Review: The Magician's Apprentice

Davros is back! What a twist for the episode to start off with. It felt like Moffat really wanted to show what this series was all about in that pre-titles sequence. Cliffhangers. I so wish that it had been kept a surprise to the reveal and The Mirror hadn't leaked it months ago. It would have made that reveal so much more for everyone. But I don't think that mattered too much as there was more twists and turns throughout.

The Episode really focused on the dilemma of time travel. If you knew someone was going to grow up to be evil, could you kill them or watch them die. Some could but I think we all know The Doctor could not! Even if it meant that the Daleks would be created and ultimately the start of the Time War. It was really a rehash of the idea behind Genesis of the Daleks but this time with the start of Davros and not the Daleks but I think it was done well enough and wit some fresh ideas for it not to feel like a repeat.
Though, the Doctor is dieing was used again and I feel that this was really not needed as it was only a few years ago (series 6) we had the whole arc about this and then of course The Time of the Doctor once again. It was just a plot reuse too far in my opinion. It did bring us though some more character development with The Twelfth Doctor. He felt much more relaxed and calmer than last series but could this just be down to him thinking he is about to die at the hands of Davros. I just loved his entrance though. The Doctor with an electric guitar. It just really suited this incarnation.

I was disappointed with the use of UNIT in this episode. As a fan of Kate, I felt it was a shame to see her really underused in this episode. She didn't really do much. Clara just stormed in and took control and Kate just stood there agreeing and doing what Clara said. I wish she could have had more of a presence even though it was only a small part of the episode.
While the whole cast was on form, I think a stand out mention should go out to Julian Bleach and Jami Reid-Quarrell as Davros and Colony Sarff. I will start with Sarff. He felt like a threat from the beginning and I think alot of that was down to the way he moved and the voice acting. It added a presence. And then the reveal of the snake was just such a wow moment and a brilliant bit of CGI.
I was so happy to see Julian Bleach back as Davros as he did a brilliant job in The Stolen Earth / Journey's End in 2008. In this he gave a completely different performance while still being inkeeping with Davros. It was a much more calmer approach and you felt like Davros was at the end of his life. He added to the scene with just the looks he gave, the way he sat and in the voice. I cannot wait to see more of him next week.

Overall I would give this episode a 7/10 but really I think it all depend on how The Witches Familiar turns out. It could easily push it up a bit if the build up is done justice.

"An Unearthly Child" Review

I've seen this story many a time. Its an amazing introduction to the show that we know and love. I think this episode really stands the test of time. It starts off with the amazing title sequence which is just ground breaking for the time it was made in. And the theme tune is so magical and yet unearthly which just heralds what is to come with the series. I love that the theme tune continues on over the policeman checking the gates to the junk yard. And with our first glimpse of the TARDIS we have that unearthly hum which gives us that sense that its not just an ordinary police box.
What some newer viewers might find strange is that the Doctor is actually the last character to be introduced in the episode. We are first treated to the introduction of Ian and Barbara at Coal Hill School. This first scene introduces us to the mystery of Susan Foreman and her Grandfather, the Doctor. They decide to go check out the junk yard in which is the address Susan gave to the secretary. This is one aspect of the story that I think wouldn't have been allowed if this story was made these days since it could sort of be classed as stalking.

In the car while waiting for Susan to turn up, we have some great foreknowledge. Susan says that she thought we were on the decimal system which was not actually introduced until 1971, 8 years after this story was televised. They follow her into the junk yard after seeing her entering the the site entrance. This is where we are introduced to the Doctor for the first time. This is not the Doctor we have grown to know and love. He starts off as a much more cold hearted and fiery character. Before the entrance to the TARDIS, he is just very dismissive as he is trying to get rid of the two of them.
That first entrance to the TARDIS is one of the best moments from Doctor Who for me. I wish they had used a simular shot to the pilot when Barbara runs in and the camera follows from the doors but thats just one small quibble I have. The set designed for the TARDIS is just an amazing budget especially when you remember the small budget they had. It really forms the basis of the design of what has continued throughout the 50 years. There is some really great dialogue throughout this TARDIS scene. Alot of memorable explanations of the things we now know and love about the series. "Have you ever wondered what its like to be wonderer's? To be exiles?" And as we come to the end of the episode we are treated to the first TARDIS take-off. The sound of the TARDIS was made up of a manipulated sound of a key being scrapped against piano stings. And from that we have the great sound of the TARDIS which was so magical it is still used to this day.

