Mickey said anger beginning to fill his voice.
"Not exactly. It's complicated," Jane said with a shrug.
As The Doctor groans in pain, Jenny sees his clothes nearby and realizes he can't speak. Jenny picks the lock on his chains and leads him out the door. As they head down the corridor, Ada walks off the lift. Jenny leads The Doctor into the room from the beginning of the recording, where she sees people being lowered into a vat of red liquid. Upstairs, Ada is heartbroken to discover The Doctor is gone.
"I almost feel bad for her. Almost," Martha mused.
"Don't be too hard on her. Her life is…a sad tale," Jane said with a sigh as she looked at the screen sadly.
"I'm more concerned about the people being dropped in red liquid. What is that stuff?" Jack wondered and a dark look crossed Jane's face.
"Something that had no business being in the Victorian era," Jane said but didn't elaborate.
Managing to follow The Doctor's instructions, Jenny gets him inside a room where she gives him his clothes. The Doctor turns on his screwdriver before Jenny closes the door. Hiding behind the corner from some men, Jenny sees the vent is glowing green before The Doctor jumps up, back to normal and dressed in his suit. The two greet each other happily before The Doctor kisses Jenny in excitement, for which Jenny slaps him. "You have no idea how good that feels," he says.
"Well he's back to normal," Martha said amused.
"Why is it that I miss out on the Regeneration that kisses everyone?" Jack said in disappointment.
"There there, I'm sure you'll meet him soon," Mickey said mockingly and Jack glared at him as everyone watched, amused at their antics.
The Doctor then rambles about Mrs. Gillyflower and Clara, confusing Jenny who asks how long he's been like that and what happened to him. "Long sorry. So I'll keep it short," The Doctor says before rushing off. The recording flashes back to The Doctor and Clara arriving in Yorkshire. The two talk about The Doctor's spotty piloting when they hear a scream. The Doctor and Clara follow it to a crowd around a body. Edmund is ranting about how none of them will listen when The Doctor says they will. Edmund leads them to Sweetville; The Doctor agreeing with Edmund it doesn't make sense why Mrs. Gillyflower would open up a match factory in her hometown. Edmund explains no one who goes to live there seems to come out.
"So it' a bloody cult then," Donna muttered.
"Seems to fit the mold, only accepting certain people and then cutting them off from the outside world. What I can't figure out is Gillyflower's endgame," Jack said as he narrowed his eyes. "What is that liquid and what is she doing to the people in Sweetville?"
"Spoilers," Jane said with a tight smile.
"Of course," Martha grumbled as the past viewers got annoyed.
Edmund and the coroner show The Doctor and Clara a body with red skin, the coroner telling The Doctor about the Crimson Horror. The Doctor examines the body with a magnifying glass before handing it to Clara, explaining that the eye cannot hold an image of the last thing it sees until the body's chemical composition has been corrupted.
"That explains how Edmund's eye still had The Doctor's picture in it," Wilf realized.
"Most myths have at least some science behind them," Jack shrugged. "At least in my experience."
In a lab, The Doctor is examining the red liquid, which Edmund thinks is connected to Sweetville. The Doctor notes they'll need a plan before the recording flashes to The Doctor and Clara joining Sweetville under the guise of a married couple. Gillyflower shows The Doctor and Clara around Sweetville, explaining it's named in honor of her silent partner, Mr. Sweet, who likes to keep to himself. Gillyflower then shows them to a house, with a couple trapped under a glass bubble. The Doctor and Clara then realize they're surrounded.
"So they walked right into a trap," Martha said as she, Mickey and Donna all groaned in frustration.
"Spaceman, you really are a dumbo," Donna said in exasperation.
The Doctor and Clara are then put through a vat of red liquid. Afterwards, Clara is seen perfectly still with a bunch of other women and men. Gillyflower is pleased before telling Ada to put the rejects through the canal. But as she does, she hears a groan, The Doctor's red hand sticking out. Ada reaches down and takes it.
"The process didn't kill The Doctor because he's not human," Jack realized.
"And it also didn't preserve him, it just partially worked," Martha noted. "Just enough to paralyze him with pain and be unable to move very much."
"It must have been Hell," Mickey noted and no more words were spoken, each realizing the pain The Doctor had been in.
