29x06: The Lazarus Experiment [SPOILERS]

ixoy

Yes it's Season 29, not Season 3

Really liked this one! From the preview last week, I had my doubts but they were quickly removed. Nice, straightforward action that the show can do well. The Doctor saved the day here with his assistant's help - it was a balance that's often been sorely lacking since S27 began.
Martha was good here and showed brains (re: the DNA on the hand) that Rose Tyler never would've. She showed some courage and determination and if she can keep her mooning over the Doctor down a little, she'll do very well in my book.

One thing I had a little trouble with initially was accepting "The League of Gentlemen"s Mark Gattis in a lead role. Kept expecting him to kill some pets. FWIW, he also wrote two episodes - "The Idiot's Lantern" and "The Unquiet Dead" - making this one of the first times, I think, that a writer has had such a prominent role (open to correction on this!). This too died away as the episode progressed.

The introduction of Saxon (the Master?) was well enough handled. I imagine he did the smart thing and told Martha's mum the truth only, albeit a selected cut of it: how death and destruction follow the Doctor around. It'll be interesting.

The preview for upcoming episodes (initially thought it was just for next week) was excellent. Lots of interesting things to look forward to, although the scarecrow things remind me of the cover for the novel of "The Hollow Men". Which isn't a good thing if you read the book

All in all a lot happier this week with the show than I was post-hybrid. Now come on the next 2-parter!

BuffyBot

I actually felt it was a little empty, a little run of the mill and the whole dumping of Martha/bringing her back seemed clumsy..and as for her family..the less said the better.

Pacing wise, it ticked along nicely but it just felt a little mashed together and disjointed.

Also Starring LeVar Burton

Felt like this episode was completely filler. Next one looks so much better with the return of Jack. It'll be weird seeing John Barrowman work alongside Tennant and Agyeman as the last time we saw him on Doctor Who he was working alongside Eccleston and Piper.

iguana

BuffyBot wrote:

I actually felt it was a little empty, a little run of the mill and the whole dumping of Martha/bringing her back seemed clumsy..and as for her family..the less said the better.

I agree, I didn't actually think we needed to see the process of Martha being made a permanent companion. I think it could just have been accepted that she'd been on three trips with him and she was welcome to continue doing so if she wanted. Her family were pretty annoying and it was just a small thing, but her sister being head of pr for a fairly intensive science laboratory was just stupid. To me it seemed like a really clumsy way of pointing out that the Jones are nothing like the Tylers.

And the party guests were morons. First off they are nearly blown up, then they see a man half in age, yet they all just stand around making small talk. Then when they are told by the doctor that they are in danger, despite the fact that they are surrounded by lots of unstable electrical equipment they just scoff.

I didn't really like this episode, the best thing about it was the trailer.

Stark

A machine that turns humans into Mark Gatiss. Truly it is a curse.

Anyway I liked it, it wasn't a five-star episode but it was so much better than last week's effort.

Next week's looks pretty awesome. Captain Jack is back and there's no sign of those other gobshítes \o/

nothing

Can't believe have to wait two weeks for the next ep, it looks pretty good. I'm kinda annoyed that so far, this entire series has been set on Earth, I'd like to see them go somewhere else for a change! As for the Saxon thing, I hear rumours that it may be about bringing in the Axons, the rumoured unseen bad guys from the lost episode, the one that only has audio left...

ixoy

The trailer was, apparently, for the rest of the season and not just next week. So next week isn't as good as it looks

Sleepy

Martha's mother is going to ruin this season if they give her enough screen time. I want to throw things at the screen whenever she open's her whiny mouth.

popebenny16

Lads, put away those tounges, Jack aint back till the last two eps of the season.

Sure The Doctor

has to get married and lose his memory first............

I liked this ep, although the CGI monster was appaling. It was good old fashoned moinster-runaround a lot -fix everything-sad Doctor at the end. could have been written by Terry Nation but in six eps instead of one, all nostalgists please take note.

As for Martha Jones... she is the most attractive woman i have ever seen on the show... absolutely hot. Nearly as hot as Peri... well, i was a teenanger at the time... forgive me!!!

ixoy

popebenny16 wrote:

Sure The Doctor has to *spoilery*

Naughty - shouldn't we not have spoilers for future episodes in this thread? I know what episode it refers to but only 'coz

I read the original 'Human Nature' novel

.

popebenny16

Naughty - shouldn't we not have spoilers for future episodes in this thread?

considering i wrote the rules yes you are right.

I'm off to either stand in the corner or, alternatively re-read THAT thread in the Battlestar Galactica forum and wonder if they'll revise it after the fairly appaling Season three of that show........

I am everywhere lol lol

aidan_walsh

I enjoyed it. Yes it may have been filler, and yes we might have had to sit through the family, but it just felt like a proper Doctor Who story. And any other time the Doctor feels like quoting Spinal Tap, thats just fine by me

Goodshape

Yeah, I liked this one too. The monster was a bit iffy, but everything else was fine. Martha's family didn't annoy me at all.

And this Master character is interesting.

aidan_walsh wrote:

And any other time the Doctor feels like quoting Spinal Tap, thats just fine by me

I also liked the self-referencing "..really shouldn't take that long just to reverse the polarity. I must be a bit out of practise"

Unpossible

Sleepy wrote:

Martha's mother is going to ruin this season if they give her enough screen time. I want to throw things at the screen whenever she open's her whiny mouth.

I agree.
I liked this episode but have I missed something? It looks like this Saxon guy is famous or something (Martha's mom seems to be in awe of him anyway), what I mean is has he been mentioned in books or previous seasons?

ixoy

Unpossible wrote:

I agree.
I liked this episode but have I missed something? It looks like this Saxon guy is famous or something (Martha's mom seems to be in awe of him anyway), what I mean is has he been mentioned in books or previous seasons?

He's been mentioned a few times this season already - "Smith and Jones" for example had "Vote Saxon" posters visible in a non too subtle manner. So he's clearly someone vying for power, probably an independent running for PM.

He's not been mentioned in previous DW seasons though or in the books (well 'cept maybe the latest BBC novels) so there's no established history of him, although there is of the Master

popebenny16

He was mentioned in The Runaway Bride very quickly - he gave the order for the tanks to fire on the Empress of the Ragnoc's (however it's spelt lol) spaceship.

Interesting.

Unpossible

ixoy wrote:

He's not been mentioned in previous DW seasons though or in the books

ah ok, I was just afraid I've missed out on something
thanks