**Spoilers** Series 9, Episode 1 - "The Magician's Apprentice"

pixelburp

Another year, another series, another episode post by yours truly so does anyone else feel like Dr. Who has become a cosy inevitability of TV? I don't mean that in a bad way or anything, or that I'm not excited about a new series, but I feel complacent around this show, that when all else fails you can at least rely on Dr. Who to keep the TV motor running; I mean, holy sh*t it's series 9 of the relaunch - wowsers!

It's not perfect, and certainly there seems to be a swell of folk who can't wait to see the back of Mr. Moffat, but I've seen shows with a far greater quality-see-saw than Dr. Who ever demonstrates. It still feels like a show unafraid to think big.

Anyway, a trailer has popped up for the first episode proper: I'll replace it with a HD version when it appears.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MI9QwoLX6DE

Doctor DooM

Oh that's interesting. It looks like maybe the Mistress will be in, for those who are interested in pro wrestling, a tweener role.

dball

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/doctor-who/11856035/Doctor-Who-The-Magicians-Apprentice-The-Witchs-Familiar-spoiler-free-review.html

pixelburp

For anyone who still likes watching Dr. Who as it broadcasts, it's on at 7:40pm on Saturday 19th

Also, a prologue for the first episode has been released: it's as enigmatic as hell, that's for sure.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0326qkd

TICKLE_ME_ELMO

Does all the chat for Doctor Who happen in this area rather than in the sort of general TV area?

pixelburp

TICKLE_ME_ELMO wrote: »

Does all the chat for Doctor Who happen in this area rather than in the sort of general TV area?

Yup, pretty much; there are usually threads for each episode, ala other forums for specific TV shows, so that's where most of the chat takes place afaik

therabbittest

pixelburp wrote: »

For anyone who still likes watching Dr. Who as it broadcasts, it's on at 7:40pm on Saturday 19th

I think Doctor Who is the only non-sport broadcast that I always try to watch as it goes out. It just feels right that way, on a Saturday night

Doctor DooM

I'm the same, I don't like catching it post broadcast. It's my last link to the old world of television.

TICKLE_ME_ELMO

I've gotten into the habit of recording it and enjoying it on Sunday morning with a nice cuppa. Only problem is the internet can quite often ruin an episode so I've to stay away from it until I've watched. Although a few hours isn't that hard.

jimbob_jones

Hey folks, just popped in to the thread to say that the prologue and the Doctor's Meditation are available free to download/watch on Xbox 360, Xbox One, Windows 10 and Windows Phone.

Just go in to the Film & TV app on Win10, Win8.1 and Xbox One look for Doctor Who Series 9 and there are a few free videos to download / watch

On 360 just go into the Xbox Video app and look for Doctor Who Series 9 and the same stuff will be there

ooo tonight's the night

Doctor DooM

I know, I am excite

pixelburp

Very excited:

Doctor DooM

The Master

Won't get to watch it live tonight will have to watch it late when I get home

Agent Coulson

Really enjoyed it.

Doctor DooM

Well that was fairly amazeballs, although I'd say a lot of what happened will be reversed.

oooooo that was brilliant loved it

WomanSkirtFan8

absolutely fantastic episode! really enjoyed it! can't wait for next week!:)

ebbsy

Great episode. It was such a risk to give a nod to almost the greatest story made.But they pulled it off.

Tzar Chasm

I presume missy and clara teleported into the tardis, but which one is driving?

Both are capable of driving it.

Manach

It took a while to gather pace, but a better start than last season.
I had recommended Dr. Who to two collegues, albeit I'm unsure if this was the ideal episode for them to start.

Sonics2k

Great episode, not the best ever, but a fantastic start to the series.

I do feel conflicted on the character of Missy though. She's brilliant, such a great actress and the dialog is great, but she just doesn't feel like she is the Master. I'm still not 100% convinced she is the actual Master and not someone else.

TICKLE_ME_ELMO

I liked that.

I do enjoy the darker themes they seem to have been going with since Capaldi came on board. Think he and Coleman are better able to carry them than Smith/Gillen were.

SueBoom

Now that's how you do Who. Loved every minute!

pixelburp

Wow, that was an incredibly strong opening episode, and any thoughts that Series 9 might be a little lighter in tone got immediately put to bed: arguably that was a dark, complex story and we are so far from the days of farting aliens and creatures made of fat it's like a different show.

