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The DOCTOR WHO Rewatch Project - Season Three
🕑 Added 2023-09-30 20:05:54 +0000 UTCNote: don’t worry, it’s not all gonna be Doctor Who these next weeks - I’ve got a lot of other big essays and some October Horror stuff coming :)
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Ahhhh, my favorite Davies season.
I’m not sure why that’s so controversial? It feels like it shakes off a lot of the nostalgia instincts of the two prior seasons in a push to innovate. And it certainly has a few of the best episodes the show has ever done. But for me, the key is that there isn’t a truly weak episode in the bunch, either. I mean there are a few that you could call “B-” fare, but I think that’s the sneaky key to its absolute success. It’s solid and unflappable the whole way through. But perhaps that’s also why people underrate it? With Doctor Who, we’re often used to certain emotional highs and connections that come along the goofy story path that consistency is less of a barrier. But I also think part of the reason people talk about this one less has to do with the nature of companion relationships and, well, let’s get right into it…
Martha Jones - Whenever I see people talk about Tennant’s companions they tend to favor either Rose (the charming OG) or Donna (who is achingly funny / mean to him). And thus it feels like Martha Jones always suffers from “middle child” syndrome (which is a term I really dislike, but has enough popular understanding so I’m using it here). But guess what? She’s absolutely my favorite Davies companion. Yes, that’s correct. Why is that? Maybe I’m just defensive because I see SO much casual dismissal (and some I get, but also some of it feels like … um… maybe there should be some self-examinations there of equally casual bias). But that comes from the fact I genuinely love it and have since moment one. There’s the basic appeal, of course. Martha is funny, smart, inventive, serious-but-not-severe, good at being both into it AND over it, and is also mind-bogglingly pretty. But it’s the fact that I love the story. Where other companion stories play on this heartfelt tension and often end in some kind of grand tragedy that leaves you with yearning and thus practically designed for audience shipping, this serves as a real alternative to that.. and I *like* that it does that.
It begins by leaning into the “rebound” storyline in a way that doesn’t just depict, but genuinely leans into the way it FEELS like a rebound. And again, I get that that feels less fun as a viewer! But for me, it just feels well observed. And the great Freema Agyeman brings it to life with this humane verve. She doesn’t just feel ONE way about the matter. She plays the pulpy flirtations (in a way that’s fun because where Rose was in love with The Doctor, she more clearly wants to straight up fuck the guy at first, which is funny). But she also plays the misgivings, the confusion, the tiredness, the annoyance, and most of all, the overwhelming sense of duty that goes along with everything they do (this especially comes out in the family of blood two parter). Because in the end, she’s a doctor, too. And I love where her arc ends, which we’ll get to in the finale write-up..
Also, she was so unfairly hampered by the low rise jean era / bad pocket placement. These are simple fashion things and I have never seen someone so mis-styled for their strong suits!!! But it’s not just her! I feel like an entire generation was hurt by this!!!! (there’s even a lot of discussion around the racism and fatphobia of Y2K trends, which I’ve read more academic stuff on this was just the most immediately google-able https://centennialworld.com/fatphobic-racist-origins-y2k-fashion-trends/ )
Anyway, onto the episodes!
EPISODE RESPONSES
Christmas 2006: The Runaway Bride - I think this Christmas special ends up working best as a palette cleanser. Because it’s impossible, right? To go from Rose, this great, amazing companion to… well, literally anyone else in the world. Which is why they turn into the wave and make Donna a truly terrible companion - but that’s exactly what makes her great, too. It’s oil and water, which makes it refreshing as hell because it just changes the temperature completely. She’s not ready for ANY OF THIS. And the result is hilarious. But as for the story itself, it’s, like, fine? There’s some neat design with the big spider people (that I wish was shot a little better). And it’s neat seeing the Tardis fly around in a car chase (which it “doesn’t do that much”). And once again I’m going to complain about how Torchwood is in fucking EVERYTHING. But my favorite part of the episode is the way that Donna’s hesitance leads to that ultimate insight into The Doctor himself: “I think you need someone to stop you.” It hits him. And it’s safe to say this will come full circle later on.
