01 April 2007

Smith and Jones -Season 3 of Doctor Who


The revived Doctor Who launched into season 3 with Smith and Jones, written by show runner Russell T. Davies. While no mention of just how much time has passed between the end of season two and the start of season three, the Doctor still seems to be in bit of funk after the departure of Rose.

Just like the series opener, the Doctor is investigating something odd, something alien happening in London. This time it’s the Royal Hope Hospital, which is transported to the moon. Medical student Martha Jones (played by new series regular Freema Agyeman) soon finds herself fighting a blood-sucking alien who is hiding from the rhino like storm troopers called the Judoon.

Davies crams a lot of story into the 45 minutes, but succeeds in keeping things from going to wonky. Of course a lot of credit goes to David Tennant, who has made The Doctor his own and the very appealing Agyeman, who promises to be another, in a very short-line, of Time Lord companions who can hold their own.

There is one thing I’ve noticed about the new series, one many a critic and fan has commented on. The Doctor’s travels have been keeping him on Earth, which is starting to grow old. In some ways, these new TV adventures remind me of the first 3 seasons of the Jon Pertwee era, were he was exiled by the Time Lords. Then, the Doctor was trapped on Earth, with no working TARDIS. While this helps keep the budget in check, it also will hasten the end of the show if it continues to stay leashed to Earth.

Also, just like season one, there seems to be a thread of foreshadowing to the season finale. The name John Saxon seems to pop up now and then, including one that says Vote for John Saxon. Anagrams aside, this might be this seasons little secret. One other thing is the Doctor mentions he once had a brother, but no more. Whether he was lying or not, it’s an interesting comment.

It had been rumored since the Pertwee days that The Master would’ve been revealed as The Doctor’s brother, but the death of the actor who played him, Roger Delgado, put that theory on hold. It wasn’t until Peter Davidson’s Doctor was this thread -sort of - picked up again.

In The Planet of Fire, as The Master’s plans go awry and he is caught in the some fire, does he yell, “Doctor, how could you do this to your own...”

With The Master scheduled to return to the series in the season finale, Last of the Time Lords, it’s a good bet all of this is leading to a family revelation.

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