Revisiting Doctor Who - Series 3, Episode 1 - Smith & Jones

Revisiting Doctor Who - Series 3, Episode 1 - Smith & Jones

Ooh, that's different - Series 3 starts with no pre-credits sequence! And that is...of absolutely no consequence, really.

Anyway, here we go...

Ah, Martha. You're funny, friendly, beautiful...but you're going to get no joy from The Doctor here. Still, you've got 13 episodes to find that out, so for now we'll join you walking down the street as you try to sort out your family's lives (including Reggie Yates from Radio1! Reggie's awesome). To be honest, Martha, I wouldn't want Aniliese there either, but families, eh? Oh, it's The Doctor! Being all strange and taking his tie off just to confuse her. He's gone again now.

Martha's on her way to work at the hospital, being bumped into by a dodgy looking biker and attracting lightning from her locker amongst other things, and OH MY GOD THAT'S 'MARTHA'S THEME' PLAYING IN THE BACKGROUND! I LOVE that bit of music! Best bit of music ever in Who besides the theme. Bloody love it. Whilst on her rounds, she discovers a sweet old lady who will in no way become relevant to the story, some more biker people, and 'John Smith', who looks suspiciously like The Doctor and feels 'bleugh'. Apparently he wasn't running around this morning, though it's the dual heartbeats that really confuzzle her.

Stranger still, it seems that it's only raining on the hospital, and it's raining 'up'. And then the building starts earthquaking massively and they've ended up on the Moon. Which is unusual for Martha, though I'm pretty sure The Doctor suspected something might happen. It all gets a bit chaotic in the hospital, with people running around like headless chickens. The Doctor then reveals himself to be  more than just a patient, and they head outside to have a look, glad for the fact that they've got air from somewhere. She seems spectacularly unsurprised that they've ended up on the Moon, but now that humanity knows about aliens following the Cybermen and the Racnoss...and the role that she played in Series 2 which was her 'cousin', she's not surprised by anything.

Just as they realise that the air will run out eventually and suffocate 1,000 people, some spaceships land, revealing the Judoon space police (well, more like police-for-hire, or intergalactic space thugs). Inside, the old lady confronts the hospital chief doctor consultant man, revealing herself to be a nasty alien lady, in control of the biker people, who wants to suck out his innards with a straw. The Judoon also march into the hospital, scattering plenty of scared patients everywhere, and revealing themselves to be humanoid rhinos who want to 'catalogue' all the patients. That means they're after something non-human, which is bad news for The Doctor...One guy gets executed when he commits a crime by smacking a Judoon over head with a vase. Bit extreme, but we're on the Moon so everything goes I guess. 

The Doctor shows Martha his sonic screwdriver, explaining how he was just checking out some plasma coils which turned out to be the Judoon in orbit. If they find the hospital guilty of harbouriing a fugitive, they'll blow it up, including the people. Martha runs off to find the head of the hospital, but finds the old lady sucking his brains out with a straw, so decides that running away is a better option, which I heartily agree with. Reuniting with The Doctor, they flee from the alien lady's henchmen, eventually losing him by zapping him with an extra-radiated x-ray. His sonic screwdriver is a bit buggered though. He also deduces that the old lady is assimilating the old chap's blood, so that she registers as human. 

They round a corner and meet face to face with some Judoon, who confirm for Martha that The Doctor is non-human. They head for Mr Stoker's office, finding him completely drained of blood. Realising that she'll be heading to the MRI scanner, he kisses Martha because of course, and runs off to find alien lady. He gets himself sort of captured, pretends to be human, finds out some of her plans, and then she tries to suck his brains out through her straw. Though she goes through his neck, so maybe I was wrong about the brains bit.