Later, Ada explains to the semi preserved Doctor if he's good, he can stay here and be her secret. Ada then leaves him in the room as The Doctor tries helplessly to go after her.
"And on top of that, Ada became obsessed with him and so kept him prisoner rather than trying to help him," Martha said grimly.
"Honestly, Ada's probably the only reason Dad survived long enough for Jenny to find him. She's not a bad person, just very lonely," Jane explained. "Loneliness can drive people to some pretty extreme actions."
Sometime later, Edmund bursts into the room with red skin, screaming as he stares at The Doctor. He then falls over and dies. In the present, The Doctor explains to Jenny that Edmund had come looking for them and fallen into one of the vats, or was pushed. "He didn't stand a chance," The Doctor notes sadly.
"Poor Edmund," Donna noted sadly, all of them feeling horrible for the man who was only trying to help.
"Another pointless death due to a psychotic leader," Jack sighed, suddenly feeling his age.
The Doctor explains the liquid is poison which Gillyflower has been giving to the residents of Sweetville in a diluted form in order to preserve them but the process didn't work on him because he's not human. Jenny asks why Gillyflower would preserve them and The Doctor explains for the apocalypse, according to her. "When the end of days has come and judgment rains down upon us all," Jenny remembers. Jenny explains it's something Gillyflower said before saying they need to get on. The Doctor agrees, saying they need to find Clara. "But Clara's dead. Isn't she?" Jenny asks as The Doctor heads out the door.
"Wonder how Boss is gonna explain that," Mickey said and Jane shrugged.
"Not at all," she said simply but not elaborating.
The Doctor says it's complicated. In town, Strax is driving a carriage and scolds the horse for getting them lost. "Do you have any final words before your summary execution?"
"He's going to kill the horse?!" Donna exclaimed as the past viewers looked startled by this information.
"Strax is still a Sontaran," Jane shrugged.
"Bloody Hell," Mickey muttered.
As Strax pulls out a blaster and prepares to shoot the horse, a boy standing nearby, having heard Strax mention Sweetville, gives him directions. Strax holsters his weapon and gestures for the boy to join him on the carriage. He does, introducing himself as Thomas Thomas. Strax then begins heading towards Sweetville.
"Well at least that was adverted," Martha said as they all breathed a sigh of relief.
"There's no halfway with Strax, is there?" Jack asked dryly.
"He's a Sontaran," Jane shrugged helplessly.
In Sweetville, as The Doctor looks for Clara, Jenny struggles to understand how Clara can still be alive. The Doctor lamely says it's complicated before he opens a door to a house and finds Clara's preserved body. Using a chair, The Doctor breaks the glass around Clara. Ada sobs in the room she kept The Doctor in when Gillyflower enters the room. Ada then explains about The Doctor. "Wrecker! Berserker! You have loosed a reject onto the outside world!" Gillyflower sneered. Gillyflower notes she had to accelerate her plans and send her pilgrims after The Doctor. Ada grabs her mother's dress but let's go when Gillyflower sneers at her, pleading for her mother not to abandon her. "Do you not yet understand? There can be no place for people such as you. And only perfection is good enough for myself and Mr. Sweet," Gillyflower says as Ada sobs. "The bright day's done child. And you are for the dark." Gillyflower then walks out, leaving Ada sobbing.
"Okay, it's hard not to feel bad for her after that," Martha admitted, unable to help the compassion that flew from her.
"To say that to your own child," Donna said horrified and a dark look crossed Jane's face.
"That's honestly the least horrifying thing Gillyflower did to Ada," Jane said grimly and the past viewers looked at her curiously. "Ada may have kept Dad prisoner, but considering how she was raised, it's hard not to feel for her."
"Some people don't deserve to be parents," Mickey said with a scowl, thinking of his father.
Perhaps abandoning him was the best thing his father had ever done for Mickey.
The Doctor and Jenny have placed Clara in the room The Doctor's preservation was reversed, hoping it will do the same for Clara when several of Gillyflower's workers walk into the corridor. "Oh great, attack of the super models," The Doctor groans. The Doctor pulls out his screwdriver but Jenny says this is on her. Loosening her clothes, she throws them down and reveals a black jumpsuit underneath before beginning to engage the workers. "That is a plan," The Doctor says.
"Why Jenny," Jack said flirtatiously.
"She's married, and a lesbian," Martha pointed out in exasperation.
