Episode #268 - The Zygon Invasion / The Zygon Inversion

"This is a scale model of war! Every war ever fought, right there in front of you! Because it's always the same! When you fire that first shot, no matter how right you feel, you have no idea who's going to die! You don't know whose children are going to scream and burn! How many hearts will be broken! How many lives shattered! How much blood will spill until everybody does what they were always going to have to do from the very beginning: Sit — down — and — talk!"

Episode #268:      The Zygon Invasion / The Zygon Inversion.

Companions:        The 12th Doctor and Clara Oswald.

Air Date:             31st October to 7th November 2015.

A long time ago, the Doctor made a deal in the Tower of London. 20 million Zygons walk among us, in human form, living undetected in peace and harmony. But cracks are showing in this delicate peace. Humans and Zygons are disappearing. In city apartment blocks, lifts are going missing, and far below the streets of Britain, alien pods are growing in secret caverns. To top it all off, UNIT's scientific advisor, Osgood, sends a desperate message to the Doctor - but since Osgood is long dead, how is that even possible?

This is a two part story with which I have a bit of a love hate relationship and I find it hard to balance that out. On one hand I enjoy the general storyline and The Zygon Inversion has one of my favourite new series Doctor's speeches ever. But on the other hand I find the story itself somewhat weak and I find I strongly dislike how the story changes the nature of the Zygons. They go from a race of conquering invaders in previous stories to being happy citizens and then the story provides us with a weakly added "teenage" separatist group which is never really explained. Something about it ruins the Zygons for me. Maybe because The Terror of the Zygons was such a childhood favourite story of mine, and so far the best adventure featuring them.

As I say the story is fairly weak, especially The Zygon Invasion. It jumps about and never gives us anything to really get our teeth into. The Zygon Inversion does better but does so with much more emphasis on the Doctor's dialogue and how he pushes the situation to make everyone see reason. But it isn't enough to fully save the story.

The adventure has some nice moments. The Clara/Zygella dynamic is good, and the Osgoods always make me smile (she's a Who geek just like the rest of us). If you pay attention there are some nice throwbacks to the classic era but blink and you'll miss them. I always enjoy it when the show drops something in for us fans of the classic show.

Ultimately I think this was a nice try in bringing the Zygons back but I don't feel that the writers were able to come up with a suitable continuation for them after the events of The Day of the Doctor. A much better idea, in my opinion, would have been a story set in space on a station or starship where the Zygons were intruders pretending to be crew. A murder mystery in space maybe? I would love to see that as a Zygon story in the future.

This two part story unfortunately is just subpar for what I expect from the show. 2 out of 5. Could have been better.

Episode #262 : Dark Water / Death in Heaven

"I am not a good man! And I'm not a bad man either. I'm not a hero. I'm definitely not a president, and no, I'm not an officer. You know who I am? I… am… an idiot! With a box and a screwdriver. Passing through. Helping out. Learning. I don't need an army. I never have. Because I've got them, always them, because love is not an emotion. Love is a promise, and he will never hurt her."

Episode #262:      Dark Water / Death in Heaven
Companions:        The 12th Doctor and Clara Oswald.

Air Date:              1st to 8th November 2014.

In the mysterious world of the Nethersphere, plans have been drawn up. Missy is about to come face to face with the Doctor, and an impossible choice is looming. "Death is not an end," promises the sinister organisation known only as 3W – but, as the Doctor and Clara discover, you might wish it was.

When Danny Pink is killed by a hit and run driver, he is pulled into the afterlife of the Nethersphere and Clara will do anything to get the Doctor to save him. A basic premise to this end of season two part story but which soon blossoms into a much larger and stranger story.

First things first, the way Danny is bumped off, off screen feels like a wasted opportunity, not unlike this character throughout this season. Danny Pink had the potential of being a different sort of companion who could have been introduced through the series until the Doctor comes to terms with his past as a soldier and being Clara's love interest. He has a part to play through this particular story but I can't help but feel it was a wasted effort. His final death leaves a potential hole in the series though considering his descendent Orson Pink who appeared in the episode Listen. However,  Steven Moffat has stated that one possible explanation is that Orson was a lateral descendant of Danny's. According to this theory, Clara contacted Danny's relatives after his death and told them of his sacrifice.

Ultimately with this story I have come to dislike the character of Danny and it is simply down to his dislike of the Doctor. The confrontation between cyber-Danny and the Doctor does it all. The Doctor is a hero (even if he says he isn't) and he has his faults but Danny's dislike is beyond the pale.

Next we have Missy, the background villain of the series and the source of the "lady in the shop" who originally gave Clara the phone number of the TARDIS way back in The Bells of Saint John. Missy is here explained to be the new regeneration of The Master. Now I am not a fan of the regeneration gender swap concept, but I must admit that I do love Missy. The weird and quirky female persona quickly grew on me. Michelle Gomez takes the role and makes it her own. Although a bit strange I do love this incarnation of the long running villain.

It is the Cybermen in this story that spoil it for me. It seems that they can't be left alone and instead it seems in every new episode they get an "upgrade". Flying cybermen now and it is just ludicrous. However, the cool scenes of them climbing from their graves is very reminiscent of various zombie movies and is suitably creepy. The story gets a thumbs up for that but could we not just have classic cybermen again?

One last topic I want to speak on is the appearance of cyber-Brigadier. While this was a nice send off perhaps it feels unnecessary. We already had this in a sweet moment from The Wedding of River Song.

