“A great episode of Doctor Who.” “An absolute slog to watch through.” “A chance to see this Doctor really having some fun.” “Shades of RTD.” Here’s what our readers thought of the return of the Doctor…

“This is an episode for the fans. Not only is it fast paced and beautifully produced but it has the feel of a landmark Doctor Who story. We have the two greatest foes in Doctor Who history, both parts played to their maximum potential. Michelle Gomez pitches the zany yet ruthless Master/Missy part perfectly. We get a buzz from seeing all those classic locations, UNIT HQ, Shadow Proclamation and Karn to name but a few. We have classic aliens and new ones too, from the bizarre to the down right creepy…
…the story reminds me a lot of Genesis of The Daleks and the clips of Tom Baker are used to maximum affect. That quote “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?” This is basically the situation The Doctor is faced with. Except this time the stakes are higher…
Billy Brookes, 17, Grimsby, England

“A chance to see this Doctor really having some fun”
“With a combination of random guitar solos, major add-ons to Dalek history, confusing scene changes and some cheesy tank jokes, this is an episode that has the possibility of being loved to hate by long-time Whovians (think Love and Monsters).
“However as a self-proclaimed Whovian for most of my life, I loved it.
“The Magician’s Apprentice not only gave us a commanding and in charge Clara and some delightful Missy development but also a chance to see this Doctor really having some fun and exploring his new personality for the first time so far. His epic entrance brought an unstoppable smile to my face and his joke-filled speech to his party crowd had me giggling.
“Throw in some exquisitely creepy hand-mines (Moffat-King of Monsters) the brilliant reveal of Skaro and a fantastic cliffhanger and you’ve got an entertaining and exciting start to the series!”
Charlotte Usher, 17, Melbourne, Australia

“An absolute slog to watch through”
“Recent scripts from Stephen Moffat, in my mind, have been lackluster over the past couple of series. Episodes like ‘Time of the Doctor’ and the ‘Dark Water’ two-parter, seem to fall short compared to some other truly inventive episodes in their respective series. ‘The Magicians Apprentice’, unfortunately, also conforms to this trend.
“The script seems to be filled with great visual moments that don’t seem to gel in anyway with each other. As a result, there is little tonal consistency and a compromised pace that makes the end product an absolute slog to watch through. However, there are some good points, the characters are well performed. As I said before, there are great visual moments and the show has never looked better. The main arc of this story cannot be properly reviewed without seeing the second part, but it seems to be going in interesting places. Here’s hoping anyway.”
Nicholas Black, 19, Buckinghamshire, England

“Oh, yes… I definitely got what I need”
“As a rock god, who I’m sure Peter Capaldi is a fan of, once said, ‘You can’t always get what you want. But if you try sometimes, well you might find, you get what you need.’ The Magician’s Apprentice may not have given me what I wanted (explosions, running, Doctor saving the day), but it gave me everything I needed.
“It gave me Missy, back from the dead (poking fun at her own return). It gave me classic Who throwbacks (Genesis of the Daleks). It gave me the Doctor riding in on a tank, rocking punk, plaid trousers and Ray Bans, and shredding a custom Fender guitar as only a Timelord can. It gave me the thrill and torture of having to wait on the edge of my seat until next week for part two.
“Oh, yes… I definitely got what I need.”
Kat Stryker, 26, Seattle, United States

“This is how you make a great episode of Doctor Who”
“Left in doubt by Peter Capaldi’s first season as the heroic timelord? After watching the pre-title sequence of The Magician’s Apprentice you will love him and possibly even rank him among your favourite of the actors to portray the Doctor. The magic of Smith is there, the drama of Hartnell, the comedy of Baker, the brilliance of Tenant and, most importantly, the tweed pants of Troughton. This series 9 opener is not to be missed and you’ll be hanging on your seat forc‪next Saturday’s instalment. This is how you make a great episode of Doctor Who, with a great story, a great cast and fantastic production values with a love of the lore of the universe of the BBC’s 52 year old franchise.”
Lew Freeburn, 18, Wrexham, Wales

