If you go down Dalek sewers today, you're sure of a big surprise. If you go down Dalek sewers today (going twice not recommended), you better go in disguise (best not to go at all). For every Dalek passed its sell by date, will gather there for acrimonious hate, today's the day Dalek waste becomes regenerated slick.
31 Reviews
Tell The Supreme Dalek The Bitch is back.
Sleepin_Dragon26 September 2015
Obviously Missy and Clara survived. A dying Davros and Colony Sarff set a trap for the Doctor, a plan to make the Daleks stronger and more deadly. Clara and Missy join forces to take on the Daleks to track the Doctor, but is Missy being genuine? An emotional Davros opens up to the Doctor, but to what end?
Looking back on last week's episode, there were quite a few flaws, I suppose one of the biggest being the idea that we could truly believe in the death of Missy or Clara, had it been at the end of the season, fair enough, on Part 1 though, not convinced. Young Davros was supposed to be still for fear of the hand mines, talk about a fidget.
I literally reviewed Destiny of the Daleks yesterday, and criticised them for using flat Dalek dialogue, 'Seek, locate, destroy,' and guess what here it is again, 'what is happening,' also overused a little bit. Since when did Special Weapon's Dalek speak? I also criticised it for Dalek dodgems, and quel surprise here they are again.
Do I spot a little link to the Dalek Asylum there? I liked how they tried to explain why Daleks shout exterminate all the time, the scene with Clara encased in the Dalek being led by Missy I thought was quite well done.
Missy once again totally owns the screen, I can understand some of the frustrations among fans that she came back so soon, but she is so watchable, and she must be so cool to work with. Missy owned Clara in the first part, I think she fared a bit better this time. Missy had some great lines again, 'The Bitch is back,' such fun. She is visually fun to watch also, she's somehow fills the screen. I hope she is rested for a little while now though, I wouldn't want her to become overused.
Brilliance once again in the scenes between Capaldi and Julian Bleach, they bounce off each other wonderfully well.
Overall I thought it was very good, the acting was outstanding, I have to say it but Michelle Gomez in particular once again. Some very good elements, some not so good, not sure I bought into the nice guy Davros thing, it was a little dialogue heavy at times. Clara was a wee bit overshadowed. Enough very good elements. 8/10
Looking back on last week's episode, there were quite a few flaws, I suppose one of the biggest being the idea that we could truly believe in the death of Missy or Clara, had it been at the end of the season, fair enough, on Part 1 though, not convinced. Young Davros was supposed to be still for fear of the hand mines, talk about a fidget.
I literally reviewed Destiny of the Daleks yesterday, and criticised them for using flat Dalek dialogue, 'Seek, locate, destroy,' and guess what here it is again, 'what is happening,' also overused a little bit. Since when did Special Weapon's Dalek speak? I also criticised it for Dalek dodgems, and quel surprise here they are again.
Do I spot a little link to the Dalek Asylum there? I liked how they tried to explain why Daleks shout exterminate all the time, the scene with Clara encased in the Dalek being led by Missy I thought was quite well done.
Missy once again totally owns the screen, I can understand some of the frustrations among fans that she came back so soon, but she is so watchable, and she must be so cool to work with. Missy owned Clara in the first part, I think she fared a bit better this time. Missy had some great lines again, 'The Bitch is back,' such fun. She is visually fun to watch also, she's somehow fills the screen. I hope she is rested for a little while now though, I wouldn't want her to become overused.
Brilliance once again in the scenes between Capaldi and Julian Bleach, they bounce off each other wonderfully well.
Overall I thought it was very good, the acting was outstanding, I have to say it but Michelle Gomez in particular once again. Some very good elements, some not so good, not sure I bought into the nice guy Davros thing, it was a little dialogue heavy at times. Clara was a wee bit overshadowed. Enough very good elements. 8/10
Can a Dalek show mercy?
Tweekums27 September 2015
Warning: Spoilers
It won't come as a huge surprise that as this episode opens we learn that Clara and Missy were not exterminated by the Daleks as had been suggested in the previous instalment. After Missy explains how this was done she and Clara set about infiltrating the Dalek city through its sewers. These aren't ordinary sewers; they are were Daleks are left when they no longer serve their purpose as they never actually die. In these sewers Missy lures a Dalek to its destruction before placing Clara in its shell
unfortunately for Clara once inside not everything she wants to say will be spoken by her Dalek shell; so "I am Clara" becomes "I am a Dalek"! While this is going on The Doctor is talking to a dying Davros. It would appear that Davros has become more sympathetic in his dying days as he asks the Doctor to help him see the sunrise over his home one last time
but can he be trusted?.
This episode was a pretty solid conclusion to a two part Dalek story. The opening wasn't the best; nobody is likely to have thought Clara and Missy had really died so the explanation of how they did wasn't that interesting. Once that was done things got better though; the scenes in the Dalek sewers were enjoyable and it was fun seeing Clara in a Dalek given that when we first met her she was a Dalek. Jenna Coleman does a fine job as Clara and Michelle Gomez's portrayal of Missy is a lot of fun as she injects a degree of humour into her character it is almost possible to forget that she is a villainess. The scenes between Peter Capaldi and Julian Bleach as The Doctor and Davros were enjoyable, even a little touching. I admit that I thought Davros was acting out of character but thankfully it all turned out to be a ruse playing on the Doctor's kindness. I wasn't too impressed when we learn that The Doctor has replaced his sonic screwdriver, an iconic device, with a pair of sonic sunglasses hopefully that change won't last long! Overall an enjoyable episode; I hope the makers continue to make more two part, or even multipart, stories the cliff hanger endings were part of what made 'classic' Doctor Who so much fun.
This episode was a pretty solid conclusion to a two part Dalek story. The opening wasn't the best; nobody is likely to have thought Clara and Missy had really died so the explanation of how they did wasn't that interesting. Once that was done things got better though; the scenes in the Dalek sewers were enjoyable and it was fun seeing Clara in a Dalek given that when we first met her she was a Dalek. Jenna Coleman does a fine job as Clara and Michelle Gomez's portrayal of Missy is a lot of fun as she injects a degree of humour into her character it is almost possible to forget that she is a villainess. The scenes between Peter Capaldi and Julian Bleach as The Doctor and Davros were enjoyable, even a little touching. I admit that I thought Davros was acting out of character but thankfully it all turned out to be a ruse playing on the Doctor's kindness. I wasn't too impressed when we learn that The Doctor has replaced his sonic screwdriver, an iconic device, with a pair of sonic sunglasses hopefully that change won't last long! Overall an enjoyable episode; I hope the makers continue to make more two part, or even multipart, stories the cliff hanger endings were part of what made 'classic' Doctor Who so much fun.
One of the greatest Doctor Who episodes ever told
joshuayetman7127 September 2015
What. An. Episode. This episode not only stood up to the quality of the sensational The Magician's Apprentice from last week, but it managed to surpass it altogether, a rare act for a double-part story these days. The episode toned down the epic tone of its predecessor, to focus almost entirely on two relationships, Clara and Missy, and the Doctor and Davros. The acting from the entire cast - especially Bleach and Capaldi - was incredible, and the talks between the Doctor and Davros took the ancient enemies into completely new - and unexpected - territory, dripping with surprising emotion, powerful dialogue, and truly touching moments. Elsewhere, Missy is devilishly evil and proves herself to be one of the best incarnations of the Master yet. One second, she's being hilarious and bouncing off Clara brilliantly, the next you literally hate her very despicable guts. She's funny and electric, but damn you can't trust her. And, ultimately, the crux of this episode is in its optimistic portrayal of the concept of mercy and compassion, and simply how powerful was the final scene, the Doctor and the young Davros, hand in hand, Davros carrying the screwdriver and the Doctor carrying the Dalek gun? What a powerful image, concluding what is by far one of the best Doctor Who episodes ever told. Superlatives all round for this one; Moffat, this may be your greatest ever script for the show. Hopefully the rest of Series 9 can keep to this astounding quality.
Buried Humanity
hellraiser723 November 2015
Warning: Spoilers
Warning do not read unless seen episode.
This was a great follow up, what I really love about it is how in a way this is really all about Davros which is cool since he's never really had center stage before.
I really liked seeing the unholy alliance between both Clara and The Master, of course we see both of them didn't die. That I already knew since the beams they fired were blue, the beams of death for the Daleks are usually white. Really liked seeing the Master utilizing some tricks up her sleeve but also in one moment reveals something about her past which makes her sad when she mention something about having a daughter. That just made me wonder if that will be a plot line for latter one. We also see Clara get into a Dalek and plot it which was cool but also kinda eerily ironic since one of her incarnations in time was turned into a Dalek.
