Doctor Who Review: The Witch’s Familiar – How 7 Characters Reveal Their Relationship Status
6. Colony Sarff
Colony Sarff is such an interesting construct that it’s too bad we don’t get to see more of him. He is not so different from the Daleks in the sense that he is a kind of hive mind made up of many component parts. No wonder Davros chose him as his champion. They understood each other. What is the story behind why Sarff chose to serve Davros? He does not appear as a Dalek conversion but more a willing accomplice. This is a relationship worth exploring in a novel or Big Finish audio play.
This episode unfolds like a puzzle box. There are layers within layers as both character and action are deconstructed. By the end everything is reduced to pieces on a game board, even the TARDIS is redistributed into tiny bits. As the magician it is the Doctor’s role to pierce the illusion of chaos and helplessness and bring everything back together again. While Missy may be the one to actually destroy Sarff, it is the Doctor who maneuvers her into position.