Like a lot of new Who it is a rather silly story when you stop to think about it. Exactly what was Missy's plan? Where did she get the cybermen from? Why did they have to fly? Had Missy been collecting dying minds for over a hundred years in real time? I really want the writers and producers to sit down and look at the stories that made classic Doctor Who work so well and try to incorporate those elements into the show. Maybe things wouldn't be so odd and the show might appeal more to both classic and new fans.

Episode #250 : The Day of the Doctor

"I've had many faces, many lives. I don't admit to all of them. There's one life I've tried very hard to forget. He was the Doctor who fought in the Time War, and that was the day he did it. The day I did it. The day he killed them all. The last day of the Time War. The war to end all wars between my people and the Daleks. And in that battle there was a man with more blood on his hands than any other, a man who would commit a crime that would silence the universe. And that man was me."

Episode #250:      The Day of the Doctor.
Companions:        The 10th Doctor, The 11th Doctor, The War Doctor and Clara Oswald.
Air Date:              23rd November 2013.

The Doctors embark on their greatest adventure in this 50th anniversary special. In the 21st century, something terrible is awakening in London's National Gallery; in 1562, a murderous plot is afoot in Elizabethan England; and somewhere in space an ancient battle reaches its devastating conclusion. All of reality is at stake as the Doctor's own dangerous past comes back to haunt him.

It's all been building to this, the 50th anniversary episode of Doctor Who. It has certainly been worth the wait. Moffat did not disappoint with this one. The story revolves around the War Doctor really, as he steals an ancient Time Lord weapon called The Moment and plans to use it to destroy the Daleks and his own people. The Moment, however, is sentient and tries to show the War Doctor what will happen if he uses it. Somehow able to manipulate events so that the War Doctor joins with his 10th and 11th selves. Lets him see who he will become if he uses the weapon and on a side adventure stops a bunch of Zygons from taking over the Earth.

The Zygon plot is a little shoehorned in as a means of getting the Doctors together and getting them to where they need to be. It is nice to see the Zygons return though as another throw back to the classic show and we learn about their world being destroyed in the Time War. That ties in well with the events from Terror of the Zygons.

The real story is about the Time War and it is long overdue in coming. Although we still don't know about the strange horrors of the Time War we do at last see the Time Lords and Daleks fighting it out. This has been hinted at for years so it is nice to see it visited for the anniversary episode. In any case, it does the story justice and again we learn more about the Doctor though this. The more the show continues the more we are being shown about the Doctor's life and who he really is, and whatever you may feel about Russell T Davis and Steven Moffat, you can't fault that they have done wonders pushing that aspect of the show in a good way.

The culmination with the appearance of all 13 Doctors is just a huge squee moment. I remember watching this episode on the TV and just getting so excited, especially with the brief appearance of the 13th Doctor! I still get some of that excitement watching it still.

Another really cool thing about this episode was that it was broadcast to UK cinemas at the same time as it went out on the air. I didn't manage to go see it there but that is a great idea for the BBC to do.

This is a really fantastic adventure and it fully lives up to the title of a 50th anniversary episode. This is one you have to watch.

Episode #240 : The Bells of Saint John

"I'm the Doctor. I'm an alien from outer space. I'm a thousand years old, I've got two hearts, and I can’t fly a plane! Can you?"

Episode #240:      The Bells of Saint John.
Companions:        The 11th Doctor and Clara Oswald.
Air Date:               30th March 2013.

London, 2013. "Danger. This is a warning. A warning to the whole world. You're looking for Wi-Fi. Sometimes you see something, a bit like this. Don't click it. Do not click it. Once you've clicked it, they're in your computer. They can see you. If they can see you, they might choose you. And if they do... you die."
When Clara Oswald has problems with her Internet, she's given a telephone number: the number of the "best help line in the universe". When the Eleventh Doctor answers at the other end, Clara is pulled into a life of adventure and mystery. But danger is lurking in the signals, picking off minds and imprisoning them. "It's like immortality, only fatal." But can the Doctor save Clara before... "I don't know where I am!"

This story is the first proper introduction for Clara Oswald as a companion. She's immediately likeable which is always good, but then we have seen two other incarnations of her at this point so it's already been set up that we'll like her. She's certainly a strong character and that fits with the companions of modern Who very well. I don't think that the classic screamers would work in this day and age.

The puzzle of Clara Oswald has certainly peaked the Doctor. The funk that he was under during The Snowmen has gone and he's back to being his usable excitable self again. I much prefer this personality over the that one.

As it's basis the episode uses the idea that the internet and wi-fi is all around us, and the dangers that it could present if something alien dwelt within. That something is the villain of the current series and it's a much better presentation than it's previous appearance. Though The Great Intelligence is only briefly seen it's appearance once again is a nice incitement for the arching plot of the season. What is this old adversary up to?

Although the story is a good one is again another set up to introduce a new companion and provide hints at the upcoming story arc but little else. Although there is something that I think many people missed at the time which pops up again much later... Who was the woman in the shop who gave Clara the phone number for the TARDIS?

Episode #237 : The Power of Three

"I'm not running away. But this is one corner of one country on one continent on one planet that's a corner of a galaxy that's a corner of a universe that is forever growing and shrinking and creating and destroying and never remaining the same for a single millisecond, and there is so much, so much, to see, Amy. Because it goes so fast. I'm not running away from things, I am running to them. Before they flare and fade forever. And it's alright. Our lives won't run the same. They can't. One day, soon, maybe, you'll stop. I've known for a while."

Episode #237:      The Power of Three.
Companions:        The 11th Doctor, Amy Pond and Rory Williams.
Air Date:               22nd September 2012.