However the best moments were with both the Doctor and Davros which are both suspenseful and strangely touching, it was really surreal as both aren't expressing hatred toward each other There was even that moment which surprised me when Davros for the first time in a long time let alone in the series opens his eyes. It was surreal to me because I didn't think Darvos had eyes at all, but seeing that it showed that the human portion of Darvos still existed after all. Things like that almost made you feel bad that Darvos is dying (I said almost). And it adds up to a moment when the Doctor decides to help him out by tinkering with some wires to get some power to the room to get the windows open to complete Darvos final wish to see the sun.
But then of course there is that rude awakening and when I saw it I thought "Oh, I knew it, I knew it!" Knowing Davros I also know he's a skilled liar. We then see his middle eye and that sinister smile you see he's finally got the Doctor by using his own compassion against him. We see the wires crucifying the Doctor as it's taking some of his power to the Daleks to give them some of the Doctor's ability. In a way the Doctor's predicament there is sort of some Christ allegory, but it's somewhat the reverse instead of dying for the sins of mankind it's dying for the sins of the Daleks.
However we see that once again the Doctor was steps ahead once more as this was the Doctor's plan all along. Davro's plan backfires because unfortunately overlooked one detail in his plan, and that was that Daleks are programed with a hatred toward Timelords so giving them some of the ability to the Daleks have made the undead gooped Daleks angry and of course you can guess what happens next. Yeah, nice try Davros your really good Davos but as long as the Doctor's around you'll always be second rate.
Really liked the ending which was touching and sort of hopeful. When the Doctor realizes the Dalek Clara was in said Mercy it was strange because the Daleks are programed with a limited vocabulary mainly words of aggression and hate; but the fact alone that Daleks could say that one word if they want showed there is still a trace of humanity in Davros after all. We then see in the end the Doctor does the right thing and saves young Davros life and we see both of them walk together hand in hand as friends. That little boy despite how buried in the past he may be still exists somewhere in the darkness of Davros.
Rating: 4 stars
This was a great follow up, what I really love about it is how in a way this is really all about Davros which is cool since he's never really had center stage before.
I really liked seeing the unholy alliance between both Clara and The Master, of course we see both of them didn't die. That I already knew since the beams they fired were blue, the beams of death for the Daleks are usually white. Really liked seeing the Master utilizing some tricks up her sleeve but also in one moment reveals something about her past which makes her sad when she mention something about having a daughter. That just made me wonder if that will be a plot line for latter one. We also see Clara get into a Dalek and plot it which was cool but also kinda eerily ironic since one of her incarnations in time was turned into a Dalek.
However the best moments were with both the Doctor and Davros which are both suspenseful and strangely touching, it was really surreal as both aren't expressing hatred toward each other There was even that moment which surprised me when Davros for the first time in a long time let alone in the series opens his eyes. It was surreal to me because I didn't think Darvos had eyes at all, but seeing that it showed that the human portion of Darvos still existed after all. Things like that almost made you feel bad that Darvos is dying (I said almost). And it adds up to a moment when the Doctor decides to help him out by tinkering with some wires to get some power to the room to get the windows open to complete Darvos final wish to see the sun.
But then of course there is that rude awakening and when I saw it I thought "Oh, I knew it, I knew it!" Knowing Davros I also know he's a skilled liar. We then see his middle eye and that sinister smile you see he's finally got the Doctor by using his own compassion against him. We see the wires crucifying the Doctor as it's taking some of his power to the Daleks to give them some of the Doctor's ability. In a way the Doctor's predicament there is sort of some Christ allegory, but it's somewhat the reverse instead of dying for the sins of mankind it's dying for the sins of the Daleks.
However we see that once again the Doctor was steps ahead once more as this was the Doctor's plan all along. Davro's plan backfires because unfortunately overlooked one detail in his plan, and that was that Daleks are programed with a hatred toward Timelords so giving them some of the ability to the Daleks have made the undead gooped Daleks angry and of course you can guess what happens next. Yeah, nice try Davros your really good Davos but as long as the Doctor's around you'll always be second rate.
Really liked the ending which was touching and sort of hopeful. When the Doctor realizes the Dalek Clara was in said Mercy it was strange because the Daleks are programed with a limited vocabulary mainly words of aggression and hate; but the fact alone that Daleks could say that one word if they want showed there is still a trace of humanity in Davros after all. We then see in the end the Doctor does the right thing and saves young Davros life and we see both of them walk together hand in hand as friends. That little boy despite how buried in the past he may be still exists somewhere in the darkness of Davros.
Rating: 4 stars
The Magician's Apprentice/The Witch's Familiar: The second-best Doctor Who story of all time.
zacpetch30 September 2015
Warning: Spoilers
I loved every moment of these two episodes. Well almost. Could've done without the Vampire Monkeys.
Loved Peter Capaldi's performance here as he shows off a huge range from joking around, to pained, to sorrowful, to deadly menace, to compassion, to childish fun, to seething explosive anger... none of the previous Doctors ever came even close to that range before. His comic delivery of his one-liners ("Admit it, you've all had this exact nightmare." "Dalek Supreme, your sewers are revolting!") is impeccable.
The scenes he has locked away with Davros throughout the two episodes, particularly part two, are nothing short of perfection. Capaldi and Bleach acting acting to each other, Davros is a step ahead of the Doctor but he doesn't know that the Doctor knows and the Doctor knows he doesn't know he knows. Spellbinding. I was *this* close to feeling empathy for Davros – read that again: empathy for Davros!!! – when Julian Bleach turns it around completely. Bleach steals the show, which is saying a lot when your co-stars are Capaldi, Gomez and Coleman.
And the cameos for past Doctors 1, 4, 5, 6, 7 & 10 are always welcome. Full marks for including "Unlimited Rice Pudding, Et Cetera, Et Cetera!"
Michelle Gomez's definitive Master is so delightfully and beautifully unpredictable and pure evil. You're never comfortable around her as you never quite know what she's going to do next and Jenna Coleman sells this sense of unease to perfection. Throwing Clara down a hole to test its depth? Hanging her upside down to kill if there's nothing to hunt? Singing while locked up in prison? Going "Wheee!" as a Dalek explodes around the corner? Freezing the planes in the air just for the hell of it? Zapping the "spares" into dust? Move over Delgado, we have a new best Master ever. That's a fact and I defy anyone to convince me otherwise.
I like the idea of the Doctor going missing. He's going to die soon and has left a will so what does he do next? He has a party. He plays guitar for a while. He invents a new word centuries early. He references his 4th and 11th selves. Then he sees Clara and displays a sense of vulnerability that we haven't seen much of with 12. There's something wrong here. Something's happened to him since we last saw him at Christmas. With that a new story arc is opened up for the ninth series to explore, I'm intrigued to see where Moffat goes with it.
That's not all for arcs this story introduces. We get frequent references in part two about why the Doctor fled from Gallifrey (I'm guessing his confession will cover that) and a prophecy about a hybrid of two warrior races, which I doubt has anything to do with the TimelordDaleks we saw created. It's all very enigmatic for now but I expect we'll see more from these strands throughout later episodes of the season.
Dalek sewers are not an idea that should work, but they do. What Moffat played for laughs back in 1999's The Curse Of Fatal Death are here played for serious drama and it works well. On paper it's a bad idea. In practise it's wonderful and creepy. Dead, decaying, angry Daleks that are even prepared to cannibalise their successors if they get the chance. (All that's missing from these scenes in the sewers was a scene where Clara got grabbed by a giant clam.) I like how Moffat hides the solution in plain sight but paces his script well enough that it's not obvious until it comes to pass at the climax of the story.
I'd also like to draw attention to Clara in the Dalek begging the Doctor for mercy. Very tense, well played, well written, and I genuinely thought the Doctor would pull the trigger. A nice callback to Oswin in the asylum with Nick Briggs managing once again to put a real pained sound into the voice of the Daleks.
Bonus points for Classic Daleks, including the Special Weapons Dalek, as well as their modern counterparts and my personal favourite Red Supreme Dalek (also the Master's favourite, that revelation made my day). MAXIMUM EXTERMINATION!!!
I loved this story. I mean I really really really really LOVED it so so much. I'd even go so far as to say that it's my new favourite Dalek story of them all and second-favourite of all time (behind Listen). I simply cannot fault it.
But, like Listen, it's not for everyone. I'm sure that the soulless freaks that didn't enjoy it will enjoy next week's episode which appears to be a simple base under siege story with ghosts. No reliance on the mythos there and an all new monster voiced by the guy from Slipknot. That's gonna be good, I just know it!
Loved Peter Capaldi's performance here as he shows off a huge range from joking around, to pained, to sorrowful, to deadly menace, to compassion, to childish fun, to seething explosive anger... none of the previous Doctors ever came even close to that range before. His comic delivery of his one-liners ("Admit it, you've all had this exact nightmare." "Dalek Supreme, your sewers are revolting!") is impeccable.
