The post-Rose Tyler era of “Doctor Who” officially began Saturday night with the premiere of series three. As a long-time fan of “Doctor Who,” while I liked Rose, I realize that change is part of the show and most companions don’t stay on board the TARDIS for more than a year or two.
That said, I was curious to see where excutive producer Russell T. Davis would take us with the latest companion for the hit sci-fi series.
So far, so good.
Just as “Rose” did three years ago, “Smith and Jones” gives us an interesting thumb-nail sketch of the new companion. We meet Martha Jones, a medical student who is quickly drawn into the Doctor’s orbit when the hospital she’s working at is transported up to the moon. Martha’s lack of panic, calm demanor and skepticism draw the Doctor to her as the two of them piece together what happened. A rhino-looking race called the Jihdoon have moved the hospital to the moon in order to have jurisdiction to hunt down an alien criminal lurking in the hospital. The alien looks human and can absord human blood in order to mask itself from the Judoon. The Doctor and Martha must race against time to find the alien, give her to the Judoon and convince them to not extereminate everyone in the hospital for harboring a fugitive. (Judoon justice is swift and final).
Unlike last year’s muddled and confusing “New Earth,” “Smith and Jones” is a solid start to the third-series. David Tennant is firmly established as the Doctor, thus leaving the script time to give us hints as to just who Martha Jones is. Davis shows us a bit of Martha’s dysfunctional family and the brief glimpses we get of Martha’s intelligence and savy are well done. She may not make new fans forget Rose quickly, but she’s different enough to work well. Tennant and Freeman Agyeamn have a good chemistry and it should be interesting to see where this Doctor/companion partnership goes. (Indeed, there’s a hint of the 4th Doctor/Sarah Jane in the storyline as the Doctor promises Martha one quick trip to thank her for the help she gave him on the moon and then it’s quickly home).
There are even a few hints thrown in as to where this season might go. We hear about the mysterious Mr. Saxon, who rumor has it will play a significant role as the season goes along.
While “Smith and Jones” is a nice start to the season, it still lacks the distinctive energy that made “Rose” such an instant hit. The episodes moves at a good pace but it lacks the same energy and excitement “Rose” had. Part of that may be that we’re becoming used to the good Doctor turning up on our screens again on an annual basis.
And, I must add one thing–as an old-school “Doctor Who” fan, I’m getting a bit weary of the romantic subtext that Davis forces upon the Doctor/companion storyline. The Doctor kisses Martha (it’s a ploy to lead the Judoon to him and create a diversion at the same time) and there’s hints of an attraction between the two once Martha is invited on-board the TARDIS. I hate to sound like a stick in the mud, but part of what made the Doctor the Doctor in the original series was his alien aloofness toward those who travelled with him. He had affection for them but it wasn’t a romantic interest, despite what Davis would try and tell us by way of a ret-con.
But that’s a fairly minor gripe in what is, overall, a solid story. And visually the story is stunning, as always. Seeing the Judoon so expertly realizes makes this fan wonder what the current effects team would do if they were to bring back the popular Sontarans for an episode or two.
So, “Doctor Who” is back with a solid episode that hints at interesting things to come this season.
Next week: A visit to the time of Shakespeare….
Tom Boucher says
So, a, BT airlines helped me view this episode and I must agree with the companion/romance comments. I did like the tie scene at the beginning and hoping it was just as weird as it was when Rose entered but instead they seemed to chum up pretty quickly.
I would have prefered he licked her face or something instead of kissing her, would have been more ‘wtf’ like it was with Rose with this crazy guy running around blowing up your office building type thing.
Lizzie says
I really enjoyed this episode….but it irks me that hiscompansions are always women or the fact that it usually turns into a love story. I know its hard to make a storyline wiht only one solid character but i do wihs they held off ona new companion for a few episodes.
Lizzie says
so basically i agree with the romance comments….
