The latest series of Doctor Who began this past Saturday, and
I thought it right and proper to review the newest episodes as they air. I will
ABSOLUTELY be getting into spoiler territory so please watch the episodes
FIRST! Part of “The Magician’s Apprentice” was spoiled for me and I don’t want
to be the cause of that kind of disappointment. Spoilers ahead after some space…
I’ll start by saying I flat out loved
this story. Steven Moffatt has his haters out there (no! you don’t say!) but
the man is a fan of the series, through and through. He can tell a story that’s
full of fan service and appease the 13 year old in me any time. Davros, the
Master, Daleks – I love it all! Not to mention incorporating the mythos of the
newer stories. I don’t think I ever expected a revisit to the Shadow
Proclamation, but putting it side by side with a return to Karn? I’m all in.
Let’s get the big spoiler out of the
way right off the bat – Davros! It has been too long since the creator of the
Daleks has shown up in new Who,
especially since Julian Bleach’s portrayal is just so damned good. The
callbacks and references to “Genesis of the Daleks” come fast and furious, but
the appearance of young Davros brings the events of that story full circle.
There is even a video clip of Tom Baker’s “Do I have the right?” speech, which
essentially is the setup for the entire plot. When Terry Nation created Davros,
it was so that the Daleks had a mouthpiece, someone who was a bit more fully
realized and could interact without being a monotone-Dalek-voiced-blah-blah…
The new series has done well avoiding that trap in episodes like “Dalek” and “Into
the Dalek” where there have been Daleks showing emotions. But having Davros
back? Yes, please. The Daleks only speak with hate, whereas Davros has finesse.
Insane finesse, but still.
I never warmed to the John Simm
Master, truth be told. It never quite seemed to get the characterization right.
My first Master was Anthony Ainley, but my *favorite* is unquestionably Roger
Delgado. Michelle Gomez returns as the “Missy” incarnation of the Master and
has rapidly become my second favorite incarnation of the Time Lord. She is as
bananas as ever, but watching her, there is a coldness behind the insanity. She
can act crazy as all get out, but don’t for one second think that she’s not
calculating the different ways to kill you if given half a chance. Her
insistence that she and the Doctor are best friends – “a friendship older than
[our] civilization” reminds me of the best of Pertwee/Delgado interactions.
Last but by no means least, the Doctor
and Clara. Goodness these two are strong together. They might not always be on
the same page – hell they could be in different books – but the characterizations
of both are just so strong. Clara has become kind of a badass, advising UNIT in
the Doctor’s absence, and the English teacher/motorcycle leathers ensemble she
wears really works. Yeah, I have kind of a crush on Ms. Coleman. The Doctor –
still the same hard edges as he had in Season Eight, but now a bit more
nuanced. The events of this story would fit easily in last season’s “Am I a
good man” theme, and Capaldi plays it knowing what kind of man he is, but still
not sure of the decisions he makes. Actually, scratch that. He IS sure of a
certain decision, he just happens to think it was the wrong one, and he is
ashamed. We’ve seen every emotion play across the Doctor’s faces over the
regenerations, but there are few things as unnerving as a Doctor who’s ashamed.
This new season is comprised of
primarily two-parters, so it will still be a week before getting some
explanations that we know are coming. I’m comfortable in saying that Clara and
Missy aren’t dead, and the TARDIS hasn’t really been destroyed, but I can’t
wait to figure out how. I want to see the Doctor and Davros face off like never
before – Davros is dying while the Doctor is still starting out a whole new
regeneration cycle with this incarnation. Yet both have lived so, so long that
they surely must have more to say to each other in what could truly be their
last meeting. I, for one, can’t wait.
Some quick bullet point about things I
just loved about this story:
- Capaldi wailing the Doctor Who theme on his electric guitar was even more meta than “The Sound of Drums” being the theme’s baseline.
- The Sisterhood of Karn – just give us a full episode sequel to “The Brain of Morbius” already!
- Old school – seriously, I mean “Dead Planet” era – Daleks. They just need one with a radar dish on its back!
- “Say something nice” as a catchphrase. It could easily get overplayed, but Gomez makes it work.
- Hand mines. Proper creepy, those.
I love
it when Doctor Who is back with new
episodes, but wow, the weeks go by so slowly. Still, just five days until “The
Witch’s Familiar”!
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