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REVIEW: The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances by Steven Moffat

SERIAL: PB5, 1.9/1.10, 2X45 minute episodes

SEEN IT BEFORE?: Yes


Of the writers coming onto the new series to write, Steven Moffat's pedigree was perhaps most unusual. He had written for comedy series Coupling, but his only contribution to the Doctor Who mythos was to write the Comic Relief spoof starring Rowan Atkinson, Julia Sawahla, and Jonathan Pryce, The Curse of Fatal Death. Would Moffat be able to make a good story, or would his contribution fail miserably?

The Doctor and Rose have tracked a mysterious alien object to 1941 London, at the height of the Blitz. Thanks to the object jumping time tracks, they end up landing a month after it landed. While the Doctor investigates a group of orphans and runaways led by Nancy, Rose, via an unscheduled trip by barrage balloon, ends up in the hands of the charming Captain Jack Harkness, a former Time Agent from the 51st century. Harkness knows about the object, which he claims to be a Chula warship, and believes that the Doctor and Rose are Time Agents. Meanwhile, Nancy's group of children are terrified of a young boy, wearing a gas mask and repeatedly calling for his mummy, over telephones, radios, and even toys. Nancy calls the child 'empty', and directs the Doctor to see Doctor Constantine, who has an entire hospital filled with patients with gasmasks apparently fused to their faces and with identical physical injuries. Before he changes into one of them, Constantine warns the Doctor that it is a disease, and that the empty child is Nancy's brother, Jamie, apparently killed by a bomb. But what caused Jamie to change, and indeed, is causing outbreaks all over London? What does this have to do with Captain Jack Harkness and his Chula warship, in reality, a battlefield ambulance? And why is Jamie so obsessed with finding his mummy?

Damn. That's all I can say. While Dalek took the Daleks to a whole new level, it is this story in particular that takes a traditional Doctor Who story format and brings it into the 21st century. A child in a gas mask is disturbing, albeit mundane, but to have it spreading plague and mewling "Are you my mummy?" brings the disturbing aspect all the way into a frightening, especially when the fright is shown at first mostly by people the Doctor doesn't have a connection with, at first. The revelations are signposted well in advance, albeit obscurely (especially about the nanogenes), and the finale is both heart-warming and narratively satisfying. They even work in some appropriate humour (like the Doctor getting laughs in a club when he asks, not realising he has landed in Blitz-torn London, if anything has fallen from the sky recently) and some nice commentary on the sexuality of the Doctor (using the euphemism of dancing). The only blip is the strange bit of dialogue where the Doctor tells Jack that there's a 'change of plan' regarding the bomb at the end, something Moffat has admitted that was a vestigial remnant of a previous draft.

The regulars are great here, especially when Christopher Eccleston's Doctor elates that 'everyone lives!'. John Barrowman, in his debut as Captain Jack Harkness, is a wonder to behold as the rogue Time Agent, even before Torchwood. Florence Hoath is a good Nancy, especially when she is confronting her dead brother, or even Mr Lloyd. And Richard Wilson has a good cameo as the doomed but caring Dr Constantine. Noah Johnson and Albert Valentine as the voice and body of the titular Empty Child, Jamie, should be also commended.

The production is dark, moody, and atmospheric, suiting this story extremely well. The special effects work very well too, making Blitz-torn London come to life. Not only that, but they push the horrific aspect of the transformation of the gasmask creatures to the limit. There really doesn't seem to be any part of this production that I can fault, as the only deficiency (and a minor one at that) is in the script.

The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances, then, is a triumph. Not only does it take the old Doctor Who formula and bring it into the new century, but it is clear that, in these stories before he became producer, Moffat was practically the successor to Robert Holmes in many regards in writing stories that know how to use horror in the series in just the right way...



SCORE: 10/10

Next time trailer for the next story, Boom Town.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6umV7RlT3cg[/youtube]

REVIEW: Boom Town by Russell T Davies

SERIAL: PB6, 1.11, 1X45 minute episode

SEEN IT BEFORE?: Yes


In the first series of Doctor Who, two stories were written by Russell T Davies as low-budget episodes, designed to keep the budget for where it was needed most. They also were used to set up plot elements used in the finale. The first was the less-than-stellar The Long Game, while the second was Boom Town. When I first watched Boom Town on transmission, I was underwhelmed. So I wasn't going into watching it again with any great hopes...