Smith and Jones - I love this episode because it’s so good at setting up the interplay between Martha and The Doctor. Also, it does my favorite little thing which is when we see that The Doctor is already in the middle of something, mostly operating as a sneaky guy in the background and we can’t wait to catch up with the adventure. And when it gets to her accidentally discovering his two hearts and the little wink??? I’m already like “holy shit I love this.” Better yet, it’s a great set-up for her saving him later, which shows how all the little plot things add up. There’s the ticking clock of the oxygen, the tardis being gone, the cops not giving a shit (ARCARB- all rhino cops are rhino bastards). And also I love how much The Doctor is just genuinely a shameless fucking flirt at the end. Seriously, this is the most seductive “how you doin?” energy we have ever seen from him. But what I love most about this episode is that Tennant (who was always awesome last season) is finally in full comfort mode and knows EXACTLY how to play every kind of moment for different comedic and dramatic effect. He is complete.
The Shakespeare Code - I love this episode too. It’s Insanely flirty on all fronts and gets to indulge in the obvious delight of Shakespeare! And I love that they cast him as a handsome roguish, unapologetic lothario (as Landon said “i’ll let him shake my spear” … Or was that a line in the show? I didn’t write down the credit). Anyway, it goes into the mystery of what REALLY happened to Love’s Labour's Won and gets to play with every possible little Shakespeare in joke and reference. It’s just a delight. And the big payoff with The Doctor not knowing why offended Liz II in the future is amazing (and a great tip to how this season is going to go). Also, I think they should change the names of execs / producers to “master of the revels.” It feels far more opulent.
Gridlock - So this one is kinda well liked, but I’m a little less crazy about it? To be clear, it is entertaining and brings you through the story in an affecting way! But for me it gets into little things of being thematically mush-mouthed. To wit, so far all the “New New York” stories have tried to capture modern allegory of how cities basically treat people in lower class inhumanely (last time it was life preservation… kinda). And at first, it’s doing the same thing here, starting with this kind of arch, conservative opinion of how drugs are bad and sell moods. But it’s all going into this metaphor of how there is flight from cities because of drugs and unsavory elements (which is wonky) but then it gets into the whole highway metaphor. Now, the core idea being that you get trapped in this capitalistic labyrinth where it’s impossible to move and get away (which is good!) but takes some pot shots at religion being the answer for these stuck people along the way (which is far more complicated depending on which groups you are talking about). But where it really gets odd for me is that big reveal that all the poor people were trapped because rich people were chasing their own “bliss” (which is good!), but leads to the notion they all got trapped down there in an effort to “save” them (which is wonky). Along with the fact they’re rescued by the Face of Boe, along with putting faith in The Doctor and not through their own realizations of bucking the system that’s kept them in poverty? Look, this is the thing about having clunky metaphors (which I don’t mind), but then kind of messing up the extended metaphors that go with them. Because what you’re really going for through all the action gets a little lost. And I feel like the twist inclinations get a little “opposite day” story approach, rather than zooming in on creating something more cathartic.
That said all the really good stuff in the episode is in the relationships. Not just in terms of that nice, emotionally affecting moment with the Face of Boe (which if you know the season’s end, is even more effective). Martha knows the doctor is keeping her at a distance because he’s afraid to get hurt again, thus fully doing the wounded “rebound” metaphor through and through. But that line where she says, “Sometimes I think he likes me. Sometimes I think he just needs someone” is especially cutting because it’s really going after that essential question for Martha: what is my true value? Am I more than a mere replacement? And it all builds to The Doctor finally opening up again and talking about being the last of the timelords. But if you know the season, we can think, Or IZ HE?!?!? Dun dun dunnnn.