"Doesn't mean I can't appreciate the view," Jack shrugged.
"You are a bloody pig," Donna grumbled as Wilf looked uncomfortable at Jack's forwardness.
"Is there anything you won't flirt with?" Mickey asked with a chuckle and Jack shrugged.
"Jack's flirting aside, Jenny is a badass," Donna noted.
"You have to be to work with Vastra and Strax," Jane shrugged.
As the works approach, The Doctor grabs Jenny's hand and begins leading her out. Before they get far, Strax and Vastra rush in, Strax firing at the workers while laughing insanely. As the workers flee, Vastra urges a retreat but Jenny explains about Clara. Vastra is surprised as The Doctor lamely says it's a long story. Strax then rushes over, excitedly giving suggestions before Vastra says he's overexcited, asking if he's been eating Jenny' sherbet fancies. Strax denies this but Vastra sends him outside and tells him to wait until he's called. Strax grumbled as he storms out.
"He's like a kid," Martha said amused as they all laughed at Strax's antics.
"A kid armed with an arsenal of weapons, but a kind nonetheless," Jack agreed in amusement.
"It's a good thing Vastra and Jenny are there to keep him in check," Donna said with a smile.
The Doctor then opens the door, revealing Clara. He explains she's not who they think she is as Vastra notes he and Clara do indeed have unfinished business. The Doctor and Clara greet each other before Clara notices Vastra and Jenny, asking what's going on.
"Oh quite a bit," Mickey said dryly as they watched, wondering what would happen now that everyone was safe for the moment.
As they head through the factory, Vastra explains to The Doctor that when the Silurians ruled the earth, their most deadly enemy was the Red Leech, a parasite that infected their drinking water and poisoned them once in their systems. The Doctor notes maybe it's evolved in all this time and had help. Clara tries to tell him something but The Doctor keeps cutting her off, trying to piece together Gillyflower plan. Clara walks over and puts her hands on his shoulder, pointing out the chimney doesn't blow smoke. The Doctor smiles, kisses her on the forehead before they all head onto the lift.
"They're not burning anything. They can climb in through the chimney," Donna said as they caught on.
"Undetected. It's a smart plan," Jack noted as they continued to watch, curious as to how this would play out.
Down in the room Jenny had entered through earlier, the four of them hide as The Doctor explains Gillyflower is going to poison the air. Jenny asks how before a worker pulls a lever and a rocket is unveiled. The Doctor sees a bottle of poison in a basket by the base. "Alright Gang. I've got a plan."
"What is this, a Scooby Doo episode?" Mickey asked with a snicker.
"If Scooby Doo involved rockets and poisoning the human race," Martha muttered, not sharing her husband's amusement.
"Spaceman, think fast. You don't have a lot of time," Donna said uneasily.
They stand up but some metal falls and they have to squat back down to avoid being seen. Elsewhere, Gillyflower plays on a piano before turning a switch. She steps back as the piano moves inside a secret compartment in the wall, revealing the controls to the rocket.
"I think Mickey's right, this is a Scooby Doo episode," Jack said as the past viewers stared at the screen in disbelief.
"Blimey," Mickey muttered.
The Doctor and Clara head into the room The Doctor was kept in, where they find the sobbing Ada. The Doctor takes her hands and she recognizes him. The Doctor thanks her for keeping him alive and asks what's wrong. Ada tearfully tells him her mother has not chosen her and blames herself for her father blinding her. The Doctor assures her that's nonsense and notices the scars on her face. Clara asks what is it, assuring Ada she's a friend of The Doctor. "Then you are fortunate indeed. It's not good to be alone."
The past viewers felt their remaining disgust with Ada fading away reluctantly.
"She really just wanted someone to love her," Donna realized sadly.
"She'd only had her mother for a long time. That kind of loneliness can drive away near mad," Jane said softly.
"Poor Ada," Martha said sympathetically, a statement no one could disagree with.
The Doctor asks who Mr. Sweet is but Ada cannot bring herself to betray her mother. The Doctor then asks her to come with them, as she needs to know something. As Vastra and Jenny begin emerging from their hiding spot, The Doctor and Clara confront Gillyflower. The Doctor and Gillyflower mockingly exchange pleasantries before The Doctor declares he will stop her. Gillyflower laughs, saying she and Mr. Sweet won't allow that. The Doctor and Clara inquire about her close relationship with Mr. Sweet. "Oh yes Doctor. Exceeding close. Symbiotic, you might say," Gillyflower says before opening her shirt to reveal a red leech attacked to her skin.