The Doctor lands the TARDIS in Cardiff, where the rift in space-time can be used to refuel the TARDIS. Mickey, summoned by Rose, has come as well, while they try to work out their relationship. But even that pales into insignificance when they discover that Margaret Blaine, or rather the Slitheen using her name, has survived, becoming mayor of Cardiff, and building the Blaidd Drwg nuclear power station. More than one person has discovered that it will go into meltdown, and the Doctor and his compatriots manage to capture her, finding out that it factored into an audacious plan to escape, destroying Earth in the process. But while Rose and Mickey try to repair what is left of their relationship, Margaret, who will be executed once she is returned to Raxicoricofallapatorius, asks for a last request: a meal with the Doctor. But can the Doctor dine with a monster? Does he have more in common with a murderous Slitheen than he realises? And does Margaret have one last trick up her sleeve? Cardiff may very well be a boom town in more ways than one...

In retrospect, this story wasn't technically required. Aliens of London/World War Three was a nice, self-encapsulated story. But now that I come to watch it again, Russell T Davies has actually written his best script yet for the first series. Once all the brouhaha over Margaret's Blaidd Drwg power station is over, there's some nice character pieces. The examination of the Doctor's darkening character, originally explored in Dalek, The Long Game, and Father's Day, gets some further exploration, with Margaret pointing out that he is very much like those he fights, as well as his apparent refusal to take responsibility for his actions, both themes that will be explored in the finale. And Mickey and Rose's deteriorating relationship is further explored, with the rift between them widening as much as the one in space-time does. The humour isn't too out of place here either, with much less toilet humour this time around. Not so sure about the Bad Wolf theme, which seems a little crowbarred in. And there are some elements that don't quite fit.

The regulars are all fine here, with newcomer Captain Jack's character being explored as a member of the TARDIS crew, even flirting with the Doctor (who even hints being receptive to this). Noel Clarke as Mickey is good too, especially in pain over the distance between him and Rose, though the show's treatment of him could have been better. And it is just as well that they brought back Annette Badland as Margaret, as not only can she portray Margaret with menace, but even with some sincere humanity as well. It makes you wonder how much of her pleading with the Doctor was manipulation, and how much was actual truth.

Production-wise, this is a story that makes the most of a budget, as well as location filming in Cardiff. This is a story that tries to use everything to the full, and for the most part, it succeeds. One of the more blatant crappy bits, however, is when cracks appear in the ground on Roald Dahl Plass. Those are so blatantly fake CGI, it isn't funny, and lowers the tone of the entire episode, which is a pity, considering how better I have considered it on the second time around.

Boom Town, then, is one of those underappreciated Doctor Who stories. There's a few surprises here and there, marred by a few other factors, but a welcome change of pace, before the end comes...



SCORE: 9/10

Next time trailers for the next story, Bad Wolf/The Parting of the Ways.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IXSC-jROOjo[/youtube]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eVajdpWnhdM[/youtube]

REVIEW: Bad Wolf/The Parting of the Ways by Russell T Davies

SERIAL: PB6, 1.12/1.13, 2X45 minute episodes

SEEN IT BEFORE?: Yes


The new series of Doctor Who would later become well known for spectacular season finales, usually involving an enemy from the Doctor's past, as well as resolving the season's story arc. In this two-parter, we learn about the significance of Bad Wolf, and what happened to the so-called Fourth Great and Bountiful Human Empire. But would this season finale be the big payoff, or would it flop and flounder?

