Doctor Who: The Complete Ninth Series

Details: By Loron Hays; 12 April 2016

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Doctor Who: The Complete Ninth Series - Blu-ray Review

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There was simply no way to predict it. With Peter Capaldi returning to the controls of the TARDIS for his second run as the beloved Doctor Who, there was every hope that it could be but no one – NO ONE – expected the Ninth Series of the rebooted Doctor Who to be among its best offerings since its 2005 resurrection. The proof is finally here, contained in ONE set, that Doctor Who: The Complete Ninth Series is a memorable treat for its fans, young and old.

Released last week, Doctor Who: The Complete Ninth Season features all twelve episodes from the run, the bonus Christmas episode from 2014 and The Husbands of River Song. There are also over 4 hours of bonus features – including episode commentaries, looks at the writing of the season, behind the scenes features on the episodes, and various other aspects of the season – for fans to explore. Hands down, this is one of the best releases BBC has ever commissioned for the show to date.

Beginning with a stranger-than-fiction team-up between Missy (Michelle Gomez) and Clara (Jenna Coleman), this season of Doctor Who has The Doctor (Capaldi) facing ghosts, Vikings, Davros and the Daleks, the Zygons, and The Doctor’s own fate as he meddles with the wrong girl, Game of Thrones’ Maisie Williams, and creates some unexpected consequences. It’s a great storyline that sees the conclusion of the Coleman partnership with Capaldi and presents some unique perspectives on its two biggest themes: death and loss.

The biggest complaint is the loss of the sonic screwdriver, as a pair of sunglasses just didn’t seem to cut the mustard for a lot of fans. And then there was the guitar. Personally, I thought these changes were an interesting twist to the ge-old formula and – while it was finally explained and rationalized – I feel that that big change and the return of the two-part (and three-part) episodes added to Capaldi’s character growth and eventual grounding.

And then there is “Heaven Sent”, an episode that sees the good Doctor facing purgatory itself. At once dark and twisted, it is this episode that cemented just how fantastic the season (storylines and performances) really was for me. Lots of Whovians have been jonesing for an season like this from Steven Moffat who delivers with the creation of The Fisher King and a set of rules that spares Clara from death but means The Doctor can and will never know her again. It’s a fitting end to a character fans had built a love-hate relationship with over her journey alongside the many faces of Doctor Who.

And it ends just as it should. The Doctor is alone once again with open roads and clear skies above.

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Doctor Who: The Complete Ninth Series - Blu-ray Review

Blu-ray Details:

Available on Blu-ray - April 5, 2016
Screen Formats: 1.78:1
Subtitles: English SDH
Audio: English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
Discs: 50GB Blu-ray Disc; Four-disc set (4 BDs)
Region Encoding: A

The 1.78:1 1080p/AVC-encoded video presentation seriously flexes its muscles on this blu-ray presentation. Colors are crisp and bold and blacks never falter. The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track doesn't disappoint either. While it never looks cinematic, the presentation on this set is remarkably solid. Now having said that, there are some spots where the bit rate drops and when this happens, attentive viewers may notice that things don't look quite as sharp. This isn't a constant, but there are scenes where this happens and the picture quality does drop a bit. By and large, however, the good outweighs the bad and the transfers are solid.

Supplements:

Commentary:

Under the Lake and Before the Flood: actor Sophie Stone, writer Toby Whithouse, producer Derek Ritchie
The Woman Who Lived: actor Maisie Williams, producer Derek Ritchie
Sleep No More: actor Reece Shearsmith, writer Mark Gatiss

Special Features:

Loaded with documentaries and Doctor Who Extras and other behind-the-scenes looks at the season, this is a must-own for fans of the show. No stone is left unturned but the highlight has to be the documentary highlighting Jenna Coleman’s contribution to Doctor Who and Writing Who, the definitive guide for anyone wanting to write a script for the show.