9 Reasons Why Series 9 Could Be The Best Yet
Guest contributor Benjamin Adams shares his reasons.
Peter Capaldi has survived his first series as the Doctor. The one thing I’m sure a lot of us can agree on is how incredible he has been in role. His new Doctor gave the show an edge and was more in keeping with the new, darker tone of the series which freshened up Doctor Who to no end. Not only this, but Steven Moffat returned to form in the eyes of much of the fanbase, once again deserving his title of showrunner, especially after Series 7 (which I personally loved, but I can understand that many people didn’t). As such, I thought it would be interesting to look ahead to the future and consider some of the reasons why we should be excited about Series 9 later this year. So, without further ado, let’s begin the list!
9. Catherine Tregenna
8. Capaldi flexing his acting muscles
Peter Capaldi is awesome as the Twelfth Doctor. He brings a grown-up yet familiar charm to the role we love so much. No doubt. But like so many past Doctors’ second series on the show, Series 9 should give him more opportunity to flex his acting muscles now he’s more comfortable in the role, and therefore take the Doctor to new, more interesting places. Naturally, it’ll be exciting to see what will happen next to the Twelfth Doctor.
7. The Return of Missy
It was first confirmed by Michelle Gomez in an interview in Doctor Who Magazine last year that Missy would be returning in the future. The prospect of more Missy is fascinating, as she has for my money been one of the – if not the – most fascinating incarnation of the Master yet. Hopefully we’ll get an explanation for how she escaped Gallifrey.
6. Doctor Development
Series 8 rather brilliantly took the Doctor to brand new places, where we hadn’t really seen him before. Showcasing his fears, and his identity crisis. He was an unmistakably darker man than Matt Smith’s bouncing, bow-tie wearing Doctor. In Series 9, it will be fantastic to see more of this Doctor, and hopefully more of the darkness, like we saw in Kill the Moon. The Doctor is always more tragic when making hard decisions, and it’s so much more fascinating to watch.
5. More Clara (and the Possible End of Her Journey?)
After Series 7, where Clara didn’t quite live up to her potential (though I thought she was still one of the better companions), she was amazing in Series 8. She gained a wonderfully fleshed out world, and had one of the finest Doctor-companion relationships the show has ever seen. Last Christmas wonderfully set up her journey in Series 9, but could this be the end for the character? Who knows, maybe even Danny/Orson will return again, along with ‘heaven’ (they could answer many of the unanswered questions of the finale)? Anything’s possible…
4. An Epic Cliffhanger
Steven Moffat promised this last year even before the fantastic Series 8. A cliffhanger leading into the last episode that will supposedly blow our minds. Come on, you know when it comes down to it, Steven Moffat does the best cliffhangers! Hopefully this one won’t disappoint, and will have fans squealing with fannish excitement on the internet for the week before the finale, maybe even long after.
3. Gallifrey Rises?
The end of Series 8 left a big hole remaining in the series. That great, Gallifrey-shaped hole. It would be better to resolve this arc sooner rather than later, especially after teasing it in Death in Heaven. Maybe the return of the Time Lords is the aforementioned amazing cliffhanger that Moffat promised.
2. Moffat on Form
Last year, Steven Moffat was renewed, producing some of his greatest stories yet. Not only this, but he also says he’s not running out of ideas, and he shows signs of a writer who is ready to face his flaws and create more wonderful pieces of television.
1. Two-Parters Back With a Vengeance
Last, but not least, a few two-parters have already been confirmed for Series 9 and it seems all the other episodes will be linked in some way. It’s been four years since our last non-finale two parter (The Rebel Flesh/The Almost People). This will give a better chance for the writers to flesh out the characters and narrative and hopefully not lead to rushed endings.
So, there you have it. I’m sure there are a lot more reasons to be excited for Series 9! I certainly am, if you can’t already tell! Maybe you’re slightly more nervous about it, but whatever the case, with Peter Capaldi, Jenna Coleman, two-parters, and an exciting host of writers, there are so many reasons to be excited for the next series! If it’s anything like series 8, it will be up there with the greats.
