World of Who: The Magician's Apprentice

Season 9 of Doctor Who finally got under way and I have to say that I greatly enjoyed it. It brings a lot of stuff back that I've wanted to see like the Shadow Proclamation which I had hoped would play in a role in the return of Gallifrey. There was a lot done in this episode and I can't wait for the second part. It really does hit the ground running with something that almost seems like the Doctor has sort of lost his mojo/drive or like when he used the Moment to destroy Gallifrey felt he was unworthy of being the Doctor.

Missy's return was very reminiscent of Moriarty's return in Sherlock or Sherlock's return in Sherlock. We don't know how they survived but they did so here we are and since Steven Moffat writes both I guess that is to be expected. It's easier to accept that in Doctor Who since the Master always had a talent for surviving when he shouldn't have. I honestly only liked parts of Missy in season 8 but here i loved every moment she was on screen. My biggest issues with Missy is that I'm tired of the Master being season 3 and 4 crazy and I got real tired of her quick when she started making out with the Doctor and she and the Cybermen seemed so underused in her finale last season. The craziness seemed more focused, not taking away from the story at least to me and Missy describing her relationship with the Doctor as a lifelong complicated friendship works better. I love the energy Michelle Gomez brings to the role and her reaction to Scaro appearing was brilliant. She really came across as a sort of Barbosa to the Doctor's Jack in that somehow they are friends but are primarily enemies.

Clara was all right this episode. Maybe I'm like most of her detractors and liked her character better in the Snowmen and Asylum of the Daleks but season 8 really ruined her character for me in a bit with episodes like Kill the Moon, and Forest of the Night. "Ruined" may be too strong a word honestly but I will say that seeing her in this new chapter in her life leaves me optimistic for what will apparently be her least season. I'm hoping that she won't be overly important to the Doctor's life again. For Clara, it always seems best when it shows how little she really knows about the Doctor like his Confession Dile and Davros, no companion should be like Jesus to the Doctor in the same way the Doctor should't be like Jesus.

The Doctor was all right and it's not to say that I didn't enjoy Peter Capaldi as the Doctor because I've greatly enjoyed him (best part of season 8). The problem is that we have kind of crossed this bridge before with the 11th Doctor (my personal favorite) thinking he is going to die. His guilt/shame over Davros makes a lot of sense. This is the second time that the Doctor has made an important choice concerning the Daleks that has left a heavy hurt in his heart. Though this time he chose not to spare someone as opposed to when he chose to spare the Daleks. It leaves a profound impact on the Doctor like using the Moment did on the War Doctor, he doesn't feel like the Doctor anymore, hence him not having a screwdriver. It's interesting really, both times on Scaro the Doctor makes a choice that costs him something later on, the first time it led to the Time War and this time it leads to the "death" of Missy and Clara as well as the TARDIS.

Davros is brilliantly acted and as much as I like seeing him he doesn't have the same gravitas in other stories. This makes sense considering he is dying but I had hoped for at least another fun discussion like he had with the 4th, 6th, and 7th Doctors.

Ultimately this was a fun episode though I feel the reveal of what the Doctor did could have been saved for possibly part 2 or later on this episode. There were fun little mentions of Classic Who in UNIT mentioning different versions of Atlantis, many Daleks from the past like the Special Weapons Dalek, and a possible reference to the episode Time Flight. Tune in next week when we cover part 2 and the story in it's entirety.