This episode is one of my favourite single episodes of Doctor Who. The serial is let down by the last 3 episodes but this episode is a definite 10/10. A memorable episode which really does still feel as great as it must have done when it first aired. How much I would love to go back to 1963 and get to watch this episode without the foreknowledge. To see them walk into the TARDIS and not know that size difference.

"An Adventure in Space and Time" Review

What a fantastically piece of heartbreaking television. Hats off to Mark Gatiss. He managed to create the perfect celebration of the birth of the best television show in the universe! There was many a moment there for die hard fans to just cheer out at yet it was also very watchable for people who don't watch Doctor Who. There was many a tear throughout the show. The first one for me was during Bradley's recreation of the farewell speech. It just genuinely moved me. And then the ending. Wow! So heartbreaking. From the breaking down to the last days filming.
Right, lets talk about the casting. I think the main cast was perfectly cast. Especially Sydney Newman, Waris Hussein, Verity Lambert and William Hartnell. The credits where they showed side-by-side pictures really showed this. And not only did they look the spitting image of who they were portraying, they were fantastically played as well. The smaller parts were not as good really but you don't really mind since they were only very small scenes. I loved the cameos from the original cast members. It was a brilliant inclusion of William Russell, Carole Ann Ford, Anneke Wills and Jean Marsh.

This drama shows how much faith Sydney Newman and Verity Lambert had in the series. If it wasn't for these 2 people (and there are many others too), we really wouldn't have the series today. It would have ran for a few weeks and that would be it. It was great how Sydney brought in 2 people in which people had no confidence because they were different to the normal way and with them they created history.
The whole ending was beautiful. From when Verity was told that Hartnell was ill I had a tear in my eye. And then when he broke down by the fire I was close to breaking down also. It was so moving to see that stern front just break away and show the true side of the legend beneath. And then onto the regeneration and the surprise cameo. I'm not naming who it is as I don't want to ruin the surprise but I was hoping they would include this person so was happy to see him. The look on Hartnells face was perfect. The twinkle in the eye, the happiness and yet the sadness at losing a massive part of his life.
There is only one score I can give this episode. 10/10. A fantastic celebration of the show we all know and love. A definite highlight of the 50th Anniversary. Thank you so much for sharing this Mark. Absolutely Fantastic!

"The Night of the Doctor" Review

The Fiftieth Anniversary of Doctor Who officially started today with the release of the new Mini Episode, The Night of the Doctor. And what a way to start with the return of The Eighth Doctor who was last seen on screen in 1996 in his only television story. I love that little nod of a line to us of "I'm a Doctor, but probably not the one that you are expecting." While there had been rumours floating about for months about this episode, it was still a fantastic surprise to see Paul back.
The first part of the episode was focussed around the Doctor trying to save Cass off the crashing spaceship though she refused to be helped after learning that he was a Time Lord. This just shows how much the Time Lords had become hated during the Time War. This is keeping in line with the End of Time and I presume it will be referenced again during the Day of the Doctor. Another great thing is that we finally get the chance to see the Eighth Doctor regenerate in this episode. A mystery which has been kept secret since 2005. I read a comment online which said they were disappointed in the fact they didn't like the Doctor died in a spaceship crash. I think this was still a fitting way to die. He could have just gone and left Cass but instead he stayed on board incase she changed her mind, sacrificing himself once again for one person.

In the second part of the episode we see another return. The sisterhood of Khan, last seen in the Brain of Morbius with Tom Baker. This was a fantastic surprise and made sense really with there history with the Time Lords. While The Doctor did switch rather quickly from staying one of the good guys to the warrior, this was needed since the episode only had a short amount of time to tell this story. He realised that if he didn't change and go on, countless more lives would be lost so he needed to turn into the War Doctor.
We also see the Big Finish Companions mentioned here, officially making the audio adventures canon to those who doubted it. This is one of the things that made my day. These stories are fantastic and deserve to be recognised. If you haven't heard them go buy one now in the Big Finish sale. You won't regret it!
"Physician Heal Thyself" I think this was a perfect last line for Eight. Following on from him saluting his companions. It felt really true to what his Doctor would say. I loved that when we finally saw Hurt, they had used a younger version of him showing how long he ended up fighting this war.
This episode really was a fan letter to the fans. So many things to make us happy. From the return of Eight, to the audio companions reference, to 8's regeneration and the Sisterhood of Khan. What a fantastic 7 minutes. It still feels like a dream... 10/10 I am now looking forward to what the rest of the anniversary has in store!