Daleks in Manhattan / Evolution of the Daleks - I love how when I first watched this I was like “oh my gosh, it’s Captain Panaka!” because I will recognize any Star Wars prequel actor instantly. But now going back it’s like “wait ANDREW GARFIELD IS IN THIS!?!??!” I can’t wait to have more and more of these surprises of actors who hadn’t gotten famous yet showing up in big parts (no spoilers, I’m going into all these pretty blind). But seeing all these brits do old school New York accents also brought up this funny question for Landon, namely if they ever used American actors. And Doctor Who is even more like James Bond than Bond is, in that it is a deeply protected British property that doesn’t want America getting its fussy little mitts on it (I believe the only “name” American actor who appeared in an episode was Eric Roberts getting forced into the 1986 movie?).
Anyway, I don’t quite love this two-parter because it’s the classic Davies era “this could be one episode, but it’s expensive so we’re going to drag the story on both sides.” Which is especially for this one because it keeps the audience waiting for things they definitely already know. There’s also some little wonky stuff of “everyone is equal here in Hooverville!” which is so NOT how that went, historically speaking. But more specifically on the execution front, I’m not really into the actor who plays the Dalek / Human hybrid? Like it feels weirdly one note. But evenw ith that, it more or less nails the dismount of the story element, with the Daleks betraying each other and fallout, all leading to the particularly enthralling moment of The Doctor’s “no more death, today!” rallying call.
The Lazarus Project - Ah, the homecoming episodes wherein we come back to check on the companions personal life! The thing is that the Rose episodes were FANTASTIC at this, partially because Rose’s mum was hilarious (and the Mickey relationship always had good conflict / poignancy). This is all a little less pointed with Martha (at least at the moment), but we at least build into this idea of her sibling supporting her (it’s Gugu Mbatha-Raw pre-fame!!!) even if her family doesn’t. But really it’s mostly set-up for the things coming at the end of the season in the abduction. Anyway, the episode gives us GLIMPSES of fun that should really come through the whole. Mark Gatiss is obviously having a blast as the youth obsessed scientist, but the whole thing REALLY gets Scorpion Kinged to a hilarious, almost referential degree? That’s the thing, sometimes the effects can be chintzy fun and sometimes it is weary-inducing, particularly with the sheer VOLUME of VFX shots that use this episode. They definitely aimed way, way too high. But bonus points for the Spinal Tap reference?
42 - This is actually a sneaky important episode for the overall meta writing arc of the show! Because it’s the first Chris Chibnall episode and it sort of highlights both the appeal of what he goes for and why I think he ultimately underserved Jodie Whittaker’s Doctor. Because the conceit is good on paper, right? You have this tense situation and a ticking clock. And there’s even this really great quiet moment where the escape pod jettisons with Martha inside. So why doesn’t it all work the way it should? It all comes down to writing fundamentals. The first basic issue is that so much of the dialogue doesn’t have a flow. There’s just a lot of static yelling and intensity. But what helps you feel a sense of flow is when a scene has positive and negative exchanges (or basically, their own mini-arcs). Chibnall has this habit of never really doing that so you lack that intrinsic feel of progress that Who episodes are generally pretty good at doing.
Similarly, there’s this big emotional moment where the captain lady sacrifices herself with her (now sun-enslaved former husband) and it’s done with this extreme dramatic flair. The problem is the set-up to this catharsis is so underserved. One, we are basically only told they were in a relationship, but knowing information is not the same thing as CARING about that relationship as an audience. And if we even got one scene of set-up and coming to love them, that would go miles for us. Second, the story is acting like she made some horrible mistake because the sun is alive I guess? But again, everyone is acting like she’s the devil, but it doesn’t feel like some horribly inhumane slight? Especially given the lack of set up. Plus, whatever they’re trying to say about us using living resources gets messed up in the show’s Opposite Day instincts of conveying that “solar power is alive I guess?” And we’re supposed to be so aggrieved, but once again it doesn’t make you CARE about this living sun in the first place. It’s all just TELLING you. So the final sacrifice feels so ho-hum precisely because none of it is really shown / nor set-up. Just told in retrospect. Even the things that the episode is good at feel more straight-forward actiony (like the Doctor reaching for a lever real hard) instead of the usual cerebral Who games. Again, this is all fundamental stuff. You can still watch the episode and be like “eh, not bad!” but if you look at the writing fundamentals you’re like OOF. And unfortunately, this won’t be the last time we have to deal with this exact problem from the writer at hand.