All i want is maybe some one younger like a child or even a male as the companion instead of the women.
Bronzethumb says
I fired up my TV Tardis and had a look at this episode. I quite liked it: I thought it was better than Rose, which got a tad bogged down with explaining absolutely everything. Martha’s intelligence and quick-thinking impressed me as much as it did the Doctor, the FOTWs were presented well – rather than just “evil mosters out to kill!” they have something a bit more complicated to do in the episode – and with already a few mentions of Mr Saxon I can’t wait for the season finale (silly me, I looked at a few too many hints and now I have a pretty solid idea of what the season arc will be).
As for the whole women thing… it seems to me that the Doctor travelled more with women anyway, even before the revival. As for the whole romance thing, I suppose it’s just something that RTD puts in to give the series more appeal to the mainstream. However the fact that it was addressed so early on in Martha’s tenure has me a tad worried. At least with Rose they never had to make a clear statement ’cause they could just go back to Earth and see her boyfriend Mickey. So…yeah. Worrisome.
Turnipy says
Advice to anyone who hasn’t watched this episode yet, don’t watch the last few seconds after the episode finishes. They show clips from just about every episode in season 3. Surprisingly filled with major spoilers… I could’t help watching it but I regret it now.
Les perkins says
all you fans out there that worry so much.
please dont worry RTD will some time soon
leave the show and a new fresh mind will show up
that cares what we want and will do the right thing
for the show.
example , star trek they wore it to the ground.
so the new movie goes back to the roots
with kirk and spock its not perfect trek but the lost
tv show producer cares about what is important to the
fans. doctor who is about the tardis ,the doctor
and good sci-fi story telling.
i dont know about you but i liked the 1980’s peter davison
and colin baker showed where the doctor belongs
on alien planets smarter than the people around him
saving alien races changing history and doing cool things.
and back to the cool costumes.
AndrewM says
Whilst I don’t have a problem with the romance element that has crept its way into Who in recent years, I can certainly see how it’s a break from the norm of “classic” Who and could be annoying for long time fans. To a certain extent though it is responsible for you guys having, what appears to be, a potential long term return of the Dr.
The original series always lacked the young female viewing demographic, new Who is set apart by the fact that it now has this more wide ranging appeal. The young girls are watching and boosting the numbers of the show considerably. So the female companions who they can identify with and romantic subtext are probably here to stay.
What would you prefer though? Who with a certain amount of romance or no Who at all?
Kevling says
Maybe I’m being a bit anal, but the thing that really bugged me was the “like so” tie thing.
Him popping in the TARDIS, disappearing, and reappearing with his tie off, is hardly evidence that he can travelled back in time, is it? It merely proves he can take his tie off inside a disappearring wooden box!
julio from ny says
what channel was this on? My TiVo didn’t catch it. I checked channel wliw, Sci-fi and BBC America. what network did this happen on?
Alan says
Kevling? Watch the first 15 minutes of the show again. It isn’t that he can take the tie off. It’s that he can take the tie off 10 hours prior, on a bright sunshiny street, before the hospital got jacked or Martha ever know who on Earth (or anywhere else) the bloke was.
When Martha remembered seeing him earlier in the day, she realized The Doctor had just travelled backwards in time to the spot in her memory, and THEN took his tie off. “Like so!”
I fairly leapt with joy upon watching that scene again. it was …
FANTASTIC.
briez7 says
i honestly am more new to the series…well kind of u see i have no idea what so ever about the original series. i do know how ever about the series now. (if that makes any sense.) any wayz i really liked rose alot. i mean yes martha is smart and quick to learn, but she just doesn’t go with the doctor. rose understood him, matched his personality. i like them together not martha and him. i wish he would just stay to what he says 1 trip and thats it…but nooooooooo he has to keep taking her along. honestly i want her gone, i want rose back. the doctor should find a way to get her back or it happens by accident. i guess though i could give her a little longer chance. well ive been going on long enough…