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Friday, December 25, 2015

Top 20 Countdown Continues! Number 7: Doctor Who: "The Magician's Apprentice"/"The Witch's Familiar"




We return to the world of Doctor Who is our Number 7 spot of our Top 20 Countdown, and just in time for the Christmas Special. And we head back to the two parter that started off Series 9 with a bang. Coming in with Number 7 in our Top 20 Countdown, it’s Doctor Who with “The Magician’s Apprentice” and “The Witch’s Familiar”.


Is there one thing to say about these two parters of Series 9 of Doctor Who is that it’s the perfect start for Series 9. And oh man, where I do begin with this?


These first two episodes featured the return of The Doctor’s old nemesis, the dreaded Daleks. Yep, Doctor Who’s iconic villains makes an stunning return for the new season, and it’s NOT just the Daleks who also make a return.


Yep, Davros also made a comeback in these two episodes since his last appearance in Series 4’s “The Stolen Earth” and “Journey’s End”, dying and in life support. Want The Doctor on his side as he about to die. I got to say, Davros is pretty scary villain when it comes to the Whoniverse and the person who portrayed him, Julian Bleach, did an amazing job playing the “dying” leader of the Daleks. Of course, why I do have a feeling that he’ll might make a come back in the near future.


Of course, we got to talk about the beginning of “The Magician’s Apprentice” when The Doctor saved that little boy in the battlefield who revealed to be a younger version of Davros.


Ho Ho Holy Shit, when I saw that when it premiered, I was freaking out in pure shock. The fandom was freaking out in pure shock when that scene happened. You know that The Doctor has really fucked up when saving the young Davros. So fucked up that he felt shame upon himself and ran off to god knows where. Hell, he abandoned his sonic screwdriver when passing it to the young Davros.


Let’s not to forget, the return of Skaro. Yes, the dreaded planet of the Daleks make it’s return for this two parter and more detailed and sinister as ever since it’s debut in the Hartnell era in the 1960s. And the music to play in the background when Skaro was revealed, perfect. It was on point and I totally in love with the scene. Pretty much my favorite for Series 9 overall.


Is it me or is Michelle Gomez really stole the show in these two episodes? Michelle Gomez returned for the two parters, reprising her role as Missy (or The Master) and come on, who doesn’t love this incarnation of The Master. Well I for one to say, this has got to be my favorite incarnation of The Master of all time, so yeah, come at me, haters. Anyway, Missy stole the show in these two episodes. From making her big return in front of UNIT via video chat to mistreating Clara both on Earth and on Skaro, and of course, mocking the Daleks. When in Skaro. I mean, this woman can do anything to get the fans’ attention, and it already got my attention...to the show, at least. I’m glad that she decided to come back for Series 9 and hoping she comes back for Series 10.


Clara was good too, don’t forget about that. Even companions get screen time too. Mentions of her with author Jane Austen, that got Tumblr making headcanons that Clara is a bisexual. And of course, in “The Magician’s Apprentice”, Missy told Clara to get into the Dalek’s body. I mean, this isn’t the first time Jenna Coleman was put into a body of a Dalek, remember her character of Oswin in Series 7’s “Asylum of the Daleks”? Thought we’re going to have a connection here, but I guess we’re not. And that scene where The Doctor is about to kill the Dalek that Clara is inside, that was pretty suspenseful when Clara trying to say “Mercy” via Dalek. Of course, this was Missy’s idea, so...yeah.


Of course, we got to talk about this theory that centered around Series 9, the Hybrid. Found out that the “Hybrid” is the most feared creature in the known universe, mainly because it’s half Time Lord, half Dalek. When Davros tricked the Doctor by giving him his Regeneration energy, he gave his energy to some of the Daleks, of course, that stopped midway when Missy came in and saved The Doctor. And this topic was prophesied by the Time Lords, feared that it might rule Gallifrey with an iron fist. More on that as the season progresses to the Series 9 finale.


At the end of “The Magician’s Apprentice”, we thought The Doctor actually killed the young Davros after seeing the fall of both Missy and Clara, who are alive in the next episode. And speaking of the next episode, found out that he shoots those hand mines that surrounded the young Davros instead of shooting at him. Talk about a change of heart, but at least the two walked away at the end of “The Witch’s Familiar”.


Let’s not to forget the two moments in these two episodes. First off...


The Doctor’s grand entrance to the stage in “The Magician’s Apprentice”, Mad Max style. Yes, he came in to the stage, playing the guitar and riding on a tank...in 12th Century England. Thought it’s going to be an ax fight, but it turned into a good bye party for him. And the second moment...


Yep, the introduction of the Sonic Sunglasses. This piece of sonic technology replaced the Screwdriver for Series 9 (until the end of Hell Bent, I’m sorry for spoiling) and when the fans first saw this, it pretty much divide the whole fandom, almost the majority of the fandom pretty much hated the idea of bringing in the Sonic Sunglasses. So much, that I think some fans started a petition to bring the Screwdriver back to the Doctor’s hand. Just be lucky the screwdriver came back at the end of the season (again, sorry for the spoilers).


So why did these two episodes got the Number 7 spot of the Top 20 Countdown? Honestly, this is the best season opener episode(s) that I have ever watched. The perfect start for Series 9 and oh man, what an episode or two episodes. We got to see the return of Davros, which we haven’t seen since Series 4 and holy hell, he’s still menacing as ever, even if he is on the verge of death, he’s still menacing as ever, and do have a feeling that he might come back in the near future. Let’s not to mention, the whole Clara pretending to be a Dalek and Missy stealing the spotlight, I mean come on, people! Of course, these two episodes revolved around The Doctor following accidentally saving the young Davros, making an amazing entrance via tank in an ax fight, and of course, saving the young Davros from the hand mines even though I though he’s going to kill the young Davros. All and all, these two episodes, perfect, absolutely perfect with “The Magician’s Apprentice”, the winner of the two episodes and the perfect start up for Series 9. Anyway, that’s it for our Number 7 spot in our Top 20 Countdown of the 2015 Fandom Season and you guys might want to stick around for our Number 6 spot tomorrow as a certain series that reached the top of last year’s countdown getting a second term.

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