And despite the grim tone, we got the frankly absurd and brilliant image of the 12th Doctor riding into a medieval battle on a tank, playing an electric guitar. Nice Stuff like that is why I love Doctor Who. I'm pretty sure Capaldi was actually playing that guitar too.

I dunno about anyone who were keeping a keen on eye on spoilers and set reports, but the presence of Davros completely took me by surprise and that's such a nice feeling in this day and age of social-media saturation. Funny though, when Capaldi quipped about the battlefield having a mix of technologies, my brain instantly thought of Genesis of the Daleks. Even that first scene was very reminiscent of Genesis' own. And has Season 9 already achieved the creepiest image of the run with those 'Hand Mines'? Blergh.

As for the notion of The Master being the Doctor's closest friend, it kinda works when you think about it: only a friend would continually hold out hope of redemption and the Doctor strives, no matter how often the Master lets him down. I also have to say that Michelle Gomez is warming to me; still a touch too 'whacky' for my liking, but things like her deadpan reaction to spotting the 'anachronism'

FunLover18

pixelburp wrote:

I'm pretty sure Capaldi was actually playing that guitar too.

I'm pretty sure he was in a band with Craig Ferguson but I don't know what instrument he played.

ha cool

http://www.radiotimes.com/news/2015-09-19/was-that-really-peter-capaldi-playing-the-guitar-in-doctor-who

TICKLE_ME_ELMO

pixelburp wrote: »

Wow, that was an incredibly strong opening episode, and any thoughts that Series 9 might be a little lighter in tone got immediately put to bed: arguably that was a dark, complex story and we are so far from the days of farting aliens and creatures made of fat it's like a different show.

I think the writing is much better too, tighter, less obvious.

I only have Matt Smith era to compare it to but there are so many subtle moments, which I suppose comes from the acting too, where you pick up on the deeper emotional stuff. Clara and The Doctor still have a very complicated relationship but it's not a case of them having to spell it out in long expository conversations. In one brief scene we got to see Clara confront The Doctor about Missy not being dead, him acknowledge it and then Clara move past it because her concern for him was more important than her anger. And what was that scene, like 1 minute long, a couple of brief lines from both? Just really great stuff.

martingriff

Great episode dark themes and been funny I wonder will the questions and (possible) actions be felt throughout the series.

1. The dilemma if you met a child in the past who needed you help but you knew they be eveil would you help leave them alone or kill them
2. Who is Missy as another poster said is she really the master
3. How did Missy survive

hey missy you so fine you so fine you blow my mind ... HEY MISSY!

therabbittest

Really good stuff last night. Can't wait for the rest of the series

Das Kitty

I really loved it, although I'm not sure how it would go down with a casual viewer. We had a friend over and I was providing the cliff notes for her.

I liked the ambiguity as to whether The Master or Clara was his best friend. Even in the last scene, who is he saving? I totally buy Missy as the Master. Definitely as a regeneration of the Simm-Master at the very least.

I have a feeling she's behind the whole thing, that she's trying to set the Doctor up to turn his back on his compassionate streak. Make him more like her. That's what all their fights have been about lately. They each want the other to be more like themselves. That, and she died awful easy.

Lots of questions. How did the Doctor end up on Skaro in the first place? Why did Davros only remember now?

The only bit that bothered me was when Missy evaporated the two UNIT agents in the square, and all their colleagues go back to pacing around nonchalantly. They felt a bit like NPCs in a computer game. Even a tiny bit of reaction from the guy bringing the laptop over would have made it better.

Anyway, roll on next week.

TICKLE_ME_ELMO

Das Kitty wrote: »

Lots of questions. How did the Doctor end up on Skaro in the first place? Why did Davros only remember now?

I assumed that the Doctor finding young Davros was something that only happened in the present, if you know what I mean? Davros never remembered before because it hadn't actually happened before.

Das Kitty

TICKLE_ME_ELMO wrote: »

I assumed that the Doctor finding young Davros was something that only happened in the present, if you know what I mean? Davros never remembered before because it hadn't actually happened before.

