[Raalix]

Helen Raynor is forgiven!

Somebody earlier in this thread said that she had written an excellent first part to the whole "Daleks in Manhattan" catastophe. I do have to take issue with that. The concept behind "Daleks in Manhattan" was excellent and had stacks of potential - but it was very poorly executed. Both parts.

However, HR has written a stunning opening episode with "The Sontaran Stragagem" and I am very much looking forward to "The Poison Sky". I hadn’t realised until today that the Sontarans have appeared in very few episodes of Doctor Who. They’re the kind of alien that sticks in your head but are used in the show very rarely. They made a huge impact in the classic series and a very impressive one in tonight’s episode. Helen Raynor has done a fantastic job with some challenging aspects to the episode. She had to write the Sontarans for a start and make them fit for the new series. She had to write the Doctor’s reunion with Martha. She had to write Martha’s first meeting with her successor as companion (ie Donna). She had to write the Doctor’s first (or really second) meeting with Donna’s family and on top of all that she had to write a bloody good two parter. Which she did - so I say again, Helen - you are forgiven for the mess that was "Daleks in Manhattan".

There were some parts of the episode that didn’t sit too well with me. In the first half, there was a certain attitude with the Doctor that reminded me a little of Colin Baker’s incarnation. An arrogance and superiority that was a little uncomfortable to watch in David Tennant’s performance. I wasn’t too impressed with Martha as the evil clone. She played it as though she was some sort of Sontaran shapeshifter who had assumed the appearance of Martha Jones but was evil at the core - this was shown when she smiled; there was a sinister undertone to her body language. The fact was that she was playing a clone that was barely a few minutes old. This clone, although it possesses the memories of the real Martha Jones, it shouldn’t have any concept of evil, duplicity or sinisterness. She should have played it more cold and emotionless. The third thing that I didn’t like was the genius boy at the Rattigan Academy. Why the American accent? Sorry - why the forced American accent? He was annoying enough as a smug over-intelligent brat - but that was the part he was playing. The accent was not necessary. Nor was his involvement with the Sontaran chant. Sontar Ha!


I wish it was just Donna and her grandfather. Her mother is the most annoying family member of any companion yet! It would be fantastic to have a family of a companion in support of her journey with the Doctor - like her grandfather is.

Roll on next week. I hope it lives up to the promise set by this week!