There have been many ways to invade the Earth, and the Eleventh Doctor has seen them all – or so he always thought. And then the human race wakes up one morning and discovers the world has been overrun by small cubes, which then proceed to do nothing at all. A plan is afoot, humanity is endangered – but by what and how and, above all, when? Thus begins the Year of the Slow Invasion. For the first time in his world-saving career the Doctor has to call upon one of the least of his virtues: patience. And the Ponds face something possibly more terrifying than any world-ending apocalypse: the Doctor is moving in!

After a good start to the season we once again hit that wall where we get a real duff episode. The Power of Three is quite frankly one of the most boring and dull stories that I've watched for Doctor Who. We sit through probably half an hour of nothing really happening, some laughs as the Doctor tries to not be bored, then a sudden rush of action and a potentially creepy villain from Time Lord fairy tales before... it just ends. No explanation for why the Shakri want to eradicate mankind what so ever. I might have given this bonus points had the Shakri ever reappeared, perhaps as the villain at the end of the season but they have to this date never even so much as be mentioned. It just leaves a really bad negative feeling in me now just as it did when the episode first aired.

About the only good elements are the exposition and the introduction of Kate Stewart. The conversation between the Doctor and Brian mirrors that between the 10th Doctor and Wilfred Mott about what happens to companions who travel with the Doctor. The other main quote is the one I use above which explains again, for those not listening across the series or are new viewers, why the Doctor does what he does. He needs companions to keep him going and see the universe but he can't watch them fade and die. Even he must move on and leave what he loves behind. It may sound melodramatic but I believe it is easy to forget that about his character.

Kate Stewart, our new occasionally recurrent side character, is the daughter of the Doctor's old friend Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart and she has taken over UNIT, making it into the force it is for the 21st century. I suppose after it and the Earth have been decimated so many times in the last decade that someone had to. She is a strong feisty character and one, who much like the Doctor, we will learn has a darker side.

Even so, these do not help save an episode that was quite frankly ill thought out and boring. If you liked this story I would love to see your reason in the comments.

SJA #21: Death of the Doctor

"Because your memories are more powerful than anything else on this planet. Just think of it. Remember it. But properly. Properly. Give the Memory Weave everything. Every planet, every face, every madman, every loss, every sunset, every scent, every terror, every joy, every Doctor. Every me."

Episode #21:        Death of the Doctor.
Companions:        Sarah Jane Smith, Rani Chandra, Clyde Langer, Mr Smith, the 11th Doctor and Jo Grant.
Air Date:              25th to 26th October 2010.

When the Doctor is declared dead, old companions Sarah Jane and Jo Grant meet for the first time and join forces to discover the truth. As an interstellar conspiracy gathers around UNIT HQ, Clyde finds he holds the fate of the Time Lord in his hand – quite literally!

They are not many adventures among the Sarah Jane Adventures that get me as excited as many Doctor Who ones do, but Death of the Doctor hits nearly all my buttons. Any story that brings in so many references, and a former companion, from the classic show is bound to do it. Throw in the Doctor and we're away! This story unites Sarah Jane with the 11th Doctor and her predecessor Jo Grant, and together this adventure works so well for both younger fans and us grognards who remember the good old days.

The story itself revolves around a group of renegade aliens, the Shansheeth, a sort of space vultures who also serve as the galaxy's undertakers (I guess Necros puts them out of business one day?) who come up with a plan to stop death all together and for that they need the TARDIS. Stealing the time machine and trying to use his former companions to create a psychic version of the key kicks things off. The bannerman road gang are joined by Jo Grant and the 11th Doctor to stop them and recover the TARDIS. It is a simple enough plot hook but as I have mentioned it is the frequent references both in dialogue and in screen snippets to the classic show that really make it so enjoyable.

However, it isn't all just fun and games. Although used perhaps as a throwaway filler section of dialogue there is some wonderful exposition between Clyde, Rani and Rani's father about how people handle the death of a loved one which is really quite moving.

CLYDE: Luke says Sarah Jane's gone mad. 
HARESH: Don't be so rude. He wouldn't say mad about his own mother. 
CLYDE: No. He said, nutty, fruity, loop the loop, tonto, barmy, bonkers. Be fair, though, sir, he's worried. 
HARESH: It's like your mum. Remember when Grandad died? 
RANI: She washed everything. Curtains, furniture, me. She even washed the walls. Who washes walls? It went on for days, and then she just started crying. 
HARESH: It takes time, because when someone dies it's so massive, it's like you can't fit it all inside your head. That's what Sarah Jane's doing. She's denying it. 
CLYDE: So, what do we do? 
HARESH: Wait. That's all you can do. Friends just wait. 

Death of the Doctor was written by Russel T Davis and oddly I find that he does a better job in this episode of writing the 11th Doctor than was done for the 10th Doctor in The Wedding of Sarah Jane. Maybe that's just me though but it certainly sounded a lot better.

This adventure is one I certainly would consider watching if you want the best of the Doctor's adventures.

TW #26: Children of Earth

"There's one thing I always wanted to ask Jack. Back in the old days. I wanted to know about that Doctor of his. The man who appears out of nowhere and saves the world; except sometimes he doesn't. All those times in history where there was no sign of him … I wanted to know why not. But I don't need to ask anymore. I know the answer now: Sometimes the Doctor must look at this planet and turn away in shame. I'm recording this in case anyone ever finds it, so you can see. You can see how the world ended."

Episode 26 :            Children of Earth.
Companions:           Jack Harkness, Gwen Cooper, and Ianto Jones.
Air Date:                 6th July to 10th July 2009.

When all children on Earth stop and start chanting "We Are Coming", the Torchwood team investigates. Could this be the start of a global crisis?