Yeah, I suppose it depends on which theory of time travel they're using this time. The above would rely on multiverse. But if that's the case, killing young Davros would only spur a new universe, one where Clara may never have even existed.

Then again, why am I thinking Doctor Who will stick to only one theory per episode? :pac:

TICKLE_ME_ELMO

Das Kitty wrote: »

Yeah, I suppose it depends on which theory of time travel they're using this time. The above would rely on multiverse. But if that's the case, killing young Davros would only spur a new universe, one where Clara may never have even existed.

Then again, why am I thinking Doctor Who will stick to only one theory per episode? :pac:

Yeah, sometimes it's best just not to think too much about these things.

CramCycle

I really enjoyed it, I knew he was going to link it to one of my favourite classic episodes once the kid said his name. Hopefully its not just sentimentality.

The two died too easily, I haven't read any notes on casting or anything. I doubt either are dead but it would be a nice change to have a simple non moany death. Kind of like Spooks, where randomly, out of nowhere, someone would pass away and be done with.

TICKLE_ME_ELMO

CramCycle wrote: »

I really enjoyed it, I knew he was going to link it to one of my favourite classic episodes once the kid said his name. Hopefully its not just sentimentality.

The two died too easily, I haven't read any notes on casting or anything. I doubt either are dead but it would be a nice change to have a simple non moany death. Kind of like Spooks, where randomly, out of nowhere, someone would pass away and be done with.

Well based purely on the trailer for this series it's pretty certain what has happened. I'll say more.

CramCycle

TICKLE_ME_ELMO wrote: »

Well based purely on the trailer for this series it's pretty certain what has happened. I'll say more.

I haven't seen any trailers, work and family have taken most of my time recently so the first thing I saw was the episode. I realise my hopes are in vain and I expect them to be spoiled relatively soon. Just would have been more interesting. It was nice not to have any prior warning going into an episode though.

TICKLE_ME_ELMO

CramCycle wrote: »

I haven't seen any trailers, work and family have taken most of my time recently so the first thing I saw was the episode. I realise my hopes are in vain and I expect them to be spoiled relatively soon. Just would have been more interesting. It was nice not to have any prior warning going into an episode though.

Yeah it's annoying when you know when cast members are or aren't leaving. It takes a lot of the suspense out of the cliffhangers in some episodes.

pixelburp

This whole thing of 'Is it really the Master?' came up last year in the finale and I don't understand it: is it just that people don't like Missy, or is there a genuine theory that it's some sort of clone / copy? Honestly it makes no kind of sense, narrative or otherwise, to have Missy as some form of duplicate so not sure why people are hopping onboard that particular train of thought.

Sure the last time the daleks were zapping people they ended up transported. In the earth with the tvs and the killer game shows. Or maybe that wasnt the daleks zapping them and they were sent TO the daleks ... anyway i say there will be an aul timeline rewrite!

FloatingVoter

Lads, ladies ...after half century of Who, why is anybody still searching for a logical and realistic explanation. It's a Timey Wimey thing (and deaths often have more to do with contractual obligations and lucrative job offers than eh....death rays).

dball

forgot to record it, anyone know where I could get to see this this week
please - Must see before sat evening

Kev W

dball wrote: »

forgot to record it, anyone know where I could get to see this this week
please - Must see before sat evening

Isn't there usually a repeat during the week?

The Master

BBC3 normally repeat it on a Friday I think

The Master

Yup 19.15 this Friday night

FloatingVoter

The Master wrote: »

Yup 19.15 this Friday night

Handy even for those of us who saw it. It was quite a dense episode that'll hold up to a second viewing.

martingriff

I have just watched the episode again and I am wondering what does Davros remember is it the Doctor leaving him when he found out his name or is it the Doctor trying to kill him at the end. I know trying to make sense of a Doctor Who episode is pointless how would he have gotten back after Clara and Missy 'died' (they used there hand wrist time things* to leave the area is my guess)


*Couldn't remember there names

the_barfly1

If The Doctor actually kills young Davros I'm guessing Peter Capaldi is out of a job... Which former version of himself would he de-generate to if he had never encountered the Daleks?

the_barfly1

martingriff wrote: »

(they used there hand wrist time things* to leave the area is my guess)


*Couldn't remember there names

Vortex Manipulator