Human Nature / The Family of Blood - Now THIS is how you do a two-parter (and it was written by Paul Cornell, who did the super emotionally affecting “Rose’s Dad” in season one). The key is that it tells its own stories that don’t make you feel like you’re just waiting for the mystery box to come undone. Which is particularly good considering how much Martha feels like SHE is waiting (I think this absolutely her best performance in the season, too). It’s also full of beautiful allegory about the honor-bound mindsets that brought us to World War One. It features wonderful little performances from Jessica Hynes (Spaced, Shaun of the Dead) Thomas Brody-Sangster (Love Actually, The Maze Runner, The Queen’s Gambit) and Harry Lloyd (Daenary’s asshole brother on Game of Thrones). There’s a whole world of good storytelling in keeping it dramatic, which makes it the superior version dramatically speaking to The Doctor’s first episode. But mostly it ends up being a really poignant exploration of The Doctor himself. Because here he gets that whiff of a simple human life with a possibility of love, family, so much more. No, he doesn’t want the war, nor the pain. And Tennant’s pleading performance to be normal is so incredibly effective. It shows his essential duality and asks, why, why choose the horrors of dire life? And it makes Jessica Hynes’ retort of “If the doctor had never chosen this place on a whim, would anyone have died?” so gutting. He brings death everywhere he goes. But on the other side, there is the little, nestled story about the people he saves (and it’s always so good when he visits them later in life, never having changed). For whatever comes, it is a man whose instinct is always to help. Of this, there can be no doubt.
Blink - Y’all, I somehow, someway, got Landon to this episode unspoiled and with no expectations. Because HOLY SHIT. Even all these years later it is an absolutely barn burner. And still one of the most inventive episodes of television ever. But it’s not just all fun and games. When Moffat is at his best, he can be so casually devastating, which is all found in the way she goes from moment to moment with people blipping out and coming back years later. To be clear, Carey Mulligan is outrageously good in this episode and it’s not thankless reaction work either. She’s playing all of the insanity that follows with a perfect mix of grounded, cynical, curious, awe-stuck, terrified, and giddy. But so much of this episode’s success is the invention of the weeping angels themselves. Which, from a perfect gimmick and execution stand point are INCREDIBLE (and directed so perfectly as to be terrifying). But I also love that The Doctor calls them “creatures of the abstract” in the way they feed off potential energy of your life in the given timeline and thus, “kill you nicely.”
But that means there’s some REAL consequences to getting stuck in a timeline, which is really the only meaningful consequence in a show with casual time travel (and kudos to how much Moffat sticks to the rules on this in a way that Davies doesn’t do as often). But every bit of the ending plays like gangbusters, from the climactic outsmarting of getting them to face each other, to that final reveal of her giving the folder. Because of course you want the catharsis of The Doctor coming and saying “good job” to her. But like everything in this episode, it’s out of time. She’s the one to tell him “you’re gonna need this” as they are completely distracted there with a lizard and the bow and arrows (which is such a good gag). And this means this ending is about catharsis for The Doctor, but catharsis for YOU. And as such, you really feel the timey-wimey, roundness of time itself. And in the end, they made one of the best little sci-fi stories of the modern era. The pinnacle of what’s possible in a single episode of Doctor Who.
Utopia - But it doesn’t just end there, does it? Because this three episode run might be the best in the entire history of the show. You go from the emotional fireworks of Blood, to the genius of Blink, to suddenly getting plunged right into the climactic endgame of the season. And where the Davies multi-parters can sometimes suffer, boy does this one work because it’s an actual misdirect. Because you think you are on this journey about saving humanity and the end of time itself and then OOPS. We’re back in Master town. Now, when I first watched this episode way back when, did I know who The Master was? Nope! But the show does such a great job of catching you up to speed dramatically, especially in using the great Derek Jacobi’s gravitas to lend import and power to the story. But now that I know so much of what comes before / after? It plays even better.
