Doctor Who Review: The Magician's Apprentice – 7 Ways To Weigh The Wages Of Sin

The Doctor may have put a lot of work into the universe but in his encounter with the child Davros he takes the easy way out. Or what he deemed easiest at the time. He runs away. His own hatred and fear blinds him to the choices that lay open to him. He sees only abandonment or murder. Yet the Doctor could have saved Davros and subsequently attempted to become an influence for good in his life. He may not have succeeded but he would not have lost his integrity.

You cannot control the outcome but you can decide the path. By limiting his own choices he limits Davros’ as well. It is now harder for Davros to see beyond the bitterness and neglect of a child in wartime to consider other possibilities. Davros' singular focus on destruction is in turn a kind of laziness. It is always easier to break down than build up.