It was generally very good. I liked the arc of the Saxon story, even if the outcome was one of the worst kept secrets around, and it didn't detract from the climax of Utopia . I don't think anyone expected the Fob Watch and the moment Professor Yana showed it, you didn't suspect or guess, you just knew. You also knew that it wasn't a good idea to open the watch, but you knew he would do that as well, ending up with Derek Jacobi giving one of the best portrayals of the Master, even if it was for only five minutes!
John Simm was also good, making the part very much his own, although his one problem was occasionally finding himself doing dialogue and scenes that did more justice to Anthony Ainley (and lets face it, if there is any template to refer to, it's Roger Delgado's original portrayal). But sometimes the humour worked. The scene where he gasses the cabinet and where he makes the odd condescending put downs (i.e. the phone conversation he has with the Doctor) was inspired (as was the background story of how he came to be a psychopath). The scene where he plays that Scissor Sisters track was definetly not inspired. As for the final scene with the Master, what was the point? We know he will come back, the only time I honestly thought it was the end for him was in the TV Movie and if he can survive that, he can survive anything! It's been a trait of the series since around the Peter Davison era to make it look like the Master has been killed off, whereas they hardly bothered during the Pertwee era. Far better tension for him to noticeably escape and know that he is somewhere planning mayhem and chaos!
There were some other gems in the series. Smith and Jones was hugely entertaining and enough for the viewer not to look at a straw in the same way for the next few hours. The Daleks story was good, although the pepperpot icons seem to be there for affection and nostalga if anything else! The Lazarus Experiment was brilliant, especially with the tension as he returned to normal. Human Nature/The Family of Blood was among the best of the series and quite unnerving. The use of the Doctor as someone disguised as a human being was a wonderful, if brave move. As for Blink It's not often I get unnerved by a Doctor Who story, but that one certainly did.
And Series 4? I am looking forward to it, but am a bit wary of this thing of bringing back companions (Apparently Martha Jones will be making a comeback. If you are going to do it, why not also bring back some more familiars from the classic series). I also hope to see a return of the Master, but who knows? I have heard a rumour that the series will see something new!
2 comments:
And Martha Jones is to be in a few episodes of Torchwood in the meantime... and then there is Kylie in the Xmas special and Catherine Tate as the new companion.
Its all getting a bit showbizzy isn't it?
Season 3 was good enough, but I found that flying aircraft carrier bloody annoying. Its just there, with the implication that someone managed to build it and launch it and keep it all secret.
I think RTD might have been watching too much Captain Scarlet!
I think that it was a good season, but the last episode was a let down, esp with the build up of the previous two. Perhaps Dr Who producers are only at their best for three-four seasons, because I am worried it's all going a bit John Nathan-Turner!
Post a Comment