Doctor Who Season 9 Review

Finally, the 12th Doctor is here. A 4.5 billion-year stay in hell, invasions, ghosts, a quick trip home, and death — lots of death: it’s been a rough season for the Doctor, but in the end, it has made him all the better, as Peter Capaldi has finally hit his stride. Season nine has been great for a number of reasons: first and foremost, there is the simple fact that the writers are trying new things. It’s apparent even in the amount of stories this season; almost every story lasted for two episodes, with the final story lasting for three. This allowed the writers to really stretch their legs (or writing arms, if you will) with the plots. They could take their time to really take a close look at the Doctor and develop the action. Of course, this also means that the episodes had some unnecessary false drama, but nevertheless, you could feel the driving power of the two-part episode at work. Because you’re not going to just stop watching before the Doctor figures out how to save the world, right? Season nine has also had a heavy preoccupation with the themes of morality, responsibility and loss. The season began with the Doctor trying to decide whether he should save a young Davros or leave him to die. It was a fitting way to start the season; no wild aliens or beasts, no mystery to solve, no adventure — just a moral dilemma. Of course, this distinction in tone is necessary to how we’ve come to know Capaldi’s Doctor. Season eight was tough for Capaldi, though with good reason. He…