Series 7b Episode 8 - The Name of the Doctor - Review

[Sorry for the lateness of this review. Had a busy 2 weeks]

On Sunday 19th May, there was a panic around the internet. It was found out that the Blu-Rays containing this episode had arrived to some households in the US. Thanks to the good people in the US, the episode managed to stay offline and most people didn't leak much information about the episodes. I just wanted to start my review by thanking these people as the episode had much more of an impact getting to see it live on BBC One.
Anyway, onto my review. The episode started off with a stellar pre-titles sequence. Ever since I watched the DS9 episode, Trials and Tribble-ations, I have hoped that Doctor Who would do something like that and I was so happy to see it done here. There were bits where it looked a bit ropey but thats mainly down to putting 2012 footage into the quality footage they did. It worked brilliantly and it was especially nice to see The Doctor and Susan stealing the TARDIS from Gallifrey

This episode deals with 2 main things. The Doctors secret and the mystery of who is Clara Oswald. The majority of people presumed that the Doctors secret would be his name but at the end of the episode it was revealed not to be the case. The Name did play a part in the episode of course though as that was the password to open the tomb of the Doctor. I was happy that the Moffat did not reveal the Doctors name as I think that this would take away some of the remaining mystery around the show. I'd rather this never be revealed.
I remember a few months back, Moffat saying that if you think you have guessed who Clara is, you are wrong but this was not the case with most fans. Alot of us had thought that Clara would be splintered across time and this was nearly the case with the solution. That said though, I was still happy with the resolution but that could be down to the joy of seeing Clara with past Doctors.

This episode saw the return of the Paternoster Gang and River Song. River this time around was placed after the library episodes. I was rather dreading this when I heard in DWM that this was going to be the placement as I had hoped that Steven would stay away from setting any episode after them but I think that it worked. It made the scene in the Tomb even more emotional with the "I thought it would hurt me" speech. Part of me thinks that it would be nice to see River back again but this episode would be the perfect final episode for her.
I had been looking forward to the cliffhanger ending for a while. I'd heard loads of rumblings about things it could be from David Tennant to multiple TARDIS's arriving. Since I had heard that John would be the Doctor on the Gallifrey Base spoiler thread, I thought that he would be involved but I was not disappointed with the ending. It was a great introduction to this new Doctor and it has left us with more questions than ever. They better be answered in the 50th

This story was definitely the best episode of the second half of Series 7 and it was a great way to end Matt's final full series. 10/10

Series 7b Episode 7 - Nightmare in Silver - Review

Nightmare in Silver marks the return of Neil Gaiman to Doctor Who. After he wrote the popular episode "The Doctors Wife" in 2011, fans have been wanting to see a return from him. It also marks a return of the Cybermen who were last scene in 2011's "Closing Time." Personally, I don't think this episode was as good as Gaimans first outing but it was still an very good action packed episode. One of the things I disliked about the episode was the kids. I don't think any responsible person would allow kids to go travelling with the Doctor considering how much danger he gets into most of the time.

I really do like the new look cybermen. They have kept quite a bit of what was good about the previous design and then made them a bit slimmer. There is something about the head that is reminiscent of the Wheel in Space Cybermen. I have seen comments that they have ripped off the Iron Man design which I can sort of agree with but I think its more that they took some inspiration from it that ripped it off. The chest piece does look quite Iron Man. I was a bit disappointed with the voice. After hearing that Nick Briggs had recorded a version more like The Tenth Planet ones, I was hoping that he would go with that as I think there is quite a charm to that voice. Something like the voice they used in Big Finish's The Silver Turk would have been nice.
The look of the Cybermen are not the only thing that has been changed. They are more powerful this time. With lots of new abilities, the Cybermen seem more of a threat this time around. They can move at super speeds, seeming to freeze time around them. Now while I like that they can move faster than last time, I am not sure about this super speed thing they have going on. They have also ditched the Cybermats and have got the much sleeker Cybermites.

