Doctor Who review: Davros, the Daleks and Missy in Series 9's opener

Jenna Coleman as Clara and Peter Capaldi as the Doctor.

Featuring Davros, the Daleks, and even Missy, how well does Series 9’s opener balance such a distinctive mix of Doctor Who villains?

Davros’s second (and, as of 2020, last) New Series story shares many characteristics with his first. Just like The Stolen Earth, he doesn’t appear too much during the first episode. We also see many familiar faces from previous episodes, and there’s the feeling that this story is huge.

However, at the same time, The Magician’s Apprentice/The Witch’s Familiar feels like an inversion of that earlier story, too. For one thing, rather than being the series finale, it’s actually the series opener, and it shows. There are several major arcs and hints that are set up in this two-parter that eventually have a payoff in Series 9’s final episodes.

But perhaps more important than that is how important Davros is this time. Last time – while it was certainly exciting to see him again – he was arguably overshadowed by the return of so many former companions and even the Daleks. But that doesn’t happen this time. Despite featuring the Daleks again, as well as the return of the Doctor’s other archenemy Missy, it’s Davros who’s central to this story, right from the very opening scene. (Which just might be the best opening scene in Doctor Who history.)

A major dilemma

If I was to pick which part I preferred more of this two-part story, it would have to be The Magician’s Apprentice. It’s not just because it packs in a lot of plot and locations. (Seriously, in under an hour, we go from Skaro to the Shadow Proclamation to Karn to present-day Earth to the middle ages to Skaro again! That’s a lot to cram into just one episode!)

But what really makes it so good is the Doctor’s dilemma at the start. Abandoning a small child in the middle of a minefield is nothing short of horrific. And yet, at the same time, we all know who that child grows up to become. We know that his destiny is to become a monster. And, naturally, we’re given a reminder of that monster in the same story.

The second episode is also enjoyable, especially for all the scenes that Peter Capaldi and Julian Bleach share as the Doctor and Davros. Some of the best moments with Davros are those shared with the Doctor, and each of them gets to see the other – and themselves – in clear and open ways. In The Witch’s Familiar, Davros is a little more devious than usual, gently manipulating the Doctor into a trap…or is he?

However, as good as these scenes are, the opening episode’s central dilemma isn’t explored quite as much. There are hints of it, (particularly when Twelve mentions that he owes a sunrise to a boy on a battlefield,) but it’s not covered in quite as much depth as you’d expect. Considering we saw the adult Davros with the Doctor’s sonic screwdriver, this seems a bit of a shame. However, this doesn’t prevent the scenes from being enjoyable on their own terms, as both Capaldi and Bleach get to show off just how great they are in these roles.

Daleks of all varieties

Of course, you can’t have a story with Davros without bringing the Daleks back. (At least, not on television.) This time however, they have rather less presence compared to The Stolen Earth. Which actually works. If there’s one criticism I have over Davros’s appearances in the Classic Series, it’s that he often overshadowed his creations in almost every Dalek serial from Genesis of the Daleks onwards.

But considering how many appearances the Daleks have had in the New Series by this point – especially when compared to Davros – it’s definitely right for Davros to be in the limelight. In fact, this arguably should have happened during his first appearance in the New Series, but as previously discussed, he was considerably overshadowed by many other elements in that story.

But while the Daleks don’t come across as the central villains this time, it has to be said: they do look rather nice. We see a lot of Dalek variations in this episode. This isn’t the first time this has happened – the Matt Smith episode Asylum of the Daleks also featured many Dalek variations, even making it a huge selling point. However, due to extremely low lighting, it was actually hard to see the differences between each design. The Magician’s Apprentice fixes that in a big way, and we get to see all these various designs in all their glory.

We also get to learn a little more about the genetically engineered monsters, too. Particularly about their “sewers”, where the Daleks dispose of their dead. Or in this case, undead. Which is an extremely horrifying idea. Genetically engineering something to age and even decompose but still endure seems exactly like the kind of monstrous thing that Davros would do. The Daleks leaving them to rot is true to them, too. So getting to find out a little bit more about the pepper pots is a nice little reveal.

Missy

While Davros is undoubtedly the main villain of these two episodes, I should point out that, naturally, Michelle Gomez is fantastic as Missy. Moffat including a villain as iconic as the Master in the same story that he brought Davros back was certainly a risky move, especially as it could have taken away from the focus on the Daleks’ creator. But it works. Each villain stands out, but for extremely different reasons.

Along with having a grand entrance, we’re given many reminders of just how devious and ruthless Missy is in this story. Moffat pairing her with Clara was a particularly brilliant stroke. Not only are we presented with quite an unusual duo – particularly as each of them wants to kill the other – but we also get a close look at each character’s relationship with the Doctor.

Of course, while Missy works well in both of these two episodes, it’s Davros who’s the major villain here. And the ending seems perfectly fitting. While the second episode seemed to move away from the central dilemma of the first, seeing Twelve go back to the young boy he saw and rescue him, despite knowing who that boy grows up to be, is extremely fitting. Not just because it’s what the Doctor does. But – by teaching Davros even the most basic concept of mercy – he makes the Daleks just that little bit better as a result. It’s a beautiful ending to a solid story for the Doctor’s old enemy.

Next. Davros in Series 4’s finale – How well was he used?. dark

What are your thoughts on The Magician’s Apprentice/The Witch’s Familiar? Do you think it’s a good story for Davros? Do you think it explored its central moral dilemma well? Let us know in the comments below.

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Doctor Who review: Davros, the Daleks and Missy – Looking back on The Magician’s Apprentice/The Witch’s Familiar

By James Aggas | Dec 18, 2020

Featuring Davros, the Daleks, and even Missy, how well does Series 9’s opener balance such a distinctive mix of Doctor Who villains?

A major dilemma

Daleks of all varieties

More from Winter is Coming

Missy