35.01: The Magician's Apprentice

[Lenny]

'Where is the Doctor?' When the skies of Earth are frozen by a mysterious alien force, Clara needs her friend. But where is the Doctor, and what is he hiding from? As past deeds come back to haunt him, old enemies will come face to face, and for the Doctor and Clara, survival seems impossible.

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Earth threatened by a "mysterious alien force"? The Companion needs the Doctor? ...but the Doctor is nowhere to be found?!

Yeah, sounds about right.

For the UK Beeb watchers, time to bring back the broadcast sweepstakes! One point to anyone who predicted that tonight's timeslot would be: BBC1, 19:40.

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By the way, there's a prologue to the episode: http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p0326pdj/doctor-who-series-9-new-series-prologue

 

[Anushka Mokosh]

That was an interesting episode to say the least. I hope the show will retain this tone for a while. I wasn't even irritated by Clara too much. Missy is glorious as always.

 

[Jesse412]

Excellent start to the season I thought the atmosphere was eerie, there were some genuinely funny bits and some interesting visuals. The Handmine field during the intro was really creepy looking as was Davros' servant Colony Sarff. It was also nice to see the returns of The Maldovarium, the Shadow Proclamation and the Shadow Architect, the Sisterhood of Karn and Missy. Peter Capaldi appearing playing electric guitar on a tank was one of the coolest moments ever. The scene where Colony Sarff transforms into a bunch of snakes was pretty crazy. The reveal that Bors from "The Doctor's Meditation" was a Dalek puppet came as a complete surprise. Seeing Clara and Missy work together in an uneasy alliance was certainly interesting. Loved the use of the classic Doctor clips especially "Unlimited rice pudding!" Great reveal that the space station was actually on the planet Skaro. That was one hell of a cliffhanger! Really looking forward to next week and will probably rewatch this a few times.

 

[Lenny]

The end of this episode has me worried that PCaps is being thrown into an rehash of 32.01: The Impossible Astronaut, and all that followed - sure, it'll likely be resolved in a highly convenient way in next weeks'** episode, but RTD Bingo is too ingrained in the show's DNA, and Moffat is too timey-wimey-obsessed, for the rest of the episodes this series to not deal, in some way, with the fallout.


**timeslot sweepstakes start now! No peeking at the BBC website

 

[HareBrain]

Peter Capaldi appearing playing electric guitar on a tank was one of the coolest moments ever.

You're failing to honour your "old curmudgeon" user title, and I'm going to have to take it off you. I know (from reading other things online) I'm very much in the minority, but I thought this bit was hideous (and best summed up by a word that sounds a little like "tank"). Apart from a few moments, I was pretty unimpressed with the whole episode. But then, I always am. I don't know why I come back at the start of every season. I suppose I just want to like it again.

Davros was good, I guess.

 

[Jo Zebedee]

You're failing to honour your "old curmudgeon" user title, and I'm going to have to take it off you. I know (from reading other things online) I'm very much in the minority, but I thought this bit was hideous (and best summed up by a word that sounds a little like "tank"). Apart from a few moments, I was pretty unimpressed with the whole episode. But then, I always am. I don't know why I come back at the start of every season. I suppose I just want to like it again.

Davros was good, I guess.

Seconded. He plays too much with the doctor mythology and storylines - which only are interesting if you're a doctor-geek - and not enough on just making a damn good, fun, stands on their own episodes. Kids enjoyed it, though.

 

[Perpetual Man]

Overall I enjoyed it.

And that was because I thought it was superior to most of the stuff that we saw last year.

There were flaws, but as a whole it flowed nicely and I liked the reinstatement of the cliffhanger ending. Apparently there are going to be a lot of two parters this year so there will be more of them.

What made it strange I think there were parts that I both did and didn't like at the same time, the aforementioned guitar solo being one of them. It seemed out of character with the Doctor we saw last year, and not something that I would have expected from any Doctgor. But at the same time it was fun, in it's own little way. (Loved the part where he played the DW theme).

Equally I loved and hated the throwaway line about Missy being back from the dead, on the one hand it made her return seem a bit trite, on the other it just worked.

It also fit in with another part of the story, about how a Time Lord dies, that it is normally a form of meditation. We have seen how well they cope with severe injuries via regeneration, but this seemed somehow fitting.

