Mark Watches ‘Doctor Who’: S01E05 – World War Three

In the fifth episode of series one of Doctor Who, we learn exactly how the Doctor escapes from electrocution at the hands of the Slitheen. Unfortunately, after locking himself in 10 Downing Street with Rose and Harriet Jones, he realizes he has to make a devastating decision in order to save the world. Intrigued? Then it’s time for Mark to watch Doctor Who.

I’m not sure I enjoy the second half of this story arc nearly as much as the first.

We find out that the Doctor cannot actually be electrocuted by the Slitheen, as he’s not a human himself, but the rest of the “alien experts” are murdered instantly. The entire thing was a plot to get all of the people who might have figured out what the Slitheen were executed before they could attempt to stop them. (A thought, though: would anyone have figured out who they were besides the Doctor? Probably not, but the Doctor does seem to know everything.

There are a few slightly comical chase scenes in “World War Three” and I loved the CGI used to make the Slitheen run. It made them look far more sinister and threatening. The problem is that as soon as it switched to the full-size costume, they suddenly looked silly to me. They were so slow in the costumes (which was certainly a side affect of how large and overbearing those suites were) and it clashed just a bit too much with the CGI version of them.

But, admittedly, I’m not watching this show for digital effects and I’m sure none of you did either. What I do care about is the weirdness and the sincerity that Doctor Who has given us so far. It’s what the writers have done so well up until this point: making us laugh and making us think about the inherent strangeness of the world, sometimes at the exact same moment. In “World War Three,” however, I felt the story and plot overshadowed any of that present here in the episode.

The explanation for why the Slitheen have chosen to pseudo-invade London (and the rest of the world, for that matter) seems to be an afterthought. It feels like it’s there because it needs to be, because no one would accept the episode if we weren’t given a reason. On top of that, I thought the idea of being trapped inside 10 Downing Street with a bunch of aliens would be a lot more suspenseful, but I found myself feeling quite listless during the episode.

One of the key problems is the sheer inability to believe, even in the most basic sense, that it took the Doctor having to launch a misslie at 10 Downing Street to kill the Slitheen. First of all, it sort of makes the scene where Mickey and Jacke fight the alien in Jackie’s house pointless at the end of it all. If we know that the Slitheen cannot handle mere vinegar, why on earth didn’t the Doctor tell some of the soldiers guarding the place to walk down to the market and buy up the entire supply of vinegar to use as a weapon? 10 Downing Street isn’t blown up, you don’t have to risk Harriet’s and Rose’s life, and we get to see some more hilarious bodily explosions.

But let’s just assume, for the sake of this, that there are no markets or corner stores near 10 Downing Street. I’m a dumb American, I don’t even know where that is in London. If a missile could kill the Slitheen, COULDN’T YOU JUST SHOOT THEM IN THE FACE OR SOMETHING? In fact, correct me if I’m wrong, but I don’t recall all the ARMED GUARDS taking a single shot during the duration of the episode. THAT IS WHAT GUNS ARE FOR. If we can’t even blow off an alien’s face with a shotgun or machine gun, what purpose do guns serve on this earth anyway?

All right, enough of my whining. There were certainly great moments in this episode, too, so don’t think I’m just FULL OF HATE for Doctor Who or something. Any episode that utilizes Jackie is going to be, at the very least, very entertaining. With very little screen time at all, the writers have created a fully-developed, three-dimensional character. Not only can some of us imagine Jackie as our own mother or maybe a friend of ours, she is the perfect contrast to Rose. We watch her face the terrifying thought that it may be years before she she’s her daughter again. We watch her face the reality that aliens exist and that they just might want to kill you. We watch her interact with Rose’s boyfriend in a way neither character probably ever expected. I know I’m only five episodes in, but Jackie is easily my favorite character so far, and I really look forward to seeing her again.

Rose shined here too, especially when she didn’t even hesitate to tell the Doctor to sacrifice herself if it meant saving the world. The Doctor has become rather enamored with Rose, who has a sensible optimism about this wholee thing. I’m sure Rose is still tied to a lot of things in her “normal” life. Visiting her mother is one of them, for sure. But the Doctor sees how readily she is able to uproot everything in the name of simple adventure and I think that’s the exact sort of companion he’s looking for.

All in all, this was an all right episode. It’s not my favorite so far; perhaps I expected more from an episode titled, “World War Three.” The parody of world governments was nice and, as usual, the Doctor’s never-ending humor is always welcome. I mean, who else do we know who can plaster a dopey smile on his face while he has twelve machine guns pointed at his body? Bless the Doctor forever.

About Mark Oshiro

Perpetually unprepared since '09.
This entry was posted in Doctor Who and tagged , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