The Doctor, Rose, and Captain Jack are hijacked, transmatted away into deadly reality TV programs in the year 200,100. While the Doctor is in the Big Brother house, Rose is on The Weakest Link, and disintegration is the penalty for eviction or losing. Meanwhile, Captain Jack deals with a pair of homicidal robots on the new What Not to Wear. The whole human race is made to watch these deadly programs, and realising that he is now on Satellite Five, the Doctor realises that it is really his fault. After all, he didn't try to help rebuild after the catastrophic collapse of Satellite Five. With Big Brother contestant Lynda and Jack in tow, the Doctor escapes, only for Rose to be apparently disintegrated. Storming Satellite Five's control centre, the Doctor learns from its Controller that her masters have influenced all humanity for a long time, and that the losers of the games aren't disintegrated, but transmatted elsewhere. Soon, the Doctor learns that a vast Dalek fleet is waiting, cloaked by Satellite Five's transmissions. But how did they survive the Time War? Why are the contestants needed by the Daleks? And can the Doctor keep Rose safe, AND save humanity? And finally, for once and for all, who, or what, is the mysterious 'Bad Wolf', the entity whose name seems to pop up everywhere?

If there is a fault in this story, it is in the writing. Not actually bad, but it seems like Russell T Davies took two disparate storylines and slapped them together willy-nilly. The whole deadly reality TV show concept was already done in the classic series story Vengeance on Varos, and better. Satirising reality TV is all very well, but it's also a bit too strong and not in a way that fits properly, and I wonder why the Daleks came up with a scheme like that (or, for that matter, why they got the Jagrafess to do their work earlier in The Long Game). The second part of the story involving the Daleks is pretty good, but is dragged down by the connection to the first part, and the below average episode The Long Game. But while Davies has a tendency to use deus ex machina a lot in his finales, here, it is at least foreshadowed fairly well (it is implied by the Doctor that the heart of the TARDIS can grant wishes). It took me until this viewing to realise why Rose chose the words Bad Wolf (instead of it being a stupid ontological paradox), as it is the name of the corporation that owns Satellite Five that she scatters through time and space, but the outcome is still nevertheless disappointing. The concept of human-based Daleks and religious Daleks at that is a chilling one, but one not explored in quite the right way. The horror elements are there, but clash with some of the other elements of the story. But the Doctor's farewells and Rose's contemplation of her new life with the Doctor are done well enough.

The regulars are good, with Christopher Eccleston's Doctor angsting over the decision to use the Delta Wave as well as his heartfelt goodbyes to Rose, and John Barrowman giving Harkness a truly heroic and sardonic style. Billie Piper as Rose is at one of her peaks here, agonising over being evacuated back home by the Doctor and when she becomes 'Bad Wolf'. Noel Clarke and Camille Coduri also do good in their appearances as Mickey and Jackie. Of the Satellite Five denizens, well, Patterson Joseph's Rodrick is too obnoxious to feel any sympathy for, Jo Joyner is fine as Lynda, if not really spectacular, and Martha Cope as the Controller is a wonder. But the Programmers are rather dull, to be honest. Nicholas Briggs is a great Dalek voice, and gives the Emperor a wonderful tone of menace and madness.

The sets for Satellite Five are a mild improvement on The Long Game, although the Dalek spacecraft sets are truly impressive, as is the new design for the Dalek Emperor. And there's some pretty damn good special effects. The Dalek spaceships and army are impressive, as is the Emperor Dalek (even if the puppet of the creature itself is actually rather crappy in the way it moves), and it cannot be said that Rose as 'Bad Wolf' isn't impressive. So too is the Doctor's first regeneration of the new series.

Overall, this story was a flawed one that had many of the right ingredients for a good season finale, but the execution wasn't quite there. Even so, it is moving at times and horrifying, and sets things up for the next season...



SCORE: 8/10

PROGRESS REPORT NINE: NEW SERIES ONE: THE TRIP OF A LIFETIME

STORIES: Total for this era: 10

Cumulative total: 127. 15 William Hartnell, 6 Patrick Troughton. 17 Jon Pertwee. 37 Tom Baker. 20 Peter Davison. 11 Colin Baker. 9 Sylvester McCoy. 1 Paul McGann. 1 Spin-Off. 10 Christopher Eccleston.


TIME: Total for this era: 8 days

Cumulative total: 128 days

PERCENTAGE NEVER WATCHED BEFORE: 0/10, or 0%

Cumulative total: 41/127, or 32%


MILESTONES:

New series

The Time War

Introduction of the Slitheen

Introduction of Captain Jack Harkness, first confirmed LBGT companion.


