Following on from the madcap opener, the second episode of this series of Doctor Who focusses more on its four lead characters and a central theme of compassion, and less on spectacle. It alternates between two relationships exploring the morality of the characters: one between the Doctor and Davros, the other between Missy and Clara.
The pre-titles sequence efficiently resolves the previous episode's cliffhanger as Missy explains to Clara how she used teleport bracelets to escape the Daleks (and also how she escaped the "CyberBrig" in Death in Heaven). The sequence is very cinematic as it cuts between Skaro exteriors shot in Tenerife and black-and-white shots of the Doctor using a similar teleportation device. For the second episode in a row, there are references to past Doctors with unconvincing doubles used as the Forth and First Doctor. Clara reluctantly becomes Missy's companion as the pair journey back to the Dalek city to save the Doctor. Missy is cruel to Clara throughout the episode: joking about eating her, pushing her down to 20 foot hole and forcing her inside a Dalek casing. Their relationship is an interesting contrast to the Doctor-companion relationship. The Doctor will sacrifice himself to save his companion while Missy is happy to sacrifice the companion!
An amusing sequence within the darkness of this episode sequence sees the Doctor stealing Davros's chair, escaping the infirmary to taunt the Daleks: "So, anyone for dodgems?" This scene is rather implausible and doesn't add to the plot because the Doctor is quickly recaptured, but it is great fun. The scene also confirms that Davros has no legs. Seeing Davros on the floor allows the viewer to see his vulnerability and as the episode continues, he plays on this to try to trap the Doctor.
The scenes between the Doctor and Davros are excellently played between Peter Capaldi and Julian Bleach. Bleach's performance is on a par with the original portrayal by Michael Wisher in Genesis of the Daleks, and he is given a far more central role than in The Stolen Earth / Journey's End. Davros reveals that he is being kept alive through the life force of the Daleks who he has engineered to respect him. Perhaps the "New Paradigm Daleks" who have been absent in this story are a rival faction without this loyalty.
Although the Daleks themselves are quite ineffectual in the episode, Steven Moffat successfully explores new aspects of their mythology. When Clara is forced into the Dalek casing and connected to its telepathic circuits we learn that the programming plays a part in suppressing the Kaled mutant's emotions and when they yell "Exterminate" they are doing so to reload their weapons. It is a clever piece of writing which doesn't contradict over 50 years of Dalek history.
Another aspect of mythology explored in The Witch's Familiar is the Doctor's past on Gallifrey. Davros is curious to know the secret of why the Doctor left his planet but the Doctor simply explains "it is a boring place". It's possible this mystery may be explored again later in the series if and when the Doctor finds his home planet. When he reveals to Davros that Gallifrey survives, Davros congratulates the Doctor and offers his advice: "Protect your own, as I have sought to protect mine". Bleach's performance here and Murray Gold's emotive score helps us feel some empathy for Davros and begin to believe he is genuinely questioning his morality as he faces death.
The climax firstly reveals that Davros was tricking the Doctor into releasing his regeneration energy to allow Davros to revive himself and renew his Daleks as hybrids, and then secondly that the Doctor did this knowing that Davros's plan would fail. The energy revives the decaying mutants in the city's sewers who then reach the surface and attack the Daleks. This is a typical Doctor Who resolution which allows the Doctor to win without committing any deliberate acts of violence.
As the city starts to disintegrate, Missy tries to trick the Doctor into killing Clara who is still locked inside the Dalek casing. The use of the word "mercy" convinces the Doctor that this is no ordinary Dalek. The "timey-wimey" plotting returns in the final minutes of the episodes when the Doctor returns to save the child Davros and therefore pass on the concept of mercy to his creations.
The Magician's Apprentice and The Witch's Familiar form an excellent opening story to the series, one of the best in the show's history. If edited down into a single episode around 60-70 minutes, it could be a perfect story. Hopefully, the next two-part story will maintain this level of quality but be a bit lighter on the continuity references.
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