9 Reasons Why Series 9 Is The Best Yet

Guest contributor Nathan Lobo explains his reasoning.

9. The Talent of the Guest Stars

The first reason which came to mind was obviously the high quality acting we had this year. This year, we were not short of fantastic guest stars in each and every one of the episodes. From Julian Bleach’s moving but ultimately chilling portrayal, to Michelle Gomez’s amusing craziness, to Ken Bones’ somewhat shortened stint as The General, we were treated to a range of stunning guest turns every which way we looked in this series. There wasn’t a low note for me (let’s not mention the Sumpter incident. I never thought I’d miss Timothy Dalton…). Even Reece Shearsmith’s creepy portrayal of Dr Rasmussen was a highlight in an episode which lacked in quite a lot else. Special mention must go to Maisie Williams who, after what can only be described as a forgettable debut in The Girl Who Died, managed to portray the immortal Me with such experience and maturity, it’s sometimes easy to forget that she is only eighteen. This series, the plethora of talent on show (and that’s without mentioning our two main stars – they get their own section below) just goes to highlight the high bar of acting that Doctor Who is able to set and all other shows should aim to achieve.

8. New Is Always Better…

Monsters are a key part of Doctor Who and the additions to the canon of monsters this series are out of this world (pun intended). From the ghostly apparitions in the third and fourth episode to the Mire in the following episode. We started off less scary, more average, but then we entered the second half of the series where we were introduced to monsters which are (whisper it) better and more scarier than the Weeping Angels in ‘Blink’. Regardless of the episode itself, the Sandmen remain quite scary. The concept itself is one which would frighten any child into going to sleep when told – creatures created from sleep dust. Already that sounds quite creepy but the whole idea of the universe being sent signals for the Sandmen to invade our lives is admittedly quite good. Then the Veil came into our lives and we were never the same again. The Veil has to be one of the scariest monsters to grace the world of Doctor Who. Ever. Just the idea of a slow, never-ending stalker who will eventually find you is one that sends chills down the spine. It’s the first monster since ‘Blink’ that has made me physically jump behind the sofa because I was so scared. And I’m twenty. Not prime jumping-behind-the-sofa age. The Raven/Quantum Shade, a similar concept to the Veil (will always find you wherever you run), is as scary not only because of the way it mercilessly killed Clara but also because of the countdown to the end of your life. Countdowns automatically adds fear to any situation…

7 …Or Is Old?

We cannot talk about new monsters without giving due respect to the old ones. This series, Moffat really chose some whoppers to return. The Daleks and Davros together with the Master/Missy made for a mouth-watering prospect and they did not disappoint! Different types of Daleks from different eras fulfilling every fan’s dreams (properly this time), Missy on the Doctor’s side and Davros out of his chair made for a memorable return for these villains. The Daleks were finally used as the scary pepper pots as they were intended to be. Some people have said that this is the scariest they have seen them since the Ninth Doctor’s skirmish with them. Also returning this series were the Zygons who, after the triumvirate of the Daleks, Cybermen and Master, are probably the most well recognised villains of the Classic era. But it wasn’t the fact that they were returning that made them such a great villain this time around, it was how Peter Harness further harnessed the Zygon powers of old. Zygons are all about the shape-shifting. It had been established that the host needed to be kept alive for the shape to remain but Harness changed this so Zygons could use the memories of hosts to shape-shift. This makes for probably the most dramatic scene in the whole series where the UNIT soldier is pitted against a Zygon who has taken the shape of his mother. But the greatest return was left until the very end when we encountered the Time Lords once more. Yes, they are monsters, aren’t they? The Time Lords returned triumphantly and Moffat has left it open for them to return again. So even if we didn’t learn as much as we wanted or have as much focus on them this time around, there’s always hope. And who knows where Rassilon is or where he might turn up now he’s not on Gallifrey?

6. The Pen Is Mightier Than The Screwdriver

‘Shock, surprise and terrify’: these are the three words that Moffat used to describe the effect of Clara’s death on us but I feel that these words could be used to describe the writing of Series Nine in general. At times it has shocked us (in spite of the BBC’s marketing idiocy), at other times it has surprised us, and at other times it has genuinely terrified us. The writing has been seriously top notch this series. From the dark tones of Treganna’s ‘The Woman Who Lived,’ to Moffat’s poetic ‘Heaven Sent’, we were carried through a rollercoaster of emotions, heightened only be the quality of writing, which gives the actors such license to do what they do best. Capaldi seems to have settled into the role of the Doctor after his first series and so the Doctor is now easier to write for. This shows with the mix of gravitas and humour, which is becoming typical of Capaldi’s Doctor.

