After three successful seasons at the helm of Doctor Who, Steven Moffat was faced with the need to establish a whole new direction for the show with the introduction of his second Doctor. When it was announced in August 2013 that Peter Capaldi would be taking over the role for the following year's series, Doctor Who's public profile was bigger than ever before, and the reveal of the new Doctor became a TV event in its own right. Unlike the mixed reaction to the virtually unknown Matt Smith becoming the Doctor, Capaldi's casting was met with almost universal approval. Moffat spoke of how the new Doctor would be more in the patrician mould of the classic series than the "youthful boyfriend" exterior projected by both Smith and David Tennant. In this book, Steven Cooper covers all 26 episodes broadcast in 2014 and 2015, from the start of the Capaldi era to the 2015 Christmas special. With two full seasons to cover, the book follows a slightly different format to the previous volumes in this series. Each chapter contains an extensive review and analysis discussing its particular episode in depth, followed by a section looking back on the episode from the perspective of having seen the two completed seasons. These "Reflections" will point out links and foreshadowings for future episodes (the inclusion of which is a favourite device of Moffat), and also discuss other factors such as the reaction to the episode by fans and/or the general public. The result vividly captures the journey taken by Peter Capaldi's Doctor, from the angst of his 2014 debut and its effect on his relationship with his companion Clara, to his confident rock 'n' roll persona of 2015, to the devastating ending of his time with Clara as their bond became a hybrid too potent for the universe to bear...
