Ever since I have discovered the classic series, I have become very aware of the lack of critical thinking evident in the "New Who". Yes, the classical series did have its faults and cheesiness and Deux Ex Machina from time to time (pushing Daleks into a chasm, anyone?), but for the vast majority of it, the Doctor and his companions had to think about the situation they found themselves in and use what they had at their disposal to triumph. For me, the best examples of this can be found in The Celestial Toymaker and The Mind Robber (still only on Season 6 unfortunately).
As for the most recent outing, I very much like the new Master. In some ways he is very reminiscent of Roger Delgado (the only True Master), very respectful towards his enemies, highly intelligent and wearing his goal of domination like a badge of honour, albeit with a more insane streak. Far, far better than what we had before. As for Capaldi, he is great actor, but I fear that by now, the fandom has turned Modern Who into a power fantasy, so Capaldi's scripts do not give him the capacity to show of his true acting chops.
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