COMPANIONS: Rose, Captain Jack Harkness


THOUGHTS:

With Doctor Who off the screens for a long time, when it came back, it came back bigger and bolder than ever. This is thanks, in part, to its executive producer and chief writer, Russell T Davies. That the new series became a success partly thanks to him should never be in dispute. New concepts were introduced to make the series fresh for old fans as well as new, like the demise of the Time Lords in the Time War against the Daleks. A mentally scarred Doctor, played wonderfully by Christopher Eccleston, added to it. I find it a pity that, like many a promising Doctor, he left before his time. Another pleasant surprise was the best-developed companion since Ace, Rose, played surprisingly well by popstar Billie Piper, along with her mother, Jackie (Camille Coduri) and boyfriend Mickey Smith (Noel Clarke). We even get the first (confirmed at least) LBGT companion (more precisely, pansexual) Captain Jack Harkness, played wonderfully by John Barrowman.

The series prides itself on spectacle and drama, and while it often delivers on the former, sometimes, the latter is lacking. This, then, is perhaps what differentiates the classic series from the new: a tendency to put style and image beyond drama. There is character in it, and drama, but it's variable. There's some undeniable classics, most of them written by writers other than Davies: Robert Shearman's Dalek and Steven Moffat's The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances top the list, with Mark Gatiss' The Unquiet Dead and Paul Cornell's Father's Day following shortly behind. However, Davies' stories (with the exception of Boom Town) are more variable, being average at best. This is still Doctor Who, but a somewhat different incarnation. This isn't a bad thing, but it is at times disquietingly different from the old series.

Another problem was the story arc, or rather arc words of 'Bad Wolf'. Expectations were high, but the payoff was rather disappointing. It took me years to figure out why Rose chose those words to scatter throughout time (she chose the name of the corporation running Satellite Five), and later story arcs were better in comparison, as they seemed more naturally seeded into the stories.

Overall, it's a nice new look for the revived series that ends with a new face taking over the Doctor. But would David Tennant find Eccleston's shoes too big to fill?


BEST STORIES: Dalek, The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances

WORST STORIES: The Long Game, Bad Wolf/The Parting of the Ways

keep on going and review new Series Two?

New Series Six finished in the UK a few weeks back and no-one seems to want to talk about it as much as me except a number of 8 -13 year olds I know, they dont ever seem to get bored before me.

I hope to do so. I may not, depending on my motivation and commitments elsewhere. And it's not just the new series I hope to review. At the beginning of December, I hope to obtain the classic series story Colony in Space, which I intend to review along with Day of the Daleks.

I have been very absorbed since the new series which has me in love with the Doctor. Eccleston's started it, Tennant cemented it and Smith has it hanging on, (only just though with some glorious moments but its wobbling a bit). Tom Baker is my real Doctor (and the best) but I dont remember being in love at 8.

I don't watch any other good TV as I'm too busy to get much time off, and then I want some real friends and countryside. I don't really want to discover that there is other telly as good as Doctor Who but then equally good TV wont work if it doesn't have the Doctor in it.

I'm going to leave this for a while. I might take a break in between seasons of the new series.

I'm not sure whether I am going to go back to the new series, but there will be reviews of classic series stories by next year. I've decided to wait for a few more releases, which should include Colony in Space, Invasion of the Dinosaurs, The Android Invasion, and The Sensorites.

Okay, I'm bumping this thread for a reason. In a couple of weeks' time, I will be getting the latest Doctor Who DVD release, The Sensorites. Once I do, I'll be doing another catch-up series of reviews that will include the following stories: The Sensorites, Colony in Space, Day of the Daleks (both the original and special edition), Invasion of the Dinosaurs, and The Android Invasion.

To whet the appetites of those who can be bothered to read this thread, here's the DVD trailers for those stories.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cddgvs3yGgg[/youtube]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZlL_Bl-diRY[/youtube]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MevFX6yyFko[/youtube]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vsKe8sFqb7Q[/youtube]

In addition to the above, I am considering restarting watching and reviewing the new series, starting from where I left off, as The Christmas Invasion is on in half an hour on ABC2, and that might be a decent start into the second season of the new series.

