The Magician's Apprentice

This might qualify as a tenth anniversary special of the revived show, taking in as it does some of the greatest hits of the Davies era as well as revisiting some of Mr. Moffat’s own additions.

HERE BE SPOILERS. Step carefully.

It’s the Great War. With lasers? Daleks influencing the Somme, as in the classic TimeMaster introductory adventure Red Ace High?

No. Apparently not.

Hello dashing brave caring soldier who uses a bow on this hellish anarchronistic battlefield oh you’re dead.

Handmines. Nice pun. How very Guillermo Del Toro. And naturally pretty Y’golonac.

“Concentrate on the one.”

Little Davros. Gulp. This could be Let’s Kill Hitler for the show’s own ultimate fascist, and played straight...

The Doctor is the Magician. Who is The Magician’s Apprentice? Did we just meet him...?

The Maldovarium, looking very Cantina. Special guest Ood!

Face-lines guy is just a bit too quick on the rollerskates to be threatening, I think.

The Shadow Proclamation! Yay! Still having staffing issues, I see. (I still want to see it packed out like a police station on a Saturday night, as originally intended.)

Special guest Judoon!

Karn. Okay, we knew that. Still interesting, the Doctor returning to one of the places he died.

And Clara! Hello, Clara.

And UNIT! Hello, Kate.

“Three possible versions of Atlantis.” Oh, you!

And Julian Bleach as Davros! Old, sad Davros... it’s a lovely performance in the chair, under the makeup and behind the life-support cable things.

Missy’s dismissive “Okay, cutting to the chase. Not dead. Back. Big surprise...” certainly covers that issue. In a way.

Turning into a giant snake never helps.

Loved Missy’s understandable huff.

No, not Bors! :(

Bringing back that argument from Genesis Of The Daleks... possibly coming to a different conclusion?

“Unlimited rice pudding!” I did not expect to hear that again today.

Retro Dalek! Lovely.

Cliffhanger for “will they survive?” not very cliffhangy as this is the Mistresss and the Impossible Girl we’re talking about, but the moral cliffhanger really works...

Directed by Hettie MacDonald, who gave us Blink last time. So it looks great, obviously.