Season eight of “Doctor Who” arrives with a new Doctor in the intriguing first episode “Deep Breath.”

Hold on to your sonic screwdrivers, because it’s that time again: “Doctor Who” has returned to television. The show has been on hiatus since season seven  wrapped up in May of 2013, though there have been two episodes since then, a 75-minute 50th anniversary special in November, and an episode this past Christmas in which the popular 11th doctor, played by Matt Smith, regenerated.

The internet has been abuzz ever since Smith, who played the Doctor’s 11th incarnation for the past 3 seasons, announced he was moving on. The biggest question on everyone’s mind was who would be selected to play the next Doctor. Many fans were surprised by the BBC’s choice of Peter Capaldi, a  56-year-old Scottish actor. Though this seemed like a bit of a shock, seeing as 31-year-old Smith was the youngest actor to play the Doctor and Capaldi is the oldest, his first appearance was a hit.

The beginning of season eight takes us once again to Victorian England, a place often visited in season seven. The beginning involves a dinosaur who has mysteriously appeared in the streets of London, and is being investigated by fan-favorites Vastra, Jenny and Strax, often referred to as the Paternoster gang. Soon enough the new Doctor and Clara, his companion, arrive to much confusion, as the Doctor is still getting used to his new body and is liable to get turned around.

The episode turns out to be an interesting adventure, as a spate of spontaneous combustions send the group to find the culprit. The episode hinges on several relationships: Clara’s interaction with the new Doctor, who she has difficulty adjusting to at first, the interspecies married couple Jenny and Vastra, (who seriously deserve their own spin-off series now that “Torchwood” is on indefinite hiatus), and the Doctor’s own relationship to his new form, which he seems perplexed by.

The episode has a good blend of introspection, humor (provided by the endlessly comedic Strax, who still hasn’t shaken his Sontaran military training), classic sci-fi adventure, and killer robots (after all, this is “Doctor Who”). The main antagonists are an interesting bunch, and it appears that we will be seeing more of them this season. There are several references to previous incarnations of “Doctor Who”, as the 12th Doctor mentions Amy Pond in a comedic moment, and the strange robots that drive the plot harken back to the sinister automatons that menaced Madame de Pompadour in season two’s “’The Girl in the Fireplace.” The end of the episode featured a perplexing new character, as well as the brief appearance of an old favorite.

Overall, I greatly enjoyed  the episode, and I have high hopes for season eight. The first seven episodes are airing weekly this fall, and will each be individually covered by The Mustang Online. I am unsure of where the plot will go, as season eight could go in a lot of new directions. Though “Day of the Doctor,” the 50th anniversary special, hinted at the return of Gallifrey, it has yet to be mentioned this season.

Opinion is divided on the 12th Doctor’s personality. I love the gruffer, older version of the doctor, who is reminiscent of Capaldi’s role as aggressive spin-doctor Malcolm Tucker in BBC’s “The Thick of It”. However, others find it too dramatic of a shift. One of my whovian friends complained that he “just isn’t fantastic enough.” (Props if you get the 9th Doctor reference. ) Capaldi himself stated that his version of the doctor is “less user-friendly,” which is evident in the first episode, though he is certainly still a caring person, as he comes through eventually for Clara and the others. He is also Scottish, as Capaldi is using his native accent, unlike David Tennant, who chose to use a British accent for his role as the 10th Doctor. I see him leaning in a darker direction though, as we never get an answer to what happened in the final conflict: did the automaton fall, or was he pushed?

The thing I am happiest about is the change in the Doctor and Clara’s relationship. Last season had definite romantic undertones, but this season it appears to be moving in a completely different direction, as the Doctor bluntly stated, “I’m not your boyfriend Clara.” What with almost every companion seeming to fall in love with the Doctor, this will be a refreshing change. Maybe this change in the tide will lead to a bromance as amazing as Donna and the 10th Doctor’s. Only time will tell. And with a TARDIS, we have a lot of it to explore.