All this week, we are taking a look back at the TV series that we covered during the year, and sharing our five favorite moments from each. We will be doing similar retrospectives in July, August, and September, focusing on different aspects of each show. Enjoy!
The ninth season of Doctor Who was, in my opinion…not great. I had loads of problems with most of the episodes. Trying to come up with this list was a lot harder than I imagined it would be because I was honestly struggling to come up with parts I liked. That said, I found those few kernels of actual goodness this season. Let’s go through ‘em:
1. Missy from “The Magician’s Apprentice” and “The Witch’s Familiar”
The two part season opening was okay. You had the Daleks. You had Davros. Sure. But then you had Michelle Gomez having a blast playing Missy. There is just something sometimes about a villain who knows that they’re the bad guy/gal and is wonderfully hammy about it that just works sometimes.
2. River Comes Full Circle in “The Husbands of River Song”
Yes, it’s the Christmas Special. I know. Like I said, I was having some trouble with this list. Admittedly, I’ve had a rocky appreciation of the character of River Song (played by Alex Kingston). Most of that came down to writing. That being said, it was nice to finally finally seeing River’s story come to a close and I won’t lie, there was a boat ton of chemistry between Kingston and Capaldi that I admired. “Husbands” didn’t reach the heights of Christmas Specials like “A Christmas Carol”, but it wasn’t as terrible as “Voyage of the Damned” and “The Doctor, The Widow & the Wardrobe”.
3. Maisie Williams was Pretty Good Too
Not necessarily a best “moment” but more of a best presence was Maisie Williams character of Ashildr/Me/Oh Who Knows throughout the season. She was very capable of selling that childhood innocence as well as the tiredness of an immortal after countless eons. I may have had some problems with the writing in some of the episodes she was in, but she was able to make some miracles out of it.
4. All of “Heaven Sent”
Really, this was the show firing on all cylinders for the first time in quite a while. By keeping everything lite, the lack of annoying guest characters, just the Doctor, a monster and a bizarre location, they were really able to sell the isolation, guilt, rage, remorse and resolve of the Twelfth Doctor in perhaps Capaldi’s best performance so far and just shows what Doctor Who can really do.
5. That It’s Taking a Year Off
Put the pitchfork down and listen. As I’ve kind of shown throughout my reviews of last season and here, Who needs to take a break. It needs to reflect. Reexamine. Retool. I even said that I got more time-travel fun out of the twelve-issue “Ivar, Timewalker” than I did most of this season and I meant it. Who needs to revitalize itself and here’s hoping with this time off that it can do just that.