Children of Earth was a five part series which took on a much darker tone than any previous Torchwood story had done. Specifically it dealt with an alien visitation who wanted to take 10% of the world's children to be used as an addictive narcotic. The story deals with how people handle this and the potential loss of their children. In that regard elements of the story are rather disturbing.

There is a lot to this story. The alien 456, the British government being corrupt in the light of these events - willing to do anything and screw over anyone who may get in the way, the destruction of Torchwood, Jack having a daughter and grandson, and the death of another main character, Ianto. In some instances it has too much going on but the story is compelling enough to keep you watching.

One thing I like a lot about Children of Earth is that it is the first Torchwood story to truely embrace that fact that it is set in the same universe as Doctor Who. The above quote from Gwen in the final part is especially true in my mind as I often wonder why when Torchwood deals with some pretty major events that the Doctor doesn't appear.
One character, Rupesh, states that due to recent events (not specifically referenced but likely to include things like the Webstar attack and the relocation of Earth, half the world now knows of or believes in the existence of alien life, while the other half is in denial. Suicide rates have risen, which Rupesh ascribes to crises of faith. This may also be reflected by the insanity and suicide of Alex Hopkins, who learnt about upcoming events in 1999.

The aliens known as 456 are suitably alien, as you can see from the photo above. At last we get an alien species which isn't a man in a suit. These are not the typical Whoniverse alien whose motives are simply evil. These creatures want to use human children as drugs. I don't think there is anything quite so evil previously in the Whoniverse. As such I love that they brought us such a species even just once.

One element that isn't covered is with the destruction of the Torchwood facility what becomes of everything that was in there? Weevils, the pet pterodactyl, and even Jack's brother are all unaccounted for.

Children of Earth features Peter Capaldi (the future 12th Doctor) in the role of a rather screwed over civil servant. This is the second appearance for Capaldi in the Whoniverse as he also appeared in Fires of Pompeii with David Tennant

I enjoy dark stories in TV and literature. I find them the most intriguing and fascinating stories in fiction. As such, I should have a good rating for this story. However it is one episode too long for me in being a single continuous story. It is four hours stretched out into five and it feels like it. But it is still entertaining to watch.

Episode #206 : Planet of the Dead

"It is returning, it is returning through the dark. And then Doctor... oh, but then... he will knock four times."

Episode #206:      Planet of the Dead.
Companions:        The 10th Doctor.
Air Date:              11th April 2009.

When a London bus takes a detour to an alien world, the Tenth Doctor must join forces with the extraordinary Lady Christina. But the mysterious planet holds terrifying secrets and time is running out as the deadly Swarm gets closer.

In this adventure the Doctor teams up with professional cat burglar Lady Christina de Souza to escape an alien world, rescue the stranded passengers of a London bus and foil the activities of a race of metal omnivorous flying ray aliens. As you may guess from this it is yet another strange and at times silly adventure. It is entertaining though which is why I don't disapprove quite so much with this one.

Essentially the story revolves around the passengers of a London bus which is drawn through a "worm hole" to a distant desert world. On board is the Doctor and a famous criminal who for this story becomes the companion. The planet turns out to once been the seat of power for a space faring race but they, and everything on their world has been eaten and turned to a sort of dust by strange swarming alien rays. The wormhole is their means of moving from world to world. Trapped on this world they have to work together, and briefly with fly-headed aliens, to find a way home.

As a Doctor Who story goes Planet of the Dead isn't bad. I could for the most part imagine this being done with dodgy BBC graphics for any of the classic Doctors. It is another silly element, a flying bus, which again has me rolling my eyes. I don't think I will ever get used to the weird elements that new Who has included. I must stop grumbling about that. Seriously.

I liked the character of Lady Christina de Souza (played by Eastenders veteran Michelle Ryan) and I was disappointed at the time because she didn't become a new companion for the Doctor. She could have been a good foil for him but in hindsight she might also be the sort of dominant companion that could upstage him. Shame all the same. The other guest star in this story is Malcolm, played by British comedian Lee Evans. He seems to be there for comic relief and not much else, although he does help save the day.

Planet of the Dead sets up certain references for the end of year finale. One of the passengers on the bus seems to have some sort of psychic ability and she delivers what amounts to a of prophecy, which you can read above.

As a one off adventure if you can get past silly things like a flying bus and some of the awkward humour Planet of the Dead is an enjoyable hour of fun.

SJA #12 : Enemy of the Bane

"In my day UNIT battled Daleks, Cybermen, Autons and Zygons and all manner of space-thuggery."

Episode #12:        Enemy of the Bane.
Companions:        Sarah Jane Smith, Luke Smith, Rani Chandra and Clyde Langer.
Air Date:              1st to 8th December  2008.

Gita Chandra is kidnapped by Mrs Wormwood. This turns out to be a snare for Sarah Jane. Mrs Wormwood has joined forces with another of Sarah Jane's enemies, Kaagh. As they prepare to settle old scores, Sarah Jane turns to an old friend.

The final adventure of this season brings back Kaagh and Mrs. Wormwood, this time working together for their own nefarious schemes. They pretend to be allies and then as expected, stab the team in the back. As stories go it isn't very original and I think even the young audience this was aimed at worked it out within the first few minutes. It is the problem with these short episodes that the writers cannot put enough content into the show and keep it good. I know it is kid's television but I am sure CBBC can do better than this.

This episode features the final "proper" appearance in the Whoniverse of fan favourite Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart. This was Nicholas Courtney's final appearance before he died in 2011. It's rather heart warming to see him back as the Brigadier and it brought back many fine memories of his time on the show.