The Judoon burst in at this point and declare The Doctor dead. Martha realises though that the old lady will now register as non-human, before the Judoon execute her as she tries to blow the hospital. The Judoon bugger off at this point, which is typical of rhinos as they always do this shit on other planets, and the hospital looks screwed. Martha does the decent thing and tries to bring The Doctor back to life, using the last of her oxygen to give him the kiss of life. It works, though she looks a big of a goner, and The Doctor successfully modifies the scanner and what not, saving the day. Well, there's still no oxygen, which is generally negative. Never fear though, the Judoon reverse the whole process just in time, and the hospital is sent back to Earth.

Still dazed by the incident, Martha looks on forlornly as The Doctor disappears in the TARDIS. Later, she listens to a colleague on the radio talking about the wonder of it all, smiling. Her father, mother and father's girlfiend argue outside a club, taking Martha's siblings with them, and eventually moving out of the way for Martha to notice The Doctor gazing at her from round a corner (seriously, it's not like he didn't slightly give her the hint that he was interested in her). She chases after him, having that oh-so-special 'it's bigger on the inside' moment, engages in a bit of mild flirting, and then off they go!


First things first, Martha is great, right from the off. She's different than Rose, that's all, though she's far better at sussing out alien things, and already I can feel the pangs of sadness that she'll only last a season. It really is difficult to pick a favourite companion, because they've all been fantastic in their own ways, but Martha always gets the least praise, completely unfairly. She's played brilliantly by Freema Agyeman, and if they don't take the character over to Torchwood when it finally starts up again then they're missing a great opportunity.

Martha also saves his life with a bit of CPR, which means that either The Doctor was relying on her doing this or he was genuinely willing to let himself die just to save everyone in the hospital; knowing The Doctor, it's probably more the latter. What a darn good fellow he is.

The Doctor shows the signs of his recent loss at the end where he tells Martha that she isn't replacing Rose and gets a bit grumpy, and it's this that will affect their relationship throughout. You can see the massive impact that Rose had on him, more perhaps than any other companion except Sarah Jane Smith, though the fact that you know Ten was actually in love with her goes a long way to explaining that.

It's perfect, PERFECT Tenth Doctor when Martha discovers his second heartbeat and he gives her a small wink. Followed by his discussion of being involved in Ben Franklin's discovery of lightning (having been electrocuted himself in the process apaprently).

Also a great in joke for those who remember the Zovirax cold sore adverts.

The whole sequence where The Doctor gets Mrs Finnigan's plan out of her (GCSE Magnets, Geography and fifteen years as a postman) is superb, perfect for the Tenth Doctor, and looking back on it now I really feel it should be a contender for 'Best Way He Got Someone's Plan Out Of Them' (because he's really rather good at it').

You can tell why Martha ends up with The Doctor; the first to establish that they're on the Moon, the one who realises that because they're breathing there must still be air surrounding them...As soon as he 'reveals' himself (I can't think how to write that without making it sound like he exposes himself...) to her, he's obviously taken to her:
Doctor: We might die.
Martha: We might not.
Doctor: Good(!)

One of David Tennant's more bizarre moments as she tries to get rid of the radiation in his body through his shoe, dancing like he's got bees in his trousers (Martha: You're completely mad. The Doctor: You're right, I look daft with one shoe). Anybody else really bugged that he opens a clinical waste bin with his hands and doesn't wash them?!

One of the Judoon trips up the stairs! It's only ever so slightly but it's there!

Mentions of Mr Saxon
Martha's colleague on the radio at the end mentions how Mr Saxon was right about what's out there, and there are 'Vote Saxon' posters behind Martha in the alley at the end. We don't know who he's going to be at this point, though he's obviously a politician, but come the end of the season...

Overall
It's a solid start, with a brilliant introduction for Martha who is great from the off. The Tenth Doctor doesn't suffer from not having Rose around, and though it doesn't have the greatest villain of all time, it's fun throughout.

8/10

Graphic Novel Review - Lazarus Volume 1 - Greg Rucka (Author), Michael Lark (Art & Letters) & Santi Arcas (Colours)

Graphic Novel Review - Lazarus Volume 1 - Greg Rucka (Author), Michael Lark (Art & Letters) & Santi Arcas (Colours)

Recommended for adults

I've had the pleasure to read some excellent sci-fi comic book series lately (Black Science and Saga especially), and I'm pleased to be able to add Lazarus to that list.