It was also nice to see that the Doctor would have sent his will to Missy, despite being on opposing sides there always has been a bond between the two of them. I remember an interview with Barry Letts (Producer during the Pertwee era) who said that he had one last Master story to tell, where the bond of friendship between the two of them would be shown, something both Pertwee and Roger Delgado (The original Master) wanted. Unfortunately Delgado was killed in a tragic accident before they could film it. This seemed to tie loosely with that.

Missy made a reference to having known the Doctor since he was a little girl. Another attempt to pave the way fro a female Doctor. I have said in the past that I do not like the idea of a female Doctor - outside of certain circumstances - but this grated as last year we apparently saw the young Doctor and we saw him as a boy. The way that have been playing it, swapping sex takes place over regeneration so when did the little boy regenerate? Not to mention William Hartnell is the first Doctor a male if I am not mistaken.

Having been introduced to the idea of a hidden incarnation - The War Doctor - and the Doctor receiving another set of regenerations, are we now going to be asked to accept that he had another set before Hartnell?

Anyhoo, overall enjoyed the episode and am looking forward to next week without cringing as I was last year.

 

[REBerg]

That was an interesting episode to say the least. I hope the show will retain this tone for a while. I wasn't even irritated by Clara too much. Missy is glorious as always.

Missy stole the show, even beating out the Doctor's totally over-the-top, rock star performance at the "axe" fight. Very punny choice of weapons. Tank-you, Doctor.

I was thoroughly entertained by the episode, and that's all I ever really ask of Doctor Who. Trying to make a lot of logical sense from events detracts from my enjoyment.

The cliffhanger ending worked. My grandson's reaction when it was over was "Aw! I wanted more Doctor Who."

Me too.

 

[HoopyFrood]

Missy made a reference to having known the Doctor since he was a little girl. Another attempt to pave the way fro a female Doctor. I have said in the past that I do not like the idea of a female Doctor - outside of certain circumstances - but this grated as last year we apparently saw the young Doctor and we saw him as a boy. The way that have been playing it, swapping sex takes place over regeneration so when did the little boy regenerate? Not to mention William Hartnell is the first Doctor a male if I am not mistaken.

She said this in a list of three things and then said one is a lie, so I don't think anyone needs to worry. Plus, it's Missy.

I agree with REB, all I ever ask for from Doctor Who is to be entertained. I am such the 'ideal' audience member -- I've been excited for weeks, I sing along with the opening titles, I gasp in the right places (child Davros!) and I immediately want more once it's finished.

The guitar bit was a little over the top but I enjoyed it for showing off Calpaldi's mad skills. Dude's got talent leaking out of him.

Loved the snake guy.

Kinda want that to be the end of Clara because it would be so ballsy to kill of a companion like that. But then I want Missy back. Then again, death didn't do much the last time.

I do so love Missy.

Anyway, pretty epic start to the new series, so I'm happy.

 

[Vladd67]

Tim James you mentioned the hidden incarnation, the War Doctor, but if you saw the Tom Baker story the Brain of Morbius you would know that there had been other hidden incarnations and that Hartnell was not the first Doctor. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Brain_of_Morbius#Faces_in_the_mind-bending_sequence

 

[Vince W]

I enjoyed this episode quite a bit. Much better than last year and the story is interesting. The tone was right overall and the cliffhanger does make me want to see what happens next week.

However, I am not a fan of Missy as she's being portrayed. This episode especially felt like she was copying Jack Nicholson's Joker from Batman. It was a little too looney and randomly psychotic. If Moffat would tone this wacky behaviour I think Missy could be a great foil for the Doctor, but as it stands she's just an object of pity.

Still, this first episode is definitely a step in the right direction.

 

[farntfar]

we apparently saw the young Doctor and we saw him as a boy.

Did we? I'm not entirely sure. I remember seeing the Master, as a boy,looking all disturbed by the infinite schism, but I couldn't swear to having seen the doctor as a boy. Several other time children of both sexes looked perfectly happy when they saw it, as I recall, but are we sure which one was the Doctor?
Perhaps someone who has it recorded can verify that, as my memory could very easily be way off. (And I'm not even sure that's the bit you're refering to.)

 

[Vladd67]

We saw the Doctor as a boy in the farmhouse where the war Doctor met up with two others, his parents didn't think he was clever enough to be a time lord but he didn't want to be a soldier.