Enemy of the Bane introduces us to the Black Archive, which we see later on in Day of the Doctor. I was genuinely surprised by this as I didn't know it existed before that episode. Things have changed though as in this story the Archive is a fortified building outside London so I guess everything gets moved to the Tower of London following the events of this story.

Sitting here writing this review I am having trouble thinking of anything really positive to say for this episode. To repeat myself, I understand that the Sarah Jane Adventures are children's programming so I can't expect the same level of awesomeness as I feel for Doctor Who and Torchwood. But still I find episodes like this are dumbed down somewhat. There just isn't anything to them and it is very frustrating because I know that the writers and everyone behind the show can do so much better.

Episode #204 : The Stolen Earth / Journey's End

"The man who abhors violence, never carrying a gun. But this is the truth, Doctor. You take ordinary people and you fashion them into weapons. Behold your Children of Time transformed into murderers. I made the Daleks, Doctor. You made this."

Episode #204:     The Stolen Earth / Journey's End.
Companions:       10th Doctor, Donna Noble, Rose Tyler, Martha Jones, Sarah Jane Smith, Luke Smith, Jack Harkness, Ianto Jones and Gwen Cooper.
Air Date:             28th June to 5th July 2008.

When Earth and twenty-six other planets are stolen and taken to the Medusa Cascade and the Doctor is nowhere in sight, it's up to the combined forces of UNIT, Torchwood, Sarah Jane and Rose to fight off the thieves, who only have one thing to say to the resistance: "EX-TER-MIN-ATE!" Davros and the New Dalek Empire prepare to detonate a bomb that will wipe out all of existence. The Tenth Doctor is helpless, and the TARDIS faces destruction. The only hope lies with the Doctor's companions — the "Children of Time" — but Dalek Caan predicts that one will die.

This story is a fan's dream. It brings together not just the Doctor and the Daleks, but brings back old companions from the new show as well as bringing in Torchwood and Sarah Jane Smith. How cool is that? Having everyone together and sharing screen time reminds me of The Five Doctors. They come together to fight to defeat the Daleks.

The story ties together a lot of the elements that have appeared in the show since it was brought back on the air as well as wrapping up some elements of the Time War. The strong point for me is less so much that as the revelations presented by Davros about the Doctor and his companions. Davros points out something that perhaps we never considered. The Doctor may not condone violence but in truth his companions become soldiers to do that things that he couldn't usually bring himself to do. It is quite the revelation that has a huge emotional impact when Davros delivers it and shows the Doctor the truth that he might not otherwise accept.

It is great to see Davros again after so long. We learn that he did survive the events of Remembrance of the Daleks and even fought in the Time War itself. Davros created a new Dalek race from his own cells which seems to be a recurring factor in the Daleks these days.

There is one small bugbear for me with this episode. A lot of media attention was directed to the Doctor regenerating in this episode. In fact he does get exterminated by a Dalek and starts to regenerate. He heals using the regeneration energy and siphons the rest into his old hand that the Sycorax cut off. Now that is all fine but, and it is a big but as well as a spoiler, in the future episode The Time of the Doctor we learn that this counted towards the Doctor's regeneration limit. It's now established canon but it doesn't feel right to me as the regeneration doesn't complete so how does it count? But I can live with it. It just rubs me the wrong way a little bit.

At the end of the story all the companions go their own way again. Rose returns with the new Doctor to the Pete's World universe never to be seen again. Unfortunately this is the end of things for Donna. It all goes a bit wrong with the metacrisis and the Doctor is forced to remove any knowledge of him and their time again. It is a sad end for Donna that she spent all this time travelling with the Doctor and then it is all swept away from her.

Episode #203 : Turn Left

"The Doctor is dead. Must have happened too fast for him to regenerate."

Episode #203:         Turn Left.
Companions:           10th Doctor and Donna Noble.
Air Date:                 21st June 2008.

On the an alien planet, Donna meets a fortune teller, who launches her into a world based on one question: "What would happen if Donna never met the Tenth Doctor?" Without the Doctor, the whole world is in ruin, and a mysterious blonde tries to warn Donna of the oncoming darkness... Now a simple refugee, Donna is the only one who can undo the damage. But how?

Turn Left is a "what if" story. In this case we see what happens to the Earth and to Donna Noble if the Doctor was killed defeating the Rachnoss without Donna there to save him. The events we see unfold without his interference are the SS Titanic crashing into London, the Adipos (in the US rather than UK), and ATMOS. Without the Doctor there to save us everything goes very very wrong. The episode is Doctor lite to make up for the previous companion lite episode, Midnight. What causes all this? It is strongly hinted at that it is the work of the Trickster (or his Brigade) although he has yet to ever appear in an episode by this time.

Rose Tyler makes another appearance in this story alongside UNIT trying to fix the time line before everything goes pear shaped for good. She drops hints about the possible events that have been cropping up all season and we see the culmination in the following episode. The ending of the episode gives me goosebumps watching it when everything is revealed to the Doctor.

As an episode it isn't fantastic but likewise it isn't a bad story either. Not a lot actually happens in it but rather we see a world without the Doctor there to save it and how Donna's life would turn out. The pay out is more where the story leads at the end of it and where we go next.

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.

Episode #192: The Sound of Drums / The Last of the Time Lords

"They used to call it the Shining World of the Seven Systems. And on the continent of Wild Endeavour, in the mountains of Solace and Solitude, there stood the Citadel of the Time Lords. The oldest and most mighty race in the universe. Looking down on the galaxies below, sworn never to interfere, only to watch. Children of Gallifrey were taken from their families at the age of eight, to enter the Academy. Some say that's where it all began, when he was a child. That's when the Master saw eternity. As a novice, he was taken for initiation. He stood in front of the Untempered Schism. It's a gap in the fabric of reality through which could be seen the whole of the vortex. We stand there, eight years old, staring at the raw power of Time and Space, just a child. Some would be inspired. Some would run away. And some would go mad."