REVIEW: The Christmas Invasion by Russell T Davies

SERIAL: PB1, 2.X, 60 minute special

SEEN IT BEFORE?: Yes


Doctor Who, before the new series came along, had only produced one Christmas special, episode 7 of The Daleks' Master Plan, back in 1965. The Feast of Steven was, apparently, not well received, given that it was an aberration in a very serious story. But would the new series do any better?

The TARDIS crash-lands at Rose's home in London, and the newly regenerated Doctor is soon comatose. But while shopping through London, trying to get over the Doctor's regeneration and illness, Rose and Mickey are assaulted by robots disguised as Santa, and upon returning home, they are attacked, along with Jackie Tyler and the Doctor, by a killer Christmas Tree. But these are merely the prelude to a terror to come. For the Guinevere space probe, launched by Britain to land on Mars, has been taken by an alien spaceship en route, and the aliens on board, the Sycorax, offer Harriet Jones (now Prime Minister of the UK) an ultimatum: surrender half the human race as slaves, or a third of them will be forced to commit suicide via blood-based mind control. With the Doctor getting worse, and the mysterious Torchwood group struggling to find a solution, can Rose Tyler and Harriet Jones stop the Sycorax?

The story itself is rather simple and singular. At times, I cringe at the campiness of the killer Christmas Tree, though the robot Santas/pilot fish, while not as well-explained as they should be, are nonetheless more menacing. And while I can understand Davies' reasoning for excluding the Doctor from much of the story, it doesn't give a lot of room for development, and while his killing the Sycorax Leader after the Leader attempted to betray him was justified, I felt that his bringing down Harriet Jones was rather vicious and petty. Indeed, I felt Jones was in the right here. The story, then, was lower than par, and the Harriet Jones, Prime Minister joke and the first substantial mentions of Torchwood don't do much better, and there is a blatant ass-pull when the Doctor shows off a post-regeneration trick that, while plausible in theory, nonetheless comes out of nowhere.

Even so, the acting is pretty damn good. David Tennant makes the most of his lines as the Doctor, and while he is not on-screen long enough to make the best impression, he's nonetheless showing the signs of things to come. Billie Piper portrays the angst of Rose when she realises she doesn't know enough about the Doctor, and both Camille Coduri and Noel Clarke turn in decent enough performances, as does Penelope Wilton, returning as Harriet Jones. Not so sure about the guest actors, though, but they do well enough.

The special effects are excellent. The scene where the Sycorax spacecraft enters the atmosphere over London is spectacular, as is the sequence where the TARDIS crash lands. The Sycorax, while not a memorable monster script-wise, are nonetheless well-realised by the production team, and their spaceship has a great interior.

All in all, The Christmas Invasion doesn't make the best of starts to the tenure of David Tennant as the Doctor, but it isn't the worst debut story (The Twin Dilemma, I'm looking at you!). Some hiccups mar what would be an average (by Who standards) story, but as Christmas specials go so far, it's not bad at all...


SCORE: 8/10

REVIEW: New Earth by Russell T Davies

SERIAL: PB1, 2.1, 1 X 45 minute episode

SEEN IT BEFORE?: Yes


With The Christmas Invasion installing David Tennant in the role of the Doctor, it remains to be seen, then, whether he would succeed in the role. After all, the Doctor was incapacitated for most of the Christmas special, and we didn't get to see that much of his character post-regeneration. So, how would the new Doctor fare? To set the new Doctor off on his adventures, Russell T Davies brought him onto the first alien planet of the new series, and bringing back characters from the first series...

The Doctor and Rose, some time after the Sycorax invasion, take off in the TARDIS. The Doctor takes them to New Earth, over two decades since the original Earth was destroyed by the expanding Sun. He has a purpose other than sight-seeing, though: someone has sent him a message on his psychic paper, and that someone is the Face of Boe, dying of old age at the hospital run by the feline Sisters of Plenitude. But Rose gets separated from the Doctor, and runs into Cassandra, who survived the events on Platform One, and who possess Rose to investigate the secrets of the hospital. The Doctor himself is suspicious when he sees patients being cured of illnesses whose cures are centuries into the future. The Sisters of Plenitude have a deadly secret, and Cassandra intends to blackmail them with it, as well as get revenge on the Doctor...