 

[Warren_Paul]

Ridiculous and far fetched as always yet somehow still entertaining. Seeing Davros make an appearance was interesting, especially him as a boy. But that ending... trying to shock the viewer... yet it fell flat because we know it won't stay that way. But hey, the doctor needs something to motivate him...

 

[TheDustyZebra]

I'm not sure we know yet whether the Doctor originally left Davros the boy to die (because clearly he didn't) or not, nor whether his next visit there was to kill Davros or save him. I can see it going either way, in both instances, despite what we're led to believe.

I liked this episode fine -- I'm like Hoopy, the ultimate fan who likes most anything.

I was a bit torn on the tank scene, whether to laugh in derision or love it. It was very Matt Smith, though. And Capaldi is growing in my estimation as a handsome dude.

 

[Anushka Mokosh]

Missy stole the show, even beating out the Doctor's totally over-the-top, rock star performance at the "axe" fight. Very punny choice of weapons. Tank-you, Doctor.

I was thoroughly entertained by the episode, and that's all I ever really ask of Doctor Who. Trying to make a lot of logical sense from events detracts from my enjoyment.

The cliffhanger ending worked. My grandson's reaction when it was over was "Aw! I wanted more Doctor Who."

Me too.

"Oh, Missy you so fine, you so fine you blow my mind." had be giggling for quite a while because that song is such an earworm. I just couldn't stop.

I have to admit that it was thoroughly satisfying seeing Clara get exterminated. I know it won't last, but still. XD

 

[thaddeus6th]

Agree, HareBrain.

Davros as a wimp accepting the daleks being in charge worked in this instance, but in his earlier New Who appearance the 'reached an accommodation' line was completely at odds with his entire character. For people clearly so into Doctor Who, it was a bizarre 180.

Vladd, but some say the earlier incarnations were quite Other-wise

 

[Vladd67]

Agree, HareBrain.

Davros as a wimp accepting the daleks being in charge worked in this instance, but in his earlier New Who appearance the 'reached an accommodation' line was completely at odds with his entire character. For people clearly so into Doctor Who, it was a bizarre 180.

Vladd, but some say the earlier incarnations were quite Other-wise

True and it was before the 12 regeneration limit was thought up, which will probably be ignored as it is old Who so doesn't matter.

 

[Perpetual Man]

Tim James you mentioned the hidden incarnation, the War Doctor, but if you saw the Tom Baker story the Brain of Morbius you would know that there had been other hidden incarnations and that Hartnell was not the first Doctor. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Brain_of_Morbius#Faces_in_the_mind-bending_sequence

Very true, not going to argue with the appearance of other faces who could well have been previous incarnations of the Doctor, but it was never confirmed that they were either. They could have been Morbius - although it is very doubtful the way the battle was going. (Hell they could have been random members of the then Doctor Who production staff ) But as far as cannon goes there is nothing that has been said other than Hartnell was the first Doctor.

Did we? I'm not entirely sure. I remember seeing the Master, as a boy,looking all disturbed by the infinite schism, but I couldn't swear to having seen the doctor as a boy. Several other time children of both sexes looked perfectly happy when they saw it, as I recall, but are we sure which one was the Doctor?
Perhaps someone who has it recorded can verify that, as my memory could very easily be way off. (And I'm not even sure that's the bit you're refering to.)

We saw the Doctor as a boy in the farmhouse where the war Doctor met up with two others, his parents didn't think he was clever enough to be a time lord but he didn't want to be a soldier.

To back Vladd up, we saw the young Doctor in last years stand out episode 'Listen'

True and it was before the 12 regeneration limit was thought up, which will probably be ignored as it is old Who so doesn't matter.

I'm on a roll now, the 12 regeneration rule was first mentioned in The Deadly Assassin, I do believe.

There's a fascinating article on regeneration here: Regeneration

 

[REBerg]

I liked this episode fine -- I'm like Hoopy, the ultimate fan who likes most anything.

Doctor Who is that elderly entity I've taken into my home because it won my heart so many years ago. I don't fault it because sometimes repeats stories, says nonsensical things or needs its diaper changed. I accept it for what it is and continue to lovingly watch over it.

Shouldn't Doctor Who have been declared an international treasure by now?