Doctor Who - 404 - The Sontaran Stratagem
...i think that has to be just about the best comeback i've ever seen. and i don't mean the sontarans.
first of all, massive kudos to helen raynor, who finally redeems herself from the 'daleks in manhattan' fiasco of last year. not only did this episode beat the pants off that one, it actually never felt padded. at all. i was engrossed in the story all the way through, and when i finally looked at the time and realized it was almost over i was all, 'aww!'
anyway, the season of utter awesome continues unabated. for the first time since the new series started, s4 finally feels like the show i fell in love with when i was nine years old. the doctor and donna feel like buddies, just like the best old doctor/companion relationships used to be back in the days before rusty brought the shipwank. (the driving lesson! omg!) i didn't think it would be possible, but donna just keeps getting more and more awesome by the episode. THANK YOU HELEN RAYNOR for not having her and martha be bitchy to each other like rusty did with rose and sarah jane...they're both far too good for that.
and speaking of martha: beautiful first scene, and i'm very glad to see her back, but surprisingly not as overjoyed as some. i think perhaps because she seems to get all the bondage scenes that should rightly go to the doctor instead. (come on...three whole seasons with him in, and we still haven't seen the skinny git nekkided and chained up once??? boo, it says.)
old skool love: 'you used to work for them?' 'yeah, back in the seventies. once in the eighties.'
and speaking of the eighties...it took me until the second time he spoke to realize the voice-over was mike the cool one from the young ones. good on ya, mike! just don't nail your legs to the table.
the awesomeness of donna noble: supertemp; the whole guantanomo 'i'll have a salute' speech; warming to martha; and being genuinely, lovingly affectionate with the doctor, even while she's calling him a dumbo. and catherine tate continues to kick ass and take names...after the gorgeously understated cry scenes of the past two episodes, she delivered the scene where martha warns her about her family getting hurt with a quiet anguish that was amazing to watch. why is she only staying for one season??? why???
when donna went back home i was going, 'grandad grandad grandad grandad' in my head...and when he actually appeared, i actually squeed. out loud. i may even have clapped my hands and jumped up and down in my seat a little. also, loved the following scene: 'donna's my only grandchild; you've got to promise me you're gonna take care of her.' 'she takes care of me.' yep. not only by looking after you, but also by deflating your ego. that one's a keeper, doc.
you know, i have fewer of these absolute, unfiltered, pure fan-love moments as i get older...and i spent almost all of last season wanting to slap the shit out of ten...but this exchange?
doctor: 'look, d'you mind? could you stand back a bit?'
colonel mace: 'sorry. have i done something wrong?'
doctor: 'you're carrying a gun. i don't like people with guns hanging around me, alright?'
0_0
...
♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
doctor? i love you, and i want to have your timebabies. now. (would it be arrogant to admit i loved him a little bit for the 'it's lonely being clever' speech too? yeah, probably would...tough. i did anyway)
you know, as wickedly funny as ten and donna's 'goodbye' scene was, i was actually moved...because it showed the doctor has learned something from his time with martha. that's the goodbye speech he should have given her, but didn't. she 'must have done him good', indeed. :)
lol at the dinky little explosion...'oh, is that it?' after all the 'boys and their toys' lasers and explosions we've been getting, i really loved helen raynor for that.
omg...sontaran hukka dance FTMFW. :D
Q
*is actually impatient for next week now*