The story of New Earth isn't that bad. Okay, it's a sequel to The End of the World, a story which I thought didn't need one. I'm guessing Davies wrote this (with the reintroduction of the Face of Boe) to set up the later events of Gridlock, as well as the return of the Master later in the series. But for a sequel, it isn't too bad. Indeed, the plot would be effective (it's certainly a good critique on medical ethics), if it weren't for another RTD-trademark ass-pull, though this one is at least moderately set up in advance, it's just the way it's executed that is sloppy. Even so, Cassandra's story, while a little abruptly ended, is still well concluded.

I'm finding myself warming more to Tennant's Doctor, but I find, in retrospect, that he is certainly on the arrogant and ruthless side, although here, at least, he has a little more justification (one wonders how he feels about what little medical data usable from Nazi experiments being used for humans today) than when he brings down Harriet Jones in the previous story. Billie Piper does an interesting turn as both Rose and Rose possessed by Cassandra, and she shows an ability to act by having Cassandra's mannerisms. The Sisters of Plenitude are all decently acted, but not acted in a stellar manner (witness Adjoa Andoh's almost campy cat-like slashes trying to beat the Infected off), and Sean Gallagher as Chip only seems interesting once he gets possessed by Cassandra.

Production wise, this story is quite excellent. Though some special effects (like the rapid-infection sequences) are somewhat dodgy, others pass muster well. And the sets and location filming for the story give a certain scope and scale to this story. And like The End of the World, there is a plethora of alien with varying degrees of good realisation, and it must be said that the Sisters of Plenitude have excellent prosthetics.

All in all, New Earth was an enjoyable, if somewhat average story, marred by dodgy characterisation of some characters and an ass-pull ending. Not a bad true start to the Tenth Doctor's adventures at all.



SCORE: 8.5/10

Anyway, the trailer for the next episode to be reviewed, Tooth and Claw.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Urv-1Jggiow[/youtube]

REVIEW: Tooth and Claw by Russell T Davies

SERIAL: PB2, 2.2, 1 X 45 minute episode

SEEN IT BEFORE?: Yes


Doctor Who has a habit of going after supernatural creatures and turning them into aliens, like vampires (State of Decay, The Curse of Fenric), devils and demons (The Daemons), and even ghosts (The Unquiet Dead). However, the one foray into werewolf myths in the TV show was a brief one, almost incidental, when a character called Mags was revealed to be an alien werewolf in The Greatest Show in the Galaxy. So how would Russell T Davies bring in a werewolf, and mix it into a story with Queen Victoria, kung fu monks, and the origins of the Torchwood Institute?

Landing by accident in Scotland, 1879, the Doctor and Rose encounter Queen Victoria herself. Thanks to some quick talking and the psychic paper, they join her entourage to visit Sir Robert McLeash, the owner of the nearby Torchwood Estate. At first, all they think they have to look forward to is winning a bet to make Victoria say 'we are not amused', but the situation is far more serious. Legends of a werewolf blanket the countryside, the Torchwood Estate has been taken over by a group of belligerent monks, and Sir Robert is forced to do their bidding. At the heart of it all is a young man with alien eyes who is the host of an alien organism, and when the full moon comes, nobody will be safe...

After the frankly more lightweight stories of The Christmas Invasion and New Earth, this is a stronger, more atmospheric story, and despite having so many disparate elements (especially kung fu monks in Scotland!), it works well. In fact, the main fault of the story is that the Doctor and Rose do no favours in trying to get Queen Victoria to say 'we are not amused', and the Queen's sharp comments (if not her banishment decree) are well deserved.

David Tennant seems to be more settled-in as the Doctor, but Rose seems a little sillier in this one than usual, though she has her moments. Pauline Collins as Queen Victoria is the most outstanding guest star of the show, and gets some of the best moments, while Tom Smith's Host is an eerie villain that, well before he becomes a werewolf, is menacing with a high-pitched voice, no mean feat. The other actors do well enough, but are not outstanding to me.

