The Magician's Apprentice
- Episode aired Sep 19, 2015
- TV-PG
- 49m
IMDb RATING
8.4/10
6.9K
YOUR RATING
When the skies of Earth are frozen by a mysterious alien force, Clara needs her friend, the Doctor. But where is he and what is he hiding from?When the skies of Earth are frozen by a mysterious alien force, Clara needs her friend, the Doctor. But where is he and what is he hiding from?When the skies of Earth are frozen by a mysterious alien force, Clara needs her friend, the Doctor. But where is he and what is he hiding from?
Nicholas Briggs
- Daleks
- (voice)
India Amarteifio
- Alison
- (as India Ria Amarteifio)
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaPeter Capaldi was really playing the guitar during the Doctor's big entrance and for Pretty Woman. In real life, Capaldi is an accomplished rock guitarist and once had a band back in Scotland with Craig Ferguson called The Dreamboys.
- GoofsThe doctor realizes he needs to go back and save the boy because Dalek-Clara can express "Mercy," something he says they shouldn't be able to do. In season 5 (The Big Bang), a Dalek begs River for mercy repeatedly, using that exact word.
- Quotes
The Doctor: Davros is my archenemy. Why would I want to talk with him?
Missy: Now wait, hang on a minute. Davros is your archenemy now?
- ConnectionsFeatured in Doctor Who Extra: Behind the Scenes of the Series 9 Prologue (2015)
Featured review
Davros Has A Dream . The Audience Have A Nightmare
In my review of the season 8 finale I suggested Steven Moffat wasn't happy to destroy present day DOCTOR WHO and he felt the need to destroy the show's past also . He continues this with the series 9 opener where he ret-cons Genesis Of The Daleks from 1975 . Genesis is perhaps the greatest story from the classic show where a supremely talented production team really pushed the boat out as to what they could get away with in something that was perceived as a cosy family show . One controversy was the subtext of racism with an eternal war between two races The Kaleds and the Thals and I wonder if anyone praising this episode has any knowledge of the concept of subtext ? Two separate races complete with fascist imagery and iconography including Nazi salutes . The Daleks are space Nazis descended from the Kaled race but the Kaleds were space Nazis to begin with , obsessed with racial purity and as I said this is paramount to the point Terry Nation narrative is making . Not so here where the opening scene shows the Kaleds as being a totally diverse ethnic group of people which ignores the xenophobic motivation of a race war . It also ignores the internal logic of a "war of attrition only backwards" seen in Genesis . Bi-planes with lasers , "hand-mines" ( Hey you've seen PANS LABYRINTH haven't you Steven ? ) clash with soldiers armed with bow and arrows might be striking on a visual level but instantly collapses given the slightest thought and unfortunately this ill thought out plotting in the pre title sequence is a highlight compared to what comes after it
This is the first half of a two part story but seems to be entirely composed of padding . Planes become frozen in the air and UNIT call on Clara and Missy to find the Doctor who is playing electric guitar in ye days of olde Not only is it obvious padding but is misguided and embarrassing padding . Missy is dreadful in both writing and the way she's played by Gomez and is a million light years removed from the previous incarnations of The Master . Even the cartoonish Marvel Super-villain played by Simm was superior to the "Mary Poppins on acid /speed/cocaine/any drug you can name" character seen here . But the main irritant is the interpretation of the Doctor himself Capaldi was the trump card from season 8 , an older more serious , darker character . His character didn't always reach the full potential because of the writing was uneven and different writers seemed to be writing for a different character every week , but the potential was there . Here however Capaldi seems to be playing a different character scene to scene and this is reflected in the tone of the episode as it veers all over the place . A lot of bluster , a lot of noise ,a lot of whole lot of nothing in the grand scheme of things . With the exception of Julian Bleach as Davros there's little to praise in this episode . I also noticed Davros was sleeping and having a nightmare . Let's hope next week's resolution sees Davros suddenly wake up and finds the Moffat era has been a nightmare . It's certainly a nightmare to sit through believe me .
This is the first half of a two part story but seems to be entirely composed of padding . Planes become frozen in the air and UNIT call on Clara and Missy to find the Doctor who is playing electric guitar in ye days of olde Not only is it obvious padding but is misguided and embarrassing padding . Missy is dreadful in both writing and the way she's played by Gomez and is a million light years removed from the previous incarnations of The Master . Even the cartoonish Marvel Super-villain played by Simm was superior to the "Mary Poppins on acid /speed/cocaine/any drug you can name" character seen here . But the main irritant is the interpretation of the Doctor himself Capaldi was the trump card from season 8 , an older more serious , darker character . His character didn't always reach the full potential because of the writing was uneven and different writers seemed to be writing for a different character every week , but the potential was there . Here however Capaldi seems to be playing a different character scene to scene and this is reflected in the tone of the episode as it veers all over the place . A lot of bluster , a lot of noise ,a lot of whole lot of nothing in the grand scheme of things . With the exception of Julian Bleach as Davros there's little to praise in this episode . I also noticed Davros was sleeping and having a nightmare . Let's hope next week's resolution sees Davros suddenly wake up and finds the Moffat era has been a nightmare . It's certainly a nightmare to sit through believe me .
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- Theo Robertson
- Sep 20, 2015
Details
- Runtime49 minutes
- Color
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