Doctor Who kicks of its 35th Season with the return of an old enemy.

It's funny how 2010's The Eleventh Hour has become the 'gold standard' for Doctor Who openers - the one episode that all subsequent ones are compared to so as to give an idea of their quality. It's not an unfair development either - I personally believe that The Eleventh Hour is indeed the best first episode of a series we've had since the show has was revived. And while The Magician's Apprentice and The Witch's Familiar come close to taking that crown, they can't quite reach it. That's not to devalue them at all, however, because both episodes set a high standard for the rest of the series.

The Magician's Apprentice/The Witch's Familiar see the Doctor face one his most persistent enemies - Davros, creator of the Daleks. This time, Davros is dying, and has requested the Doctor's presence. Accompanied by Clara and Missy to the Dalek homewold of Skaro, the Doctor is faced with the prospect that Davros may not be as completely ruthless as he thought.

First things first: this was possibly the finest story with Davros as the main villain since his original appearance forty years ago in Genesis of the Daleks. This is mainly due to the fact that he spends most of it simply talking to the Doctor, whether it be about the argument they've been having since they first met, or other, more surprising things, such as how he is glad that the Doctor found a way to save the Time Lords. It's compelling stuff, and Julian Bleach's performance is absolutely fantastic, managing to give the daleks' creator some real humanity to him, so much so that it's easy to feel sorry for him. The scene where he opens his eyes and shares a joke with the Doctor stands out as one of the character's best ever moments. And yes, while all the humanity, regret and compassion that Davros seemingly gained in his old age was all just a ruse, I don't think it undervalues the poignancy of the moments he and the Doctor shared - surely there was some truth to what the two were saying to each other?

But while Davros was the highlight of the story, the same can't be said for his creations and the details that writer Steven Moffat has added their lore. While the idea of their sewers being made up of the decaying bodies of dalek mutants that are no longer useful is a sufficiently creepy one, I can't say it's a revelation that I particularly like. For one, the issue is left frustratingly vague - we're only told that they're genetically engineered not to die. But whether this is limited to natural ageing, or if they'll continue living even if only one cell of their body remains, is something we're not told. The fact that dalek mutants are genetically engineered is all well and good, but I think the immortality part is taking it too far.

Likewise, the fact that the dalek shell controls how the mutant inside communicates is another such overstep. The big issue with this, I think, is that to quite a large degree it shifts the 'essence' of the daleks from the mutant to the shell - if the shell is the part actually communicating, then it is responsible for all the animosity and vile the daleks display. Conceivably, there could be a mutant inside who loves fluffy bunnies and cute kittens, but would appear as a normal dalek simply because the shell overrides any thoughts that aren't deigned as dalek. This isn't how it should work, and clashes quite severely with all prominent established canon. In most, if not all dalek stories since Genesis of the Daleks, it has been unequivocally stated that it is the mutant itself who is responsible for all the hatred, animosity and vile. The shell is just a weaponised survival tank. But here, it not only controls the output of the mutant, it also controls the firing mechanism, making it an automatic process when the occupant gets emotional. This is, I believe, yet another mistake - the firing of the gun should be a conscious decision by the mutant inside.

It really says something when the only thing I only partially agree with is the use of 'exterminate' as a reloading mechanism. But even so, I'm quite iffy on that too.

Unfortunately, while I dislike the additions to dalek mythology, I also don't have much in the way of praise to say for the actual things themselves either. Apart from reminding us that they can actually hit the main characters (if not exterminate them thanks to plot armour), they do nothing of merit. They talk, fly outside the city, receive some regeneration energy, and get defeated by what is effectively sludge. Of all possible ways to go, being killed by sludge has to be one of the stupidest. All they had to do was hover above the ground, and they would have been fine. But then again, it is the daleks, and being defeated in stupid ways is what they do. Anyone for some spinning daleks from Journey's End?

But while the daleks are decidedly lacklustre in this outing, the same cannot be said for the Doctor and Clara. The former's introduction in 1138AD as he plays an electric guitar while standing on a tank is a delicious sight of clashing time periods, while the latter takes convincing command during the opening few minutes. That being said - is UNIT really that stupid that it didn't think of any possible things the frozen planes could potentially do until Clara came along? Everything she theorised was rather obvious, I thought.

Michelle Gomez's portrayal of the Master is also as enjoyable as ever, and while I wish there were less of the 'crazy' moments, seeing her interact with the companion in a way the character hasn't done since Roger Delgado's original incarnation in the 1970s was a welcome sight, as were the mentions of her and the Doctor's deep friendship - something else that is rooted in the Doctor/Master dynamic from the 70s. And that's probably the most disappointing thing about Missy being in the story - she doesn't interact with the Doctor much, and no wonder, considering the focus of the episode was on Davros. Only room for one arch-nemsis to have extended screen time with the Doctor, it seems!

The cliffhanger for The Magician's Apprentice had been hyped up as being a 'whopper', and in some ways it was, though I do think it was slightly underwhelming, mainly because I did not believe for one moment that Clara and Missy had been exterminated, or the TARDIS destroyed. That being said, I was taken by surprise when the Doctor appeared to aim the dalek gunstick at a young Davros, though after thinking about it, it didn't take me long to realise he'd probably shoot the hand mines instead. That doesn't demean the fact that the resolution to all three parts of the cliffhanger were genuinely clever, however, and it's something that I haven't felt about a cliffhanger for quite some time (though that might also be because we haven't had a proper one for ages either). Missy's explanation of using the daleks' weapons' energy to teleport out at the last second was inspired thinking on Steven Moffat's part, and also allowed a fun flashback of sorts (and two unexpected cameos), and had the added bonus of accounting for her survival after Death in Heaven last year. Likewise, the addition to the TARDIS' HADS (Hostile Action Displacement/Dispersal System; the new Dispersal function was used in this story) ability was very readily welcomed. It's been some time since the TARDIS has demonstrated just how advanced it is. And while the Doctor did indeed end up shooting the hand mines, the ending scene was surprisingly touching, and nicely capped off the story.

In conclusion, The Magician's Apprentice and The Witch's Familiar make a flawed but nonetheless very gripping and enjoyable opening to Series 9. I look forward to what the next ten episodes bring.

8.5/10