Set in a future which, whilst not necessarily apocalyptic, is certainly dystopian, it tells the story of Forever, the Lazarus for Family Carlyle, one of the most powerful families that runs this world in the future. A Lazarus is basically an artificially created human with all the perks that would make an RPG fan salivate, including the ability to come back to life. Forever is loved by some of her family, despised by others, and this series is essentially the tale of how she works to ensure her family remains in power, but with far more conscience than her fully-human brothers and sisters.

The story might not be bringing entirely original concepts into the mix (betrayals on all sides, 'families', conspiracies all over the place), but it does them very well indeed, and it's the first story I can remember with gangster-style families set in the future in this way.

The artwork fits the feel of a dystopian future very well, and the storyline rockets along leaving me craving Volume 2. I want to know more about Forever, and the way she's ultimately likely to either see the 'family' system broken down, or end up ruling it herself.

It's also another winner from Image Comics, who really do seem to regularly outdo Marvel and DC when it comes to a gripping story on a consistent basis (though I love them both too, of course).

Highly recommended and a brilliant sci-fi/dystopian read.

5/5

Graphic Novel Review - Alex + Ada Volume 1 - Sarah Vaughn & Jonathan Luna

Graphic Novel Review - Alex + Ada Volume 1 - Sarah Vaughn & Jonathan Luna

Alex + Ada Volume 1 is the start of a wonderfully absorbing science-fiction graphic novel series that looks at the morality behind the creation of robots and sentient life.

When Alex is gifted an android by his grandmother, he struggles to get over the fact that Ada is completely subservient to him, and though her appearance is human her character is distinctly robotic. She lives entirely by his command, will only have the same opinion as him, and is clearly the type of android that we've been warned will rebel in the future. After seeing a news report about another android that seemingly broke its programming, Alex seeks to get Ada to do the same.

I was hooked on this right from the start. It's a classic science-fiction theme re-told superbly, looking at the morality behind owning an android with a degree of artificial intelligence. Alex's desire to provide Ada with a mind of her own is one of the big questions that is posed when it comes to AI - do we make androids entirely self-aware and therefore our equals, or do we put in programming to keep them our servants? Alex's struggle with what to do is perfect, and I look forward to seeing where their relationship heads following the conclusion of this first volume.

It's also a very recognisable world to our own, despite being set in the future. Beyond androids and an internet that now resides in people's minds, it's as if nothing much has changed, beyond the natural evolution of technology. It feels like all this could be coming in the very near future.

I also absolutely loved the artwork. It's bright and vivid and fits the futuristic setting perfectly. It's interesting just how much the style of art can affect your enjoyment of a story (no matter how stupid it sounds, I can't connect with the Golden and Silver age style of comics in the same way I do the modern), but this is absolutely spot on for it's subject matter.

I really can't wait for the second volume of this story. I'm hoping to see a lot more of Alex + Ada adapting to her new found sentience, and how they hide it from the rest of the world. This is surely a must-read for fans of science-fiction.

5/5

Doctor Who Spoiler Filled Review - Series 8, Episode 1 - Deep Breath

Doctor Who - Series 8, Episode 1 - Deep Breath

And so begins a new era of Doctor Who.

Eight months after we had the first fleeting glimpse of Peter Capaldi's Twelfth Doctor, we finally get to have our first full episode with him. Is he everything we want him to be? Yep, definitely, perfectly slotting into the role as if he's been doing this all his life (which, given his very public love of the series and character, who probably has been doing).

I'll go out on a limb and say that it's possibly my favourite debut of a character so far. I must be the only person who didn't warm to Matt Smith in his first episode (I'm so warm about him now that I'm almost nuclear, please understand, but I just didn't feel it for most of the opening until the very end), and David Tennant spent half of his first episode asleep (though he owned it pretty much straight away after that). Previously I'd have probably said that Christopher Eccleston impressed me most upon his debut, but there's something more about Capaldi here that just grabs me; possibly it's because I just couldn't picture exactly how he'd play the character, and now that I've seen it I'm sold 100%. He's got the intensity of an older figure, whilst perfectly nailing the comedy that we'd expect from a younger Doctor, perfectly wrapped up in the gravitas of one of Britain's best television actors. 

