Doctor Who 9.02 The Witch's Familiar

[selenak]

In which glasses are cool. :)



This was certainly more acting as Davros (as opposed to screeching world domination phrases) Julian Bleach got to do since, well, Genesis of the Daleks - or the Big Finish audios. As I expected, the status of Davros at the end of the two parter isn't changed, but it still felt narratively satisfying, both because the Doctor having compassion, even with Davros, really is an important character point, and because instead of blaming the Doctor for Davros' road into megalomania and genocide, the two parter instead ended up making the Doctor responsible for the Daleks being familiar with the concept of mercy (even if they're incapable of showing it unless damaged). The conversation about Gallifrey, with the obvious Doctor parallel question "am I a good man?" , gains another layer if you know that Davros arranged for his people (not the Daleks, the Kaleds of whom you see two at the start of this two parter) to get wiped out. The answer is choice, as always; it's not that Davros is destined to remain evil by outward forces, it's that he chooses to. And it's not that the Doctor is good by default, it's that he has to keep choosing to be.

The Missy and Clara scenes continued to be great, and of course Missy in the end tries to do the worst thing she can to both Clara and the Doctor. That's what the Master does. Saving the Doctor's life and playing the most vicious mindgame possible by trying to trick him into killing his Companion go hand in hand with each other. Clara in the Dalek had obvious overtones of Oswin, but I've given up hoping for a direct dialogue reference (unless I missed something?). It also reminded me of the earliest Dalek adventure, because unless I'm misremembering, the First Doctor did slip into a Dalek case at one point as an escape trick. An even better example for the Doctor and the Master thinking similarly (always up to the crucial point) is that they both use the Dalek sewer/graveyard against the Daleks. So far, Moffat is doing a great job with "his" Master, not letting the audience get cozy with her even while the charisma, cleverness and wit are on display, along with the sociopathy and hardcore viciousness.

Didn't see the sonic glasses coming; so they, not the red herrings (aka the confession dial and the tank) were the Chekovian item introduced in the first act to be used in the last. That was so very Doctor-like, and I love it.

In conclusion: an excellent start for the new season.

Comments

[kaffy_r]

I agree with you so very much on the quality of the first two episodes; if they continue to be this good, it will in large part make up for what I thought of as the weakness of S08.

The Master is irredeemably vicious, of course, and it's good to see that acknowledged in Moffat's writing. It's hard to woobify Missy, and for that I am glad.

Huh - I missed the two Kaleds; where were they?

[selenak]

In the opening scene of "The Magician's Apprentice" - the two soldiers running behind Young Davros. One asks the other "Was that a child?", and decides to go after the boy (to help him), telling his comrade he'll meet him later. Then he calls to Davros and warns him about the handmines, only to be torn underground by a handmine himself.

[kaffy_r]

Argh - of course. I'd been thinking of the beginning of this episode. I'm as slow as Davros was.

[kalypso]

Didn't Ian get inside a Dalek in the very first encounter? I think they had to push him, so obviously he didn't get into any telepathic controls.

Either Moffat doesn't bother much about continuity between his own episodes, or there's something very weird going on. In which case, I'm quite worried about who River Song shot inside the Mercy!Dalek in The Big Bang. Can we now be sure that any Dalek shouting "Exterminate!" is not in fact an old friend trying to say "Don't shoot!"?

[kalypso]

Is Clara the Apprentice and also the Familiar, or was I missing the point entirely? (I assume the Magician and the Witch are the Doctor and Missy, and at present I can't think of anyone else who could be playing the title roles.)

[kalypso]

Incidentally, my mind keeps reverting to your line about Jo treating the Master like an irritating relative; in this story, perhaps more particularly in The Magician's Apprentice, I think Clara treats her a little like a bolshy pupil. (In The Witch's Familiar, Missy has more of the upper hand.)

[selenak]

Yes, I thought Clara was both the Apprentice and the Familiar, though young Davros is the alternate candidate for the role of Apprentice (learning to focus on survival and learning mercy exists from the Doctor) - Davros as the title character for the first episode would make sense, but he clearly isn't the second.

Good point about Clara's attitude. Teacher to the last!

[selenak]

Creepy idea, but yes, we can't be sure. Well, other than Rusty from last season, since they were inside him. Brrrr.