It feels like Peter Capaldi's debut series in the TARDIS was over before it had truly began, but the future is now looking very bright for Doctor Who and the era of the Twelfth Doctor is only just getting started. Throughout Series 8 we were shown a much darker side to our beloved hero as he, as well as Clara, tried to get to grips with his latest incarnation, who has so far been much more removed and less reliable than his most recent predecessors. Inevitably, Capaldi's complex characterisation of the Time Lord has been the subject of intense discussion amongst fans. Some viewers immediately liked to his more mysterious persona, while others haven't been able to take to his fiercer temperament. Despite his darker personality, though, the man himself has reassured fans that he's still the "funny, joyful, passionate, emphatic and fearless" Time Lord we've also known and loved. Whether you've loved or loathed Peter's Doctor so far, there's no denying that this year's series well and truly managed to push boundaries as it introduced new layers to the Doctor and Clara's rocky relationship and touched on sensitive issues regarding loyalty, guilt and the afterlife. The biggest shock of them all, of course, came in the climactic series finale when Missy was revealed to the first female incarnation of the Master. And thus the fandom imploded! The Twelfth Doctor will be back on our screens on Christmas Day to wrap up his inaugural year in style in his first festive outing, Last Christmas. After that, it will be full steam ahead to his second string of adventures, and, in no particular order, here is a list of 9 things that Series 9 could - and/or should - contain...
Dan Butler is the Doctor Who Editor at WhatCulture.com. When he isn't writing his own articles or editing other people's, he can be found trawling the internet for gifs of Steven Moffat laughing. Contact him via dan.butler@whatculture.co.uk.