The scenes he has locked away with Davros throughout the two episodes, particularly part two, are nothing short of perfection. Capaldi and Bleach acting acting to each other, Davros is a step ahead of the Doctor but he doesn't know that the Doctor knows and the Doctor knows he doesn't know he knows. Spellbinding. I was *this* close to feeling empathy for Davros – read that again: empathy for Davros!!! – when Julian Bleach turns it around completely. Bleach steals the show, which is saying a lot when your co-stars are Capaldi, Gomez and Coleman.
And the cameos for past Doctors 1, 4, 5, 6, 7 & 10 are always welcome. Full marks for including "Unlimited Rice Pudding, Et Cetera, Et Cetera!"
Michelle Gomez's definitive Master is so delightfully and beautifully unpredictable and pure evil. You're never comfortable around her as you never quite know what she's going to do next and Jenna Coleman sells this sense of unease to perfection. Throwing Clara down a hole to test its depth? Hanging her upside down to kill if there's nothing to hunt? Singing while locked up in prison? Going "Wheee!" as a Dalek explodes around the corner? Freezing the planes in the air just for the hell of it? Zapping the "spares" into dust? Move over Delgado, we have a new best Master ever. That's a fact and I defy anyone to convince me otherwise.
I like the idea of the Doctor going missing. He's going to die soon and has left a will so what does he do next? He has a party. He plays guitar for a while. He invents a new word centuries early. He references his 4th and 11th selves. Then he sees Clara and displays a sense of vulnerability that we haven't seen much of with 12. There's something wrong here. Something's happened to him since we last saw him at Christmas. With that a new story arc is opened up for the ninth series to explore, I'm intrigued to see where Moffat goes with it.
That's not all for arcs this story introduces. We get frequent references in part two about why the Doctor fled from Gallifrey (I'm guessing his confession will cover that) and a prophecy about a hybrid of two warrior races, which I doubt has anything to do with the TimelordDaleks we saw created. It's all very enigmatic for now but I expect we'll see more from these strands throughout later episodes of the season.
Dalek sewers are not an idea that should work, but they do. What Moffat played for laughs back in 1999's The Curse Of Fatal Death are here played for serious drama and it works well. On paper it's a bad idea. In practise it's wonderful and creepy. Dead, decaying, angry Daleks that are even prepared to cannibalise their successors if they get the chance. (All that's missing from these scenes in the sewers was a scene where Clara got grabbed by a giant clam.) I like how Moffat hides the solution in plain sight but paces his script well enough that it's not obvious until it comes to pass at the climax of the story.
I'd also like to draw attention to Clara in the Dalek begging the Doctor for mercy. Very tense, well played, well written, and I genuinely thought the Doctor would pull the trigger. A nice callback to Oswin in the asylum with Nick Briggs managing once again to put a real pained sound into the voice of the Daleks.
Bonus points for Classic Daleks, including the Special Weapons Dalek, as well as their modern counterparts and my personal favourite Red Supreme Dalek (also the Master's favourite, that revelation made my day). MAXIMUM EXTERMINATION!!!
I loved this story. I mean I really really really really LOVED it so so much. I'd even go so far as to say that it's my new favourite Dalek story of them all and second-favourite of all time (behind Listen). I simply cannot fault it.
But, like Listen, it's not for everyone. I'm sure that the soulless freaks that didn't enjoy it will enjoy next week's episode which appears to be a simple base under siege story with ghosts. No reliance on the mythos there and an all new monster voiced by the guy from Slipknot. That's gonna be good, I just know it!
A Wonderful Conclusion to Series 9's First 2-Parter
NineTenElevenTwelve20 October 2015
Warning: Spoilers
Have I talked enough about how great a Doctor Peter Capaldi is? I really hope the rumors of him leaving next year are false because this man deserves many seasons and years as the Doctor! His range is spectacular. From anger to sarcasm to fear to joy. Capaldi captures almost every aspect of his Doctor in just this episode alone. And how great was it to see the Doctor roll up on the Daleks in Davros's chair? Admittedly, it's pretty dark when you realize that the Doctor literally ripped Davros out of his chair. Then again, this episode was loaded with lots of dark moments. Of course, I didn't expect the Doctor to kill the young Davros and I found the resolution to him saving him to be quite fitting.
Clara was also great in this episode. I can only imagine what it must have been like for Clara to work alongside the Time Lady responsible for the death of the man she loved. She clearly is the Witch's Familiar in this episode. After barely seeing her interact with Missy in the Series 8 finale, it was great to see her and Missy get so much time to work with each other. Even more so than the previous episode. I also liked it when Clara got inside a Dalek suit to control it. Clara has had quite an interesting history with the Daleks thus far. One of her echoes became a Dalek, she saw the Daleks in the Time War, she shrunk down inside a Dalek, and now she's disguising herself as a Dalek. I'm definitely looking forward to seeing more of her and 12 together throughout the rest of Series 9.
If this episode doesn't prove Missy as the Master to the naysayers then I don't know what will. Michelle Gomez perfectly captures the dark insanity that is the Master. She makes it clear right off the bat that she works on her own agenda and has no shame in presenting her evil. One minute she's laughing alongside the Doctor at Davros's expense and the next she's trying to convince the Doctor that the disguised Clara is a Dalek who killed her. It was also great to finally get an explanation to how she survived the end of last year's finale. It may have been a simple explanation but it's good enough for me. I especially liked how it tied to how Missy and Clara survived being killed at the end of the previous episode. I'm also glad that we didn't see Missy escape the Daleks but saw her admit that she had a clever idea. Of course, we all know that she survived and will most likely return for the finale.
Now let's talk about Davros. Man, for a while, this episode actually had me believing that this was going to be Davros's final episode. Of course, it was a great twist to see him make a quick face-heel turn to reveal his true intentions with stealing the Doctor's regenerative powers to make him and the Daleks part-Time Lord. Julian Bleach gave a truly spectacular performance as Davros from a repenting old man on the verge of death to a crazy power-hungry scientist. It only made it all the more satisfying when the Doctor revealed he was one step ahead of him. And, although brief, it was great to see two of the Doctor's greatest arch-enemies meet. I would have liked a longer exchange but since I'm sure both Davros and Missy survived there's still a chance for a future episode to feature these two again. This 2-parter definitely succeeded in adding some depth to Davros and the Daleks as well. While this was definitely more of a Davros episode than a Dalek episode, we got a lot of interesting information about them. From their sewers basically being the rotting remains of decaying, living Daleks to how the vocabulary of humans translates through a Dalek's armor. It was really chilling to see Clara's phrases be warped into Dalek phrases. It was especially creepy seeing Missy toy with the living sewer walls. And, again, the ending resolution with the Doctor rescuing young Davros and thus ensuring a small bit of mercy to be implemented into the Daleks of the future was a very satisfying and fitting conclusion. It was also great to see Davros open his true eyes for the first time ever in the show's history. I also liked seeing all the different types of Daleks throughout the episode.
Other quick things to note. I liked the introduction of the sonic sunglasses. My best friend, who watched this episode with me, thought the concept was kind of stupid but I like them. I suppose Capaldi's Doctor is going to pull a Peter Davison and go without a sonic screwdriver from now on. Then again, he could get another one at some point. I also liked the explanation to how the TARDIS survived. It was a nice throwback to Series 7's Cold War.
I guess my only complaint is that Colony Sarff, while he got some cool moments, didn't get as much time to shine in this episode as he did in the previous one.
Overall, I really liked The Witch's Familiar and this 2-parter overall. It was a great character piece for the Doctor, Clara, Missy, and Davros; gave us some interesting information about the Daleks; and was a great opening story for Series 9.
Clara was also great in this episode. I can only imagine what it must have been like for Clara to work alongside the Time Lady responsible for the death of the man she loved. She clearly is the Witch's Familiar in this episode. After barely seeing her interact with Missy in the Series 8 finale, it was great to see her and Missy get so much time to work with each other. Even more so than the previous episode. I also liked it when Clara got inside a Dalek suit to control it. Clara has had quite an interesting history with the Daleks thus far. One of her echoes became a Dalek, she saw the Daleks in the Time War, she shrunk down inside a Dalek, and now she's disguising herself as a Dalek. I'm definitely looking forward to seeing more of her and 12 together throughout the rest of Series 9.
If this episode doesn't prove Missy as the Master to the naysayers then I don't know what will. Michelle Gomez perfectly captures the dark insanity that is the Master. She makes it clear right off the bat that she works on her own agenda and has no shame in presenting her evil. One minute she's laughing alongside the Doctor at Davros's expense and the next she's trying to convince the Doctor that the disguised Clara is a Dalek who killed her. It was also great to finally get an explanation to how she survived the end of last year's finale. It may have been a simple explanation but it's good enough for me. I especially liked how it tied to how Missy and Clara survived being killed at the end of the previous episode. I'm also glad that we didn't see Missy escape the Daleks but saw her admit that she had a clever idea. Of course, we all know that she survived and will most likely return for the finale.