372 Responses to Mark Watches ‘Doctor Who’: S01E05 – World War Three

  1. Pingback: dota map hack

  2. Pingback: Marriage Problems Advice

  3. Pingback: Anonymous

  4. Pingback: affairs with married women

  5. Pingback: relationship problems

  6. Pingback: Roofing vancouver

  7. Pingback: electric meat grinder

  8. Pingback: Location Ile Maurice

  9. Pingback: path lighting

  10. Pingback: Accountant Atlanta

  11. Pingback: local internet marketing

  12. Pingback: tracklightingdeals.com

  13. Pingback: Study Finds Liposuction Doesn?t Keep Fat Gone: San Francisco Weight Loss Spa Examines

  14. Pingback: makita cordless drill

  15. Pingback: panel saw blade

  16. Pingback: 708712pk

  17. Pingback: Halloween Costumes for Adults

  18. Pingback: Single, Disabled Parent Releases Financial Help Book

  19. Pingback: How can I save my marriage

  20. Pingback: dewalt d55168

  21. Pingback: makita dcs460 chain saw

  22. Pingback: channel set diamond bands

  23. Pingback: get ex back

  24. Pingback: used cars uk

  25. Pingback: find address from phone number

  26. Pingback: Location Vacances Ile Maurice

  27. Pingback: futures contracts

  28. Pingback: Maidenhead Estate Agents

  29. Pingback: solar contractor phoenix

  30. Pingback: Essex small business website design

  31. Pingback: ayurvedic therapies

  32. Pingback: Rolety

  33. Pingback: Ralph Lauren boots

  34. Pingback: Murphy bed kit

  35. Pingback: custom metal signs

  36. Pingback: hemorrhoids therapy

  37. Pingback: Income Tax Help Seek a Tax Assistance Provider to Avoid Tax Issues

  38. Looking to get a Xbox 360 and Kinect this Holiday season? Get yours now on DubLi’s Unique Bid Auction!!

  39. Pingback: Accredited Online MBA Programs

  40. Pingback: ways to make money

  41. Pingback: lose weight quickly

  42. BMX Cruiser says:

    I tried to find BMX Old School Bikes on Google, but came to this Site. Strange!

  43. Pingback: dj controllers

  44. Pingback: Best infant car seat

  45. Pingback: how to tie a tie

  46. Emmaline says:

    at the first sentence it seems to look like it was correct but if you compare it there is no sense in this!!

  47. Aw, it was the genuinely high quality publish. In theory I’d like to create like this as well??§o? spending time as well as actual effort to make a great write-up! however so what can I only say! I put things off a lot and by no means seem to obtain some thing done.

  48. Pingback: Location Villa Ile Maurice

  49. Pingback: advantage of filing taxes online

  50. Pingback: how does facebook make money

  51. Pingback: Location Villa Ile Maurice

  52. Pingback: banquet dresses

  53. Hi, just found your weblog through Google, and found so that it really is genuinely educational. I’m going to stay attuned for this tool. Cheers!

  54. Pingback: Forex Signals

  55. Cool blog. Enjoyed reading around, but I don’t quite like the theme. Where did you get it? Or was it free? Thanks for your time.

  56. Pingback: Location Bungalow Ile Maurice

  57. Pingback: Accountant Atlanta

  58. Pingback: Gutters Vancouver

  59. Pingback: Bungalow Ile Maurice

  60. Win on Google and make money if you’re a interessed by that … read this on my own site

  61. Pingback: Forex Trading Strategies

  62. Pingback: bob hair styles

  63. Pingback: Asbestos and Lung Cancer

  64. Pingback: Omega 3

  65. Pingback: Your Budget Travel Guide

  66. Pingback: Latest hot topics

  67. Pingback: Popular topics

  68. Pingback: Salt Water Pool Service Las Vegas

  69. Hermes says:

    Hello, I was researching the net and I ran into your weblog. Maintain up the great function.

  70. Erin Andrews says:

    Nice post. I was checking constantly this weblog and I am inspired! Very useful information specifically the last phase 🙂 I maintain such info a lot. I used to be seeking this particular information for a long time. Thanks and good luck.

  71. Pingback: hcg diet phase 1

  72. Pingback: chronic commissions bonus

  73. Pingback: make money online

  74. hey there now that’s what I call real writing! You are talented my friend.

  75. Pingback: Chromagen Vision

  76. Pingback: garmin 350 gps

  77. Robb says:

    I’m sure you have found insight from the words, “Life is a succession of lessons which must be lived to be understood..”.

  78. Pingback: Rosie Huntington Whiteley

  79. Pingback: free rpg online

  80. Pingback: Alcachofa

  81. fitness says:

    What would you get if you crossed a cow with a rabbit? Hare in your milk!

  82. Pingback: Backup Wii Games

  83. I wanted to create you that very small observation to help say thank you again for these beautiful concepts you have provided on this page. It has been so surprisingly open-handed of you to offer openly all that many individuals could have offered for an e-book to get some cash on their own, precisely now that you could possibly have tried it in case you decided. The advice likewise worked like the fantastic way to know that most people have the identical keenness just like my own to know whole lot more related to this condition. I am certain there are a lot more pleasant sessions ahead for individuals that discover your site.

  84. Pingback: Chinese Food NY

  85. Pingback: Best Buy Walk in Tubs

  86. Pingback: asian girl

  87. Pingback: Butchers block Trolley

  88. Pingback: EDU Backlinks

  89. Pingback: Locksmith NYC

  90. Pingback: sales training brisbane

  91. Pingback: teeth whitening reviews

  92. Pingback: Asbestos Lawsuits in Louisiana

  93. Pingback: proactol australia

  94. cover letter says:

    Mark Watches ‘Doctor Who’: S01E05 – World War Three | Mark Watches Fantastic goods from you, man. I have understand your stuff previous to and you are just extremely excellent. I really like what you’ve acquired here, certainly like what you are stating and the way in which you say it. You make it entertaining and you still care for to keep it wise. I can’t wait to read far more Mark Watches ‘Doctor Who’: S01E05 – World War Three | Mark Watches again from you. Thanks For Share .

  95. Pingback: credit monitoring

  96. Pingback: Dog Obedience Training

  97. Pingback: seo training course brisbane

  98. Pingback: air impact wrench

  99. Pingback: Macbook stand

  100. Pingback: mk saw

Comments are closed.