(SPOILERS!! *Gasp*)
"The Magician's Apprentice" ended with some solid cliffhangers. Luckily, "The Witch's Familiar" ties up these looses threads (but still leaves a few dangling) and gives us one of the most emotional and entertaining episodes yet.
So, yeah, last week we were left with some pretty heavy stuff. Clara and Missy were exterminated by the Daleks, the TARDIS was destroyed, and the Doctor was pointing a gun at the young Davros.
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| Clara: "Why are you sharpening that stick?" Missy: "Well, I have no idea how long we're going to be stuck out here. Might have to go hunting!" Clara:"So, why am I tied up?" Missy:"In case there's nothing to hunt." *winks* |
Clara and Missy, instead of dying, were teleported outside the Dalek city. Missy, who has tied Clara upside down and dangling from a rock, launches into a story about the Doctor's encounter with some androids (Oh hi actors dressed as Tom Baker and William Hartnell). Armed with only a teleporter stolen from one of the androids, the Doctor is able to use the energy from their laser guns to activate the teleporter so that he is whisked away the moment he is shot. Missy tells Clara that she modified their vortex manipulators in a similar fashion, thus explaining how the two survived their Dalek execution and how Missy survived a Cyberman laser bolt in last year's finale (Still with me?). It's an entertaining sequence, and certainly refreshing. In the hands of other writers, it could have been a dull scene filled with pages of technobabble, but Moffat's writing and creativity, along with the maniacal glee of Michelle Gomez, made it the most memorable of technobabbles. Hurrah!
As Clara and Missy set off to infiltrate the Dalek city (armed with nothing but a pointy stick), the Doctor hijacks Davros' "wheelchair" and confronts the Daleks. Capaldi looked like he was having a blast with this, making it alot of fun to watch. We also get some of the Twelfth Doctor's funniest lines in his run so far.
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| "Of course the real question is 'Where did I get the cup of tea?' Answer: I'm the Doctor. Accept it." |
The Doctor is recaptured by Colony Sarff and his snake democracy and is once again brought before Davros (and gets to sit in the only other chair on Skaro!). Davros reveals that the cables he was attached to earlier are connected to every Dalek's life force. "As their hearts beat," he explains "so does mine." The Doctor realizes that Davros is offering him the chance to commit Dalek genocide. Again. He refuses, and Davros tells him his compassion will be the death of him.
Every scene between the two rivals from there dissects their relationship. Unlike his frenemy relationship with the Master, the Doctor and Davros have always been enemies, so it was unexpected to see them share some warm moments. Davros congratulates the Doctor on saving Gallifrey and urges him to protect his people as he has tried to protect his. He opens his actual eyes (while quoting Darth Vader) and even shares a joke with the Doctor.
Though it's later implied both the Doctor and Davros were pulling a fast one on each other, I couldn't help but feel a bit sorry for Davros, which is quite a feat. But, yeah, it was all a trap. When the Doctor tries to give Davros a bit of regeneration energy so he can watch the sunrise (Awww), he is trapped by Sarff VanSnake and large amounts of energy are transferred not only to Davros,but every other Dalek on Skaro.
Aaaaaaand now's a good time to get back to Clara and Missy, who are sneaking back into the Dalek city through the sewers. But these aren't just any sewers, since instead of actual sewage, they're filled with the decaying bodies of old Daleks. Missy uses Clara as bait to catch and kill a Dalek. They succeed, Clara is stuffed inside, and we get some insight as to how a Dalek operates. When Clara says her name, it comes out as "Dalek" or "I am a Dalek," and when she says "I love you" or "You're different from me," it comes out as "Exterminate." We also learn Daleks channel their emotions into their whisk-guns and chant "Exterminate" to reload it. A disturbing, yet creative way of explaining their catchphrase.
Clara, disguised as a Dalek, leads Missy into the Dalek command center, and after Missy tries to negotiate with the Supreme Dalek ("You're my secret favourite. Don't tell the others...") the Daleks shut down and begin to glow with regeneration energy. Missy realizes what's happening and rushes off to find the Doctor. Using a Dalek weapon, she frees the Doctor from his trap, and Davros begins gloating about a stronger Dalek Empire. Then the Doctor plays his trump card. He knew what Davros would try to do, he played along. The Doctor didn't just strengthen the Daleks and Davros, but all the dying, abandoned Daleks in the sewers below and, boy, are they angry! The Doctor and Missy leave Davros as the sentient Dalek sewage takes over (Yeah, you seriously just read that).
Frankly, that scene kind of dampened my enjoyment of the episode for me. I've never found the trope of the villain saying "Ha! I knew what you would do!"and then the hero saying "Ha! I knew you'd know what I would do so I did it, but I did it cuz I knew I'd win" believable. But besides that, would the Doctor really use all that regeneration energy just to deal a blow to his old enemies? Does this mean he's lost a regeneration or two? Was there anything genuine spoken in the exchange between the Doctor and Davros? Is Davros really happy for the Doctor and the Time Lords? The big, clever resolution to the episode leaves me with more questions than answers.
As the Doctor and Missy flee, they are found by Dalek Clara. Missy tells the Doctor that Clara is dead, and the Dalek they face is the one who killed her. She then urges the Doctor to kill it, and unbeknownst to him, his friend. After two episodes where the audience was learning to like Missy, we're reminded of her cruelty. But then Clara manages to get the Dalek shell to plead the Doctor for mercy, which gives him pause. The Doctor tells Clara how to open the Dalek casing, and when he sees who truly is within, tells Missy to run. "It wasn't me who ran, Doctor," she tells him. "That was always you."