The episode sees Matt get to play a split personality of the Doctor and the Cyberplaner. Matt managed to flow between characters very seamlessly which made it very easy to follow. What I liked most during them scenes was the direction. I really liked that they showed the clean half of the face when it was the Doctor talking and the Cyberised side when it was the Cyberplaner. Now, I do think there were times that the Cyberplanner was a bit over the top and a bit cringy. I did enjoy that part of the episode but I think Matt could have toned it down a bit.
I feel Tamzin Outhwaite was rather wasted really. She didn't really seem to do much. I don't get why her character just gave in and obeyed what Clara told her to do since she was supposed to be in charge. Warwick Davis was fantastic in role of Porridge. I did like the twist of him ending up being the emperor but if he could activate the bomb and teleport them out, then why didn't he just do that at the beginning. Not sure I agreed with that aspect of the plot.
Overall I think this episode was good with some fantastic ideas but it definitely had quite a few flaws. Maybe it could have been better if it had 10-15 minutes more time to breath. As a result, I would give it a 8/10.

Series 7b Episode 6 - The Crimson Horror - Review

The Crimson Horror started out like it was a pilot for a Paternoster Gang spinoff and then rounded up as a fantastic traditional Doctor Who story. Now I have seen some people saying that they did not like the fact it took the Doctor around 15 minutes to turn up but I liked that and it gave them the chance to do that brilliant recap. That was a stroke of genius. Now I wouldn't want it every week but as a one off it worked really well. This is Paternoster Gang's third story now, and I think they are working well together. Strax has to be my favourite of the gang with his wonderful one liners. "Horse, you have failed in your mission!" I think they would really work well in their own series. Jenny, Strax and Vastra, saving good old Victorian London town!

The series continues to get some fantastic guest stars, with this week's Dame Diana Rigg and daughter Rachael Stirling. They both played a blinder in this episode. Diana's character was a villain who just wanted to kill because she was just not a very nice person which is something Doctor Who has been missing for a while. The fact that she had used her own daughter to test on was a big shock to me. I wonder if her character had always been bad or if it was only since Mr Sweet had come along when she went bad.
Mr Sweet while being a good idea for a villain felt a let down for me. He didn't seem to do much except feed off Rigg's character. His death was good though. I have to admit, I did look away when she was whacking him one.

I was a little disappointed that they rather glossed over the whole Clara being alive storyline really. I was hoping for a short scene between the Doctor and the Paternoster Gang discussing Clara. I know it was mentioned a few times but not much was really said. I supposed Moffat wants to do that himself.
I would give this episode an 8/10 as it felt like a classic Doctor Who story. Plenty of horror moments with some humour thrown in. Both Marks stories this year have been very strong after the last few being a bit weak.

Series 7b Episode 5 - Journey to the Centre of the TARDIS - Review

This episode has been one of the the most anticipated episode of the new series. The title is enough alone to make any fans knees tremble with excitement. I think the episode lives up to excitement even if the ending was a little bit of a let down but I'll get to that later. We get to see plenty of glimpses of rooms such as the swimming pool and the library. I loved the design of the new areas even if some areas such of the library were just like any library. But I quite liked that as it felt like a nod to The Invasion of Time. The Architectural Reconfiguration System was a fantastic idea as I had always wondered how the TARDIS created new rooms just like that and this helped to explain that. It also gave the good feature of being able to twist corridors around and create a labyrinth.

Like last week the show had a really small cast but this gave Matt and Jenna time to shine. There relationship was pushed to the max and this really brought out the best in the both of them. The scene of them just outside the engine room really showed how good these 2 are together. The guest cast were OK but not really that great. They were very forgettable if I am honest.
The episode was action packed from the beginning and I did like how the end linked in with the first scene on the TARDIS in the episode. The revelation of what the creatures was really dark. Definitely one of the darkest ideas in whos history and I did not guess that that was what they were. I liked the fact that the camera was always going in and out of focus during the scenes of them as it didn't give you chance to focus on what they looked like.