From his first almost-drunken stumblings to his conversation with a tramp down a back alley, we see a Doctor struggling to deal with himself post-regeneration, showing worrying signs of a lack of respect for others (would he really steal the tramp's coat), but a magnified eccentricism as he goes about tracking down clues to a series of murders. When he later meets Clara in a restaurant and helps defeat the enemy of the week, his demeanour begins to calm somewhat, and what is likely to be the more standard-fare of Capaldi's delivery becomes apparent, which would seem to be that which we've been promised; a Doctor who is distinctly more alien, not quite as keen on explaining or apologising for what he's up to, and someone who is most definitely NOT going to become his companion's boyfriend.

Inevitably I've talked about Capaldi exclusively so far, but Jenna Coleman is fantastic, too. With a much different role this series than the 'Impossible Girl' of last, I'm hoping that the fandom in general will find more reasons to warm to her. I'll admit that her previous storyline was one of my least favourites of New-who, because of it's execution and lack of intriguing titbits as it progressed (unlike how most of the other series-long arcs have played out) and not due to her portrayal. Indeed, Coleman has such a wonderful smile and sense of fun about her she's impossible not to love in my opinion, and I'm hoping her different relationship with The Doctor this year will bring out the best in the storyline.

Her frustration, anger and woe at the loss of her Doctor, and the appearance of this grouch and erratic new one is really the central core of this episode, and the troubling moment where The Doctor appears to abandon her as he reasons that there's no point in both of them getting caught is rather a shocking one, both to her and to us. Of course, it appears to just have been a part of his bigger plan eventually, but for a moment we really don't know whether he's actually going to be standing behind her when she hedges her bets that he will. Otherwise, she has a great scene there where she stands up to the Half-Face man and calls his bluff.

The appearance of the Paternoster Gang is always welcome, particularly Strax. Madame Vestra and Jenny have some great moments (particularly involving a painting), but Strax steals the show time and time again. Yes, I'm sure he annoys a lot of people, but I find him hilarious every time. It's always welcome to have a bit more Strax!

I wasn't quite as taken with the villains as perhaps I'd have liked. It was nice to visit the clockwork droids from Series 2's The Girl in the Fireplace, but I never particularly found any sympathy for the main villain, even though his was essentially a sad story of someone just trying to find paradise. Sad, yes, but he killed a dinosaur who The Doctor managed to tell us (though translation in his sleep) was really depressed and heartbroken at being ripped away from her home, so sod him.

Thinking about it, I've not really mentioned the episode's storyline at all. It certainly has a 'villain of the week' feel, but then most Doctor-debut episodes do. It serves to introduce the new Doctor, have a bit of conflict with his confused companion (which led to a wonderful scene in the restaurant, full of very funny lines), and then let us head on without further thought. Except that's not entirely true; there were two moments towards the end that are very important, for two very different reasons. The first was the not-unexpected-in-the-slightest-if-you-use-the-internet moment where Clara receives a phone call from Matt Smith's Doctor, telling her that the new Doctor needs her help more than she needs his. It was wonderful to have just a tiny bit more Matt Smith, and led to Capaldi's best delivery of the episode, where he told Clara, 'You look at me and you can't see me. Have you any idea what that's like?'