Now let's talk about Davros. Man, for a while, this episode actually had me believing that this was going to be Davros's final episode. Of course, it was a great twist to see him make a quick face-heel turn to reveal his true intentions with stealing the Doctor's regenerative powers to make him and the Daleks part-Time Lord. Julian Bleach gave a truly spectacular performance as Davros from a repenting old man on the verge of death to a crazy power-hungry scientist. It only made it all the more satisfying when the Doctor revealed he was one step ahead of him. And, although brief, it was great to see two of the Doctor's greatest arch-enemies meet. I would have liked a longer exchange but since I'm sure both Davros and Missy survived there's still a chance for a future episode to feature these two again. This 2-parter definitely succeeded in adding some depth to Davros and the Daleks as well. While this was definitely more of a Davros episode than a Dalek episode, we got a lot of interesting information about them. From their sewers basically being the rotting remains of decaying, living Daleks to how the vocabulary of humans translates through a Dalek's armor. It was really chilling to see Clara's phrases be warped into Dalek phrases. It was especially creepy seeing Missy toy with the living sewer walls. And, again, the ending resolution with the Doctor rescuing young Davros and thus ensuring a small bit of mercy to be implemented into the Daleks of the future was a very satisfying and fitting conclusion. It was also great to see Davros open his true eyes for the first time ever in the show's history. I also liked seeing all the different types of Daleks throughout the episode.
Other quick things to note. I liked the introduction of the sonic sunglasses. My best friend, who watched this episode with me, thought the concept was kind of stupid but I like them. I suppose Capaldi's Doctor is going to pull a Peter Davison and go without a sonic screwdriver from now on. Then again, he could get another one at some point. I also liked the explanation to how the TARDIS survived. It was a nice throwback to Series 7's Cold War.
I guess my only complaint is that Colony Sarff, while he got some cool moments, didn't get as much time to shine in this episode as he did in the previous one.
Overall, I really liked The Witch's Familiar and this 2-parter overall. It was a great character piece for the Doctor, Clara, Missy, and Davros; gave us some interesting information about the Daleks; and was a great opening story for Series 9.
A brilliant series beginning, with a lackluster episode ending.
jerrykeenon-799-41474327 September 2015
Warning: Spoilers
**Contains minor spoilers, with revealing any pivotal plot points or endings.*** When I say lackluster ending it is no fault of Mr. Moffet's. How many ways can you end a meeting with Davros and his Ironsides? You can leave a mess for them, make them look as if this is their end (it never is and never will be) or leave an open ending. So, not many options. The ending aside, this was a brilliant ending to the season opener. We are reintroduced to Missy, the female incarnation of the Master, as portrayed by the saucy Michelle Gomez. We get to catch up with our favorite Time Lord and his mother hen, but beautiful, funny, and intelligent companion Ms. Clara Oswald, and see where they landed after their parting at the end of Series Eight. A true highlight of these first two series nine episodes is being introduced to a playful love hate dynamic, I hesitate to call it a relationship, between Missy and Clara as they wind their way across Skaro. Turning the Master into a woman and casting Gomez may go down in Whovian history as two of Moffet's greatest additions to the canon. We as the audience are shown in this two-part saga just how intertwined the timelines of the Doctor and Davros are, while being shown how fate is the center piece of their relationship. The story outlines this for us with two cornerstone moments in both of their timelines. If Series Nine continues with this momentum I see it becoming Peter Capaldi's defining series, if not the entire show's.
The Witch's Familiar
MrFilmAndTelevisionShow18 April 2021
Warning: Spoilers
Clara is once again back in the Dalek that she knows and loves. It's name, unclear but we'll call it Mercy. This episode is great, I liked it even more than the previous one, and so many points I thought the Doctor would do one thing but he'd just go and do something completely different, expectations: shattered (in a good way).
Great, apart from the ending
TheDonaldofDoom29 September 2015
Warning: Spoilers
After the explosive start to the Series 9 which almost felt like the first episode of a series finale, I thought that The Witch's Familiar couldn't completely live up to the excellence of the first episode. And it didn't quite live up to it, but it's still a very entertaining episode. Although I wasn't expecting Clara and Missy to really be dead due to their bodies disappearing instead of hitting the floor, I was still disappointed (at first) by when it turned out Missy had used her teleporter at the last second. What an anticlimax, it seemed. However, then we find out the true result of this: the Doctor thinks Clara is dead, and that changes his actions. This makes the fact she survived feel much less of just a cheat way to avoid her death. Again, elements here are similar to Genesis of the Daleks with its 'genocide in a moment' theme, except this time, Davros is literally letting the Doctor kill the Daleks. It's a crazy twist on the idea. What makes the story work so well is that the Doctor thinks that Clara is dead. The only thing that partly spoilt it for me was the unnecessarily goofy 'Anyone for Dodgems' scene.
I like how Missy was an ally this time, albeit one that was the complete opposite of how the Doctor would do things: The Doctor would make himself the bait for the Daleks, but Missy tricked Clara into becoming the bait.
The best scene was the way Davros tricked the Doctor into giving him regeneration energy. The part where Davros appeared to share a joke with the Doctor was really moving, which made the reveal that it was all fake all the more devastating. The Doctor somehow managed to work out Davros was trying to trick him into giving regeneration energy, and although it's not that improbable that the Doctor would've worked that out (since when does Davros suddenly turn good?) it did seem like a bit of a cheap way to end the episode. A minor complaint, though the scene where the Doctor almost killed Clara with a Dalek gun was interesting, really, could Clara seriously not work out another way to tell him it was her? If you knew your name would come out as 'Dalek', why would you say it?
However, apart from the cheap ending with the regeneration en, this two-part story will go down as probably the best start to a series of Doctor Who. A great story.
I like how Missy was an ally this time, albeit one that was the complete opposite of how the Doctor would do things: The Doctor would make himself the bait for the Daleks, but Missy tricked Clara into becoming the bait.
The best scene was the way Davros tricked the Doctor into giving him regeneration energy. The part where Davros appeared to share a joke with the Doctor was really moving, which made the reveal that it was all fake all the more devastating. The Doctor somehow managed to work out Davros was trying to trick him into giving regeneration energy, and although it's not that improbable that the Doctor would've worked that out (since when does Davros suddenly turn good?) it did seem like a bit of a cheap way to end the episode. A minor complaint, though the scene where the Doctor almost killed Clara with a Dalek gun was interesting, really, could Clara seriously not work out another way to tell him it was her? If you knew your name would come out as 'Dalek', why would you say it?
However, apart from the cheap ending with the regeneration en, this two-part story will go down as probably the best start to a series of Doctor Who. A great story.
Things to Do On Skaro When You're Dead
boblipton26 September 2015
Warning: Spoilers
When we last left the Doctor, the cliffhanger had Missy (aka The Master) and Clara exterminated on Skaro and the Doctor stuck with a dying Davros in his chamber. How will they ever get out of this fix? By swapping roles.
It's an interestingly written episode to follow up the season's opener, but ultimately unsatisfactory. Usually the Doctor gets out of whatever fatal situation he finds himself in by being more clever than anyone else in one final burst of fast thinking. Here, however, he seems to have planned things out from the beginning. The Seventh Doctor used to play this sort of N-dimensional chess game, but there always came a moment in the serial in which he had to improvise, usually by having Ace blow something up.
Fortunately, the Twelfth Doctor has Missy to fulfill that role. Missy is a delight as written by Steven Moffat and performed by Michelle Gomez. While iterations of the Master became a sneering melodramatic villain who built elaborate Rube Goldberg plots to finally drop a twenty-ton weight on his head, Missy is a delight and her improvisations are unexpected, self-centered and funny. She keeps the episode running along. If the story's resolution is not fully satisfying, at least getting there is a lot of fun.
It's an interestingly written episode to follow up the season's opener, but ultimately unsatisfactory. Usually the Doctor gets out of whatever fatal situation he finds himself in by being more clever than anyone else in one final burst of fast thinking. Here, however, he seems to have planned things out from the beginning. The Seventh Doctor used to play this sort of N-dimensional chess game, but there always came a moment in the serial in which he had to improvise, usually by having Ace blow something up.
Fortunately, the Twelfth Doctor has Missy to fulfill that role. Missy is a delight as written by Steven Moffat and performed by Michelle Gomez. While iterations of the Master became a sneering melodramatic villain who built elaborate Rube Goldberg plots to finally drop a twenty-ton weight on his head, Missy is a delight and her improvisations are unexpected, self-centered and funny. She keeps the episode running along. If the story's resolution is not fully satisfying, at least getting there is a lot of fun.