This episode really could have been a 10/0 up until the ending of the episode. Though I did like that fact it linked to the beginning, I didn't like that it was basically reset button that saved the day. I think it would have been nice to have another way to have saved the day as I have never been a fan of the reset button. But other than that, it really was such a fantastic episode which I am really looking forward to rewatching. 9/10

Series 7b Episode 4 - Hide - Review

I think one of the reasons why this episode excels, is down to its very small cast. Alongside The Doctor and Clara, you only have 3 other characters in the episode. This helps as it gives you much more time to get to know the new supporting characters and this makes you care for them much more. It also helps that the cast we have is so strong. Joining Matt and Jenna this week we have Dougray Scott as Alec Palmer and Jessica Raine as Emma Grayling. With these 2 you have a little love story going on which leads perfectly onto the resolution of the episode. Also in this episode, I think the relationship between the Doctor and Clara has not firmly found its feet. You can see that they are the best of friends but with Clara not being scared to challenge the Doctor, which is what I like in the TARDIS team.

The episode is split up into 2 parts. The first half being the ghost story and the second half being the pocket universe. I liked the first half first and I wish that this had continued on a bit longer as there were some generally scary moments in this. I'm not saying that I disliked the last half as that had some great moments in it too but I preferred the ghost story much more.
We got a bit more interaction between Clara and the TARDIS this week which I am loving. Its going to be interesting to see where they lead this to. The scene with Clara talking to the voice interface was nice but I do hope its not going to be overused. Wondering if they are setting it up for usage in 50th anniversary episode.

This episode continued on the usage of references to the past which have been present throughout this second half of the series. This week we got the crystal from Metabelis 3 and a referance to the Eye of Harmony. These were lovely though it was a shame that Metabelis 3 has pronounced incorrectly. It was also nice to get to see a shot of the TARDIS flying though the vortex for the first time since The Pandorica Opens in 2010.
The alien (was going to put villain but he isn't really) looked fantastic. Such an inhuman design which we do lack sometimes. And it looked really creepy. The woodland scenes worked really well and the frantic camera work helped you make you on edge like the Doctor was. I think that this episode was the most scared I have ever seen the Doctor.
I would give this episode an 7/10. It lost a few marks due to a few points that I wasn't keen on and the ending scene seemed a little rushed for me, again. And while I like the love story ending, part of me wishes they had left it as a villain who wants to make you fear.

Series 7b Episode 3 - Cold War - Review

This episode just hits the ground running. The Doctor and Clara arrive on a sinking sub in the middle of the Cold War. And if you thought that was bad enough, there is also an Ice Warrior on the loose on the sub. Not seen since the Jon Pertwee story the Monster of Peladon in 1974, the Ice Warriors make their long awaited return after a few failed trys over the years. I really like the redesign of the Ice Warrior as its really is the most faithful redesign since the Daleks back in 2005. I have always loved the Ice Warriors since they are not all evil like some of the creations in Doctor Who. They have the good and the bad ones so you never quite know what you are going to get and I think that this episode really does continue this on. Even though this is one of the bad ones, it shows that mercy at the end of the episode. And in this episode, we finally get to see bits of the creature inside the armour. I did like the design even if the CGI of the head did look a bit ropey. Its not exactly what I had expected and I am not sure on the long thin fingers as I'm not sure how they would fit inside the armor but other that that I do think it looked good.

I had already fell in love with Clara but this episode took it to a new level. I think she is one of the most believable companions that the show has done. She tries to act brave and go and face the Ice Warrior on her own but once she sees the death, it hits her how dangerous it is travelling with the Doctor. I think if she keep it up like this, she might over take Donna as my favourite companion.
The series carried on getting some really good guest starts. In this episode we had David Warner and Liam Cunningham. I was really impressed with both of them. I had not really seen anything with Cunningham but I thought he was very good as the captain of the sub. And David Warner I have known from the Big Finish Doctor Who audios where I have admired him in. I have found him to be a great actor and he doesn't let us down here. I would love to see him return again as Professor Grisenko.

Overall, I did really enjoy this episode. Mark Gattiss has written one of his best Doctor Who scripts here. I have read some comments over the internet that there was not much plot in this episode but I really disagree with this. It was all about the threat posed by the Ice Warrior which was massive since he had access to the missiles. and could have pushed the world into a nuclear war. Since we find out at the end of the episode that there are more Ice Warriors out there, I would love to see more of them again in the future. I would give this episode a 8/10