I loved this scene, especially because pf the performances from the three actors and how they're all showing different emotions. Gomez plays Missy with a bit of mischief and mock sadness, Capaldi shows rage, and Clara shows distress, and they all nail it. It's also especially creepy since the Doctor technically first met Clara/Oswin, and watched her die, after she was converted into a Dalek.
Anyway, the Doctor uses his sonic sunglasses (Yep) to retrieve the TARDIS, which cheated death using HADS (Hostile Action Displacement System). As the Doctor and Clara watch the Dalek city crumble, the Doctor wonders how Daleks are capable for asking for mercy. He has an epiphany, runs back to the TARDIS, and returns to the young Davros on the battlefield. He uses the gun to get rid of the handmines and offers to bring Davros home, telling Davros that mercy always matters.
Some extra thoughts I couldn't find a good place for:
So a good conclusion to the first story of the season. Next week's episode (which is the first of another two-parter) looks killer. LITERALLY.
Noah
Every scene between the two rivals from there dissects their relationship. Unlike his frenemy relationship with the Master, the Doctor and Davros have always been enemies, so it was unexpected to see them share some warm moments. Davros congratulates the Doctor on saving Gallifrey and urges him to protect his people as he has tried to protect his. He opens his actual eyes (while quoting Darth Vader) and even shares a joke with the Doctor.
Though it's later implied both the Doctor and Davros were pulling a fast one on each other, I couldn't help but feel a bit sorry for Davros, which is quite a feat. But, yeah, it was all a trap. When the Doctor tries to give Davros a bit of regeneration energy so he can watch the sunrise (Awww), he is trapped by Sarff VanSnake and large amounts of energy are transferred not only to Davros,but every other Dalek on Skaro.
Aaaaaaand now's a good time to get back to Clara and Missy, who are sneaking back into the Dalek city through the sewers. But these aren't just any sewers, since instead of actual sewage, they're filled with the decaying bodies of old Daleks. Missy uses Clara as bait to catch and kill a Dalek. They succeed, Clara is stuffed inside, and we get some insight as to how a Dalek operates. When Clara says her name, it comes out as "Dalek" or "I am a Dalek," and when she says "I love you" or "You're different from me," it comes out as "Exterminate." We also learn Daleks channel their emotions into their whisk-guns and chant "Exterminate" to reload it. A disturbing, yet creative way of explaining their catchphrase.
Clara, disguised as a Dalek, leads Missy into the Dalek command center, and after Missy tries to negotiate with the Supreme Dalek ("You're my secret favourite. Don't tell the others...") the Daleks shut down and begin to glow with regeneration energy. Missy realizes what's happening and rushes off to find the Doctor. Using a Dalek weapon, she frees the Doctor from his trap, and Davros begins gloating about a stronger Dalek Empire. Then the Doctor plays his trump card. He knew what Davros would try to do, he played along. The Doctor didn't just strengthen the Daleks and Davros, but all the dying, abandoned Daleks in the sewers below and, boy, are they angry! The Doctor and Missy leave Davros as the sentient Dalek sewage takes over (Yeah, you seriously just read that).
Frankly, that scene kind of dampened my enjoyment of the episode for me. I've never found the trope of the villain saying "Ha! I knew what you would do!"and then the hero saying "Ha! I knew you'd know what I would do so I did it, but I did it cuz I knew I'd win" believable. But besides that, would the Doctor really use all that regeneration energy just to deal a blow to his old enemies? Does this mean he's lost a regeneration or two? Was there anything genuine spoken in the exchange between the Doctor and Davros? Is Davros really happy for the Doctor and the Time Lords? The big, clever resolution to the episode leaves me with more questions than answers.
As the Doctor and Missy flee, they are found by Dalek Clara. Missy tells the Doctor that Clara is dead, and the Dalek they face is the one who killed her. She then urges the Doctor to kill it, and unbeknownst to him, his friend. After two episodes where the audience was learning to like Missy, we're reminded of her cruelty. But then Clara manages to get the Dalek shell to plead the Doctor for mercy, which gives him pause. The Doctor tells Clara how to open the Dalek casing, and when he sees who truly is within, tells Missy to run. "It wasn't me who ran, Doctor," she tells him. "That was always you."
Anyway, the Doctor uses his sonic sunglasses (Yep) to retrieve the TARDIS, which cheated death using HADS (Hostile Action Displacement System). As the Doctor and Clara watch the Dalek city crumble, the Doctor wonders how Daleks are capable for asking for mercy. He has an epiphany, runs back to the TARDIS, and returns to the young Davros on the battlefield. He uses the gun to get rid of the handmines and offers to bring Davros home, telling Davros that mercy always matters.
Some extra thoughts I couldn't find a good place for:
- I wonder what Missy's "clever idea" is.
- Jenna Coleman and Michelle Gomez work well together once again. I'm really looking forward to her next appearance.
- The Doctor constantly demanding to know where Clara is was a good touch. This isn't his first rodeo. He knows his companions don't die that easily.
- Sub-point: The fact that he never asks about Missy speaks volumes about their relationship.
- So Davros is probably still alive. Good. I like how both him and the Master are recurring villains again.
- The contents of the Doctor's confession dial will probably be this season's long-game mystery. Will we find out why he really left Gallifrey? Stay tuned ellipses.
So a good conclusion to the first story of the season. Next week's episode (which is the first of another two-parter) looks killer. LITERALLY.
Noah
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