A compelling, powerful resolution to a fantastic two part story.
ryanjmorris27 September 2015
Warning: Spoilers
So, it turns out that The Witch's Familiar is a completely different episode to last week's The Magician's Apprentice. In Doctor Who history it isn't uncommon for a two part story to feature wildly different episodes. Bad Wolf and Parting of the Ways, for example, couldn't be any more different if they tried, and last year's Dark Water and Death in Heaven were almost two completely separate stories. This two part opener to the show's ninth season follows that trend, but with an unusual spin. This time around, it was the second episode that slowed down the pace and focused predominantly on dialogue. The Magician's Apprentice was a big, loud introduction to the new series that soared along at a tremendous pace. The Witch's Familiar, by contrast, moves slowly, taking its time and allowing the small moments to matter. Due to how wildly different these two episodes are, it's difficult to compare them in a simple "Which episode is better?" manner, so I'm going to try not to do that across this review. But whether or not this is a better episode than last week's, either way, it is bloody brilliant.
If last week's installment offered the majority of its high points with Missy and Clara, then the Doctor and Davros rightfully returned to the spotlight for part two. This episode belongs to them. After the Doctor steals Davros' chair and attempts to rescue Clara ("Anyone for dodgems?"), he is returned to Davros' infirmary, and remains there for the bulk of the episode. This opens up a series of superbly written and wonderfully acted conversations between the pair; the Doctor and Davros' only other encounter in the revived series was burdened by too many characters taking up screen time and a typical Daleks Destroy the World narrative. This time, however, the two simply remain in one room and are allowed to talk, and we get to see how this unfolds. A vast range of emotions are covered in this sequence, and although Davros is initially hesitant to show his, Moffat does a fantastic job of humanising him across the episode. After sincerely congratulating the Doctor for Gallifrey's recovery, Davros and the Doctor even share a joke with each other, before the dying Davros declares he wishes to the sun one last time. Of course, the Doctor helps him, until we discover that by doing so he has fallen victim to Davros' plan.
So Davros was lying, he wasn't dying. At least, he wasn't as bad as he claimed to be. As the episode continues, it then comes out that the Doctor knew this and allowed Davros' plan to be carried out. It's a series of plot twists that come from something relatively simple, but work to keep things moving forward in the episode's second half. I also don't feel that this diminishes the power and emotional weight of their previous conversations either; yes, Davros was using it to further his plan, but could Davros fake those tears? Was that joke merely acting on both of their behalves? There were some compelling statements made between the two in this episode that aren't undone by the episode's resolution, and this was achieved simply by not filling the episode with a plethora of plot twists, but simply letting two big characters - with a history of war, violence, murder and bloodshed - talk. Peter Capaldi and Julian Bleach have such fantastic chemistry on screen that each second watching them felt like a privilege, two ancient arch-enemies brought together by their differences in compassion. It's to Moffat's credit that the episode can end without Davros being killed yet still feel like a fitting conclusion.
The same can be said for Missy, the last time we saw her she was surrounded be a squad of Daleks, but we know she'll be back. Playing to Doctor Who's logic is a clever trick to pull, but also a risky one. Moffat found that balance here tonight. Missy's detailing of how she and Clara escaped the Dalek's extermination last week is simple but effective, told wonderfully over gleaming black and white footage of the Doctor doing the same trick many years ago. It was inevitable that these two survived, I don't think we were expected to believe them dead at any stage. The two of them needed to be out of the city for this episode to work, and while this might have felt slightly like a cheat, it was resolved quickly and efficiently without burdening the episode. Missy and Clara continue to be a great double act, Clara's resentment over Missy still looms but they can also just be themselves around each other, making them ridiculously enjoyable to watch.
Another balance that was effortlessly made in The Witch's Familiar is the humour/drama battle. Doctor Who does need to be funny, it's rare for an episode not to be littered with a few good one liners, and I love that about this show. Missy was on top form again, with an array of quotes that I'll save for the closing part of this review. I particularly loved Clara inside the Dalek. Not only was this initially a good way of injecting some humour into an otherwise grim story, but it soon transformed into quite an eye-opening, interesting analysis of the Daleks. Watching Clara to try to say the words "I Love You" only to have them translated as "Exterminate" was an especially powerful moment in an episode full of powerful moments; just when you start thinking the show's oldest villain is getting tiring, we're given more understanding of them than we have since their first episode back in Series 1. This opening two part story has been a triumphant way of returning Doctor Who back onto the small screen, but it also leaves a hell of a big shadow. Another two part story will follow for the next two weeks, and it's going to have to be quite special indeed to live up to this.
If last week's installment offered the majority of its high points with Missy and Clara, then the Doctor and Davros rightfully returned to the spotlight for part two. This episode belongs to them. After the Doctor steals Davros' chair and attempts to rescue Clara ("Anyone for dodgems?"), he is returned to Davros' infirmary, and remains there for the bulk of the episode. This opens up a series of superbly written and wonderfully acted conversations between the pair; the Doctor and Davros' only other encounter in the revived series was burdened by too many characters taking up screen time and a typical Daleks Destroy the World narrative. This time, however, the two simply remain in one room and are allowed to talk, and we get to see how this unfolds. A vast range of emotions are covered in this sequence, and although Davros is initially hesitant to show his, Moffat does a fantastic job of humanising him across the episode. After sincerely congratulating the Doctor for Gallifrey's recovery, Davros and the Doctor even share a joke with each other, before the dying Davros declares he wishes to the sun one last time. Of course, the Doctor helps him, until we discover that by doing so he has fallen victim to Davros' plan.
So Davros was lying, he wasn't dying. At least, he wasn't as bad as he claimed to be. As the episode continues, it then comes out that the Doctor knew this and allowed Davros' plan to be carried out. It's a series of plot twists that come from something relatively simple, but work to keep things moving forward in the episode's second half. I also don't feel that this diminishes the power and emotional weight of their previous conversations either; yes, Davros was using it to further his plan, but could Davros fake those tears? Was that joke merely acting on both of their behalves? There were some compelling statements made between the two in this episode that aren't undone by the episode's resolution, and this was achieved simply by not filling the episode with a plethora of plot twists, but simply letting two big characters - with a history of war, violence, murder and bloodshed - talk. Peter Capaldi and Julian Bleach have such fantastic chemistry on screen that each second watching them felt like a privilege, two ancient arch-enemies brought together by their differences in compassion. It's to Moffat's credit that the episode can end without Davros being killed yet still feel like a fitting conclusion.
The same can be said for Missy, the last time we saw her she was surrounded be a squad of Daleks, but we know she'll be back. Playing to Doctor Who's logic is a clever trick to pull, but also a risky one. Moffat found that balance here tonight. Missy's detailing of how she and Clara escaped the Dalek's extermination last week is simple but effective, told wonderfully over gleaming black and white footage of the Doctor doing the same trick many years ago. It was inevitable that these two survived, I don't think we were expected to believe them dead at any stage. The two of them needed to be out of the city for this episode to work, and while this might have felt slightly like a cheat, it was resolved quickly and efficiently without burdening the episode. Missy and Clara continue to be a great double act, Clara's resentment over Missy still looms but they can also just be themselves around each other, making them ridiculously enjoyable to watch.
Another balance that was effortlessly made in The Witch's Familiar is the humour/drama battle. Doctor Who does need to be funny, it's rare for an episode not to be littered with a few good one liners, and I love that about this show. Missy was on top form again, with an array of quotes that I'll save for the closing part of this review. I particularly loved Clara inside the Dalek. Not only was this initially a good way of injecting some humour into an otherwise grim story, but it soon transformed into quite an eye-opening, interesting analysis of the Daleks. Watching Clara to try to say the words "I Love You" only to have them translated as "Exterminate" was an especially powerful moment in an episode full of powerful moments; just when you start thinking the show's oldest villain is getting tiring, we're given more understanding of them than we have since their first episode back in Series 1. This opening two part story has been a triumphant way of returning Doctor Who back onto the small screen, but it also leaves a hell of a big shadow. Another two part story will follow for the next two weeks, and it's going to have to be quite special indeed to live up to this.
Was I right, or was I right?
AzSumTuk30 September 2015
Warning: Spoilers
I wasn't. When I reviewed the previous episode, I wrote that you can't just show the Doctor pointing a weapon at a child. Well, apparently, he didn't point the weapon at the child, so I was wrong about that. I was right about everything else, though, and this episode proves that beyond a doubt.
First, the Doctor didn't point the weapon at the child, but what he did was, from a plot point of view, infinitely worse. He saved Davros, and if you think that is not much of a problem, think again - because saving Davros means that he won't create the Daleks, which obliterates the show's entire timeline so far - the war between Time Lords and Daleks won't happen, Gallifrey won't be destroyed, the Doctor will not be the only one from his people left, nothing we've seen so far will happen, which means that the Doctor will not go back in time to save Davros, which means Davros will create the Daleks, which means... You know what it means. By saving Davros the way he did, the Doctor created a massive pile of plot holes - and that is the best case scenario. The worst case scenario is that everything in these two episodes will be just swept under the rug. We will be given some half-@$$ed explanation about why Davros created the Daleks and everything will continue without a change, or we will not get even that - just as we did not get even a shred of an explanation why the Daleks were searching for the Doctor and the TARDIS, regardless of the fact that the Doctor had previously been removed from their database. It is not like consistency is among the show's strong points nowadays.