The episode itself is full of interesting little details. The image of a sky with all the stars burned out is genuinely kind of disturbing. But it also has moments like The Doctor accusing people of wasting time by saying “and you’re busy blogging!” which is all about the paradox of how trying to be timely in writing often makes you instantly dated with a parlance (especially with ones that never even really caught on). Davies also does another one of his Bad Wolf-y connector things that doesn’t actually mean anything with the Professor Yana anagram. But we also get the return of Jack Harkness, which turns right into the now troubling “bisexuals are giant whores” trope, but 1. That trope probably came more from portrayals like this and 2. You have to admit that it’s fun as hell in this story, especially because Barrowman is so good at eating it up. Better yet, Barrowman delivers on the other fronts because the scene of him and Tennant talking while in the radiation chamber is so outrageously good. It’s just so well written, acted, timed, edited and comes precisely in a way that would feel like “exposition” in any other hands or context. And of course, it all leads to that banger ending reveal which sets up the final two episodes…
Sound of The Drums - I somehow forgot how good John Simm was in this role. He’s not just chewing, he’s dining out on an 8 course meal with the scenery. And showing us exactly what a nightmare version of a time lord would be like. And the thing about The Master is he is quite unlike The Daleks and the Cybermen - which are cold ideal-centric beings made to reflect inhumanity on this grand thematic level. But no, The Master is uniquely human, just in our worst and most petty ways. For he is the embodiment of spite, rage, contempt, shallowness, vanity, and the urge toward entropy. And how does this come to be? I actually love the origin story as The Doctor sits down to explain how the Time Lords are brought to stare at the void of the universe (thus rendering them watchful observers). But instead it drove The Master mad. Hence the ticking clock of anger, the “sound of drums,” as if putting a tinnitus into his very malevolent soul (all while The Doctor ran away “and never stopped,” of course). It's a perfect duality of how we deal with the grand idea of nothingness. The Master rages against the notion, thus embodying it. But then there’s The Doctor, who as The Master puts it “the man who makes people better, how sanctimonious is that?” But really? The Doctor is part of the age-old understanding that “if nothing we do matters, then the only thing that matters is what we do.” And he seeks to prove the void wrong every step he can.
The episode itself has neat little details. I think they do the smart thing of going with old age makeup that doesn’t try to look TOO MUCH like Tennant as he is now and instead just keeps the eyes and nose (though I want to kill the little CGI Benjamin Buttennant with fire). I also love the meta fun of using “the bad guy” to fulfill the dark urges and id of the British audience by having him kill the bullish American President (this is part of what villains are for, honestly). And I love how big and world changing the finale really gets. There’s grand stakes here. And most of all, there really is something to lose. Which brings us to the proper finale…
Last of the Time Lords - You gotta love something that goes this big. Martha’s been on the mission for a whole ass year. You see the way the world has turned and shook and changed, seemingly forever. And she does such a good job conveying how much has been on her shoulders this whole time. There’s a lot of plotting about getting some super injection gun and it is all, of course, a feint. Because all of this is about leading up to the big moment. And I want to talk a little bit about why the big moment is a little divisive, if underwhelming.
