Doctor Who Series Nine Was the Best of NuWho

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Since Doctor Who came back to the airwaves, there have been quite a few memorable episodes and some truly brilliant seasons. However, Series Nine may have been the best series of NuWho.

In any series, everyone has their favorites. There are favorite characters, favorite episodes and favorite moments. Some seasons are preferred more than others. It is simply a fact of life when it comes to any series, be it a television program or a movie franchise.

That is, naturally, going to be the case with Doctor Who as well. There will be different factions who prefer different characters, as can be seen from the Amy Pond/Rose Tyler split when it comes to companions. Different Doctors will be preferred, based on taste, and so will different seasons.

Yet, it seems that Series Nine has been generally disliked by majority of the fans of the show. In a way, this sort of makes sense – the two part episodes gave the series a much different feel than had been there since the show was brought back. However, this different feel was not a bad thing.

Instead, Series Nine could be considered the best season in the annuls of NuWho. There was true growth and character development, storylines were wrapped up and there was even the potential for a spinoff with the way the season ended. It was truly excellent to see.

And so, let us look back at Series Nine of Doctor Who, and recap the reasons why this was the best season since the program was given new life.

Next: The nods to the past

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The Past Came Back to Life

One of the joys of Peter Capaldi as the Doctor would be his little homages to the past. While he may not be wandering about in Tom Baker’s scarf or wearing a fez, We have seen nods to the early days of the show. It has been a lot of fun looking for these little moments.

That past came back in full force during Series Nine. Davros, The Sisterhood of Karn and Rasillon Reborn all made their appearances during this most recent season. Even the TARDIS that Clara and Me absconded in had elements reminiscent of the First, Second and Fourth Doctors in the design.

It is not just the classic series that receives love in Series Nine. The Doctor’s rule breaking and increasing haughtiness are a reminder of what the Tenth Doctor was like before his regeneration. The diner that Clara and the Doctor chatted in was where he met River, Amy and Rory during The Impossible Astronaut. The Doctor even figured out why he chose the face of Caecilius for this incarnation. Osgood even made a reappearance, even though we cannot be sure if it was the human or the Zygon Osgood that was disintegrated.

The past has always been an important factor on Doctor Who, especially with the Doctor travelling throughout time and space. The way that the past was brought into the present, and the merging of both during Series Nine, was truly special.

Next: The growth of Clara

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Clara Oswald Became a True Companion

There was a lot to dislike about Clara Oswald in Series Eight of Doctor Who. She had become a truly manipulative being, selfishly working both the Doctor and Danny Pink to meet her ends. Series Eight, depending on how one looked at it, appeared to be nothing more than the Clara Oswald Chronicles, where she overshadowed the Doctor at every move.

Then something happened this season – the whining brat that Clara had become evolved into someone completely different. The events of Last Christmas entirely changed her, as her and the Doctor truly became friends. In fact, they had become truly inseparable.

In doing so, Clara changed the perception of her character. No longer was she that manipulative being that Whovians loved to hate, but rather someone that the Doctor could truly depend on. In a way, she had almost become the Doctor herself, as her love for adventure turned into a general lack of self concern and recklessness. Only, as Clara would find out, she did not have the Doctor’s ability to regenerate.

Clara Oswald showed more growth in Series Nine than she had at any other point in time. It is unfortunate that her end on the show had to come right when she had become a truly likable character.

Next: The Twelfth Doctor found comfort in himself

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Peter Capaldi Found Himself as the Doctor

One of the major gripes with Series Eight was how the Doctor seemed lost. He seemed unsure of himself, constantly asking if he was a good man and getting into petty squabbles with characters like Danny Pink and Robin Hood. Not only did it seem as though he did not know who he was, but that he considered others to be a threat to his status.

This changed in Series Nine. We had a confident Doctor, one who was finally in his element. He was a being of action, a fearsome foe for those who threatened the things he loved. He rediscovered his ability to care about others, and even put in the effort to be able to connect better with his flash cards.

Indeed, it was interesting to see personal growth from a character as developed as the Doctor. After all, this character has been around for 53 years, on television, audio plays, novelizations and comic books, among other media. Even though the current incarnation does not have as much history as the others, he could very well have been set in his ways.

It is a credit to Clara and how their relationship developed, as well as the writers this season, as to what the Doctor has become. Maybe he isn’t likely to give out hugs, but he is not that cantankerous curmudgeon he had been in the past either. It has been great to watch his development.

Next: Speaking of the writers....

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The Stories Were Brilliant

Let us think back to the stories of Season Eight. The Moon was an egg. Robin Hood was real. The Boneless. Killer solar flares that are stopped from destroying the Earth when an elementary school version of the Lorax convinces everyone not to cut down the strange trees that cropped up around the world. Yeah, there were some bad episodes.

Now, let us think to this season. Sleep No More may be considered to be the worst episode of Series Nine, but it would have been a top three episode last year, surpassed only by Listen and Dark Water. Heaven Sent may be the episode that people point to when looking back at Capaldi’s run as the Doctor, and Hell Bent, The Girl Who Died and The Woman Who Lived were truly stellar.

Series Nine did more than pay homage to the past or change the perception of the Twelfth Doctor. It breathed new life into the show, closed up several loose ends and set the stage for a possible revamp for next season. It made Clara not only more likeable, but a character that one could commiserate with. In twelve episodes, it changed the Whoniverse as we had come to know it.

Next: Capaldi Says No to Male Companion

Series Nine did a tremendous job of reinvigorating Doctor Who, and brought the show to heights that had not been reached in some time, if at all. Of the seasons of NuWho, this may well be the best one thus far.