The second was the appearance of Missy, who we've been told already is the Gatekeeper of the 'Nethersphere'. No-one was expecting her appearance so early one (just like Clara in last series' opening episode), so naturally the internet is now abuzz at her true purpose. There's a good deal of speculation that she's a new incarnation of The Master (Missy being short for Mistress being the female equivalent of Master) or the Rani (because it's always the Rani), though both of these seem too easy to be true. Whatever the truth, she apparently believes The Doctor to be her boyfriend, we can be sure to see her again before the two-part finale, and Michelle Gomez completely owns the role in the precious little time we see her for. She also appears to be the one who gave Clara The Doctor's number in her first episode, and also took out the newspaper advert that got them back together in this episode, so she clearly wants the two of them to be together. For good or for bad, though? That's the real question. My bit of speculation? That strange 'crunch' noise she does before she starts twirling like an insane Mary Poppins has something to do with her storyline, but only the gods (and Moffat) know what.

There were two more moments that are important to the character of this new Doctor personally, but that aren't going to affect the overall plot in the same way (or so we're led to believe). The first is the reason why The Doctor looks as he does. It's pretty much confirmed here that Time Lords choose the face they wear based on past experience, with The Doctor speculating that he chose this face to send a message to himself (though he doesn't know why and can't remember who the face belonged to). Mr Moffat has already said, however, that this is just a minor thing so though I'd like a full explanation, don't expect it to affect the story too much. The second moment is the ambiguous nature of whether the Half-Face man committed suicide or was pushed by The Doctor, but to be honest I don't think it really matters as to the answer. We know that The Doctor will do whatever it takes to save the innocent (barring genocide for a second/first time (depending on how you look at it), based on the Ninth Doctor's reaction to the idea at the end of Series 1), so it's not that big of a deal if he did push the droid, though the idea he could have does serve to give the impression of a 'darker' Doctor.

Overall, I can say two things with certainty; one, Peter Capaldi already owns the role of The Doctor and we're very safe in his hands, and two, I'm more excited than ever to see what's coming next. It's going to be different than Matt Smith's era but that's what we need. We need a break from what we had before, in the hands of one of Britain's best actors, and with one of Britain's best showrunners still at the helm. Whatever happens this season, it's going to be one hell of a ride.

8/10

Graphic Novel Review - Black Science Volume 1 - Rick Remender (Author), Matteo Scalera (Illustrator) & Dean White (Illustrator)

Graphic Novel Review - Black Science Volume 1 - Rick Remender (Author), Matteo Scalera (Illustrator) & Dean White (Illustrator)

Recommended for Adults/Older Teens

I received this book from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review

If you're after a science-fiction graphic novel to fill the void while you wait for the next volume of Saga, then congratulations! Your life just become awesome!

Black Science is the story of a team of scientists who unravel the key to travelling between the 'onion' (i.e. layers) of different dimensions, in the hope of finding various things like the cure to cancer, and a world where Phone Shop wasn't commissioned for E4. After someone sabotages the piller that allows them to travel and their homing beacon, they have to rely on random shifts to keep them going whilst hoping they'll be able to fix their equipment. Yes, that was pretty much the plot of Sliders, but it's a great plot, and it feels original here.

As with all new stories, you really don't know who is going to live or die, so there's a genuine sense of danger behind each page. The characters themselves are all realised and written brilliantly, and there's at least one death that will hit home hard when you've become invested in the story. The illustrations fit the grainy feel of the story well, and it's great seeing the different worlds that the characters visit, to see what the artists have pulled out of their imagination.

I had the same level of excitement reading this that I did reading Saga; I didn't want it to end, I want the next volume already, and I want to tell everyone I meet that they should read it too. It's a story with great promise, and the wait until the next volume will be a tough one!

10/10

Graphic Novel Review - Legends of Red Sonja Volume 1 - Gail Simone et al (Author)

Graphic Novel Review - Legends of Red Sonja Volume 1 - Gail Simone et al (Author)

Recommended for Adults/Older Teens

I received this eBook from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.

It’s with great joy that I’ve finally gotten round to reading a collection of Red Sonja stories. As a fan of both fantasy and adventure, I've long wanted to read all about the red she-devil, and I found all these stories to be thoroughly enjoyable. Though, with Gail Simone as chief writer/editor, that shouldn't come as a surprise!