Normally the audience, especially in Doctor Who, gives a lot of leeway to the “science” of the show and what’s possible at any given time. Everything is super elastic. And the reasons you go along with things is that you like the emotion of the moment or the relationship dynamics. And more often than not, they’re nailing a larger metaphor so you get the resonant theme of a thing. It’s storytelling. But the thing about the “prayer” moment and everyone saying his name at once and it basically giving him superpowers that can seemingly do anything, which is something that it is both a stretch even within the bounds of this show AND coming to something that feels a little God Worship-y. But that isn’t even really the problem. Because this show is normally fine with those things. The problem is that it isn’t set up well. Granted, I like the “telling the story” bait and switch because that works really well thematically for what The Doctor is about, but on the same plot level? The Archangel and its capacity to influence physical things like that? You need SOME set-up beyond the lip service mentions of its existence. Remember, the “rose looking into the heart of the tardis” moment was set up by the way it did the same with Slitheen lady. The possibility needs to register with a dramatic moment that sets it up. The prayer needs to feel like an “of course!” level call back instead of something that underwhelms and needs tons of retroactive explanation in the moment. But hey, some people always fall for the appeal of the magician's surprise, which is just being too clever by half. Still, I like what it’s going for at least and it’s not enough to hamper the episode itself.
Because the real fireworks come in the scene just after. The conversation between The Doctor and The Master, who will let himself die out of spite is such a great little beat. Because there is so much understanding of WHY The Doctor wants to take responsibility for him. It’s not just the honor of both being timelines, there’s something they genuinely understand about each other. There is something to the “I know you” that stretches past all the appeals of the moment. And again, the thing about Villains dying is sometimes it’s about satisfying the gnarly “fuck you, die!” instinct from the audience. But sometimes, especially with charismatic / funny villains, it’s about that moment of humility that just punctuates where the villainy comes from. And that moment where he hopes the drums will stop is the best possible example of how to do that.
And finally, there is the goodbye. Martha and her family do their best to make peace with “the year that never was,” which finally has a real consequence. Because Martha has grown past it now. She was pining for someone who was always closed off, still hurting, and was never quite ready for what she wanted. It’s a love story as familiar as any other. And one made direct with the parable of her friend “getting out” and her own willingness to do so. And compared to so many other companions? I *love* that it’s her choice. I love that she got so much out of it, but wants something else now. I love that she learned something. I love that I watch all this and it’s not that I love “them” - it’s that I love Martha and her story And most of all, I love the final call back beat where she asks if he’ll be alright and he responds “I’m always alright,” which is the very thing he said at the end of “The Girl and the Fireplace.” It not only speaks to the depth of the loss, but the essential duality. Because he is… and he isn’t. And she knows it.
But y’all, you should have heard Landon scream laughing when the Titanic hit.
With that, Who is best when it speaks for itself…
TOP EIGHTEEN BEST QUOTES / JOKES
18. Martha: What, people call you the Doctor?
The Doctor: Yeah.
Martha: Well, I’m not. As far as I’m concerned you’ve gotta earn that title.
The Doctor: Well I better have a start then.
17. The Doctor: Oh look. They’ve got nibbles! I love nibbles!
16. Sally: I love old things. They make me sad.
Kathy: What’s good about sad?
Sally: It’s happy for deep people.
15. Martha: It’s like in the films. You step on a butterfly, you change the future of the human race.
The Doctor: Tell you what then, don’t step on any butterflies. What have butterflies ever done to you?
14. Professor Lazarus: That’s an interesting perfume. What’s it called?
Leticia Jones: Soap.
13. The Doctor: There was a war—a Time War. The Last Great Time War. My people fought a race called the Daleks. For the sake of all creation. And they lost. We lost. Everyone lost. They’re all gone now. My family. My friends. Even that sky. Ah, you should have seen it, that old planet. The second sun would rise in the south and the mountains would shine. The leaves on the trees were silver. When they caught the light every morning it looked like a forest on fire.
12. Martha: Where’s Shakespeare? I want to see Shakespeare! {yelling} Author! Author! Do people shout that? Do they shout “author”?
Crowd: Author! Author!
The Doctor: They do now.
11. The Master: So it came to pass that the human race fell and the Earth was no more. And I looked down upon my new dominion as Master of all. And I thought it… good.
10. Martha: And why are you telling them that?
The Doctor: This lot have still got one foot in the Dark Ages. If I tell them the truth they’ll panic and think it was witchcraft.
Martha: Okay, what was it then?
