Doctor Who Series 9 Reviews: Episode #2: The Magician's Apprentice

The Magician's Apprentice by Steven Moaffat

The Last episode in this series was back at Christmas, check the link here: The Last Christmas

The Magician's Apprentice is the first of the main run of series 9 or Season 35 if you prefer. It is the first of a two part story. It features the return of Davros, the Daleks, the Sisterhood of Khan, The Shadow Proclomation, Missy, Kate Lethbridge Stewart, Judoon, Hath, the Tittirons, Blowfish, Ood and the Khaler as well as the reappearance of Skaro and original Dalek designs.

This story is very hard for me to score. I love the idea of it but there is so much that does not make any sense, how did the doctor go back to see younger Davros at the end if the TARDIS was destroyed. How did Davros and Missy survive? And  most importantly who exactly was the Magician's Apprentice.

How will mark this story and the 2nd episode as individual episodes but also as a complete story too so at the end of the series we will my order of episodes and stories.

Doctor Rating

Doctor Rating: 8/10

Capaldi is good with his shameful faces but I don't feel like this was the 12th doctor, not Peter's fault but Moffat's.

Companion Rating:

Clara Osworld: 7/10

Clara takes too much of Centre Stage and she outwits Missy and UNIT. Not good. Again though this isn't Jenna's fault

Enemy Rating:

Colony Sarff: 9/10
Davros: 10/10
Daleks: 8/10
Missy: 7/10

Total: 34/40

Colony Sarff was creepy, Davros was excellently portrayed again by Julian Bleach, the Daleks weren't in it enough to give them a higher score and Missy was annoying at times.

Story Rating

Story: 7/10
Scariness: 8/10
Humour: 7/10
Seriousness: 10/10
Continuity: 7/10

Total: 39/50

The explained survival of the deaths makes continuity so low but the reason why it isn't lower is because of the other places like Khan and the Shadow Proclomation which makes it higher, and of course the Kaled-Thal war.

Rest of Cast Performance

Kate Lethbridge Stewart: 6/10
The Shadow Architect: 7/10
Ohila: 8/10
Jac: 7/10
Mike: 7/10
Bors: 7/10

Total: 42/60

Kate is so low because she was under minded by Clara.

Total: 130/170

Episode Ranking:

Last Christmas: 78.24%

The Magician's Apprentice: 76.47%

Surprising result for me as I wasn't very keen on Last Christmas and I defiantly preferred this one but never mind. The Adventure continues next week with the Witches Familiar