5. Production Value

With each year that technology gets better, the episodes of Doctor Who look more and more amazing. Those shots of Gallifrey, the Heaven Sent castle, the ghosts, Skaro and that final shot in ‘Sleep No More’ are all testament to the astounding work that the CGI department have done this year. Doctor Who has never seemed more alive. The explosions have gotten louder and bigger. The monster prosthetics have become more and more sophisticated and hence realistic. However disappointing the Mire and the Sandmen might be, there’s no denying that a lot of work has gone into creating these monsters, which physically have turned out extremely well. How they translate on the screen is a different matter entirely. The production team also hit upon a winner with locations. The location shoots not only give Doctor Who a more international feel than it already has but also adds to deepen the effect of where the Doctor can travel. Cardiff can only go so far. But when we have the crew going to Fuerteventura and Tenerife, alien planets (and New Mexico) can be more easily visualised by the viewer, helping our suspension of disbelief. Who would really believe the Doctor was on Gallifrey or Skaro if it was filmed in Cardiff?

4. 10th Anniversary Fan Fun

This series marked the 10th Anniversary of the relaunch of our beloved show. While most of us did not want a repeat of the very recent, still in our minds 50th Anniversary celebrations, most of us wanted some small mention or reference. And boy did we get it. In fact Moffat hit the fans with reference after reference each episode. There were enough to make a fan squee in delight. One could not turn a corner without bumping into even the smallest of references or callbacks. Hell Bent was just one episode but it was filled with them: the four knocks, the dislike of pears, Foxes, the barn and who couldn’t miss the phrase ‘reverse the polarity’. There were so many more and also in all the episodes (one of my favourite being the remix of the Ninth Doctor’s theme in Hell Bent) but I don’t have space. That’s a whole article just waiting there to be written. Just have fun picking out all the various references to the past, New and Classic series alike.

3. The Return Of Two-Parters

I didn’t think I had heard a louder cheer when I was sitting in the cinema and Tom Baker’s sultry yet commanding voice echoed throughout the fans around me. But then the announcement came that the two-parters were back! I don’t believe that it’s an exaggeration to say that the entire fandom exploded in a roar of applause for Moffat for bringing back this popular form. And they’ve been a qualified success. Surprisingly, the lowest rated episode this series is the only single parter we have this series (assuming The Girl Who Died and The Woman Who Lived are counted as a two-parter). All the two parters are hailed for different reasons. Do I need to even explain why? Don’t worry, I will. The opener is hailed because of its finale-like qualities: It is unlike any other opener we’ve seen. The second for executing a standard base-under-siege well, the third for bringing a slightly darker tone to Doctor Who, especially with the consequences of immortality discussed, the fourth is hailed for the Classic feel that it manages to convey as well as its political messages and that final three-parter. The case for including two-parters next series seems as strong as ever. What’s more is that the over-abundance of two-parters and episodes that have thematic links only adds to an effect of an overarching arc (is that a bit of a tautology?) and a link throughout the entire series, which we haven’t seen since the very arc-heavy Series 6.

2. Moffat Magic

This, by some distance, has been Moffat’s best series as showrunner since he began. To those critics (myself included) who said that he should have left with Smith and allowed a new writer to pen for a new Doctor, Moffat delivers the perfect response with this extravaganza of a series. We can only imagine what is to come. The ideas that come from the mind of Moffat could not come from any other mind. Who else would plan a return for a Classic monster two whole years before and execute it so well? Who else would even think of not only writing a single-hander, but also including it as the middle part of a three part finale? Who else would play with our emotions so much when it comes to the departure of Clara? Nobody. The arc was well-balanced in my opinion, not as heavy as Series 6 and not as subtle as Series 3 or 1. It was just right. Fear not, for all the questions you might still have, Moffat might still have an answer to explore in a future episode. He’s shown now with the Silence and the Zygons that he’s not scared of delaying answers by a couple of years or so. Even so, in the final story, Moffat still managed to answer most of our burning questions that he posed in the first half of the series and quite satisfactorily too.

1. C-Ing Double

Above all these other reasons, we arrive at the main reason that this series is probably the best we’ve had to date. That reason comes double-barrelled: Capaldi and Coleman. Each actor is on their finest form this series, giving what must surely be the greatest performance of their lives. If awards don’t shower upon them, then something is wrong with the world. Highlights included the now infamous War Speech in ‘The Zygon Inversion’, the entirety of Heaven Sent and the character of Bonnie (that scene between Clara and Bonnie inside Clara’s head in ‘Inversion’ still gets me every time). The chemistry between the two is just electric. They work so well off each other. Every scene which contains just the both of them is a delight on the eyes. They draw people into whatever they do. Their final scene together in ‘Face the Raven’, that phone call in ‘Before the Flood’ where Clara warns the Doctor not to die on her or else and all the diner scenes in that finale are just examples of their brilliance together. The heartfelt goodbye that Capaldi gives to Coleman at the Doctor Who Festival just shows the strength of their friendship now and this definitely oozes through into the show. I need not say more on this because we’ve all seen their genius on screen, admired it and aspired to become more like them. It will be interesting to see the relationship between Capaldi and his Doctor towards the next companion, whoever that may be.