So, episode 2 of Season 9, The Witch’s Familiar was on last night, picking up almost where Magician’s Apprentice left off. Of course the ending with Clara and Missy was a fake-out, but it was a planned fake-out by Missy that also explains why she is still alive, so I’m actually okay with it. The Doctor going ballistic about the possibility of Clara being dead, I’m not so okay with. It really bothered me with the way he lost it at the thought that Clara might be dead. I don’t know why. I imagine he would be upset at losing any companion, but this reaction felt all out of proportion.
Other things I felt were wrong; the whole “half-breed” prophesy on Gallifrey. First, why would a race that could travel through time have, or even believe in prophesies? Is there even a precedent for them, other than in Moffat’s head? The whole theme of the Doctor always “running away” from something has been pushed hard in Moffat’s reign. I don’t like this whole idea that the Doctor is always running away from things. Not everyone who runs is “running away.” Some people just like to run, and that has always been the way I feel about the Doctor. He wasn’t running away from something specific on Gallifrey, he just wanted to run away. He wanted to see the universe, just like the TARDIS, and they stole each other (my OTP). If the Doctor was going to be running away from something, I would be more inclined to believe it was something personal, like losing someone over some vague prediction. The Doctor doesn’t even believe in prophesies, so why would he run away from one? The Doctor already has 50 years of proving he doesn’t just “run away.” Stop trying to rewrite the show to fit your own personal view Moffat. You are not always right, show runner or no.
And don’t get me started on the Doctor who suddenly being able to call on his regenerative powers anytime one is hurt. That is not how it’s supposed to work. It’s not supposed to heal others, it’s not supposed to shoot down spaceships, and just by shaking his hands like a glow stick, the Doctor should not be able to pass it around willy-nilly. I’m sure that’s not why the Time Lords gave him another set of lives.
The whole “wearable technology” sonic? Not a fan of that. And what is up with the Doctor saying a Dalek shouldn’t be able to say the word “mercy,” when we’ve seen it before. The Dalek that faced up against River Song at the end of season 5 asked for mercy, and she wasn’t surprised at all. Neither should have the Doctor.
What wasn’t wrong was the Doctor riding around in Davros’ chair. With a cup of tea. Don’t ask where it came from. He’s the Doctor, just accept it. More of Missy and Clara’s interactions were also fun. Missy and her stick, and the story she told of the Doctor at the beginning I enjoyed a lot. I am still liking Missy better as a companion than Clara. It’s too bad it couldn’t be a three-person TARDIS team, but Missy would probably keep trying things like at the end.
Overall I felt meh about the episode. I’m not thrilled with the season starting off with a two-parter like this, with titles that don’t make sense in relation to the episode. The thing I’m most not looking forward too from these episodes is the whole “half-breed” thing coming back at the end of the season. I’m sure Moffat threw it in as “foreshadowing.” To me it’s more like “forewarning.” As in “let’s screw up Time Lord lore even more.
