What a season indeed! Doctor Who is known for its rollercoaster of quality, but when it hits the mark, it truly soars. Let’s cut to the chase – Season 9 is a triumph, and it solidified Peter Capaldi’s place as a remarkable Doctor. While no season is without its minor stumbles, the finale episodes left a level of satisfaction not felt since the acclaimed 50th Anniversary Special.
For those yet to experience it, rest assured, spoilers are clearly marked ahead, allowing you to explore this review without fear of plot revelations.
What Made Season 9 Shine?
The heart of Season 9 beats with the continued evolution of character arcs established in Season 8, culminating in a deeply rewarding payoff. While Season 8’s character development sometimes felt a touch rushed, particularly Clara’s transformation, Season 9 masterfully utilizes this groundwork to create compelling narratives. The dynamic between Clara and Capaldi’s Doctor evolves into a volatile yet captivating partnership, as they plunge headfirst into one perilous situation after another. There’s a sense that both characters are operating without a safety net, fueling their exhilarating chase across time and space.
This season marks a significant turning point for Peter Capaldi’s portrayal of the Doctor. He’s given the space to breathe and truly embody the role, suggesting a stronger personal influence on the show’s direction since Season 8. Capaldi delivers a tour-de-force performance, showcasing the Doctor’s multifaceted personality: brash, witty, whimsical, and at times, profoundly somber. While his initial episodes were a period of adjustment, Season 9 sees him fully embrace the mantle of The Doctor. Remember that intense first glimpse with those striking eyebrows? That Doctor has definitively arrived.
The strategic decision to lean heavily into two-part episodes was a masterstroke. Many Moffat-era episodes have felt constrained by time, sacrificing depth for pace. Giving these stories room to unfold allows for richer narratives. While occasionally a double-header might feel slightly extended, the season largely avoids this pitfall. None of the two-parters feel artificially stretched to the detriment of the season’s overall quality. Another strength lies in the season’s episodic nature. While a subtle overarching narrative exists, it doesn’t overshadow individual episodes, maintaining a balance that keeps the season accessible and engaging.
Why Season 9 is a Must-Watch for Doctor Who Fans
If witnessing the Twelfth Doctor truly come into his own is on your Doctor Who wishlist, Season 9 is essential viewing. Peter Capaldi delivers a powerhouse performance in every episode, seizing pivotal moments, especially in the finale, to unleash memorable Doctor monologues and rants. He embodies a fascinating duality – a wise, grandfatherly figure intertwined with the formidable “Oncoming Storm,” a title earned by the Doctor’s fearsome reputation. Unlike some previous iterations, Capaldi captures the “Oncoming Storm” aspect without resorting to angst or forced intensity. This season unveils the raw fury and unwavering determination that defines the Doctor.
For viewers who appreciate imaginative, bizarre alien worlds and storylines, Season 9 delivers exceptionally. There’s a palpable shift away from overly convoluted sci-fi plots and attempts at forced creepiness, a style that has yielded mixed results for Doctor Who. (Though, there’s a notable exception this season where a Mark Gatiss episode aimed for chilling but missed the mark.)
Furthermore, for aficionados of Classic Who, Season 9 significantly elevates its game in referencing the show’s rich history. From subtle nods to overt callbacks in dialogue, long-time fans will find plenty to appreciate and enjoy.
There are specific moments and plot points that deserve deeper discussion, but be warned! For those seeking to remain unspoiled about pivotal season details, including major plot twists, proceed with caution! Spoiler territory begins now! It’s challenging to truly analyze this season without delving into some key elements, especially the impactful finale.
Catholic Geeks Spoilers
Alt text: Spoiler warning image featuring text “Catholic Geeks Spoilers” to alert readers about upcoming plot details for Doctor Who season 9.
So, wow is an understatement. Season 9 isn’t built on intricate, sprawling plots. It’s a season defined by profound character moments and truly legendary actions.
Clara’s Departure. Clara is, in essence, dead. Or perhaps in a state of quantum limbo, a unique form of undeath. Zombie? Vampire without the bloodlust? Quantum Space Zombie seems as fitting a description as any. Regardless of the label, her character arc reaches its poignant conclusion. It’s a resolution that feels earned and deeply satisfying. We witness Clara sacrificing herself to save another, mirroring the Doctor’s selflessness, and ultimately embracing her fate, even resisting the Doctor’s desperate attempts to rewrite her ending. In the finale’s latter half, Clara takes control, confronting the Doctor and displaying the same corrective stubbornness seen in some of his most memorable companions, like Donna and Martha.
Echoes of Donna. The finale acts as a powerful counterpoint to Donna Noble’s tragic fate at the end of Series 4. Unlike Donna, who had her memories forcibly erased, Clara actively rejects that outcome, cleverly manipulating events to ensure the Doctor risks losing his memories of her instead. It’s a bittersweet yet powerful statement, especially considering the growing unease many viewers feel about the Tenth Doctor’s actions towards Donna in retrospect.
The Terrifying Doctor. The penultimate episode, Heaven Sent, showcases the Doctor at his most terrifyingly resolute. Trapped in a nightmarish Groundhog’s Day scenario within a castle prison, he methodically unravels the mystery, repeating the same sequence of events countless times. His purpose? To slowly erode a diamond-hard wall, making infinitesimal progress with each iteration. There are moments within each loop where the Doctor confronts the enormity of his task, the sheer length of time he’s endured, pushing him to the brink of collapse. Yet, each time, he returns to the wall with undiminished fury and unwavering will. Peter Capaldi’s portrayal in these scenes is nothing short of masterful.
“And the shepherd boy says: ‘There’s this mountain, of pure diamond! It takes an hour to climb it, and an hour to go around it! And every hundred years, a little bird comes, and sharpens its beak on the diamond mountain. And when the entire mountain is chiseled away, the first second of eternity will have passed!‘ Now, you must think that’s a Hell of a long time. Personally? I think that’s one Hell of a bird.”
Gallifrey Returns! The Doctor’s bloodless coup of Gallifrey is a phenomenal sequence, offering tantalizing glimpses into the strange and unsettling aspects of Time Lord society. Gallifrey is presented in all its grandeur, yet also with hints of the darkness lurking within. The Time Lords remain as detached and bureaucratic as ever, yet at times, their composure seems almost sane compared to the Doctor’s impulsive actions. And the moment when Clara and the Doctor briefly step into a classic-style TARDIS? Pure gold for long-time fans. The sight of Ashildr/Me and Clara embarking on their own time-and-space adventures in their diner-TARDIS is utterly delightful.
Season 9 is a resounding success, and the finale solidifies its place as some of the best Doctor Who in recent memory. It’s truly excellent television, and a season that deserves to be revisited and celebrated by Doctor Who fans.
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