“The Daleks felt fantastically underused”
“A little boy lost on a battlefield calls out to a whimsical old man standing in front of a phone box.
“Instinct tells us that the boy will be saved but, when they hear his name, everything is shaded with doubt.
“Not only is Doctor Who back but, surprisingly, so is Davros.
“Despite Davros’ heavy presence, each line deliciously delivered by Bleach, the Daleks felt fantastically underused. As with the best Doctor Who villains, they felt scarier in their scarcity. Davros’ commentary while they contemplated Clara’s extermination showed more insight into the mentality of the Daleks than last year’s Into the Dalek could ever have hoped. This was Davros’ story; and it’s only just beginning…
James Postans, 22, Walsall, England

“The bad is outweighing the good”
“I found it very disappointing opener that reinforced my belief that Moffat has become worst part of Doctor Who. Continual the bad is outweighing the good when it comes to Moffat’s scripts.
“While the episode opens on an excellent scene, wracked with tension and one that concludes on a massive bombshell, the following twenty minutes lack any focus and are really just self-indulgent filler, compromised of the sort of fan service and unnecessary meta-humour that has come to define Moffat’s writing.
“Both the writing and usage of Missy is inconsistent and far too much like River Song. While Gomez brings great energy to the role her presence in this episode only served to undercut the emotional weight of her death in the previous season finale.
“The episode somewhat regained its focus in time to deliver an effective cliff-hanger but I would hope and expect the second part to be far stronger.
John Foley, 17, London

“Shades of RTD”
“Shades of RTD can be found throughout this enthralling tale, with the return of the Shadow Proclamation and Julian Bleach’s brilliantly conducted Davros’ sinister ways of making the Doctor see himself like never before. Capaldi and Gomez steal the show however, superbly complimenting Moffat’s mazy writing with standout performances throughout. Trust Moffat to thrill us even before the opening titles – no-one saw THAT reveal coming, and hats off to the BBC for keeping Davros’ return under wraps. The use of Tom Baker’s speech is also a nice touch.
“One part I struggle to see the point of is Clara’s ‘death’, as we already know from the trailers that she appears in future episodes. This is a nitpick however, and overall if this standard is kept up for the second part, we’re in for one of the greatest stories of the modern era, perhaps even of Doctor Who in general.”
Ben Hobson, 19, Worcestershire

“No matter how desperate your situation… you gather all your strength and you fight”
“’Your chances of survival are about one in a thousand, so here’s what you do: you forget the thousand and you concentrate on the one.’
“What a line! What a beautiful, inspiring and simply brilliant line that perfectly sums up everything that Doctor Who is about. No matter how desperate your situation or how hopeless things seem, if there’s even the slightest chance you can survive then you gather all your strength and you fight.
“‘The Magician’s Apprentice’ was filled with lots of memorable quotes and moments (The Doctor, an army tank and an electric guitar, anyone?), Peter Capaldi was back and on better form than ever before and the story was exciting right from the start! From the reintroduction of Missy, to the dying form of Davros and the extermination of Clara, ‘The Magician’s Apprentice’ has hinted at many great things to come and I, for one, can’t wait!”
Rebecca Collins, 22, Bonnybridge, Scotland

“A brave but effective first episode that leaves me desperate for part two”
“The Magician’s Apprentice was an episode for the fans – from the subtlest of references to the Ponds (‘anachronisms in New York?!’) to clips from all time classic, Genesis of the Daleks, it was a whirlwind mashup, the lore of Classic Who fitting seamlessly into cinematic New Who. Add that to the creepy monsters scattered throughout – instant classic hand mines (fantastic pun) and horrific Colony Sarff (Voldemort?) – you’ve got quite the episode on your hands!
“Missy was, of course, fantastic. Her constantly changing accent, her manic energy and her ambiguous allegiance make for a hilariously terrifying character. The chemistry between Capaldi and Gomez meant that perhaps Clara was pushed slightly to the background, but the pain rippling through the Doctor’s voice at the climax was enough to remind us although they flirt, Clara is the Doctor’s priority.
“Overall, a brave but effective first episode that leaves me desperate for part two.”
Rebecca Hignett, 21, Eastbourne

News Source: Radio Times