{"id":124,"date":"2011-01-27T13:22:27","date_gmt":"2011-01-27T21:22:27","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/markwatches.net\/reviews\/?p=124"},"modified":"2011-01-27T15:00:44","modified_gmt":"2011-01-27T23:00:44","slug":"mark-watches-doctor-who-s03e01-smith-and-jones","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/markwatches.net\/reviews\/2011\/01\/mark-watches-doctor-who-s03e01-smith-and-jones\/","title":{"rendered":"Mark Watches \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcDoctor Who\u00e2\u20ac\u2122: S03E01 \u00e2\u20ac\u201c Smith and Jones"},"content":{"rendered":"

In the first episode of the third series of Doctor Who<\/em>, the Doctor finds a new companion in Martha Jones, a medical student in London. Conveniently for her, he shows up just in time for HER ENTIRE HOSPITAL TO BE TRANSPORTED TO THE MOON. THE MOON!!!!!!<\/em> If you’re intrigued, then it’s time for Mark to watch Doctor Who<\/em>.<\/p>\n

OH MY GOD I LOVED THIS EPISODE SO MUCH.<\/p>\n

Let me get a few things out of the way before I handle the normal narrative focus I usually have for these reviews. First of all, can I just say how nice it is to see people of color as main characters on this show? Doctor Who<\/em> hasn’t been particularly bad about that in the past, but it is awesome, as a person of color myself, to see a main actress and her family like this. I REALLY LIKE THIS OK THAT IS ALL I WANTED TO SAY ON THAT SUBJECT.<\/p>\n

Oh wait PART TWO OF THAT: Martha’s brother, Leo (played by Reggie Yates) just makes me go UNNNNNNNFFFFFFFFFFF.<\/p>\n

I am fine. I swear.<\/p>\n

I wish Russell T Davies was a bit more consistent with his writing, only because I really love heaping praise on him for what he’s done with this show. I’m not sure I’ve seen enough of his work to be able to determine what sort of pattens he uses or what themes he often writes into his scripts, but I am getting a sense for the way he can combine humor and terror in the same episode.<\/p>\n

With “Smith and Jones,” I feel much better about the Doctor jumping into the action after losing Rose (which this episode also doesn’t ignore), and it certainly helps the story that the plot is ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC. I’m sure there’s a pothole in there somewhere, but this is one of those wacky episodes of Doctor Who<\/em> that is just downright fun.<\/p>\n

I always liked when The X-Files<\/em> would take a concept that was outright absurd and fantastical and find a way to ground it in some sort of reality, so many infinite high fives to Russell T Davies for figuring out how to do an episode about being kidnapped to the moon.<\/p>\n

No. You guys. THE JUDOON <\/em>STOLE THE HOSPITAL IN ITS ENTIRETY AND <\/em><\/strong>PUT IT ON THE MOON<\/em><\/strong>. This sounds so ridiculous and Davies creates a method in which to make this more terrifying than hokey. (It’s still kind of <\/em>campy, but this is Doctor Who<\/em> we’re talking about.)<\/p>\n

I love that the Judoon are introduced and exist in a manner that just barely<\/em> explains them. All we end up finding out about these rhino-headed beasts is that they’re some sort of police authority, a neutral party of thugs who are hired to find people and bring “swift” justice. Because of this, we’re forced to deal with two conflicting and creepy realities: the Judoon, who go about their job of seeking out the shapeshifter in the most efficient and calculating manner possible, and the Plasmavore, who is DRINKING THE BLOOD OF HUMANS IN ORDER TO PASS AS ONE SO SHE CAN ESCAPE EXECUTION. Badass? MOST CERTAINLY. <\/em><\/p>\n

Maybe it’s because so many episodes of television deal with singular concepts, but I enjoyed trying to figure out BOTH sets of “villains” throughout “Smith and Jones” this time around. It was a welcome change from what I’d come to expect, and the end of the episode shows that perhaps one of them wasn’t even a villain to begin with. (I mean, the Judoon DO return the hospital to earth, but at least one human was murdered. Poor random dude. ::sadface::)<\/p>\n

But let’s take a moment to talk about Martha Jones. I instantly recognized her as Adeola from series two and thought HEY NOW YOU CAN’T DO THAT, SHE IS TOTALLY DEAD<\/strong>, but then we find out they are cousins. NICE SAVE, DAVIES. This is not at all like when Nicholas Lea guest-starred in season one of The X-Files<\/em> as some random character and then came back as Krychek and it wasn’t explained and I yelled HEY NOW YOU CAN’T DO THAT, HE IS TOTALLY DEAD<\/strong>. I yell at my TV a lot.<\/p>\n

I was worried that they had written Martha Jones to be a bit too much like Rose Tyler, especially from the opening scene where we’re introduced to her whole family. (Mmmm Reggie Yates mmmmm). I thought they were going to portray her as another sort of ditzy, unaware gal who gets caught up in the ~shenanigans~ of the Doctor and is generally clueless.<\/p>\n

I was wrong. Touche, Davies. Because once the hospital gets transported to the moon, we find out what a VERITABLE BADASS she is. She’s fearless at the sight of strangeness and was quick to jump right in line with the Doctor, utilizing a healthy sense of doubt and an overactive imagination. It’s clear, even one episode in, that Martha Jones is nothing like Rose Tyler.<\/p>\n

I’m excited for Martha Jones as a character. I’m interested in how her family dynamic is going to play out with her as she travels with the Doctor, but I’m also excited to have a companion on board who reacts entirely differently to situations than the companion I grew comfortable with over the past two series.<\/p>\n

Onwards we go!<\/p>\n

THOUGHTS<\/strong><\/p>\n