Episode #198 : The Sontaran Stratagem / The Poison Sky

The Doctor: Name?

General Staal: General Staal of the Tenth Sontaran Battle Fleet. "Staal The Undefeated!"

The Doctor: Oh that's no good. What if you get defeated? "Staal The Not-Quite-So-Undefeated-Any-More-But-Never-Mind"?

Episode #198:         The Sontaran Stratagem / The Poison Sky.
Companions:           10th Doctor, Donna Noble and Martha Jones.
Air Date:                 26th April to 3rd May 2008.


Fifty two people across the world in eleven time zones die at the exact same time. The only connection: they all have ATMOS installed in the vehicles. Martha Jones, now a doctor working for UNIT, summons the Doctor back to Earth to help figure out why, but an old enemy lies in wait.

The Doctor is called back to Earth by Martha Jones to investigate a series of mysterious deaths that leads them to ATMOS, a device that has reduced fuel emissions to nothing. ATMOS is revealed to be a ploy by the Sontarans to transform the Earth into a giant cloning facility for use in their war against the Rutans.

With the return of Martha Jones we have some nice interaction between the old and new companions. Martha even going so far as to warn Donna that while travelling with the Doctor is amazing, her family could be in danger. We've had some family relationships since the return of the show, most of which is just awkward to watch, but what we start seeing her of Donna's family - mainly Wilfred Mott - feels more like a step in the right direction. You immediately dislike the mother but instantly love Wilfred.

I have always had a soft spot for the Sontarans in the classic show and their return was well worth the wait. New make up and effects have made their appearance so much better. They aren't laughable any more and are portrayed just right as well. Just a shame that as the show goes along the Sontarans become a bit of a laughing stock.

The Sontarans are not the only villains to these piece. They are aided by Luke Rattigan, a young genius who believes that they alien invaders are going to reward him with a world of his own populated by select individuals of his choosing. Like most human villains in Doctor Who despite being insanely clever they seem incredibly dumb at the same time. Rattigan reminds me a lot of the Master during the 3rd Doctor's time on the show in that regard.

The story drops in a number of old references from the Valiant to "are you my mummy" and mention of Brigadier Lethbridge Stewart. At the time of broadcast there hadn't been many references to the classic show and it was great to get more continuity.

This adventure is one of the better stories of the 10th Doctor's run. It still suffers from having a global event that following the completion is completely forgotten by everyone. Still, it is great to see a decent portrayal of the Sontarans at last.