Doctor Who fans are DIVIDED over the season finale with some calling it 'a grand payoff' and others were left 'deflated'

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Doctor Who viewers have mixed feelings on Empire of Death with some saying the ending was 'underwhelming'

The key art for Doctor Who season 14 on Disney Plus, featuring Ncuti Gatwa with an outstretched hand
(Image credit: Disney Plus/BBC)

Doctor Who reached its conclusion last night and fans have very mixed opinions, with some saying the ending was 'underwhelming'.

The season finale of Ncuti Gatwa's Doctor Who, titled Empire of Death landed on BBC iPlayer at midnight on Saturday 22nd June and was broadcast at the usual time of 6.40 pm last night. 

The season's conclusion was highly anticipated after a series run that some viewers have said is the best yet - but with so much build-up, it's no surprise that some viewers were left disappointed. 

One Doctor Who fan wrote on X (formerly Twitter) 'Doctor who season 1 review: (im gonna sound harsh and i’m so sorry…) but this genuinely was the most disappointed i’ve been with a doctor who season. 

'Especially learning the point of this season was trying to do my favorite star wars arc but just misunderstanding it entirely.'

But not everyone was critical, with another writing, 'Empire of Death is such a good indication of why I prefer RTD Who. The ending was emotionally resonant. 

'A grand payoff for both "Just this once everybody lives!" And "everybody knows that everybody dies but no one knows it like The Doctor".'

While another fan said, 'How I felt after that #DoctorWho' alongside a clip from Gavin and Stacey where Alison Steadman’s Pam points at a TV screen and shouts, "Is that it?"

While another wrote, 'Bit deflated by the #doctorwho finale. Not gonna lie. All that build up to Rubys mum? For someone random?!'

And another fan commented, 'Not going to lie, slightly under whelmed by the end of Dr Who. Or maybe I just missed something? Maybe more of this will come back in the next series.'

While another said they were sad to see the end of this series, writing, 'I know I moaned about parts of the finale, but damn I really am gonna miss the show Eight episodes just didn’t feel enough. 

'Doesn’t feel like we’ve seen enough of Ncuti in the role. Now we wait until xmas for more.'

Empire of Death is available to stream on BBC iPlayer.

Lauren Hughes
Freelance writer

Lauren is the former Deputy Digital Editor at woman&home and became a journalist mainly because she enjoys being nosy. With a background in features journalism, Lauren worked on the woman&home brand for four years before going freelance. Before woman&home Lauren worked across a variety of women's lifestyle titles, including GoodTo, Woman's Own, and Woman magazine. After starting out working for a local paper in Yorkshire, her journalism career took her to Bristol where she hunted out stories for national papers and magazines at Medavia news agency, before landing a job in London working as a lifestyle assistant.

A big fan of adventure, Lauren is also a keen travel writer and loves sharing tips on where to find the best places to eat, drink, and be merry off the beaten track. Lauren has written a series of travel guides for London hotels and loves sharing her insights into a destination's cultural and culinary offerings. If you need a recommendation on any UK destination, she's more than happy to help. At the weekend, you'll usually find her hanging out with her pet cat (or anyone else's pet she can get her hands on), escaping to the countryside, or devouring a good book.