“Doctor Who” Season 9, Episode 1 Review
Long-running sci-fi classic “Doctor Who” returned for its ninth season this Saturday, with its first episode, “The Magicians Apprentice” featuring the return of some of the Doctor’s old foes. Davros, creator of the Daleks and the Doctor’s longtime nemesis, reappeared with a message for the Doctor, and Missy, the latest regeneration of The Master, came back as well. Though she appeared to have died in the last episode of season eight, she’s here again, and we’re left to wonder how she survived and what her relationship with the Doctor and Clara will look like this season.
The first episode of the season didn’t waste any time delving into high-stakes action, as we quickly find out that the Doctor believes that he is going to die soon. In the meantime, he is being pursued by a servant of Davros, who says that his master is dying and demands to see the Doctor once more. Though the Doctor initially refuses to heed this request (living it up with a crowd of medieval townsfolk instead), eventually he, Missy, and his companion, Clara, wind up on Skaro, the Dalek homeworld.
Once having arrived, things go from bad to worse. Davros, ancient and near death, speaks with the Doctor, reminding him of an event in his childhood when the Doctor began to help him out of a deadly situation but then left him to fend for himself. As they talk, Missy and Clara are shot by Daleks, and appear to be dead. As the Doctor watches, horrified, Davros explains that he is trying to convince the Doctor of something he insists is truth: compassion is a mistake.
The episode cuts off shortly after, and the story will be concluded in the next episode. At the moment it’s unclear how the Doctor will save Missy and Clara, though at the moment it appears that he is going to go back in time and kill Davros. However, murder is hardly the Doctor’s m.o., and it seems unlikely that he would commit murder or agree that compassion is a mistake. This leaves us with the question of how the situation will be resolved.
All in all, I thought the first episode was interesting, but nothing we haven’t seen before. The Daleks have been used as a plot point in countless episodes, and at this point I’d like to see a new villain. The “are-they-dead-or-aren’t-they” phenomenon isn’t new either, as numerous “Doctor Who” characters have been killed off only to be resurrected once or even twice. After so many miracles, the suspense has worn off.
I’m curious to see what Missy and Clara’s roles are going to look like this season. Missy appeared to be more of a friend in this episode than she was last season, and I wonder if the trend will continue. As for Clara, this is reportedly the last season that she will be the Doctor’s companion, and I hope her arc will end in happiness, not sadness. With 11 episodes left, only time will tell. Stay tuned to hear more reviews.