The main narrative of the story, a band of twelve despots wanting to avenge the death of their prince at Sonja's hand, gives a different approach to what you might expect. Instead of following Sonja throughout on a certain adventure, we really do see the 'legends' about her, as this vengeance group travel around the land looking for her and sharing tales of how she has wronged them, as well as hearing tales from others they meet in villages and towns along the way. It's like reading a collection of Greek myths, rather than expanding just one, and it works brilliantly. The writing is top-notch from everyone involved, and I finished it in no time flat. Part of me thinks that the glimpses of Sonja, rather than having her for present for the entire volume, almost leaves me wanting more. I'd love to see this 'legends' style applied to other fantasy and adventure heroes; Legends of Robin Hood, for one!

The illustrations are brilliant, with a great mix of styles. At one point, during a story about Sonja's youth, the illustrations change to become very cartoony, reminiscent of some of the DC comics for young children, which is a delightful change and works brilliantly with the idea of the younger heroine. I don't think there'll ever be an entirely satisfactory explanation for Sonja's...let's go with 'minimalist' armour (damn right it's distracting, but once everyone knows about her surely that's negated?), and it's certainly not a look that is ever going to win over fans who don't like how women are depicted in comic books, but as it doesn't personally affect my enjoyment of the story I'm not going to hold it against the artists to keep with her traditional look. After all, it's a fantasy story, and I'm not going to lie and pretend that Red Sonja's look wouldn't be on my approved list for my wife if she ever decided to become a fantasy warrior. Though only in a ceremonial capacity; I think she might choose a bit more armour for battle.

Overall, I loved these stories. It opened up a world of adventure that I'm looking forward to dipping back into, and gave me a great introduction to a fantasy icon. More of the same please!

5/5

Revisiting Doctor Who - Series 2 Overview

Revisiting Doctor Who - Series 2 Overview

Well, that's Series 2 done and dusted. Well, apart from the Christmas special, but I'm keeping that separated. We've seen the introduction of David Tennant as the Tenth Doctor, and the departure of Billie Piper as Rose Tyler. Torchwood has made it's presence known, the Cybermen have returned in an alternate-universe format, and there's been some phenomenal moments that have gone down in Who-lore. There's been a couple of moments that belong on the same level of disdain as the entirety of Phone Shop, but we'll see these are the exceptions that prove the rule of 'Doctor Who is freakin' brilliant'.

Let's recap all the episodes to start with:

Revisiting Doctor Who – Series 2, Episode 1 – New Earth
It's not the greatest episode, but there's a strong moral conundrum to debate, and Tennant and Piper are playing off each other wonderfully, with great performances as Cassandra in turn.

7/10

Revisiting Doctor Who - Series 2 Episode 2 - Tooth and Claw

Some very funny moments a decent amount of tension, but there’s nothing to elevate it beyond a ‘monster of the week’ feel. If you had to avoid watching an episode this season, this would be a strong candidate.

6/10

Revisiting Doctor Who - Series 2, Episode 3 - School Reunion

A fun episode featuring the return of former companion Sarah Jane Smith and robot dog K9, with strong performances from all the main characters. It's not exceptional, but it's damn good.

8/10

Revisiting Doctor Who - Series 2, Episode 4 - The Girl in the Fireplace

One of the best episodes of New-Who, and an absolute emotional powerhouse. Stunning performances all round, and as memorable a final ten-minutes as you could ever hope to see. Absolutely breathtaking.

10/10

Revisiting Doctor Who - Series 2, Episode 5 - Rise of the Cybermen

Whilst there's a sense of danger with the Cybermen, and the conundrum of whether parallel-universe versions of your loved ones should be sought out is well displayed, there's just something missing from this episode that means it could easily be skipped without any difficulty.

6/10

Revisiting Doctor Who - Series 2, Episode 6 - The Age of Steel

It’s a strong end to a two-parter, though it’s not quite up there with new-Who’s strongest multi-episode arcs. A great episode for Mickey fans, with strong emotional and moral punches that should leave you with a few tears by the end.