Episode #192:   The Sounds of Drums / The Last of the Time Lords.
Companions:     The 10th Doctor, Jack Harkness and Martha Jones.
Air Date:            23rd to 30th June 2007.

The Tenth Doctor, Martha Jones and Jack Harkness return to present day London, horrified to discover that Prime Minister Harold Saxon is the Master. "Saxon" informs the world about receiving contact from an alien race called the Toclafane. Framed as fugitives, the Doctor, Martha and Jack try to sneak in and stop the Master before he unleashes a wave of terror. But his dark ambitions reach beyond the stars.

Wrapping the events of Utopia this storyline brings out time travellers back to Earth to stop the newly regenerated Master from unleashing a dark future on the Earth. Unfortunately, at least for me, it is a very dissapointing story which doesn't fire the enthusiasm nor does it really feel like Doctor Who. It isn't because it is badly written or too dark. It feels too much like Daleks in Manhatten in that it is just a little too surreal for Doctor Who.

Jon Simm was a great choice for the Master. He carries the evil madman personna off perfectly and you do get a slight hope that he'll win out at the end of the day. The introduction or retcon of some sort of drumming in his head which is what has driven him mad was an interesting move. Nothing like this had ever come up before in the show to explain why the Master was as insane as he was. It would be some time however before we learn the cause of it.

We get some more of Martha's family in this story but by this time I am sick of them. A disfunctional family with no redeeming qualities does not make for good background if you ask me. I especially dislike the mother but that may be because none of this would have probably happened had she had any common sense throughout this season.

I'm not a fan of the villains of this piece, the Toclafane either. They tie in nicely to the events of Utopia but we learn nothing else about them other than who they ultimately are. I'd have liked some more info. The whole paradox creation issue doesn't sit well for me either. It works for the story but doesn't really do anything at the same time even as desperate as they are it seems a self-defeating thing to do.

The story has another issue that never bothered me but at the time seemed to cause a stir among fans. Ever since the Runaway Bride there has been a bit of "the lonely god" written into the 10th Doctor's character and it seemed to rub many the wrong way. The Archangel network of this story and how it plays out at the end certainly played into that point of view.

Ultimately I am not a fan of this adventure. It doesn't seem very well worked out and much like the rest of the current season before it just wasn't very good. I think a better ending could have been made for this season.

Episode #170 : The Christmas Invasion

Jackie Tyler: Well, I reckon you're mad, the pair of you. It's like you go looking for trouble.

The Doctor: Trouble's just the bits-in-between! It's all waiting out there, Jackie. And it's brand new to me—all those planets and creatures and horizons! I haven't seen them yet, not with these eyes. And it is gonna be... fantastic!

Episode 170:   The Christmas Invasion.
Companions:   10th Doctor and, Rose Tyler.
Air Date:         25th December 2005.

It's Christmas Eve and high above London, the alien Sycorax are holding the Earth for ransom. The Tenth Doctor must recover from his regeneration in time to save the human race from slavery.

The first adventure for the 10th Doctor is also the first Christmas special. I don't know about you but after a while I get seriously fed up of Christmas specials for Doctor Who. It works for sit coms and the occasional drama but just how many times can the Doctor and chums arrive for Christmas?

The plot for this one is fairly simple. The Doctor regenerates from his absorption of the time vortex and slips into a restorative coma, leaving Rose and family to hold things together when a race of nasty aliens turning up seeking slaves and conquest. The story holds more family angst and quickly gets a bit monotonous. There is also some downright silliness that doesn't fit ranging from some of the humour down to unexplained robot killers and a murderous Christmas tree. Sometimes I wonder what Russell T Davis, the head producer, was thinking with the direction of the show at this stage.

The Sycorax as the villains seem fairly weak to me. There is no depth to them and they seem all too bland as a species or culture. I don't particularly like the look of the costumes either. All seems a bit cheap. However, it doesn't spoil the enjoyment for me. I'm just glad that so far they haven't returned.

We get our first proper reference to Torchwood and they seem to have access to powerful alien technology. At this point we don't know much other than a reference from Harriet Jones (yes, we know who you are). The idea of a recurring reference to Bad Wolf in the previous series was quite clever but did it really another meme in this one?

In this story I'm not overly fond of the new Doctor. You have to let an actor and his writers settle into a new role but he still comes across, as he puts it himself, as rude. Eccleston's incarnation was a miserable character a lot of the time and I remember hoping that it wasn't going to be a continuous trend.

I may seem negative of this episode but really it is what I have come to expect from new Who. The ideas and concepts that I loved from the classic show are long gone I think. Old fans have to adapt to a modern show paradigm.

Episode #163 : Aliens of London / World War Three

"Excuse me, do you mind not farting while I'm saving the world?"

Episode 163:   Aliens of London / World War Three.
Companions:   9th Doctor and Rose Tyler.
Air Date:         16th to 23rd April 2005.

Rose returns home to discover that she has been missing for a whole year, although for her, it's been a couple of days. However, before she can explain her absence, a spaceship crashes into Big Ben, causing a worldwide catastrophe. Worse still, the Prime Minister has mysteriously disappeared... The Doctor's investigation puts him in the spotlight with the British government, as his long history of defending Earth finally catches up with him. But there are sinister goings on at 10 Downing Street, and politician Harriet Jones' quest to get some answers brings her into a brave new world... of aliens. Meanwhile, Rose finds trouble closer to home, as her past mistakes threaten to tear her family apart.

