Rate & Discuss: The Magician’s Apprentice

September 19th, 2015
Warning! This article and its comments may contain spoilers...


Where is the Doctor? When the skies of Earth are frozen by a mysterious alien force, Clara needs her friend. But where is the Doctor, and what is he hiding from? As past deeds come back to haunt him, old enemies will come face-to-face, and for the Doctor and Clara survival seems impossible.

It was every Christmas and birthday at once for Doctor Who fans tonight as their beloved hero finally returned to face enemies old and new in the long awaited Series 9 premiere…

Peter Capaldi was back in business to reprise his role as the Twelfth Doctor and the TARDIS reopened its doors to give viewers a first class ticket to the adventure of a lifetime, but what was the Doctor hiding from? It only feels like yesterday that we were accompanying him on his festive jaunt in the North Pole but it was just another day in the office for the Time Lord and his coveted companion, Clara Oswald, who kick started her final series in spectacular style. Missy was also back to continue her reign of malevolent madness and she wasn’t the only blast from the past as the Daleks graced our telly boxes once more.

So, that was The Magician’s Apprentice, everybody! Was it worth the wait or has this year’s opening episode left you feeling deflated? Did it live up to your expectations or were you hoping for more? Dissect tonight’s drama in the comments and let us know your views on all of the accompanying shenanigans. There’s lots to discuss and only one place to do it!

Rate The Magician's Apprentice

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NOTE: This discussion will NOT be spoiler monitored so please do not read the comments if you haven’t seen The Magician’s Apprentice. You have been warned!

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(15 Votes, Average: 4.00/5)
12 comments on this article
  1. Valcoor
    September 20th, 2015 at 4.13am | #1

    The little bit before the intro music had me saying (out loud)”What? Who? OMG!! I didn’t see THST one coming.”
    Then, after the intro music, it was “I never thought THEY would be working together”

    All in all, I must admit that it was one of the best episodes I’ve seen for a long time.
    The scene with the Vikings was priceless even if the puns and jokes were groaners.

  2. Valcoor
    September 20th, 2015 at 4.54am | #2

    Ok, it wasn’t the Vikings, it was medieval england, but still it was priceless.
    One question, the Dr played pretty woman when clara made her entrance, but what was the song he played when Missy walked in?

  3. JC
    September 20th, 2015 at 9.03am | #3

    **Contains Spoilers**

    So after nine months, the Doctor is back. I was one of those fans that found Series 8 very underwhelming. It had two hearts but neither of them seemed to be beating, so my hopes for Series 9 have been cautious.

    The first thing to say is that the rumours were true and Davros did feature as a child in the first episode, so before he said his name, I knew it was him. I didn’t expect the adult Davros to feature, nor for him to be played by Julian Bleach, who did such a good job at the end of Series 4.

    As fans always do, I’ll have to watch it again, but my first impressions were cautiously good. The party atmosphere at the start seemed to mark the start of the Series, but then shifted quickly into a finale type event, which I quite liked. It was faced with the problem I think all two parters have, which is that you wait for the whole episode for something to happen, but it doesn’t because everything happens in Part 2, which puts a lot of expectation on that second episode.

    I’m still not a fan of the current theme music. It’s like nails on a chalkboard and I was hoping they’d change it for Series 9, but I can live with it. Part of me was also hoping the Doctor would have a new Sonic Screwdriver, as they are the only thing (besides the DVD boxsets) that I collect. Still, with his trashed, we may see a new design that will hopefully be used with balance to please those that like to see it used and those that don’t.

    I liked that Davros showed him the 4th Doctor choosing to let the Daleks live, because given what happened in the Last Great Time War, it was a monumental decision that the Doctor has probably replayed over and over again over the many centuries since.

    I also liked that the Supreme Dalek from Series 4 returned with the same booming, imperious voice, but I would have liked to have seen more than a tiny glimpse of the Special Weapons Dalek. Perhaps that will happen next week.

    I still don’t feel like Missy is The Master though. It’s not that I don’t like Michelle Gomez’s character, because her eccentric and deranged behaviour is growing on me and I kind of wish she’d been a new Time Lady. I like that she’s the kind of character that dances around and sings whilst cutting people’s heads off, but it’s difficult for me give her the title “Master”. I was also a bit disappointed she had to use a Vortex Manipulator to get around in Episode 1, as I would like to see another Tardis in the Revived Era series. Still, it doesn’t rule out the possibility that she has one somewhere and that she just uses the Vortex Manipulator for convenience.