8/10

Revisiting Doctor Who – Series 2, Episode 7 – The Idiot’s Lantern

Nothing spectacular, but nothing too shabby either. Just a fairly run-of-the-mill episode at the end of the day.

7/10

Revisiting Doctor Who – Series 2, Episode 8 – The Impossible Planet

A solid episode that leads in nicely to the second part, but without a lot of the warmth and humour that has made new-Who so special for me.

7/10

Revisiting Doctor Who - Series 2, Episode 9 - The Satan Pit

An improvement on part one, with a particularly strong performance from David Tennant as he destroys the Beast to save Rose and the crew. 

8/10

Revisiting Doctor Who – Series 2, Episode 10 – Love & Monsters

Whilst children might find this brilliant, anyone else will likely find this to be the worst episode of Doctor Who ever created. The comedy isn’t funny, the characters aren’t likeable, and the villain just doesn’t work. Besides one genuinely hilarious scene involving Jackie Tyler (though when isn’t there a genuinely hilarious scene involving Jackie Tyler?), I can’t find a single thing to recommend about it.
1/10

Revisiting Doctor Who - Series 2, Episode 11 - Fear Her
I really don't think it's as bad as people make out, and children will certainly enjoy it more than adults, though adults should enjoy some hilarious parts of the script. Overall though, it's just 'alright', nothing better
6/10

Revisiting Doctor Who - Series 2, Episode 12 - Army of Ghosts

A fantastic episode, full of mystery and drama, as well as a good dollop of comedy thanks to the excellent writing. A brilliant cliffhanger to leave us eagerly awaiting the finale.

10/10

Revisiting Doctor Who - Series 2, Episode 13 - Doomsday
Though the episode itself is a little flawed, the ending is perhaps the greatest since new-Who began. It's the most heart-breaking, tear-jerking finish to a season, even more so than Series 4, and I'm still feeling the effects half a day later (well, nearly 7 YEARS later from when I first saw it). Fantastic end to the season, and a very fond farewell to Rose, Mickey and Jackie.

9/10

Revisiting Doctor Who - Series 2, Christmas Special - The Runaway Bride
An excellent Christmas episode, and possibly the best that I've seen if you discount the Tennant leaving specials. It's hilarious throughout, and Catherine Tate is fantastic as Donna. Let down only by the villain being beyond annoying, fake looking, and frankly rather rubbish.

9/10

Overall rating for this series (just to make it fun):
7.3

The Best Bits:
David Tennant
Widely hailed as the greatest Doctor of all time, David Tennant is memorable straight from the beginning. Whilst this might not be the strongest season overall of new-Who, it's clear that he is often the best thing in any given episode. Everything, from his mannerisms to the way he delivers certain lines ('I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry' etc.) is now iconic, and it's easy to see why people love him so much. I certainly do. I'm much more au fait with the 'new' Doctors than the classic, but there's something about Tennant's performance that is elevated above all the rest, even Matt Smith who does such a fantastic job as the Eleventh Doctor. It's not that Tennant is more jovial than Eccleston, nor less grumpy (two of the most recognisable aspects of Eccleston's portrayal); he's just so different with them. I'm loving seeing him back from the beginning again, and delighted that I've got another 2.5 series to go.


The Doctor in Love
The Girl in the Fireplace is one of the best episodes of all time, hands down. The Doctor and Reinette's tragic love story can never be completed, and you won't get many moments more tear jerking than the one where he realises that he has been away for years and she has died in the meantime. Her letter to him makes my heart bleed everytime, and I doubt there's been a more tragic tale weaved on the big screen (partly because I don't watch romances, and partly because if you try to count Romeo & Juliet as a tragic love story than I think you're deluded).


But even this pales in comparison to the final moments of Doomsday, with Rose telling The Doctor on the beach that she loves him, and he unable to say the words in return before he vanishes. Honestly, I'm welling up now just remembering it. I understand that a lot of fans don't like the idea of The Doctor and his companion in love, though personally it doesn't bother me, but I find it hard to believe that anyone can't shed a tear when they see each of them separated by the wall, the realisation of what's happened sinking in. The Doctor's tears as he stands alone in the TARDIS after the beach scene sum up his heart at this point; utterly broken.