Production-wise, Doctor Who does seem to do quite well when doing period drama, and I can't find fault with what has been done in the sets and costumes. But while the werewolf itself looks good in terms of design, it's not the best CGI, especially during the actual transformation, where it looks particularly dodgy. However, the atmosphere is right, and helps paper over some of the cracks.

All in all, Tooth and Claw is one of Davies' better stories, managing to introduce the Torchwood Institute in some style, and bringing a werewolf into it. It could have been better, but still, it's a good story regardless.


SCORE: 9/10


And now, the trailer for the next episode, School Reunion.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uyFXEShXiG0[/youtube]

REVIEW: School Reunion by Toby Whithouse

SERIAL: PB1, 2.3, 1 X 45 minute episode

SEEN IT BEFORE?: Yes


While the new series has already brought old enemies (like the Autons and the Daleks) back into the series, it was yet to bring back old friends from the classic series. Out of all the characters to be brought back, Sarah Jane Smith, as portrayed by the late Elisabeth Sladen, was probably the best choice, as she was one of the most prominent, and popular, companions. So how would a reunion with a new Doctor work out for the character?

On the request of Mickey Smith, the Doctor and Rose are undercover at Deffrey Vale School, where the new headmaster, Mr Finch, has instituted a new school lunch program, and unusual maths classes. The students are becoming ever more stellar in their academic abilities, but the headmaster, along with the new staff he recruited, are acting strange. But it's not just the Doctor and Rose who are investigating. The Doctor's old companion, journalist Sarah Jane Smith, is also investigating. But the Doctor has neglected to mention to Rose that she is the latest in a long line of companions, and Sarah is still pining for a life of time travel. With Sarah's K9 Mark 3, the Doctor realises that his adversaries are the Krillitanes. But what do they want? Can Rose and Sarah reconcile their difference? And why is Mr Finch so confident that the Doctor will aid the Krillitanes in their plan?

As a story, this episode is perfect, hitting all the right notes emotionally. This story is specifically about what the consequences are of being a companion of the Doctor, and the plot of the Krillitanes, while good, is rather secondary. While taking note of the continuity of the series by re-introducing Sarah and K9, it doesn't wallow too much in it, and there's an excellent scene where Rose and Sarah compare their respective experiences with the Doctor, and fans of the classic series will spot Sarah's references and enjoy them.

The characters are well done here. David Tennant's Doctor hits the right notes, and being confronted by the fact that he forgot to mention his past companions to Rose, he is faced with, as Mickey puts it, 'the missus and the ex: welcome to every bloke's worst nightmare'. His sadness and anger is put on display well. Billie Piper as Rose does well, as Rose learns the truth about being a companion, and Noel Clarke's Mickey gets further development, especially once he decides to join the Doctor and Rose. The true star of the show is Elisabeth Sladen, showing a more mature Sarah, as well as one who is trying to reconcile her time with the Doctor with her new life on Earth, giving an extra dimension to a well-loved character. John Leeson makes a brief, but welcome return as the voice of K9, and Anthony Head makes an excellent villain who actually does something smart, and nearly succeeds in tempting the Doctor.

Production-wise, the story does fine for the most part, with a good pace and direction, and decent music. But the special effects are where it all falls down. The Krillitanes don't seem quite menacing or horrifying enough. If they were, I could forgive the rather dodgy CGI that brought them to life, in the same way that I forgave the Tractators (from Frontios) simply because they had a grotesque and appropriate appearance, despite the fact that the costumes were impractical. But the Krillitanes, while a little scary, are not so striking, instead being a sort of generic gargoyle, and are far more menacing when portrayed by human actors than by CGI creatures.

School Reunion hits almost all the right notes, and brushes so close to perfection. It is a story that manages to bring in nostalgia without drowning in it, and should serve as a reminder to classic series fans that this is still Doctor Who. Not to mention a tribute to the late Elisabeth Sladen.



SCORE: 9.5/10


And now, the trailer for the next episode, The Girl in the Fireplace.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1dFF5fONO-E[/youtube]