Doctor Who 30.01: "Partners in Crime"

[annathepiper]

Well now, that was just chock full of fun and interesting, now wasn't it?


The big news item with this episode was, of course, bringing Donna back into the storyline as a Companion. Overall, a positive re-introduction, with some shaky bits!

The shaky bits first: really didn't need to have her wistfully going on about "the right man" in that conversation with her grandfather. That entire scene ventured way too close to "I'm romantically attracted to the Doctor" territory, and I'm really hoping we don't go that direction again. That said--I'm willing to at least give the writers the benefit of the doubt on this, given that last exchange with Donna and the Doctor, in which he tries to explain how he just wants "a mate". We'll have to see, though; Donna got a little bit too much "lady protesteth too much" there.

The good bits: bwaha, I loved the initial false starts where the Doctor and Donna missed crossing paths, because Russell T. Davies is in fact a bastard (and I say that in the most loving of tones ;) ). I also loved that Donna decided to seek out trouble spots all over the world on the theory that that would be the best way for her to find the Doctor again. I have to hand it to her, that's sound logic!

Bonus points for her showing a flare of her old temper with that "this is all YOUR FAULT" bellow while she was hanging on for her life. And, of course, the bit where she handed him the extra activator pendant thing, thereby earning her Companion merit badge for the episode.

I also loved how she was driving around with all her bags packed in the trunk just in case she found him. AND, the bit where she had the Doctor whizz the TARDIS past her granddad's viewing spot on the hill so she could wave goodbye to him was very, very cute. And aside from the "lady protesteth too much" aspect of her swearing up and down she had no interest in him, I did have to snicker about how she pretty much steamrollered her way onto the TARDIS. Hee!

Random snickers for the girl trying to give Ten her cell phone number. "You be Health. I'll be Safety." Bwahaha! ;>

Meanwhile, the actual Bad Guy du Jour was a bit of a fun switch--not only not monstrous, but also actively cute. Well, if you can ignore the whole aspect of "eew zomg she's creating these cute little things out of people's fat cells?!" ;) I gotta admit, though, those critters were awfully cute. And I was pleased that overall this was not a plot involving actual evil, just lawbreakers, and that the Doctor got a chance to demonstrate to Donna that actually, yeah, he's noticeably more mellow these days.

Last but not by any stretch of the imagination least:

RIGHT THEN, so, theories on what the hell was up with the disappearing Rose? spazzkat rightly observed that that look on her face was not a good one. I was kind of wondering if Billie Piper's much-heralded return was going to be in a "not really the actual Rose but an evil doppelganger" scenario. Right now I'm suspecting that's exactly what we're going to get.

This should be fun. ;>

Comments

[alstaria.livejournal.com]

My cracked-out theory about Rose is that it is her and she's working for the Shadow Proclamation. She's working as an enforcer for them.

Yeah, pretty lame but that's what my head came up with :)

[annathepiper]

*snicker*

See my comment to eveshka below re: my current theory for if this is Actual!Rose vs. EvilDoppelganger!Rose.

[eveshka.livejournal.com]

Unless this is Future!Rose and she knows something about Donna...

[annathepiper]

My current theory for if this is Actual!Rose: she's over there in the other universe utilizing one last bit of functioning technology to try to punch a whole between the worlds again so she can get back to the Doctor. If she gets access to the same technology they were using to send the Cybermen through in the first place, well... ;) She did vanish sort of the same way that the initial Cybermen "ghosts" did.

If it's not Actual!Rose and instead some sort of EvilDoppelganger!Rose, I got nothin'... yet.

Late to the party...

[zeekar.livejournal.com]

Finally had a chance to watch this. Glad to see that we aren't going for the Companions in Love with the Doctor Trifecta, although as you say it was a little protesteth-too-much. I am in any case going to miss Martha, but I'm glad she got a little Epilogue over Torchwood way to show that she's fine, thanks.

Did you not do a review of Voyage of the Damned?

Oh, and shame on you, assuming that if Rose is a Doppelgänger she's ipso facto Evil. Stereotype much? ;)

Re: Late to the party...

[annathepiper]

I appear to have not reviewed Voyage of the Damned, indeed! Oops. I blame that happening right smack in the middle of radiation therapy.

And har, well, if it's a Good Doppleganger Rose as opposed to an Evil Doppleganger Rose, I would be rather surprised. Just 'cause this is Doctor Who after all, and beings who are looking like beings they aren't supposed to are generally not a Good Thing. ;)

I have however since that first episode started shifting over to the theory that this is in fact the Actual Rose trying to get back. I won't say more as to why if you haven't seen the subsequent episodes yet!

Re: Late to the party...

[zeekar.livejournal.com]

Well, geez, if you're going to let a little thing like radiation therapy get in the way of more important stuff like blogging, you clearly have your priorities all out of whack. :\

Good luck with the new biopsy; agreed that it's totally unfair. that you need one. I suggest you file a petition with Upstairs; at the very least you should have the right to hear the karmic charges against you.

Re: Late to the party...

[annathepiper]

Thanks. *grins a bit* Now if we can just get Take 2 out of the way on the 13th...