The Humour
Seriously, how does Doctor Who not get more credit for its comedy? It's killingly funny at times. Love & Monsters might be a disaster in literally every other sense of the word, but the scene where Jackie Tyler tries to seduce Marc Warren's character and repeatedly splashes him with wine is the series' funniest ever moment for me. Time and again I find myself guffawing at what has happened, more so than most comedy shows out at the moment. Sometimes it's just a simple look (The Doctor giving Donna a quick scan when someone suggests she's a transvestite), other times it's a quick line (INSERT LINE), but there isn't a single episode that doesn't have at least one laugh out loud moment.

The Worst Bits:

Love & Monsters (episode)

You'll be hard picked to find a worse episode in the whole of new-Who, full of stupid and unfunny moments, and a monster that just doesn't work well on screen (hard as it is to say about one designed by a 9-year old for a Blue Peter competition). It's clearly designed to be funny for children, but I refuse to subscribe to the notion that Doctor Who is 'actually a children's show', as it's so much more than that. There's nothing wrong with appealing to children, and if children in general loved it then brilliant, but that doesn't stop me hating it with a passion. Doctor-lite episodes can be brilliant (Blink, Turn Left), but this is shockingly bad. The only, and I mean only, plus to it (as discussed above) is the absolutely hilarious scene where Jackie Tyler tries to put the moves on Marc Warren's character (I've genuinely forgotten it). Otherwise it's a complete and utter mess, and shouldn't be watched by anyone, ever (except the aforementioned scene).


Overtly 'Childish' Episodes
It will be a debate for the ages on whether or not Doctor Who is a children's show or one equally for adults. It's not a bad thing to be a child's show in the slightest; we all have fond memories of our favourite childhood television. Personally, just like the Harry Potter books I think that the show has grown into more than just a children's show. The fervour with which it is revered by its adult fans and the darkness of some of its storylines (not the complexity exactly; children aren't stupid and a difficult storyline doesn't make it an adult show) clearly show that a large part of its intended audience are grown ups.


What I do have a problem with, however, is dumbing down an episode to make it more for children and alienating the adults, who I imagine will actually represent a bigger majority. Episodes like Love & Monsters are just appalling television, with humour and storylines that no adult is likely to enjoy, whilst Fear Her contains similar traits though executed much better. There's a reason why Doctor Who works so well for both adults and children, and that's because there's enough for them each to enjoy with plenty of crossover. Focusing on one at the expense of the other just doesn't work (though I'm betting people could find plenty of examples that would make me a hypocrite when it alienates children by making the show more adult).


The Racnoss
The only bad part of an otherwise excellent Christmas special, the Empress of the Racnoss just doesn't work for me. Even on a limited budget the effects, costume and make up teams can do incredibly realistic aliens, but this isn't one of them. She appears to just be wobbling like a drunk on high stillettos the entire time, and the raspy random shouts are just plain annoying. Not a winning alien in my book.


Overall
David Tennant's first season, and new-Who's second, is full of stand-out moments and episodes. The Girl in the Fireplace and the two-part finale are two of Who's most celebrated episodes, both full of heartbreak and tragedy, and elsewhere there are plenty of moments to make you loud out loud. I ranked Series 1 8.4 on average, and this gets 7.3, so clearly I'm not quite as enamoured with it as last year, but that's not to say it doesn't have a lot of classic moments. Before starting the revisiting process, I think I would probably have placed Series 2 at the bottom of the rankings anyway, so perhaps it's correct that it's ended up with a lower score. Like with all Who, it's still essential watching, with moments like Rose's departure being amongst the most important in the series to date. It's time to move on to Martha Jones now, and enjoy ourselves as we revisit the numerous times where The Doctor clearly enjoyed having a different companion to Rose, not once comparing the two of them and...


Oh, right. I'm starting to remember...