Doctor Who Series 8 Preview

Posted by Briggs on August 21, 2014

The Series 8 premier of Doctor Who airs this Saturday! What can we expect to see? What changes has last year’s massive, era-ending special “The Time of the Doctor” brought about? To say that fans are going nuts would be an understatement.  At the epicenter of all the buzz and speculation surrounding this premiere is the new Doctor, played by the the hugely talented, Peter Capaldi.

Here’s what we know: Peter Capaldi is playing the Twelfth Doctor. Jenna Coleman plays his companion, Clara Oswald, who has a rather interesting back story and multiple appearances in earlier series. And… The Master is making a return in the capable hands of Charles Dance, aka Game of Thrones‘ Tywin Lannister. This is arguably a better casting job than Capaldi – and that’s saying something! To see these two locked in mortal combat should be a treat for all. The Master is certainly the foe that gets deepest under The Doctor’s skin and he’s poised to be this series’ big bad – perhaps even for longer than expected. There is a lot of speculation about who he really is.

Capaldi said of his portrayal of The Doctor, “He’s woven the future from the cloth of the past. Simple, stark, and back to basics. No frills, no scarf, no messing, just 100 percent rebel Time Lord.” FINALLY! Doctor Who often plays with dire stakes, but seldom has the Doctor himself ever matched the odds; “Rebel Time Lord” is a persona we can get excited for. He also said, “…it’s going to be a bit different from what we’ve seen over recent years. A bit more gravity. Some situations are a bit more somber and I think there are more rooted dramatic scenes… we have another level of drama, another tone. And the scenes are longer.”

The Doctor isn’t just visibly older, his personality is too and he’s more distant with his companion. And, as Peter Capaldi confirmed, no gratuitous flirting – just straight-up Time Lord badass.

The first episode, written by now much-maligned Steven Moffat and directed by Ben Wheatley, will be the longest series premier sense the 2005 reboot – it’s feature length. Titled “Deep Breath”, the episode is set in Victorian-era London. The Doctor finds it under siege from a rampaging T-Rex, droids, and a villain with half of a face… named Half-Face, played by Peter Ferdinando. According to Moffat and Wheatley they chose this setting because it was familiar and it would be easier to push The Doctor further. Moffat has describe the new Doctor as trickier and fiercer, “I think the fun story will be – and we have the opportunity here – is this is what regeneration can do to you. He can be very, very different.” Moffat later added: “Now it’s time for the old beast to snarl at you for a bit!”

This series is 12 episodes plus a Christmas special. Moffat is writing five of these episodes. With Moffat still calling the shots, fans have been very vocal in their complaints.  Chief among these complaints is his overuse of time travel or “time-wimey” as a deus ex machina to fix any and all problems. Many have complained the story has become so heavy and stuffy. But those gripes are now widely-known to the point that Capaldi set terms with Moffat before agreeing to play the character. Let’s hope he can reign in his ego and give fans the Doctor experience we’ve been clamoring for.

For going  on nearly a decade now, both the Tenth and Eleventh Doctors were exceedingly similar in personality. In “Day of the Doctor”, both of them regularly finish one another’s sentences, and while that’s cute and fun, the point of regeneration is to get a completely new Doctor. The Twelfth Doctor won’t have this problem, he will be darker and petulant. Moffat has compared him to the Sixth Doctor, while rumor and fan speculation has hinted that he may be more in line with the original three. Not afraid to pull the trigger for the greater good – in the trailer he asks Clara Oswald, “Clara tell me. Am I a good man?” To what she replies, “I… don’t know.” That alone is a pretty big indicator in the type of Doctor we are going to see.

Clara Oswald  has died twice and is called “The Impossible Woman”. Rightfully so. She has literally done what only the Doctor can do: come back to life. In the trailers she comments that she doesn’t know who the Doctor is any more. She seems to be less trusting than previous companions. In another trailer she comments on how the interior has changed in a very disappointing way. She is going receive a lot more attention than she has been given before, so we’re sure to seewhat really makes her “The Impossible Woman”. Vastra, Jenny, and Strax are all back to solve crimes and cut things with their katanas. They’re helping The Doctor deal with his latest regeneration. The three of them now each have their own sonic devices and, from what we’ve been shown, at least one of these devices is sure to surprise viewers.

While Moffat can be an excellent writer and has helmed some interesting reveals, the new companion, Clara Oswald’s re-re-re-introduction in the Asylum of the Daleks definitely came out of left field. That said, the stories this series looks to feature largely stand-alone episodes not leaning too hard on complex continuity. Certainly these episodes will be connected in some way, I’m sure of it. This way, perhaps Moffat will allow the cast to breathe and develop before pushing them in over their heads. From what we know, it will be more in line with Series 5 (2010), reflecting on the cracks of the universe. At least four of the episodes will take place on Earth (“Mummy On The Orient Express”, “Robot of Sherwood”, “In the Forest of the Night”, and “Deep Breath”). That I’m not particularly excited for, but if they’re going back to the show’s roots then it could work out for them.