This story introduces a concept that hasn't been seen before, dealing with the repercussions of what happens at home when a companion takes off with the Doctor. A fair chunk of the first part is taken over by this plot element. It is well done and nice to see that a plot element that has been long in coming.

Aliens of London introduces a new villain, the Slitheen family, unscrupulous aliens seeking to make a profit from the destruction of the Earth. This is first story of the new series to combine CGI and the classic "man in a suit" style creatures. I remember being oddly pleased with this adventure when it first aired for continuing to have the "man in an alien costume" approach. I had feared that we would not see that again. What makes the Slitheen stand out is the childish farting that they do. At first it is amusing but soon becomes all too silly even though within the story it is explained.

We are also introduced to new characters who would reappear later on, Harriet Jones (MP for Flydale North), and Toshiko Sato who we learn later on is part of an organisation called Torchwood. UNIT appears for the first time in the new series though the name has changed to the Unified Intelligence Taskforce. The reason for the name change is because the real world United Nations did not want to be associated with the show. I find this really odd as there is no better program to be associated with in my opinion.

Bad Wolf appears in this story as a graffiti spray painted onto the side of the TARDIS.

Aliens of London / World War Three is a fun entertaining romp though it falls into the childish at times.

Episode #155 : Battlefield

"Well if my hunch is right, the Earth could be at the centre of a war that doesn't even belong to this dimension!"

Episode 155:   Battlefield.
Companions:   7th Doctor and Ace.
Air Date:          6th to 27th September 1989.

The TARDIS materialises in the English countryside near the village of Carbury, where a nuclear missile convoy under the command of UNIT's Brigadier Winifred Bambera has run into difficulties. Lying on the bed of the nearby Lake Vortigern is a spaceship from another dimension containing the body of King Arthur, supposedly held in suspended animation, and his sword Excalibur. Ancelyn, a knight from the other dimension, arrives on Earth to aid the King but is followed by his rival Mordred and the latter's mother, a powerful sorceress named Morgaine. They all recognise the Doctor as Merlin - a fact that the Time Lord attributes to events in his own future.

Doctor Who meets Arthurian legend and surprisingly does it very well. Our lore of King Arthur comes down to us from another dimension where the figures of legend are very much real, and where a possible future version of the Doctor (in an untelevised adventure) is the wizard Merlin. Or maybe that universe has it's own Doctor? The writers have combined the Arthurian tales with a strange pseudo-science that gels very well even when you realise that you are watching knights in armour fighting with swords and laser guns.

The Doctor is back to his dark manipulative self at last. Ace also gets a good amount of screen time and a fair amount of dialogue which is refreshing since she hasn't really had the opportunity since Dragonfire. It is a shame that the writing and storytelling for McCoy get so much better on his last year as the BBC plot to cancel the show.

This story also sees the long awaited return of UNIT and the Brigadier. Even good old Bessie gets brought out of mothballs for this adventure. We also get a short meeting with Doris, the Brigadier's wife who was frequently mentioned but never seen. Though I do think the references were probably lost on younger fans at the time who hadn't watched the earlier classic show.

With Battlefield I do appear to be in the minority as apparently many fans dislike this story. It is considered to have too many characters who don't get enough individual screen time. I've also read that many feel the battle sequences uninspired and the sparkler-like effects for the laser guns just a poor choice. I can see past all that and find Battlefield an entertaining adventure for the Doctor.

Episode #85 : The Seeds of Doom

"I suppose you could call it a galactic weed, though it's deadlier than any weed you know. On most planets the animals eat the vegetation. On planets where the Krynoid gets established, the vegetation eats the animals."

Episode 85:   The Seeds of Doom.
Companions: 4th Doctor and Sarah Jane Smith.
Air Date:      Six episodes. 31st January to 6th March 1976.

When scientists in the Antarctic uncover two mysterious seed pods, the Doctor is called in to investigate. He soon realises they are extraterrestrial and extremely dangerous. At the same time, however, ruthless plant-lover Harrison Chase has learnt of the find and decides he must have the pods for his collection of rare and beautiful flora. And the pods themselves harbour intelligent life with sinister plans of its own.

I love this story even though some elements, such as Chase's bizarre love of plants, seem overly exaggerated. This classic appears to have it's roots (pun intended) in the Day of the Triffids and the old black & white version of The Thing. Here we have alien plants travelling to Earth through space looking for a new home and animal life to feed upon. Foolish human arrogance and greed lead to one Krynoid being brought back to England, thawed and led lose upon the world.

The story moves along nicely, starting in Antarctica for a good chunk of it before coming back to the UK. The characters are portrayed well though the Doctor does come across as a lot more violent than he normally is. He doesn't kill anyone but he certainly gets into a couple fisticuffs. We know the Doctor isn't entirely pacifistic as we have seen him fence before and don't forget Venusian Aikido, but this time around it is certainly more than we are used to but it doesn't spoil anything by it.

The Krynoid as the monster is quite memorable. In places it is a resprayed Axon costume, then a man with a rubbery sheet over his head and finally the giant rubber monster in the picture above. I like the concept of an intelligent carnivorous plant creature and this story does it well. The defeat of the Krynoid is a little weak and UNIT without the Brigadier seems rather bland, simply there to blow the giant plant up.

The Seeds of Doom is another example of good Who and a watch is well recommended.

Episode #83 : The Android Invasion

"The androids will disseminate a virus. It will cause a contagion so lethal, the Earth will be rid of its human population within three weeks, then it will burn itself out and the world will be ours."

