The Witch's Familiar

"Nobody hates like a Dalek."

Writer: Steven Moffat 

Format: TV

Broadcast: 26th September 2015

Series: 9.02

Featuring: Twelfth Doctor, Clara

Synopsis 

Trapped in a terrifying Dalek City, the Doctor is without his sonic, without the TARDIS, and all on his own. Can the Doctor resist his greatest temptation and show his greatest enemy compassion?

Verdict 

The Witch's Familiar was an outstanding continuation and conclusion of the story already started in The Magician's Apprentice. Just like in Series 6, Moffat has kicked off the season with a story more than worthy of the finale but with nearly the entire series set to be two parters this year, I can't wait to see what he's got in store for the finale to top the opener. This episode really was full of surprises and I'm just going to jump straight in and talk about the incredible moment that was Davros opening his eyes. Yes, plural. This really is the closest thing we're going to get to a Davros origin story and that moment really was phenomenal. I do imagine though that in the next DWM Galaxy Forum there will be scathing criticism. However I was a big fan and I just loved how Davros was putting on one hell of a show to convince the Doctor to help him. Before that, the Doctor had just about had enough of Davros and went as far as chucking him out of his infamous chair! For the first time ever, I believe in any format, we saw what Davros was like beneath the chair. A simple cyborg who must have been ridiculously robotised to ensure survival this long. Has anyone survived dying more times than Davros? Well, the Master could give him a run for his money actually. Speaking of which, Missy was magnificent once again and Michelle Gomez really is just wonderful. She's so good. Missy's relationship with Clara was once again excellent and I loved how she had Clara hanging upside down in case she got hungry. Clara might have thought she was joking but I'm not so sure! They actually ended up working as a team which provided some good humour. I liked how we got an explanation for Missy surviving death in Death in Heaven thanks to an intriguing flashback in which we caught a glimpse of the First and Fourth Doctors. That was an unexpected pleasure. I liked how we got an insight into the explanation of Dalek terminology and actually how they function. We actually got given an explanation for why the Daleks repeat extermimate but don't actually fire! Bravo Moffat. Very clever. Missy messing with the Daleks was superb and I really enjoyed the reference to Frontier in Space. I was still a little baffled by the motives of Missy in this story, especially after the Doctor instructed his confession dial to be sent to her. Could she really care for the Doctor after all this time? I have my doubts. The moment she tried to get the Doctor to destroy the Dalek that housed Clara was excellent as the evilness shone through once more which I loved. The Doctor saw through that though, as you would hope. The further exploration of the cliffhanger from last week was brilliant and what an image it was of the Doctor and Davros as a child walking hand in hand. Who'd have believed that! The Doctor using some regeneration energy to apparently heal Davros enough so that he could see the sunshine was quite a shock. For a moment I was genuinely converted into believing that Davros was genuinely glad to hear of Gallifrey's survival. How foolish of me. Once that smile returned to Davros's face I was very glad! What a nastily evil scheme! Magnificent. But the Doctor, as always, was one step ahead. He'd anticipated that Davros was just luring him in and the moment the creator of the Daleks realised that he'd lost again was sublime. It was superb to see a many generations of Daleks, some talking for the first time, and in quite a contrast from The Stolen Earth/Journey's End they were working very closely with their creator. The concept of a Time Lord-Dalek hybrid is quite a disturbing thought and one I'm sure will be returned to. I at least hope it is. I was glad for an explanation as to how Skaro was still standing after the events of Remembrance of the Daleks and the pondering over why the Doctor really ran from Gallifrey is something I've never given a second thought to. I like it very much though! Overall though, a simply sensational double episode that was full of some sensational shocks and surprises. What an opening!

Rating: 10/10