Doctor Who: Ranking The New Who Openers From Worst To Best
8. The Magician's Apprentice/The Witch's Familiar
Steven Moffat certainly surprised us with his Series 9 opener, given the out of nowhere return of Julian Bleach as Davros. How did they keep that one a secret? Honestly, it was one of those things you never thought would happen, and I bet Peter Capaldi was so excited to be pitted against the evil creator of the Daleks. Especially since he was the first Doctor to take his wheels for a test spin. Although, in hindsight, that was a dick move on his part, even if Davros is a sadistic scientist, who created the universe's greatest monstrosity.
Regrettably, a lot of this two part opener is let down by its overall execution and direction. Steven Moffat was a master of setting up grand storylines, that left audiences intrigued as to what would happen next. However, what he seemingly failed to realise is that he had to back that intrigue up with a pay off that was both clever, and satisfying.
Given that we see the Twelfth Doctor tested by the notion of going back and murdering Davros' younger self, and we have a mesmerising sequence of him and Davros having this beautiful heart to heart moment, you truly hoped that this all led to something worthwhile. And it didn't. The entire two part narrative feels completely wasted, and utterly pointless by the end. However, its strong performances, superb direction, and even Missy's bonkers (and cruel) story arc, does somewhat compensate for its failings.