Second, this episode was, again, written like a piece of fan fiction. It was a tiny bit better than the previous, but still... The sonic screwdriver is dead, long live the sonic shades... Why? Just... Why would they even do that? And why would they write Missy as the Doctor's friend and, at the same time, show her brutally torturing his companion? And why... Why... Why... Why...
Third, as I predicted - and anyone with a functional brain would predict - Missy and Clara were alive and well, and the TARDIS was unharmed. And, yes, that is a problem. If the show's writers keep doing that, they will eventually desensitize the viewers to things like this. It has already happened to me - I never even thought anyone was in danger. In fact, I was just annoyed, and I know I am not the only one. If they wouldn't dare to actually kill a character off, I would rather have them just not try to play my emotional strings like that. It just doesn't work. They can give us exciting action and adventure, they can give us inventive set pieces and good dialogues, and that will be great. But if they show us the Doctor's companion getting brutally murdered and then resurrect her in the next episode's first couple of seconds, that is not fine. That is a cheap, tacky and corny move that can only annoy anyone with an IQ above 10.
That is it. I will probably watch the next episode of the show, but if it is not a drastic improvement over this one, I will probably stop at it. Sorry.
First, the Doctor didn't point the weapon at the child, but what he did was, from a plot point of view, infinitely worse. He saved Davros, and if you think that is not much of a problem, think again - because saving Davros means that he won't create the Daleks, which obliterates the show's entire timeline so far - the war between Time Lords and Daleks won't happen, Gallifrey won't be destroyed, the Doctor will not be the only one from his people left, nothing we've seen so far will happen, which means that the Doctor will not go back in time to save Davros, which means Davros will create the Daleks, which means... You know what it means. By saving Davros the way he did, the Doctor created a massive pile of plot holes - and that is the best case scenario. The worst case scenario is that everything in these two episodes will be just swept under the rug. We will be given some half-@$$ed explanation about why Davros created the Daleks and everything will continue without a change, or we will not get even that - just as we did not get even a shred of an explanation why the Daleks were searching for the Doctor and the TARDIS, regardless of the fact that the Doctor had previously been removed from their database. It is not like consistency is among the show's strong points nowadays.
Second, this episode was, again, written like a piece of fan fiction. It was a tiny bit better than the previous, but still... The sonic screwdriver is dead, long live the sonic shades... Why? Just... Why would they even do that? And why would they write Missy as the Doctor's friend and, at the same time, show her brutally torturing his companion? And why... Why... Why... Why...
Third, as I predicted - and anyone with a functional brain would predict - Missy and Clara were alive and well, and the TARDIS was unharmed. And, yes, that is a problem. If the show's writers keep doing that, they will eventually desensitize the viewers to things like this. It has already happened to me - I never even thought anyone was in danger. In fact, I was just annoyed, and I know I am not the only one. If they wouldn't dare to actually kill a character off, I would rather have them just not try to play my emotional strings like that. It just doesn't work. They can give us exciting action and adventure, they can give us inventive set pieces and good dialogues, and that will be great. But if they show us the Doctor's companion getting brutally murdered and then resurrect her in the next episode's first couple of seconds, that is not fine. That is a cheap, tacky and corny move that can only annoy anyone with an IQ above 10.
That is it. I will probably watch the next episode of the show, but if it is not a drastic improvement over this one, I will probably stop at it. Sorry.
30% fun, 70% stupid, 100% self parody
WeeClaude27 September 2015
Warning: Spoilers
I have a new rule to propose. There should never be another episode of Doctor Who where the Daleks don't kill anyone. Because when the Daleks don't manage to kill anyone - when all they do is stand around, shriek and act like idiots - their credibility goes right out the window. I mean really, how lame were they in this episode?
Watch out, spoilers below. So...
Here are a few more problems I had with this episode, that have less to do with Dalek lameness than a lack of consistency/credibility:
My overall point is...nothing that happens in this episode makes sense. Like a lot of New Who writing, it feels like a first draft, overstuffed with "cool" ideas that don't necessarily make any sense when considered in the context of the show as a whole. And at times, my gosh, it all plays like self parody. All of Missy's lines about the "pointy stick," and her jabbing Davros in the eye, are just two examples of the show not taking itself seriously at all. Poking in the eye is Three Stooges territory, guys; you were only missing the comedy sound effect.
Still, I shouldn't complain too much. At least I got to see the Dalek corridor from the 1963 William Hartnell episode, lovingly recreated here (though not used to its best, claustrophobic effect). And hey, I got to see Skaro again, my favorite planet in Doctor Who. It didn't have a cool petrified forest, like in 1963, or a cool lake full of mutations. But at least it had some sludge and some dumb Daleks and Davros, played by a good actor with bad lines.
These days, I have to take what I can get with Doctor Who.
Watch out, spoilers below. So...
- The Daleks can't penetrate Davros' forcefield. Lame.
- The Daleks thought they killed Missy and Clara last week, but instead, their victims simply teleported about 500 yards away. And despite all their advanced technology, the Daleks didn't detect this. (Note, by the way, that Missy and Clara's "deaths" were about the 405th and 406th false deaths in New Who history, respectively.)
- The Daleks thought they blew up the TARDIS last week, but they didn't. The TARDIS shifted into Hostile Action Displacement mode, a safety feature that I believe all TARDISes have. Despite having fought an extensive Time War with the Time Lords, the Daleks somehow don't know about this.
- Despite the fact that the Daleks can fly, they are ambushed and killed by sludge from their own sewer system. Guys...just...fly to safety. A bunch of you are already flying over the city in those three CGI shots, anyway.
Here are a few more problems I had with this episode, that have less to do with Dalek lameness than a lack of consistency/credibility:
- Davros relies on his chair for life support, not just movement. How does he survive when the Doctor rips him out of it? And if he has a force field that repels Dalek firepower, how come it can't stop the Doctor from manhandling him?
- Daleks rely on their shells for life support, not just movement. So how can thousands of Daleks survive outside of their shells in a sludge-like state?
- The Daleks, as noted above, fought a huge Time War with the Time Lords. Yet somehow, they have never had access to Regeneration Energy before this episode. That's...daft. Did they never take a Time Lord prisoner before? And speaking of Regeneration Energy, how exactly does it make the Daleks more powerful? We see their domes shine for half a second, and that's it. Yeah, Moffat, don't bother to explain the plot or anything.
- My final bullet point: how did the Doctor guess what Davros' plan was going to be, in advance? Really, how did he know? In "Remembrance of the Daleks," the 7th Doctor sets an elaborate trap for Davros. Here, the 12th Doctor seems to clairvoyantly know what Davros is planning in advance. There's a difference, and it's the difference between good writing and lazy writing.
My overall point is...nothing that happens in this episode makes sense. Like a lot of New Who writing, it feels like a first draft, overstuffed with "cool" ideas that don't necessarily make any sense when considered in the context of the show as a whole. And at times, my gosh, it all plays like self parody. All of Missy's lines about the "pointy stick," and her jabbing Davros in the eye, are just two examples of the show not taking itself seriously at all. Poking in the eye is Three Stooges territory, guys; you were only missing the comedy sound effect.
Still, I shouldn't complain too much. At least I got to see the Dalek corridor from the 1963 William Hartnell episode, lovingly recreated here (though not used to its best, claustrophobic effect). And hey, I got to see Skaro again, my favorite planet in Doctor Who. It didn't have a cool petrified forest, like in 1963, or a cool lake full of mutations. But at least it had some sludge and some dumb Daleks and Davros, played by a good actor with bad lines.
These days, I have to take what I can get with Doctor Who.
A little contrived, but not painfully so (for a change).
TouchTheGarlicProduction26 September 2015
Last episode, being as great a setup as it was, left me a little nervous about this one. Doctor Who has a (recent) history of silly, contrived, disappointing conclusions to great setups. While this one certainly contained contrivance, it was not severe and did not detract from the quality of the episode.
The episode was well written. Moffat never had trouble writing humour or serious material. He has trouble combining the two. But, like last episode, this one was well balanced, though it was definitely more on the serious side.
One scene involving the function of Daleks manages to be simultaneously funny and very fascinating morally, making you question everything you thought you knew about the life of a Dalek. When you really start to think about the implications of said scene, it is a fascinating character study that I hope they explore further in the future. This is probably the most well balanced Doctor Who scene in a while.
I did notice a bit of sketchy CGI in this episode. At one point, a beam falls, and it looks terrible. To be fair, they are operating on a TV budget, but the last episode was excellent effects wise. Oh, and I miss the screwdriver already. Hopefully he'll get it back when he meets River again later.
The episode was well written. Moffat never had trouble writing humour or serious material. He has trouble combining the two. But, like last episode, this one was well balanced, though it was definitely more on the serious side.
One scene involving the function of Daleks manages to be simultaneously funny and very fascinating morally, making you question everything you thought you knew about the life of a Dalek. When you really start to think about the implications of said scene, it is a fascinating character study that I hope they explore further in the future. This is probably the most well balanced Doctor Who scene in a while.
