History Recap / DoctorWhoS35E1TheMagiciansApprentice

** Missy's reaction is just an annoyed sigh because she's been through so much more with the Doctor that he's become ''that'' predictable to her.

* UnexpectedCharacter: While Davros appearing as a child was reported by the press several months before the episode aired, there was no indication whatsoever that a present day version of the character would appear, or that Julian Bleach (the current Davros) had any connection to future episodes.

* WhamEpisode: The Doctor comes across his deadliest enemy Davros as a helpless child, and abandons him halfway through a rescue attempt, most likely causing Davros' StartOfDarkness in the first place. When that fateful decision comes back to bite the Doctor on the ass, the episode ends with him traveling back to shoot young Davros. Oh, and Clara, Missy and the TARDIS get exterminated... stay tuned for Part Two!

** The reveal of [[Recap/DoctorWhoS30E12TheStolenEarth Davros]].

''Also'' the episode in which Youtube Reactor Sesskasays ''found herself exceptionally uncomfortable with the giant snake because she's terrified of them.'' Ahh, Steven Moffat, terrifying people as usual.

--->'''The Doctor:''' Is that supposed to frighten me? A snake nest in a dress?

* ThemeTuneCameo: When entering on the tank, the Doctor is playing a song that sounds like a mix of the bassline of the Doctor Who theme song and [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LvB2MnIIdMw Queen]].

* GettingCrapPastTheRadar: After Missy refers to the TARDIS as "the dog's unmentionables" she adds that the Daleks "would know all about ''that''", and she ''tickles'' one of the [[DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything half-spheres]] on the outside of the nearest Dalek.

* TheAssimilator: Bors becomes a Dalek Puppet when one of Colony Sarff's snakes bites him.

** Missy, [[JokerImmunity to no one's great surprise]].

-->'''Colony Sarff:''' Where is the Doctor?\\

-->'''Colony Sarff:''' Are you so dangerous, little man?\\

** The Doctor tells Clara that he always sees her. This is a call back to her line in "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS33E13TheNameOfTheDoctor The Name of the Doctor]]" when Clara notes that while she's always saving the Doctor, he usually doesn't even notice her, and to "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS34E1DeepBreath Deep Breath]]" when the Doctor begs Clara to "see me" after his regeneration. (It's also a CallForward to a later episode.)

* TheCastShowoff: Creator/PeterCapaldi is an avid electric guitar player and a former member of a punk band. He went out and got an electric guitar for this story, as seen in a Website/{{Vine}} with him at a guitar shop. Fittingly, this story debuts his Doctor's guitar and becomes one of his [[IconicItem trademarks.]]

* CharacterDevelopment: Although this episode (and its prequels) suggest the Doctor's LighterAndSofter demeanour -- which includes now hugging Clara of his own accord, lightly flirting with her and complimenting her on her appearance which he used to insult regularly -- is a case of OOCIsSeriousBusiness, in fact these changes become permanent and, a few standalone moments notwithstanding, the Doctor is depicted as kinder and funnier -- not just to Clara, but to other characters -- for the remainder of the season
* ChewingTheScenery: The Doctor bursts into the story with a '''TANK.''' Jamming away on a guitar. And rocking sunglasses. In 1138.

* ContinuityPorn: Blimey, where to start? We see the [[Recap/DoctorWhoS31E12ThePandoricaOpens Maldovarium]][[note]]apparently under new management[[/note]] and [[Recap/DoctorWhoS30E12TheStolenEarth the Shadow Proclamation]] again (respectively featuring [[Recap/DoctorWhoS28E8TheImpossiblePlanet an Ood]], and the Shadow Architect and a [[Recap/DoctorWhoS29E1SmithAndJones Judoon]]; [[Recap/DoctorWho50thPrequelTheNightOfTheDoctor Karn]] and its [[Recap/DoctorWhoS13E5TheBrainOfMorbius Sisterhood]] return; Daleks from multiple eras appear as well their Puppets from "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS33E1AsylumOfTheDaleks Asylum of the Daleks]]", and a significant portion of the episode is set on Skaro where the Dalek city from "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS1E2TheDaleks The Daleks]]" has been rebuilt. The credits list the creators of the [[Recap/DoctorWhoS33E3ATownCalledMercy Kahler]], [[Recap/TheSarahJaneAdventuresS5E5E6TheManWhoNeverWas Skullions]], [[Recap/DoctorWhoS30E6TheDoctorsDaughter Hath]], [[Recap/TorchwoodS2E1KissKissBangBang Blowfish]], [[Recap/DoctorWhoS29E2TheShakespeareCode Sycorax]], and the aforementioned Judoon and Ood.
** And then there's UNIT, Kate Stewart, Clara returning to [[Recap/DoctorWho50thASTheDayOfTheDoctor the Tower of London]], a brief recap of what happened to Missy at the end of "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS34E12DeathInHeaven Death in Heaven]]", the Doctor referencing several past regenerations, and there is a sequence in which audio is played back from virtually every previous episode (going back to 1975!) in which Davros appeared.