"Bloody Hell," Mickey said as the past viewers stared at the screen in shock.
"That's why she put powder on her skin, it was for him," Jack realized.
"She's mad," Donna whispered.
"Mad with power, but trust me, she's perfectly sane. Just evil," Jane said darkly.
Gillyflower explains she found him in the river and in exchange for fulfilling his needs; Mr. Sweet gives her his 'nectar'. The Doctor warns her that in the wrong hands, that venom could wipe out humanity but Gillyflower is unbothered, flipping a switch. Outside, Thomas points Strax to the factory, where red lights have come on. Gillyflower gleefully explains her plan to wipe out humanity and those chosen will slumber for a few months before stepping out to repopulate the earth.
"You sure? Because she sounds pretty mad to me," Martha asked dryly.
"There's a difference between madness and evil . Trust me," Jack said grimly, remembering encountering many such people.
The Doctor then asks about Ada, confusing Gillyflower who calls Ada 'of no consequence'. The Doctor then reveals the truth: the scars on Ada's face did not come from her father, but from Mr. Sweet. Gillyflower used Ada as a guinea pig.
"My Lord," Wilf breathed as the past views stared at the screen horrified.
"She used her own daughter as a test subject," Martha said looking ill.
"Oi," Donna said in shock.
"She's a monster," Mickey almost snarled.
"Like you said Mickey, some people shouldn't have kids," Jack said as a dark look crossed his face. "Tell me she suffers."
"She get what she deserves, trust me," Jane said with a slight smile.
Clara is horrified as Gillyflower dismisses Ada as a necessary sacrifice. The Doctor is enraged as Gillyflower explains she needed to know how much venom was needed to create an anti-toxin for herself. Ada then walks in, having heard everything and is heartbroken by what her mother has done.
"This is what he wanted, to make Ada understand," Martha said as they all realized The Doctor's plan.
"Well let's see how this goes," Jack said, interested in how Ada would react.
Heartbreak gives way to rage and Ada then begins striking Gillyflower with her cane, angry at devoting herself to a mother who has done this to her. The Doctor pulls out his screwdriver to scan the machine but Clara uses a chair and stabs the controls, disabling the machine.
"Well that's one way to take out the controls," Jack said as the past viewers were torn between amusement and disbelief.
"Something tells me it won't be that easy," Martha noted.
"It never is," Jane said with a tight smile.
As Ada sobs, Gillyflowers put an arm around her in a show of remorse. "Oh Ada, my child, you have always been so very useful!" Gillyflower snarls as she points a gun at Ada's head.
"She really has no low she won't sink to," Donna said in disgust.
"Once you've harmed a child, there is little low you sink to," Wilf said in a surprising dark voice.
Using Ada as a hostage, Gillyflower leaves, closing the door behind her. Clara moves to follow but The Doctor warns her Gillyflower will kill Ada if they follow. The Doctor then takes the chair out of the controls and uses it to smash the windows. Forcibly leading Ada, Gillyflower encounters some workers, who confirms that the venom has been loaded onto the rocket. The Doctor and Clara go around the long way to reach the rocket as Gillyflower begins forcing Ada up the stairs. The Doctor and Clara reach the rocket and begin climbing after Gillyflower as they hear Ada's screams. Gillyflower says there's a secondary firing mechanism of the rocket.
"Of course there is," Donna said as she, Mickey and Martha groaned.
"Say what you will about her, Gillyflower isn't stupid," Jack noted. "Completely insane, but not stupid."
"No one stupid could pull all this off," Martha said grimly.
The Doctor pleads with Gillyflower to let Ada go and Gillyflower heartlessly tosses her down some stairs before taking aim at her with the gun. "Shoot if you wish Mama! It is of no matter, for you killed me a long time ago!" Ada cries.
There wasn't anyone who didn't feel sympathy for Ada in that moment.
"That poor girl," Martha said with a sigh.
"Abuse is the oldest form of evil. Sadly, it didn't always get the attention it deserved back then," Jack said darkly.
The Doctors moves to go up the stairs but Gillyflower fires at him. The Doctor dodges but isn't in time to stop Gillyflower from activating the launch. The Doctor and Clara can only watch as the rocket flies up into space.
