The Magician's Apprentice
- Episode aired Sep 19, 2015
- TV-PG
- 49m
IMDb RATING
8.3/10
6.9K
YOUR RATING
When the skies of Earth are frozen by a mysterious alien force, Clara needs her friend, the Doctor. But where is he and what is he hiding from?When the skies of Earth are frozen by a mysterious alien force, Clara needs her friend, the Doctor. But where is he and what is he hiding from?When the skies of Earth are frozen by a mysterious alien force, Clara needs her friend, the Doctor. But where is he and what is he hiding from?
Nicholas Briggs
- Daleks
- (voice)
India Amarteifio
- Alison
- (as India Ria Amarteifio)
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaPeter Capaldi was really playing the guitar during the Doctor's big entrance and for Pretty Woman. In real life, Capaldi is an accomplished rock guitarist and once had a band back in Scotland with Craig Ferguson called The Dreamboys.
- GoofsThe doctor realizes he needs to go back and save the boy because Dalek-Clara can express "Mercy," something he says they shouldn't be able to do. In season 5 (The Big Bang), a Dalek begs River for mercy repeatedly, using that exact word.
- Quotes
The Doctor: Davros is my archenemy. Why would I want to talk with him?
Missy: Now wait, hang on a minute. Davros is your archenemy now?
- ConnectionsFeatured in Doctor Who Extra: Behind the Scenes of the Series 9 Prologue (2015)
Featured review
Hello Goodbye
Unlike the lukewarm first episode of the previous series which introduced Peter Capaldi to the Doctor Who role, this curtain-raiser for the second series was for me a success at almost every level. Starting off with the first of many arresting special effects of the Doctor encountering the young Davros in a war-zone and in particular a terrifying hand-mine infested area (and that's not a mistype of land-mine, believe me) we're then led into an introduction to the sinister Colony Sarff seeking out the Doctor on the apparently dying Dalek creator's final wish. The story, as it makes clear later, takes as its jumping-off point an ethical dilemma posed by Tom Baker's Doctor in an episode from the 70's.
Cut then to planet earth where Clara is naturally, with her eyes-on-the-skies, the first to witness the singular phenomenon of aeroplanes the world over being frozen in mid-air, which turns out to be a typically elaborate reintroduction to the Missy character (completed with a very humorous reference to a piece of disposable 80's pop) who's also, wouldn't you know looking, for our main man. Finally the Doc makes his first extended appearance, in the guise of a would-be rock star or should that be axe-victim and so the adventure really begins.
There are good jokes ("don't upset him or he'll go Scottish!" particularly hitting home from the pen of my fellow-countryman Steven Moffat), some more great effects, especially the metamorphosis into a bag of snakes by the Colony Sarff and then, right at the end, shocks at the double leaving a real sense of confusion and anticipation as to what happens next.
This was definitely one of the best latter-day Doctor Who episodes I've seen and I only hope that the sequel lives up to expectations although judging by Jenna Coleman's recent announcement, it sadly looks as if Clara may have gone none too gently into that good night. Or has she, time, perhaps literally, will tell.
Cut then to planet earth where Clara is naturally, with her eyes-on-the-skies, the first to witness the singular phenomenon of aeroplanes the world over being frozen in mid-air, which turns out to be a typically elaborate reintroduction to the Missy character (completed with a very humorous reference to a piece of disposable 80's pop) who's also, wouldn't you know looking, for our main man. Finally the Doc makes his first extended appearance, in the guise of a would-be rock star or should that be axe-victim and so the adventure really begins.
There are good jokes ("don't upset him or he'll go Scottish!" particularly hitting home from the pen of my fellow-countryman Steven Moffat), some more great effects, especially the metamorphosis into a bag of snakes by the Colony Sarff and then, right at the end, shocks at the double leaving a real sense of confusion and anticipation as to what happens next.
This was definitely one of the best latter-day Doctor Who episodes I've seen and I only hope that the sequel lives up to expectations although judging by Jenna Coleman's recent announcement, it sadly looks as if Clara may have gone none too gently into that good night. Or has she, time, perhaps literally, will tell.
helpful•413
- Lejink
- Sep 20, 2015
Details
- Runtime49 minutes
- Color
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