goddesskristen4

[elliottexists]

okay but can we talk about how season 3 doctor who is literally so good?

smith and jones? brilliant season opening and introduction of martha

gridlock? brilliant episode

daleks in manhatten/evolution of the daleks? brilliant episodes

42? brilliant episode

human nature/the family of blood? brilliant episodes

blink? brilliant episode

utopia/the sound of drums/last of the time lords? brilliant season finale

[aq2003]

looking at my redone 10th doctor episode tierlist and i'm realizing that there is quite literally no such thing as too goofy. if it's goofy i quite literally do not care and if it's goofy enough that it becomes funny it gains extra points . the bad episodes are the ones where i don't like what's being done with the characters or they were boring for me to watch and the good episodes are the ones where i like what's being done with the characters and i had a good time. and also regardless of how overall well executed the episode is if there is a single scene in it that makes me cry it's shooting to the top . also btw the more i think about gridlock the more i think it absolutely bangs. hell traffic my beloved. giant crabs my beloved. story beat of seeing the sky of your home planet again (and how ten can never go home) my beloved. "you are not alone" being something that scares and unsettles ten more than it comforts him my beloved. entire last convo between ten and martha + the gallifrey monologue my beloved. gridlock my beloved

[thehangerson]

doctor who nuwho masterlist

ive been meaning to post this on tumblr for a while and keep forgetting but a few years ago i made a nuwho / whoniverse watchlist including the spinoff shows in release order and now seems like the time to share it! i know ive seen theres a lot of new fans watching from 2005 on (from what im seeing mostly gomens fans. hi gomens fans) and a lot of ppl coming back to the show or rewatching in lieu of the new eps with david and catherine! so heres the list!

the full list masterdoc typed out for your copy-pasting pleasure is below the text break, but heres some links for those of you who are spreadsheet/doc fans.

google sheet checklist version

(the spreadsheet includes some tws and cws, which i update as i rewatch some things. if you have any i'm missing that you think should be included, please send me an ask or leave a comment and i'll add it!)

masterlist:

blue- Doctor Who, red- Doctor Who specials, green- Torchwood, purple- Sarah Jane Adventures, orange- Class

2005

01x01- Rose (03/26/2005)

01x02- The End of the World (4/02)

01x03- The Unquiet Dead (04/09)

01x04- Aliens of London (04/16)

01x05- World War Three (04/23)

01x06- Dalek (04/30)

01x07- The Long Game (05/07)

01x08- Father’s Day (05/14)

01x09- The Empty Child (05/21)

01x10- The Doctor Dances (05/28)

01x11- Boom Town (06/04)

01x12- Bad Wolf (06/11)

01x13- The Parting of the Ways (06/18)

The Christmas Invasion (12/25)

2006

02x01- New Earth (04/15/2006)

02x02- Tooth and Claw (04/22)

02x03- School Reunion (04/29)

02x04- The Girl in the Fireplace (05/06)

02x05- Rise of the Cybermen (05/13)

02x06- Age of Steel (05/20)

02x07- The Idiot’s Lantern (05/27)

02x08- Impossible Planet (06/03)

02x09- Satan Pit (06/10)

02x10- Love & Monsters (06/17)

02x11- Fear Her (06/24)

02x12- Army of Ghosts (07/01)

02x13-Doomsday (07/08)

01x01- Everything Changes (10/22)

01x02- Day One (10/22)

01x03- Ghost Machine (10/29)

01x04- Cyberwoman (11/05)

01x05- Small Worlds (11/12)

01x06- Countrycide (11/19)

01x07- Greeks Bearing Gifts (11/26)

01x08-They Keep Killing Suzie (12/03)

01x09-Random Shoes (12/10)

01x10- Out of Time (12/17)

01x11- Combat (12/24)

The Runaway Bride (12/25)

2007

01x12- Captain Jack Harkness (01/01/2007)

01x13- End of Days (01/01)