"No," Donna breathed as the past viewers stared at the screen horrified.
'"Well we know the human race didn't end in the Victorian Era, so something had to stop it," Jack noted, curious as to what that was.
Gillyflower revels in her victory but The Doctor snaps his fingers and Gillyflower sees Vastra and Jenny, holding the basket with the venom. Enraged, Gillyflower prepares to shoot Vastra and Jenny. "Put down your weapon, human female!" Strax says as they look up to see him aiming his blaster at Gillyflower.
"Thank the Lord," Wilf said as the past viewers all breathed a sigh of relief.
"Nowhere to run now Mrs. Gillyflower," Mickey said vindictively.
Strax and Gillyflower fire at each other and Gillyflower is knocked down, falling down the stairs and lands in a heap at the base of the tower. "Ouch!" The Doctor winces. They climb down to see Mr. Sweet crawling away from Gillyflower, to her despair. The Doctor explains Gillyflower is no longer of any use to Mr. Sweet, as she's dying. Ada walks down and reaches her mother, who pleads for forgiveness. "Never." "That's my girl," Gillyflower says proudly before dying.
"Good for Ada," Donna said happily.
"A rather pathetic end to a vile woman," Wilf noted.
"Which is no less than she deserved," Martha said darkly and Wilf merely shrugged, not disagreeing.
The rocket then explodes in the sky, startling everyone. Jenny asks what The Doctor will do with Mr. Sweet and he proposes taking it back to the Jurassic Era before Ada violently beats it with her cane.
"Well that takes care of that problem," Donna said as she, Martha, Mickey and Jack laughed, unable to help it.
"It took her eyesight, feels fitting that she gets her revenge on it," Jack mused.
The next day, The Doctor and Clara head back to the TARDIS, The Doctor noting they were heading for London but Clara says she's had enough of Victorian values for a while. Clara heads inside, teasing him about being the boss before closing the door.
The mood plummeted at these words. While it was meant to be lighthearted, it was a true statement, as The Space Siren had gotten her hooks into The Doctor. No one said a word, but they all knew they were thinking the same thing.
The Doctor then walks up to Ada, who wishes him farewell. The Doctor asks about her. "It's time I stepped out of the darkness and into the light," Ada says. The Doctor wishes her luck, kissing Ada on the check and assuring her she'll be splendid.
"Good for Ada," Donna said happily.
"She's finally able to move from the abuse of her mother," Martha noted pleased.
"If only we could all be so lucky," Mickey muttered, his eyes faraway and Martha gently grabbed his hand, looking at him concerned.
The Doctor wishes Vastra, Jenny and Strax farewell before heading over to the TARDIS. Jenny stops him, pointing out he hasn't explained about Clara. The Doctor agrees he hasn't before heading inside the TARDIS.
"Still so many secrets Doctor," Martha noted.
"More like he doesn't know what to tell her, so he just kept it to himself," Jack noted. "He doesn't know what's going on with Clara himself either."
Martha shrugged, seeing Jack's point.
As Strax and Vastra note the bottle of poison is headed to the vault, Mr. Thursday walks up behind them, asking about progress. But when he sees the TARDIS dematerialize, he faints.
Snickers broke out across the room, the tension in the room broken slightly by this.
"Mr. Thursday, never go into our line of work," Jack said amused.
In 2013, Clara returns home and heads into the kitchen. She sees the laptop is open on the kitchen and heads over, seeing pictures of herself and The Doctor with the Russians and one with Alec and Emma. Angie and Artie then walk up behind her, noting it's definitely Clara. Clara tries to deny this but Angie and Artie have figured it out, along with The Doctor being an alien. But Clara's attention is drawn to a picture of herself from the Victorian London, accidently revealing she was in fact time traveling. Artie and Angie then plead for a trip on the TARDIS. Clara refuses until Angie threatens to tell their father.
"Busted," Mickey sang as they all shared a laugh at Clara's expense.
"Rookie mistake Clara, always deny everything," Jack said amused.
"Looks like they'll be taking the kids on a trip then. Wonder how will that go," Donna wondered and Jane grimaced.
"Not well," Jane said simply before the next recording started.
A decent episode that was largely carried by Vastra, Strax and Jenny. Not bad, but not up to the same level as the Pond Era.