Rising without Rose

Some slightly spoilerish thoughts on the season premiere of Doctor Who.

Just some thoughts on first viewing…

There are some uncanny similarities to Rose (the episode, not the character) here, particularly where pacing is concerned, and the fact that the episode almost has to focus on the new companion rather than the Doctor. Still, the Doctor, who almost appears to be going a bit loopy without a sidekick, steals enough of the show that you can’t forget he’s there. I got a kick out of the “Judoon platoon on the moon” line – it reminded me of the running alliteration gag we used to do on Jump Cut City. 😆

One problem I’ve encountered, though, is that I find myself not looking forward to meeting Martha’s family again, with the possible exception of her sister, who’s the only one of her folks who come across as remotely sympathetic here. Maybe that’s a bit harsh when each of them got maybe a grand total of two or three minutes’ screen time, but enough of an impression was made there that I found myself going “eh” at the though that we might be running into them as often in the future as we did the Tyler family. At least there was something about Jackie that was instantly likeable (actually, I can name two things!…erm, anyway). The impact that these characters made was such that I’m not crazy about it. Maybe future episodes will change that.

Martha’s similarity to Adeola (the first Torchwood employee to be Cyber-converted in Army Of Ghosts) was explained away neatly (they’re the same actress). I’m actually a little surprised that it was addressed at all.

The Judoon were interesting – their suits and helmets reminded me just ever so slightly of the Sontarans, who I wouldn’t mind seeing again. Bloody space rhinos on the moon! 😆 I wasn’t as crazy as the “shape shifter,” but the actor who played that character wasn’t half creepy. 😯

Overall, not a bad start. A companion’s entrance and exit stories are going to stick out like a sore thumb and just “feel” different from the rest of the show, almost out of necessity since they put that character in the limelight, perhaps even moreso than the Doctor himself. Smith And Jones is no different, really. As much as I would’ve liked to see Donna (Catherine Tate) stick around for more than just one adventure, Martha’s a worthy addition to the show, and I’m sure she’ll grow on me even more.

Welcome aboard!