01x01- Invasion of the Bane (01/01)

03x01-Smith and Jones (03/31)

03x02- The Shakespeare Code (04/07)

03x03- Gridlock (04/14)

03x04- Daleks in Manhattan (04/21)

03x05- Evolution of the Daleks (04/28)

03x06- The Lazarus Experiment (05/05) 

03x07- 42 (05/19)

03x08- Human Nature (05/26)

03x09- The Family of Blood (06/02)

03x10- Blink (06/09)

03x11- Utopia (06/16)

03x12- The Sound of Drums (06/23)

03x13- Last of the Time Lords (06/30)

01x02- Revenge of the Slitheen Part 1 (09/24)

01x03- Revenge of the Slitheen Part 2 (10/01)

01x04- Eye of the Gorgon Part 1 (10/08)

01x05- Eye of the Gorgon Part 2 (10/15)

01x06- Warriors of Kudlak Part 1 (10/22)

01x07- Warriors of Kudlak Part 2 (10/29)

01x08- Whatever Happened to Sarah Jane? Part 1 (11/05)

01x09- Whatever Happened to Sarah Jane? Part 2 (11/12)

01x10- The Lost Boy Part 1 (11/12)

01x11- The Lost Boy Part 2 (11/19)

Voyage of the Damned (12/25)

2008

02x01- Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang (01/16/2008)

02x02- Sleeper (01/23)

02x03- To the Last Man (01/30)

02x04- Meat (02/06)

02x05- Adam (02/13)

02x06- Reset (02/13)

02x07- Dead Man Walking (02/20)

02x08- A Day in the Death (02/27)

02x09- Something Borrowed (03/05)

02x10- From Out of the Rain (03/12)

02x11- Adrift (03/19)

02x12- Fragments (03/21)

02x13- Exit Wounds (04/04)

04x01- Partners in Crime (04/05)

04x02- The Fires of Pompeii (04/12)

04x03- Planet of the Ood (04/19)

04x04- The Sontaran Stratagem (04/26)

04x05- The Poison Sky (05/03)

04x06- The Doctor’s Daughter (05/10)

04x07- The Unicorn and the Wasp (05/17)

04x08- Silence in the Library (05/31)

04x09- Forest of the Dead (06/07)

04x10- Midnight (06/14)

04x11- Turn Left (06/21)

04x12- The Stolen Earth (06/28)

04x13- Journey’s End (07/05)

02x01- The Last Sontaran Part 1 (09/29)

02x02- The Last Sontaran Part 2 (09/29)

02x03- The Day of the Clown Part 1 (10/06)

02x04- The Day of the Clown Part 2 (10/13)

02x05- Secrets of the Stars Part 1 (10/20)

02x06- Secrets of the Stars Part 2 (10/27)

02x07- The Mark of the Berserker Part 1 (11/03)

02x08- The Mark of the Berserker Part 2 (11/10)

02x09- The Temptation of Sarah Jane Smith Part 1 (11/170

02x10- The Temptation of Sarah Jane Smith Part 2 (11/24)

02x11- Enemy of the Bane Part 1 (12/01)

02x12- Enemy of the Bane Part 2 (12/08)

The Next Doctor (12/25)

2009

Planet of the Dead (04/11/2009)

03x01- Day One (07/06)

03x02- Day Two (07/07)

03x03- Day Three (07/08)

03x04- Day Four (07/09)

03x05- Day Five (07/10)

03x01- Prisoner of the Judoon Part 1 (10/15)

03x02- Prisoner of the Judoon Part 2 (10/16)

03x03- The Mad Woman in the Attic Part 1 (10/22)

03x04- The Mad Woman in the Attic Part 2 (10/23)

03x05- The Wedding of Sarah Jane Smith Part 1 (10/29)

03x06-The Wedding of Sarah Jane Smith Part 2 (10/30)

03x07- The Eternity Trap Part 1 (11/05)