Episode 83:   The Android Invasion.
Companions: 4th Doctor and Sarah Jane Smith.
Air Date:       Four episodes. 22nd November to 13th December 1975.

The TARDIS arrives on the planet Oseidon where the alien Kraals have created an exact replica of the English village of Devesham and its nearby Space Defence Station and populated it with androids in order to rehearse for an invasion attempt. A human astronaut, Guy Crayford, has been duped into collaborating with them.

The first few times I watched this story I have to say that it left me very cold. But as time has gone by I find that it has slowly grown on me. The story is a mix of Invasion of the Body Snatchers and The Stepford Wives. The general idea isn't very original and has probably been seen in every science fiction television series at one time or another.

We get the final appearances of Harry Sullivan and John Benton in this one though mostly as their android duplicates. It feels as though their inclusion was tacked on as neither actually make any real difference to the story and it's outcome. It would have been nice to give them both a decent send off from the show.

I find it very difficult to write anything good about this episode as there just isn't any thing that makes it stand out. The story is unoriginal, the effects are poor and even the lead actors seem to be having a hard time with it. It isn't as bad as it seems but it has little to really support it.

Episode #80 : Terror of the Zygons

 

"You can't rule the world in hiding. You've got to come out on

to the balcony sometimes and wave a tentacle."

Episode 80:    Terror of the Zygons.
Companions: 4th Doctor, Sarah Jane Smith and Harry Sullivan.
Air Date:        Four episodes. 30th August to 10th September 1975.

When the Doctor, Sarah Jane and Harry arrive in Scotland, having received an urgent request for assistance from the Brigadier, they discover that the mysterious force which has destroyed three oil rigs has left giant teeth marks on the wreckage. The mystery deepens, leading them to the shores of Loch Ness where they find that the legendary monster really does exist – and is the murderous tool of the Zygons, aliens intent on overpowering the planet.

For reasons that I can't quite put my finger on, this is one of my favourite early Tom Baker stories and the Zygons are a particular favourite. I think part of it comes from my childhood. Although too young to remember the airing of the episodes, I do recall seeing an old Doctor Who magazine which featured a black and white photograph of Zygon attacking Tom Baker. It has stuck in my memory ever since and must go someway to explaining my love of this story.

The show has in recent stories touched upon a number of mythical tales from Atlantis, the minotaur and the yeti. This time we get an explanation for the Loch Ness Monster in the Whoniverse, the Skarasen - a monster used by the Zygons in the plans. It is another touch that excites me when watching the story. Sometimes the writers got things so spot on that it works despite any other failings of the episode.

The Zygon costumes are definitely of the man in a rubber suit variety but are extremely memorable. The Skarasan on the other hand has it's detractors. I think that the stop-motion style of movement when you see the monster in it's entirety is really good but there are plenty of fans who think it is just terrible. Watch and decide for yourself.

With the completion of this adventure we lose Harry Sullivan who decides to return to UNIT rather than continue travelling in time and space. As much as I love Harry, you can understand it from what he has just experienced in the last few stories. Sarah Jane Smith however, thankfully stays with the Doctor. The Brigadier seems to have mellowed somewhat by this story as he doesn't feel like the old stick in the mud that he did previously. Thankfully, this won't be the last time we see the Brigadier.

Terror of the Zygons is an excellent story and for my money, the last of the truly excellent Tom Baker era. That is not to say that what comes next are poor stories, just that nothing seems to live up to the writing nor the appearance of the show after this. But for now, Terror of the Zygons is up there in the top stories of the classic era.

Episode #75 : Robot

"You know, just once I'd like to meet an alien menace that wasn't immune to bullets."

Episode 75:    Robot.
Companions:  4th Doctor and Sarah Jane Smith.
Air Date:        Four episodes. 28th December 1974 to 18th January 1975.

A newly regenerated Doctor joins UNIT in an investigation into the theft of top secret plans and equipment from supposedly secure premises. Sarah discovers that the raids have been carried out by a robot invented by scientist Professor Kettlewell while he was working for Think Tank, a body involved in developing emerging technologies.

The first adventure for Tom Baker involves a robot and yet another conspiracy to take over the Earth. This time the villains are a bunch of scientists who feel that only the intelligent should rule, and to achieve this aim they are prepared to destroy the world with an arsenal of nuclear weapons. Which to me seems pointless because then there won't be anyone for them to rule. Otherwise a good start to the 4th Doctor's extensive run on the show.

Tom Baker brings a fantastic character portrayal to the screen from his first confused post-regeneration lines. I have always felt that the 1st Doctor was simply an eccentric old man but, depending on cause of regeneration, each subsequent one has been more mad rather than eccentric. The 4th Doctor, especially, certainly is not playing with a full deck and it works so well. I'm sure that it must have taken some getting used to by the audiences who had previously watched Jon Pertwee's more restrained performance only a few months previous.

The story itself isn't too bad but it does plod along in places making it feel much longer than it actually is. When I re-watched the story recently in preparation for writing this, at one point I thought I was on part 5 when it was the start of 4! That is how it felt. Another minor niggle is the continued references to green/environmental issues as part of the background. There seems to be a lot of that going around in stories recently and in this it had reached the saturation point for me (though I am watching these in quick succession to be fair). There comes a point where the writers do need to find something else to present as a contemporary point of reference.

On a high note however, the Doctor and Sarah are joined by a new companion, Harry Sullivan. Harry is a UNIT medic and helps them throughout this story, and is then tricked into the TARDIS when the the Doctor and Sarah take flight. Harry is one of my favourite companions so I'm looking forward to re-watching the next few stories.