* DoNotGoGentle: Clara quotes the TropeNamer when she realizes that the Doctor is having TheLastDance.

* FreakOut: The Doctor goes into full-out panic and begging mode when he realizes Clara is likely about to be exterminated.

* BiTheWay: Clara offhandedly mentions that Creator/JaneAusten is a [[NoodleIncident "phenomenal" kisser]].

** The title recalls "The Sorcerer's Apprentice", a folk tale (known to many modern audiences as the Mickey Mouse Bit in ''Disney/{{Fantasia}}'') about someone who creates an army of inhuman servants that he finds himself unable to control. Davros created an army of inhuman servants which, as he reminds the Doctor in this episode, he found himself unable to control.

* SchizoTech: The war shown in the intro has played havoc with civilization's technological level. Laser-shooting biplanes are strafing gas mask-wearing soldiers who are defending themselves with bows and arrows. Also, mines are hands that drag you underground.

* RelationshipUpgrade: Subtle, but it's clear here that something happened between "[[Recap/DoctorWho2014CSLastChristmas Last Christmas]]" and the prologue to this episode to where Clara and the Doctor finally got together.

** Missy attempts to futily sink any sort of Doctor-Clara ship too, by going on to call Clara little more than the Doctor's puppy, only for the Doctor to undo this by hugging and even slightly flirting with Clara (both of which are [[OOCIsSeriousBusiness big deals]] when compared to Series 8), and Clara's later "now you owe me" statement delivered with "heart eyes".

** On the other hand, it can be assumed UNIT has trained their snipers extremely well, so that they wouldn't do useless things. What would a sniper shooting at her even accomplish, since she wouldn't die (all ''eight'' snipers would have to take the shot)? She would probably be angry after that and kill everyone in the area, snipers, UNIT soldiers, Clara and possible civilians included. Would you risk that from a known psychopath?

[[caption-width-right:350:[[labelnote:Click here to see the RadioTimes magazine poster for this episode:]] https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/tumblr_nuxijr6rgp1qijoeyo1_1280.jpg [[HolyShitQuotient Welcome to Series 9!]]]][[/labelnote]]

* RoleReprisal: Once again, Julian Bleach plays Davros.

* {{Handwave}}: On seeing Skaro a shocked Missy says that "They've built it again!", explaining its destruction in "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS25E1RemembranceOfTheDaleks Remembrance of the Daleks]]" and reappearance in "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS33E1AsylumOfTheDaleks Asylum of the Daleks]]". Given the [[Recap/DoctorWhoS30E12TheStolenEarth scale of planetary engineering]] of which the Daleks are capable, rebuilding a planet could well be easy. But where did they find the chair?

* OffScreenMomentOfAwesome: Clara's encounter with Jane Austen which, it is implied, had an amorous quality to it.

** Missy's first spoken words are "Today I'll be talking to you out of the Square Window" (upon which a psychic projection of her head comes through the monitor screen into the UNIT base). This is a shout-out to the BBC children's programme ''[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Play_School_(UK_TV_series) Play School]]'', where triangular, circular and square windows acted as portals onto the wider world.
** This episode features a time-travelling guitar hero in medieval times who uses the word "dude" a lot. [[Film/BillAndTedsExcellentAdventure Where have we seen that before?]] Ironically, the Bill and Ted films were themselves spoofs of ''Doctor Who'', making this a meta shout out.

->''"You see, if someone who knew the future pointed out a child to you and told you that that child would grow up totally evil to be a ruthless dictator who would destroy millions of lives... could you then kill that child?"''

** Missy's refusal to explain her surviving being shot by the Brig beyond "Dying is for other people" echoes Anthony Ainley's Master and the numerous HandWave lines about how he survived his last predicament.

--->'''The Doctor:''' Is that supposed to frighten me? A snake nest in a dress?\\

* DrivingQuestion: Why is the Doctor having TheLastDance at a time like this? Who wants to see him?

* CharacterDevelopment: Although this episode (and its prequels) suggest the Doctor's LighterAndSofter demeanour -- which includes now hugging Clara of his own accord, lightly flirting with her and complimenting her on her appearance which he used to insult regularly -- is a case of OOCIsSeriousBusiness, in fact these changes become permanent and, a few standalone moments notwithstanding, the Doctor is depicted as kinder and funnier -- not just to Clara, but to other characters -- for the remainder of the season. This is also due to the two of them becoming a couple in between series.