The Magician's Apprentice

Dear Gary—

The Magician’s Apprentice has the start of a potential classic; however it quickly muddles the opportunity. To be fair, that opening sequence is almost impossible to live up to. Anything that follows will inevitably suffer in comparison.

In a matter of seconds the gripping scenes of a grim war on a stark landscape sets the tone and draws us in to the intimate view of two soldiers trying to survive using mismatched technology. Our concern follows along with Kanzo as he runs after a frightened child fleeing headlong into danger. The suspense builds as the battle-weary boy stands stark still in the middle of strangely rippling ground. The exchange between Kanzo and the boy is compelling, leading to the startling reveal of the literal hand mine. Kanzo’s sudden extraction underground leaves the petrified child alone in a misty field of seeing-eye hands. Enter the Doctor. This alone would make for a thrilling start to a promising episode. It is that one word, however, that propels it to potential classic.

“Tell me the name of the boy who isn’t going to die today,” the Doctor says. And then the unexpected reply: “Davros.”

That vile name out of the mouth of a scared and lonely child in desperate need of the Doctor’s aid. And then that plaintive voice: “You said I could survive. You said you’d help me. Help me!”

The Magician’s Apprentice sets itself up to rival Genesis ofthe Daleks; sets itself up to not only be a classic in the Doctor Who canon, but a classic of television as a whole.

What follows does not achieve that level.

What does follow immediately upon the heels of this haunting opening is still quite good.  With a name to rival one of Robert Holmes’ creations, Colony Sarff skates his way through the Maldovarium, the Shadow Proclamation, and Karn in search of the Doctor.

 “We are Colony Sarff. We bring harm.”

The air turns sinister with this introduction of a fantastic new character.

Colony Sarff’s ominous warning—“Davros knows. Davros remembers.”—and Ohila’s accusation—“Doctor? What have you done?”—continues with the classic in the making possibilities.

As fantastic a character as Colony Sarff is, however, I have to wonder why Davros would condescend to employ him; not just to employ him but to rely and confide in him. Davros, the creator of the most ethnocentric creatures in all of creation. The development of that relationship warrants an episode unto itself.

I also have to wonder why Davros didn’t set Colony Sarff on to the Doctor’s companion to start with rather than sending him out on a wild goose chase. I can only imagine it is because the wild goose chase through the Maldovarium, through the Shadow Proclamation, and through Karn is the goal; it is Doctor Who giving in to the Doctor Who spectacle; it is Doctor Who showing off; it is Doctor Who simply being Doctor Who. And that’s OK, Gary. It veers the episode away from the classic, but it veers it towards something that is highly entertaining.

The Maldovarium, the Shadow Proclamation, and Karn all do their duty and are left behind. Next up: UNIT. This is when all pretense of classic-dom is dropped. Now we are just full-on into Doctor Who.

Clara is back, of course; as ineffectual a teacher as ever; but for some reason an integral part of UNIT. Kate Stewart is done an enormous disservice here. Her only purpose is to call in Clara to find the Doctor and to provide the technology for Clara to do just that. Missy stopping the planes is another unnecessary show-off move, and this entire spectacle is merely to get the improbable duo of Clara and Missy working together. Once that is accomplished UNIT and the planes are forgotten.

Again, that’s OK. Despite the despicable nature of Missy (on full display in this early going), Michelle Gomez is as wonderful as ever, and the pairing of her and Jenna Coleman is inspired.

Not so inspired—the Doctor’s medieval party. This is Doctor Who’s self-indulgence at its height. There is no logical reason for this exhibition. It is amusing, yes; but as Clara points out, it is not in keeping with the Doctor’s nature. I just can’t see the Doctor doing any of this, especially when he believes this to be his final day. But then, I can’t see why the Doctor does believe this is his final day. The confession dial is an intriguing concept, but the way this plays out doesn’t give any solid foundation for its emergence at this time. Everything here is a smokescreen to keep us in awe and not ask any questions as to plot development. Given the title of the piece, I suppose this sleight of hand is appropriate.

In the sleight of hand, don’t ask pesky questions vein—Missy is alive! What a great nod to the Master of old: “Death is for other people.” The Master (now Missy) doesn’t need any elaborate explanations for how he/she escapes the grave. What matters is that Missy is alive and well in the person of Michelle Gomez and that is a win for any Doctor Who fan.

The preceding extravaganza succeeds in collecting our main trio—the Doctor, Clara, and Missy—in the main arena of action and subsequently transporting them into the danger zone. What I can’t understand is why the Doctor and Missy are so aghast when they learn that the danger zone turns out to be Skaro. They both know they are being transported to Davros and by default the Daleks, and neither seems particularly phased by that. The only surprise for the Doctor should be in discovering that his supposed destruction of the place back in Remembrance of the Daleks misfired, but that has long been debunked as a failed attempt, presumably by the same death-defying magic of the Master/Missy. So why the sudden fear to learn the location as though the planet itself is anathema?

In any event, the scene shifts to Skaro and at last we get a glimpse of the Davros/Doctor confrontation that has been anticipated throughout the episode, complete with echoes from confrontations past. It is a taste of what is to come in the second part of this two-part story, and it whets the appetite.

It is a two-part story, and perhaps that is why it fails in its bid to become a classic. A quiet and in-depth study of the Doctor/Davros relationship would have fit the bill. However the show settles for the over-blown production, and to repeat myself, Gary, that is OK. Doctor Who is an old hand at the over-blown production and not many do it better.     

Being the first part only, The Magician’s Apprentice needs to wrap things up and end with a bang.

Missy and Clara escape their cell only to be captured and brought to a room full of Daleks while the Doctor and Davros watch. Missy and Clara discover that the Daleks have also captured the TARDIS; and Missy attempts to use the TARDIS and her position as a Time Lady to advantage. However the Daleks see through her bluff. The TARDIS has long since lost its mysterious luster; in the New Who-verse any and all aliens have discerned the Time Lord secrets of time travel. The magic blue box is now only a blue box; near and dear to the Doctor’s heart as well as his companions and his fans, but still only a blue box. Its tricks have been exposed and any amateur alien can replicate them. The Daleks laugh in the face of Missy, and true to their nature they exterminate Missy, Clara, and the TARDIS in turn while the helpless Doctor looks on.

Of course we know that Missy, Clara, and the TARDIS are all safe. There is no danger there and the show admits this by not making this the ultimate cliffhanger. Instead it goes back to that promising beginning. It returns to Skaro of old when Davros was young and the Doctor was faced with his dilemma that was hinted at way back in Genesis of the Daleks (“If someone who knew the future pointed out a child to you, and told you that that child would grow up totally evil, to be a ruthless dictator who would destroy millions of lives, could you then kill that child?”). The Doctor stands before the forlorn child who he knows to be Davros, the child surrounded by murderous hand mines. “Are you going to save me,” the young boy enquires.

It is the question on everyone’s mind at this momentous pinnacle.

Close up on the Doctor as he points a Dalek gun at the helpless lad:

“Exterminate!“

To be continued . . . .