Doctor Who
ABC TV, 7.30pm Sunday
SERIES nine of the “New-Who” has started in spectacular fashion – the 12th Doctor played by Peter Capaldi (or 13th or 14th depending who you talk to) is back in the Tardis and ready to go travelling with his companion.
And yet, not really, because the opening episode of the new series stripped the Doctor of everything thing he knows, loves and holds dear.
The episode, The Magician’s Apprentice, written by show-runner Steven Moffat, does something that that last series didn’t do enough of – places the Doctor firmly at the centre of the action.
It asks the question that Doctor Who has asked a few times but never really answered or fully explored- that time traveller’s dilemma – if you find a small child that needs saving but you discover that this person grows up to be a monster, do you still save them?
The Doctor comes across a frightened young boy on an alien planet in the middle of a long, long war. His compassion draws him to save him from the “hand mines” a field of hands with eyes in their palm that can pull you under the soil to your death (thanks for THAT nightmare Grand Moff-tah). But as he is talking this young boy to safety he asks his name, the reply sends chills down the spine of any long-term Whovian: “Davros”.
The man who created the Daleks, whose creations all but destroyed the Earth (on numerous occasions) and the Doctor’s home planet Gallifrey. Do you save a small boy, knowing he will become a monster? And if you abandon him to the fates are you then ulitimately responsible for what he does and what he becomes in the name of fear – would showing him compassion made him better?
Would killing him been a better option, even though you are the ultimate pacifist?
The Magician’s Apprentice was a fitting opening for a series that many fans were seeing as “more of the same”.
The return of Michelle Gomez as the ying to the Doctor’s yang – the Master (or in this case Missy) adds to the fun. It seems under the stewardship of Paisley-born Moffatt, Gallifrey’s second city is no longer Arcadia but Glasgow, with both the Gallifreyans now played by lanky, angular Scots. Jenna Louise Coleman returns as the Doctor’s friend and “carer” Clara (she cares so he doesn’t have to!) but for how long? With the BBC announcing that she will be finishing up this season – probably not the entire season, but my guess is longer than you think if you watched the first episode.
Also back is Gemma Redgrave as Kate Stewart – daughter of the Doctor’s old friend the Brigadier – the head of the UNIT – a security agent that has worked closely with the Doctor over the years. She is smart and no-nonsense and the perfect foil to the more outrageous doctor.
The series opener was good pure old-fashioned science fiction (a little over indulgent at times – 12 playing guitar while sitting on a tank in medieval Britain because he could) but it was a good solid start and an indication that we are about to (finally) see the 12th doctor in full flight!
– Tania Phillips
