Partners In Crime was pretty good. The Fires Of Pompeii as well. Planet Of The Ood, a bit meh and The Sontaran Strategem a little hard to judge. Thankfully, with The Poison Sky, Doctor who has not only found it's feet again, but is back to running up a storm.
I have to cheer because the Doctor seems to have regained his morality again, and thank goodness for that. Still saying no to guns (and his disarming of Rattigan was priceless), it was actually the revelation that the Doctor wouldn't just go and wipe the Sontarans out - he had to give them a choice. And that's what it's all about really. When people who are forced into doing something for whatever reasons, it doesn't matter what they do because the intention is all wrong. They have to choose to make the right decision, and when they know everything and choose to do the wrong thing, then they deserved to be punished. We don't have a problem with the Sontarans being wiped out, not because we think that sort of thing is OK, but because when given the option to die or retreat, the Sontarans chose death. If that's the price you want to pay for invasion, well then that's your choice, sunshine.
This episode was also a little indulgent for fans, and that's nice because it wouldn't have isolated the casual viewer - the Rutans got a mention as did the Brigadier (but why not include him in the episode? Would it seriously have been that much of a problem?), and also a brief return of Rose on the monitor...gets more and more interesting that little snippet doesn't it?
On top of that everything that was being built up to in the first episode was finally explained in this episode, and explained satisfactorily. The Sontarans want to turn Earth into a breeding ground and are using the gas to do it. Simple as that. In the process they are having fun going to war with whoever will fight them. Equally it seems they just needed a UNIT officer with level 1 clearance to stop the nuclear launch or it would destroy their gas. Nice thinking to use Martha then.
There were some wonderful moments in the episode and the regular cast were in fine form, but the snaps must go to Bernard Cribbins who managed to bring a tear to my eye when he told his granddaughter to go to the stars and bring a little back for her old granddad. A wonderfully moving moment, and how great is it that Cribbins has got a regular gig again?
On another note, it was nice that the Doctor in one of his smugger moments, after belittling Colonel Mace, was shown to be a it of a tosser as it was clear that Mace had obviously thought the whole thing through after all. It was nice that Mace turned out to be a competent UNIT CO after all. Also - fantastic reference to the Torchwood weapon on the Valiant.
Not so good was the bizarre Mace/Price kiss - what was the point of that?
All in all, a fantastic episode!
"A"
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