The Doctor: Witchcraft.
9. [Brother of Blood]: He never raised his voice. That was the worst thing. The fury of the Time Lord. And then we discovered why. Why this Doctor who had fought with gods and demons, why he’d run away from us and hidden. He was being kind. He wrapped my father in unbreakable chains, forged in the heart of a dwarf star. He tricked my mother into the event horizon of a collapsing galaxy, to be imprisoned there forever. He still visits my sister— once a year, every year. I wonder if one day he might forgive her. But there she is! Can you see her? He trapped her inside a mirror. Every mirror. If ever you look at your reflection and see something move behind you—just for a second—that’s her. That’s always her. As for me, I was suspended in time. And the Doctor put me to work standing over the fields of England, as their protector. We wanted to live forever. So the Doctor made sure that we did.
8. The Doctor: Crossing into established events is strictly forbidden. Except for cheap tricks.
7. Jack: But all the legends of Gallifrey made it sound so perfect.
The Doctor: Well perfect to look at, maybe. And it was. It was beautiful. Used to call it the “Shining World of the Seventh System”. And on the continent of Wild Endeavor, 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, taken from their families at 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 can be seen the whole of the vortex. You 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.
Martha: What about you?
The Doctor: Oh, one of the ones that ran away. I never stopped.
6. John Smith: You’re this Doctor’s companion. Can’t you help? What exactly do you do for him? Why does he need you?
Martha: Because he’s lonely.
John Smith: And that’s what you want me to become?
5. It’s not a single exchange, but the callback in Blink between: “because life is short and you are hot” and “because life is long and you are hot,” all leading into “I have an old man’s hands, how did that happen?” is all just truly gutting and masterful stuff.
4. Martha: I traveled across the world, from the ruins of New York to the fusion mills of China. Right across the radiation pits of Europe. And everywhere I went, I saw people just like you living as slaves. But if Martha Jones became a legend, then that’s wrong because my name isn’t important. There’s someone else. The man who sent me out there, the man who told me to walk the earth. And his name is The Doctor. He has saved your lives so many times and you never even knew he was there. He never stops, he never stays, he never asks to be thanked. But I’ve seen him, I know him. I love him. And I know what he can do.
3. *Loud crash into the TARDIS*
The Doctor: “What?”
*Turns around to see a ship’s hull has punctured the side of his ship*
The Doctor: What!?!?
*picks up life preserver to see its The Titanic*
The Doctor: WHAT!?!??!?!?!?!?!?!
2. Martha: Yes. ‘Cause he never looked at her twice. I mean he liked her. That was it. And she wasted years pining after him. Years of her life. ‘Cause while he was around she never looked at anyone else. And I told her, I always said to her, time and time again, I said, “Get out.” So this is me, getting out. {she tosses him her phone} Keep that. ‘Cause I’m not having you disappear. If that rings— when that rings, you better come running. You got it?
The Doctor: Got it.
Martha: I’ll see you again, Mister.
1. And of course number one had to be… The Doctor: Your life could depend on this. Don’t blink. Don’t even blink. Blink and you’re dead. They are fast. Faster than you can believe. Don’t turn your back, don’t look away, and don’t blink! Good luck.
<3HULK
Comments
Man, I love The Family of Blood so much. Son of Mine still gives me chills. "Do you think they will thank the man who taught them it was glorious?" And of course, it has the setup with the watch. I kinda wish we got to see more of Jacobi's Master, that reveal is one of the coolest in a run that loved a big reveal. But it's an equal pleasure to see Simm lean into something so big and broad, having spent the last 15 years appearing in every gritty social realist drama we had going.
Érico Lotufo
The "He was being kind" quote always gave me chills. I love when Doctor Who pushes on the whole "anger of the gentle man" angle (which Moffat thoroughly embraces with "Demons run when a good man goes to war"). I feel like the pacing of this season is kind of genius, aware that the viewer (and the Doctor) still grieve Rose. And when they feel like you're past that, you just get banger eps.