I did notice a bit of sketchy CGI in this episode. At one point, a beam falls, and it looks terrible. To be fair, they are operating on a TV budget, but the last episode was excellent effects wise. Oh, and I miss the screwdriver already. Hopefully he'll get it back when he meets River again later.
Review
iudfhaiusfhui14 April 2016
Warning: Spoilers
The Witch's Familiar is dramatic, emotional, and excellently acted on all parts. The dialogue between the Doctor and Davros was very nice, but I would have preferred an episode more entangled in the show's mythos. The ending was disappointing though, how the Doctor said exterminate and killed the hand mines- it was predictable, but the mercy part was beautiful. This is one of Capaldi's best episodes yet, and he is awesome. I didn't like the Missy/Clara interplay at the beginning, although it explained how they survived. I think at least Clara should have actually died, and the Doctor goes back in time to kill Davros so that he never makes the Daleks, and they never kill Clara. I was expecting something more timey-wimey to be honest. But, the rest of the episode was excellent. For that reason, 10/10
Witch's familiar = Clara = Missy's companion
dkiliane26 April 2019
Warning: Spoilers
At least that's what I got out of it as Clara is basically stuck paling around with Missy until the climax of the episode (they survived the last episode's cliffhanger via last second teleportation). Which, not gonna lie, was interesting to see, as Missy appears to be trying to playfully off poor Clara at every opportunity. She pushes her down a 20 ft drop, gets her noticed by the security camera, chains her to the wall to be left at the mercy of the Dalek coming to investigate, and traps her in a Dalek casing trying to convince the Doctor that Clara is the Dalek that killed Clara! That woman is evil. To quote Bill Potts from season ten (spoilers!) "I am really scared of that woman."
Meanwhile, some of the best scenes are of the extensive conversation the Doctor has with Davros where Davros tried to convince the Doctor that he is in fact dying (for real this time). Great character moments, especially for the Doctor and while I enjoy the performance of the actor that plays Davros, the character himself is basically still discount Emperor Palpatine.
Still, there's a rousing conclusion where the Doctor of course outsmarts Davros, using his own trap against him and leaving the Daleks to fend against their undead sludge hoards (yeah there's what amounts to Dalek zombies here). Clara convincing the Doctor she's not a Dalek while trapped in the Dalek casing was a truly edge of your seat moment and a nice callback to the season 7 opener too in a way. And the Doctor's reaction to Missy's treachery (completely expected) is priceless. And it wraps up with a smart lesson about the ultimate strength of mercy and compassion, viewed as a weakness by Davros but smartly proved otherwise. A great conclusion to the season opener that leaves the audience ready for the rest of season 9.
Meanwhile, some of the best scenes are of the extensive conversation the Doctor has with Davros where Davros tried to convince the Doctor that he is in fact dying (for real this time). Great character moments, especially for the Doctor and while I enjoy the performance of the actor that plays Davros, the character himself is basically still discount Emperor Palpatine.
Still, there's a rousing conclusion where the Doctor of course outsmarts Davros, using his own trap against him and leaving the Daleks to fend against their undead sludge hoards (yeah there's what amounts to Dalek zombies here). Clara convincing the Doctor she's not a Dalek while trapped in the Dalek casing was a truly edge of your seat moment and a nice callback to the season 7 opener too in a way. And the Doctor's reaction to Missy's treachery (completely expected) is priceless. And it wraps up with a smart lesson about the ultimate strength of mercy and compassion, viewed as a weakness by Davros but smartly proved otherwise. A great conclusion to the season opener that leaves the audience ready for the rest of season 9.
The Familiar Doctor
A_Kind_Of_CineMagic20 March 2019
Warning: Spoilers
Continuing on from the very strong first part of this two part story, this episode is equally excellent. The whole concept is great, revisiting a Genesis of the Daleks type dilemma of a troubling decision which could stop the existence of the Daleks but would be morally deplorable to the Doctor.
I do think it is somewhat at odds with Moffatt's obsession of suggesting the Doctor has dark morals and not enough regard for life that he refuses to even take the life of his greatest, most evil enemies. This episode is all the better for the change in Moffatt's tone. THIS is the REAL Doctor - pragmatic but with a clear moral code, not the morally questionable Doctor that Moffatt tries too often to suggest.
The scenes between Davros and the Doctor are utterly fantastic. The acting of Capaldi and of Julian Bleach is superb and the dialogue and themes are tremendously cleverly presented. The dynamics between Missy and Clara are very different and very funny. There are moments which stray a bit too over the top such as Missy laughing hysterically and jumping about as the Clara Dalek fires at her but this type of annoyance is outnumbered amongst mostly witty and hilarious humour and moments of dark drama.
The Daleks are well depicted and the Dalek sewers are a decent idea. I am not 100% sold on the regeneration energy transmitting via cables and machinery into the rotting flesh of millions of discarded Daleks though, that seemed odd. Also the plot of Davros seems a little too reliant on things out of his control but to be fair he does say he had a back up plan to 'tear the Doctor apart' to get his regeneration energy.
The Doctor's choice to use his regeneration energy to turn the Dalek sewers against the Daleks is a risky strategy too but the excitement, drama, humour and quality of this story far outweigh any grumbles I had.
The magnificent face off between the Doctor and Davros alone is so great and there is so much other brilliantly dark drama and hilarious humour (such as the Doctor's tea and the chair provided at great difficulty by Davros) that this deserves a high rating from me.
My Rating: 9/10.
Series 8 Episode Ranking: 3rd out of 14.
Overall 2-part story 9/10.
I do think it is somewhat at odds with Moffatt's obsession of suggesting the Doctor has dark morals and not enough regard for life that he refuses to even take the life of his greatest, most evil enemies. This episode is all the better for the change in Moffatt's tone. THIS is the REAL Doctor - pragmatic but with a clear moral code, not the morally questionable Doctor that Moffatt tries too often to suggest.
The scenes between Davros and the Doctor are utterly fantastic. The acting of Capaldi and of Julian Bleach is superb and the dialogue and themes are tremendously cleverly presented. The dynamics between Missy and Clara are very different and very funny. There are moments which stray a bit too over the top such as Missy laughing hysterically and jumping about as the Clara Dalek fires at her but this type of annoyance is outnumbered amongst mostly witty and hilarious humour and moments of dark drama.
The Daleks are well depicted and the Dalek sewers are a decent idea. I am not 100% sold on the regeneration energy transmitting via cables and machinery into the rotting flesh of millions of discarded Daleks though, that seemed odd. Also the plot of Davros seems a little too reliant on things out of his control but to be fair he does say he had a back up plan to 'tear the Doctor apart' to get his regeneration energy.
The Doctor's choice to use his regeneration energy to turn the Dalek sewers against the Daleks is a risky strategy too but the excitement, drama, humour and quality of this story far outweigh any grumbles I had.
The magnificent face off between the Doctor and Davros alone is so great and there is so much other brilliantly dark drama and hilarious humour (such as the Doctor's tea and the chair provided at great difficulty by Davros) that this deserves a high rating from me.
My Rating: 9/10.
Series 8 Episode Ranking: 3rd out of 14.
Overall 2-part story 9/10.
Fantastic!
raheembutt0727 September 2015
Warning: Spoilers
To be perfectly honest, I don't know why people have voted less than 8 for such an amazing episode like this. If you don't have anything good to say about the show then just don't watch it!
The Witch's Familiar was a perfect ending to a thrilling two-parter. In it we saw the return of Skaro, with the continuation of the never ending battle between the Doctor and Davros. The acting was incredible, especially the moments where Davros and the Doctor were in deep conversation. The very atmosphere of the episode had me hooked from the start. Not to mention the humour, for example the Doctor playing around in Davros' chair which was HILARIOUS! Missy played her part very well as always, and in times we didn't know if she was good or bad. But at the end, surrounded by Daleks, she announces that she has 'a plan'. Most people were confused as to what this meant but I think, like before with the Cybermen, she will return with the Daleks on her side. It's just an idea I really have no idea. Overall, this was a fantastic episode filled with thrilling, emotional and gripping scenes which, even if you are not a fan of the show, would be impressed by.
The Witch's Familiar was a perfect ending to a thrilling two-parter. In it we saw the return of Skaro, with the continuation of the never ending battle between the Doctor and Davros. The acting was incredible, especially the moments where Davros and the Doctor were in deep conversation. The very atmosphere of the episode had me hooked from the start. Not to mention the humour, for example the Doctor playing around in Davros' chair which was HILARIOUS! Missy played her part very well as always, and in times we didn't know if she was good or bad. But at the end, surrounded by Daleks, she announces that she has 'a plan'. Most people were confused as to what this meant but I think, like before with the Cybermen, she will return with the Daleks on her side. It's just an idea I really have no idea. Overall, this was a fantastic episode filled with thrilling, emotional and gripping scenes which, even if you are not a fan of the show, would be impressed by.