    Still (and, once again, pending a re-watch), I’m getting a better feeling from The Magician’s Apprentice than I got from most of Series 8. Doctor Who for me has always been about that feeling you get from epic stories, from the high stakes, from high emotion and various forms of power.

    The first two episodes of Series 9 are giving us young Davros, old Davros (played by Julian Bleach), various era Daleks, Skaro, The Mistress and high stakes all in one go. I know they can’t realistically keep this pace up, but IF they get the second part right, it MAY be a good omen.

    I hope so. I would really like to feel confident calling myself a Doctor Who fan again.

  4. Joshrr
    September 20th, 2015 at 10.39am | #4

    Mind-blowing Insane Ludicrous Brilliant Silly Moffat Clever Moffat

    Man I love this episode!
    So enjoyable and kicks of the season with an a brilliant high! The season finale has a lot to live up to!

    I heard that a certain scientist would be coming back but I thought it was a fake rumour! I was cached completely of guard at the reveal!
    I can’t think of any bad thing about it!

    I absolutely can’t wait until next week! I can’t remember the last time I was so excited for something!
    Who knows maybe next time we’ll actually find out how Missy and “the scientist” survived. I doubt it but I hope so!
    Can I just say again I love this episode?!

  5. Greg Campbell
    September 20th, 2015 at 11.22am | #5

    Generally it was a great episode, very much enjoyed it. Please to see the return of Davros as well as classic Daleks, Karn and clips of previous Doctors.

    My only disappointment was Missy, who is so utterly unrecognisable as the Master she may as well be a different character.

  6. Patrick
    September 20th, 2015 at 11.31am | #6

    Lot of people thought that Moffat had lost the plot but nope he’s still got it. Unit, Skaro, Sisterhood of Karn, Daleks and …….DAVROS I was really surprised but obviously in a good way and then the TARDIS potentially being destroyed never mind what’s happened with Missy and Clara. It was great seeing the Shadow proclamation again and Maldovariam from series 5 added a nice touch and a few monsters like the Ood and Judoon. And that part of the episode was based off Genesis of the Daleks I simply cannot wait until next week

  7. KC
    September 20th, 2015 at 12.09pm | #7

    @Valcoor
    I believe it’s Hey Mickey (or in this case I spose…Hey Missy)

  8. Steve
    September 20th, 2015 at 4.58pm | #8

    So and this will shock some of you, I loved the opening episode. Suspenseful, exciting and a little scary. It was a great opening episode and then best episode Moffatt has written since his take over. There were only some small irritating things! The Doctor on a tank, playing a guitar and wearing silly sunglasses was definitely a low point. The Doctor, first the first time ever, BEGGING! Now that was really irritating and very unlike the Doctor. The only other irritating was the space station/planet issue! I still don’t believe Moffatt really understands Doctor Who but it was a good start.

  9. Hoody Lover
    September 21st, 2015 at 1.33am | #9

    I loved everything about this episode. The nods to Genesis of the Daleks, a more confident, pleasanter Clara, Davros, Missy, the Sisterhood of Karen, a mellower, hugging Doctor, Davros as a child, Bors…all of it. I wish they’d included an Imperial Dalek, but that was my only quibble.

    The Doctor abandoning Davros and then feeling deeply ashamed was acted beautifully. I didn’t see anything non Doctorish in the Doctor begging for Clara’s life. He hadn’t wanted Clara and Missy with him, probably for the very reason that his affection for his friends can be exploited by his enemies, particularly an enemy who knows him as well as Davros.

    I also thought Caoaldi entering on the tank, playing guitar was the coolest thing I’ve seen in 52 years of Doctor Who. He looked amazing!

  10. Bigsi
    September 21st, 2015 at 5.10am | #10

    I absolutely loved it, lots of humour and twists and a few Holy **** moments for me, I was expecting this episode to happen and it finally did.

  11. Tatty Jane
    September 23rd, 2015 at 7.43pm | #11

    What a relief! The whole of the last series was a disappointment. It wasn’t Capaldi’s fault at all – but that of weak story-lines and scripting. With the opening of this new series we are back to what Doctor Who should be – long may it last!
    (btw I have been a Doctor Who fan for over 50 years!)

  12. alan amos
    September 27th, 2015 at 7.53pm | #12

    If the Dr has changed the sonic screwdrive for sonic sunglasses
    That don’t even look good on him I will not be such a fan .

    There is no reason for changing the screwdriver for sunglasses
    A new style of screwdriver would have been better especially
    for the collectors as a glasses wearer I cannot show of the
    sonic sunglasses as I do with the sonic screwdrivers in my collection.

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