The series finale is apparently going to be a full on invasion of Earth by the Cybermen. Along with the Cybermen, UNIT is returning to combat them. The last time we saw this was back in 1968 in “The Invasion” where UNIT did not fair well at all against the Cybermen. Kate Stewart and Osgood are back in the fight against the invasion. In Wales they were spotted filming with another group of armed civilians (or paramilitary) fighting against the Cybermen. Expect to see a few references from the 1968 invasion. People over the years have been expressing and exhaustion with the perpetual return of the Daleks and Cybermen – there’s good news. The writers of this series have yet to handle either one of them and Moffat himself hasn’t written an episode where the Cybermen were the main threat. Remember, despite his bizarre and kinda awful decisions of recent years, Moffat has been a capable writer. There’s rumors that there will be a Dalek that gains a sense of morality because it is so heavily damaged – that should be interesting to see.

One thing that has been an Achilles heel for Doctor Who has been that each series leans hard on those that have come before. While continuity is important to build the world and an over-arching story, Doctor Who is a bit unique in that the regeneration of The Doctor offers the chance to take the show’s main character into a startling new direction. Last series tied everything off. Matt Smith’s tenure was very heavy and grim. There’s no longer a need to go back to it. The new series is moving forward without hinging on the past to the point  that it can’t stand on it’s own. As I pointed out earlier, this will give The Doctor and Clara a chance to carve out their own corner and explore the characters in greater detail.

Since we’re playing the speculation game, what are you guys most excited for?  Is it Peter “The Destroyer of Worlds” Capaldi’s no-nonsense portrayal of The Doctor? How about Charles Dance as The Master? Are you excited to see The Doctor crushing his enemies with science magic and giving the least amount of fucks? What was your favorite series opener? Come argue with me in the comments! One thing’s for sure, leading up to this premiere many disenfranchised fans and even non-fans have taken notice. It’s likely to be a series that will make or break series to come, especially for fans like myself who genuinely dislike what Doctor Who has become.  If you’re curious for an even more in-depth look, we’ve got episode summaries below.  But first, how about The Master, am I right? Have a look at this trailer and tell me he doesn’t look goddamn amazing!

Episode 1 “Deep Breath” – Directed by Ben Wheatley – Written by Steven Moffat – Airing August 23rd, 2014

Dinosaurs in the Thames and spontaneous combustions all over the city lead the Doctor and Clara into the heart of an alien conspiracy in Victorian London. Only this is a new Doctor, and Clara is not sure whether their friendship will survive his change.

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Episode 2 “Into the Dalek” – Directed by Ben Wheatley – Written by Steven Moffat and Phil Ford – Airing August 30th, 2014

When a single ship is surrounded by an entire Dalek fleet, only the Doctor can help the rebels within. Facing his greatest foes, and with a monumental decision to make, the Doctor must examine his conscience and try to find an answer to his question — “am I a good man?”

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Episode 3 “Robot of Sherwood” – Directed  by Paul Murphy – Written by Mark Gatiss – TBA

The Doctor and Clara come across an evil alien plot deep within the Sherwood Forest. With the famous Robin Hood working alongside them, they must attempt to determine who is real and who is not.

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Episode 4 “Listen” – Directed by Douglas Mackinnon – Written by Steven Moffat – TBA

The Doctor and Clara find ghosts from the past and future infecting their lives. What scares the Doctor? A terrified caretaker in a children’s home and a little boy who doesn’t want to join the army may hold the answer to that.

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Episode 5 “Time Heist” – Directed by Douglas Mackinnon – Written by Stephen Thompson & Steven Moffat – TBA

The Doctor is tasked to break into the deadliest bank in the cosmos. But, even with a talented team working alongside him, nothing can prepare him for the Teller: a creature that can detect guilt.

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Episode 6 “The Caretaker” – Directed by Paul Murphy – Written by Gareth Edwards & Steven Moffat – TBA

Clara has everything in her life under control, so long as those closest to her never meet; but then Coal Hill welcomes a new caretaker with a Scottish accent.

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Episode 7 “Kill the Moon” – Directed by Paul Wilmshurst – Written by Peter Harness- TBA

The Doctor and Clara find themselves on a suicide mission to the Moon in the near future. Many horrors wait for them in the dark and a terrible dilemma must be faced.

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Episode 8 “Mummy on the Orient Express” – Directed by Paul Wilmshurs – Written by Jamie Mathieson – TBA

Something is stalking the passengers and they have only 66 seconds to live when it sees them. The Doctor must become deadlier than he ever has before and Clara wonders if the time to say goodbye is near.

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Episode 9 “Flatline” – Directed by Douglas Mackinnon – Written by Jamie Mathieson – TBA

Separated from the Doctor, Clara must face a foe that exists beyond normal perception.

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Episode 10 “In the Forest of the Night” – Directed by Sheree Folkson – Written by Frank Cottrell Boyce – TBA

The human race awakens to a startling discovery: the trees have moved back in.

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Episode 11 “Dark Water” – Directed by Rachel Talalay – Written by Steven Moffat – TBA

A mysterious organization known as 3W promises that death is not the end.

Episode 12 “Death in Heaven” – Directed by Rachel Talalay – Written by Steven Moffat – TBA

Old friends and enemies maneuver around the Doctor as he is forced to make an impossible choice.

About Briggs

Writer, gearhead, comic reader, and all around great Ghostbuster. He lives to serve for the glory of the God-Emperor of Catkind and will argue day and night to tell you why Captain America is better than Batman. Let's be honest, who isn't better than Batman? ONLY EVERYONE!