Clever Fanpleasing
eggy-7736411 October 2015
Warning: Spoilers
A very good episode that one can find little fault in, except if one tries to view Doctor Who as "realistic".
How does the Doctor fit in Davros' chair, when Davros has only half a torso and the Doctor is much taller and has legs? How can Clara fit easily into a Dalek case when even she is about 10 times as tall as a Dalek's true body? (OK, the old series fit Ian into a Dalek casing, and he was probably 6') How merciful can you be to a little brat who - and the Doctor knows this for a fact - will end up killing billions (!) of intelligent lifeforms? Would you save Hitler from being killed as a child if you knew who he was? That the Doctor needs to save him to introduce "mercy" into the Daleks for one single moment that later saves Clara (otherwise the Daleks have NEVER shown mercy in their whole history) seems a little weird, but OK, he is consistently compassionate.
How endlessly powerful is the Doctors' regeneration energy? He can power up a whole city filled with hundreds of thousands of Daleks AND revive all the basically dead Daleks in the sewers simply by hanging on some cables for a couple of seconds? If the doctor had this power, wouldn't he simply be able to revive EVERYONE at the end of EVERY episode, regardless of what happens? Timelords have become so powerful it verges on the ridiculous - Missy can stop every plane in the air just like that, the Doctor is Super-Jesus and can revive everyone, regardless of who shoots at them, time lords can always teleport away at the last instant....where does it all stop? All these gripes aside the script shows how well Moffat knows his Who, and the allusions to former stories and little explanations are a joy to behold, as is the acting of everybody involved in this episode. The scenes with Bleach and Capaldi are very strong and show again that sometimes the best Who-moments are simply well-written dialogue (and Moffat excels in that).
For me the only thing standing in the way to call this one of the best episodes ever (quite a stretch) is simply the tendency to inflate all the ideas involved, to make everything flashy and exaggerated. Again, less would have been more.
How does the Doctor fit in Davros' chair, when Davros has only half a torso and the Doctor is much taller and has legs? How can Clara fit easily into a Dalek case when even she is about 10 times as tall as a Dalek's true body? (OK, the old series fit Ian into a Dalek casing, and he was probably 6') How merciful can you be to a little brat who - and the Doctor knows this for a fact - will end up killing billions (!) of intelligent lifeforms? Would you save Hitler from being killed as a child if you knew who he was? That the Doctor needs to save him to introduce "mercy" into the Daleks for one single moment that later saves Clara (otherwise the Daleks have NEVER shown mercy in their whole history) seems a little weird, but OK, he is consistently compassionate.
How endlessly powerful is the Doctors' regeneration energy? He can power up a whole city filled with hundreds of thousands of Daleks AND revive all the basically dead Daleks in the sewers simply by hanging on some cables for a couple of seconds? If the doctor had this power, wouldn't he simply be able to revive EVERYONE at the end of EVERY episode, regardless of what happens? Timelords have become so powerful it verges on the ridiculous - Missy can stop every plane in the air just like that, the Doctor is Super-Jesus and can revive everyone, regardless of who shoots at them, time lords can always teleport away at the last instant....where does it all stop? All these gripes aside the script shows how well Moffat knows his Who, and the allusions to former stories and little explanations are a joy to behold, as is the acting of everybody involved in this episode. The scenes with Bleach and Capaldi are very strong and show again that sometimes the best Who-moments are simply well-written dialogue (and Moffat excels in that).
For me the only thing standing in the way to call this one of the best episodes ever (quite a stretch) is simply the tendency to inflate all the ideas involved, to make everything flashy and exaggerated. Again, less would have been more.
What a hot as mess...
DCSassyQueen30 January 2016
I did not enjoy the episode too much because it did not make too much sense. It was all over the place and the I was rolling my eyes practically throughout the whole episode.
I was never one that enjoyed the Dalek's as villains. I am usually bored to tears when they are in the story.
It is time for Clara to leave. She has overstayed her welcome. I was over her character around the 7th episode of last season. I do not hate her. She was actually likable sometimes, but she has become a bore now. I am ready for a new companion.
Missy was too dramatic at times, but she was still one of the food things about this episode.
I was never one that enjoyed the Dalek's as villains. I am usually bored to tears when they are in the story.
It is time for Clara to leave. She has overstayed her welcome. I was over her character around the 7th episode of last season. I do not hate her. She was actually likable sometimes, but she has become a bore now. I am ready for a new companion.
Missy was too dramatic at times, but she was still one of the food things about this episode.
Slightly weaker than last episode.
Equalizer1626 September 2015
Warning: Spoilers
Last week left us on a bang, and how do they conclude this heart stopping story? With a nice chat.
The Witch's Familiar shows the Doctor and Davros having a final talk, while Missy and Clara walk their way through Skaro to hopefully save the Doctor. At the beginning we find the casual meanwhile situation taking place. (Meanwhile Missy gives Clara a puzzle as the Doctor is trapped in the heart of the Dalek Empire) the typical Doctor Who way.
Here's the problem, we see the dark twisted relationship between the Doctor and Davros but now we see them on the edge of being friends, and I think Clara and Missy needed more significance. There is also so many questions at the end maybe easily answered by sci fi fans, but still confusing.
We also don't know what the titles mean, but I can only hope their meaning will be revealed later in the series.
However it is still Doctor Who therefore still enjoyable, but I found the episode to be a slight downer from the first episode, so I give it a 6.
The Witch's Familiar shows the Doctor and Davros having a final talk, while Missy and Clara walk their way through Skaro to hopefully save the Doctor. At the beginning we find the casual meanwhile situation taking place. (Meanwhile Missy gives Clara a puzzle as the Doctor is trapped in the heart of the Dalek Empire) the typical Doctor Who way.
Here's the problem, we see the dark twisted relationship between the Doctor and Davros but now we see them on the edge of being friends, and I think Clara and Missy needed more significance. There is also so many questions at the end maybe easily answered by sci fi fans, but still confusing.
We also don't know what the titles mean, but I can only hope their meaning will be revealed later in the series.
However it is still Doctor Who therefore still enjoyable, but I found the episode to be a slight downer from the first episode, so I give it a 6.
The ineptitude of the Daleks
revans-583683 October 2015
Warning: Spoilers
The first part of the story I scored a 5, and this part has to have the same middling result, I'll try and explain for why. Plus points for Davros and Julian Bleach's portrayal of him, huge plaudits for his switch in tone, when he manages to trap the Doctor and draws on his regeneration energy he is on fire. Positives this time for Missy. I was less then positive about the character in the last part, but she felt more in character in this episode, darker and more sinister. Now the negatives, Clara has gone from being quite a strong and Sassy companion to one that's a little small in character and would have felt more at home with Jon Pertwee. The Daleks have become the most overused character in the show, since it's return they have featured in 17 episodes, in my humble opinion that is too many. If they dare use them in the final two installments of this series I'll switch off. In this entire episode the Daleks didn't kill one person, even if they did, they actually didn't really. They are no longer menacing.
What a bunch of good themes to think about
doctor-934-20711127 September 2015
Warning: Spoilers
PArt one 9/10
Part 2 9.5/10
Overall 9.25 /10
Surprises twists and turns.
I was correct! Clara and Missy teleported away.
Never trust Missy. Missy aka the MAster is evil.
She will push you down a cliff. She will make you into the enemy. She will poke you with a stick.
She acts out of self interest.
The Doctor. Good and Clever eh S. Moffat.
Compassionate, Merciful as well. Yes the doctor regenerates every Dalek and Davros including dying Kaled mutants.
All right one question - Where are the Thals?
Who would have expected so many riveting twists
and turns in a plot.
This includes the ending, the extermination of the handmines and the rescue of Young Davros.
So which Daleks will be back.
Davros will be.
Pledge of allegiance?
You have to wonder.
Part 2 9.5/10
Overall 9.25 /10
Surprises twists and turns.
I was correct! Clara and Missy teleported away.
Never trust Missy. Missy aka the MAster is evil.
She will push you down a cliff. She will make you into the enemy. She will poke you with a stick.
She acts out of self interest.
The Doctor. Good and Clever eh S. Moffat.
Compassionate, Merciful as well. Yes the doctor regenerates every Dalek and Davros including dying Kaled mutants.
All right one question - Where are the Thals?
Who would have expected so many riveting twists
and turns in a plot.
This includes the ending, the extermination of the handmines and the rescue of Young Davros.
So which Daleks will be back.
Davros will be.
Pledge of allegiance?
You have to wonder.
Not as good as last week
warlordartos20 April 2021
Warning: Spoilers
But that is the norm with New Who. It is still good most of the time. The main problem is the majority of the episode is suppose to make you feel sorry for Davros and any idiot with half a brain would know that Davros would never change. After all how may time in classic Who did The Doctor try to make Davros change his mind. The answer is many, many times.
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