The Magician’s Apprentice Advance Review
Note: Doctor Who TV’s pre-air reviews aim to be as detail-free as we reasonably can while still offering a critique, but as everyone’s spoiler sensibilities are different, we advise you read on at your own discretion.
“Did that really just happen!?” Are the words you’ll say, or more likely, be jumping around the room shouting, after watching this year’s Doctor Who series opener.
Yes from the pre-title sequence to its grim end, The Magician’s Apprentice grabs a hold of you and doesn’t really let go. You’re left stunned at what has just transpired, even if a niggling part of you just knows it can’t really end like that… But let’s not get ahead of ourselves!
Due to some strict conditions on what can and can’t be talked about in a pre-air review it’s very hard to even sum up exactly what kicks the plot into gear, but we’ll try and step around things. Earth’s planes are seemingly frozen in the skies and Clara is called to UNIT HQ (with a brief cameo from Kate) to try and find the Doctor and get to the bottom of it all. Problem is, the Time Lord is missing in action. They’re not the only ones looking for him though; a sinister foe lurks in the shadows with a larger plan at work.
This is an incredibly ambitious opener with a lot going on and a sense of scale that is far removed from Deep Breath last year, which seems positively sedate in comparison now. You may even question if the BBC has shown the series backwards. It feels like a follow-up to a certain RTD finale (that shan’t be named), crossed with The Pandorica Opens. Initially it moves along at a solid pace from each varied location to the next. It’s only halted by a slightly saggy middle section where the story grinds to a bit of a halt. Things soon escalate again after that though.
You actually have to wait a fair bit of time for Capaldi to make his grand entrance (post opening titles). And what an entrance it is! Capaldi simply exudes cool in a seeming shift to a far more laid-back and confident Doctor, a scene that likely reflects Capaldi himself being much more comfortable in the role now. However, this outward appearance merely masks a darker side that is still very well intact. We later get so see Capaldi flex his acting chops in a fantastically epic confrontation.
With the Doctor’s absence early on, it’s left to Clara to lead the charge once again, Jenna Coleman again taking on a bit of an enhanced Flatline-ish role for a while. It’s no secret to say Clara and Missy eventually cross paths and an uneasy pairing is formed in an effort to try and find out where the Doctor is. This makes for some awkwardly fun scenes.
If you liked Michelle Gomez’s take on the Master, then you get plenty more of her barmy antics here, although we also see a slightly different side to the character. Fear not, she hasn’t dropped being evil, but there’s a little more to it. Thankfully the flirty Missy/Doctor banter is toned down to focus on something more resembling a (very odd) friendship. For those seeking answers on Missy’s survival or origins you may come away disappointed.
As publicity has shown, Daleks are also involved. Lots of Daleks from all eras in fact. But how and why would spoil the fun of their eventual reveal. What can be said is that they don’t feature in part one of this story too much, but when they do they’ll remind you exactly why they can be such a threatening foe.
Due to those restrictions again we can’t talk about some of the very important other characters in this episode. There are many surprising returns, including a few monsters. Most of them amount to little more than cameos for longtime fans to enjoy, but one makes a very, very welcome return and gets more screentime. The actor in question brings a subdued malevolence to proceedings.
Hettie MacDonald is back on directing duties, for her first time since Blink. Don’t expect something in that style though; this couldn’t be more different. This is distinctly more of a Doctor Who ‘blockbuster’. There are creepy moments (the pre-title sequence is nice and eerie), but it has a lot more to it. There is a hell of a lot going on through the many locations (some in space, some overseas), action, drama and CGI magic. MacDonald somehow manages to keep it all together. Murray Gold compliments with a music score that provides nice arrangements of some old favourites.
If there’s a weakness, it’s that the sheer audacity of the plot might threaten to buckle under its own weight when examined under closer inspection. But much of this will depend on whether things are explained satisfactorily enough in the second half. There are plenty of questions that the opener raises that hopefully won’t be glossed over.
Moffat has also upped the stakes so impossibly high it makes you wonder and hope that at least one of the major (and we mean major) things that transpire stick. If everything is undone in the second half with another timey-wimey twist, or a dreaded deus ex machina it will be a disappointment and missed opportunity to add some lasting consequences. It can’t just rely on shock value alone.
Ultimately then it’s a little hard to judge things based on this one alone, as it’s only half the story and a lot is left up in the air. But it’s nevertheless a gripping set-up, which holds a lot of promise. There are laughs, shocks, scares and many of the things you want out of a great Doctor Who episode. Let’s just hope The Witch’s Familiar doesn’t let the side down.