03x08- The Eternity Trap Part 2 (11/06)

03x09- Mona Lisa’s Revenge Part 1 (11/12)

03x10- Mona Lisa’s Revenge Part 2 (11/13)

04x16- The Waters of Mars (11/15)

03x11- The Gift Part 1 (11/19)

03x12- The Gift Part 2 (11/20)

The End of Time Part 1 (12/25)

2010

The End of Time Part 2 (01/01/2010)

05x01- The Eleventh Hour (04/03)

05x02- The Beast Below (04/10)

05x03- Victory of the Daleks (04/17)

05x04- The Time of Angels (04/24)

05x05- Flesh and Stone (05/01)

05x06- The Vampires of Venice (05/08)

05x07- Amy’s Choice (05/15)

05x08- The Hungry Earth (05/22)

05x09- Cold Blood (05/29)

05x10- Vincent and the Doctor (06/05)

05x11- The Lodger (06/12)

05x12- The Pandorica Opens (06/19)

05x13-The Big Bang (06/26)

04x01- The Nightmare Man Part 1 (10/11)

04x02- The Nightmare Man Part 2 (10/12)

04x03- The Vault of Secrets Part 1 (10/18)

04x04- The Vault of Secrets Part 2 (10/19)

04x05- Death of the Doctor Part 1 (10/25)

04x06- Death of the Doctor Part 2 (10/26)

04x07- The Empty Planet Part 1 (11/01)

04x08- The Empty Planet Part 2 (11/02)

04x09- Lost in Time Part 1 (11/08)

04x10- Lost in Time Part 2 (11/09)

04x11- Goodbye, Sarah Jane Smith Part 1 (11/15)

04x12- Goodbye, Sarah Jane Smith Part 2 (11/16)

A Christmas Carol (12/25)

2011

06x01- The Impossible Astronaut (04/23/2011)

06x02- Day of the Moon (04/30)

06x03- The Curse of the Black Spot (05/07)

06x04- The Doctor’s Wife (05/14)

06x05- The Rebel Flesh (05/21)

06x06- The Almost People (05/28)

06x07- A Good Man Goes to War (06/04)

04x01- The New World (07/08)

04x02- Rendition (07/15)

04x03- Dead of Night (07/22)

04x04- Escape to L.A. (07/29)

04x05- The Categories of Life (08/05)

04x06- The Middle Men (08/12)

04x07- Immortal Sins (08/19)

04x08- End of the Road (08/26)

06x08- Let’s Kill Hitler (08/27)

04x09- The Gathering (09/02)

06x09- Night Terrors (09/03)

04x10- The Blood Line (09/09)

06x10- The Girl Who Waited (09/10)

06x11- The God Complex (09/17)

06x12- Closing Time (09/24)

06x13- The Wedding of River Song (10/01)

05x01- Sky Part 1 (10/03)

05x02- Sky Part 2 (10/04)

05x03- The Curse of Clyde Langer Part 1 (10/10)

05x04- The Curse of Clyde Langer Part 2 (10/11)

05x05- The Man Who Never Was Part 1 (10/17)

05x06- The Man Who Never Was Part 2 (10/18)

The Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe (12/25)

2012

07x01- Asylum of the Daleks (09/01/2012)

07x02- Dinosaurs of a Spaceship (09/08)

07x03- A Town Called Mercy (09/15)

07x04- The Power of Three (09/22)

07x05- The Angels Take Manhattan (09/29)

The Snowmen (12/25)

2013

07x06- The Bells of Saint John (03/30/2013)

07x07- The Rings of Akhaten (04/06)

07x08- Cold War (04/13)

07x09- Hide (04/20)

07x10- Journey to the Center of the TARDIS (04/27)

07x11- The Crimson Horror (05/04)

07x12- Nightmare in Silver (05/11)

07x13- The Name of the Doctor (05/18)

The Day of the Doctor (11/23)

The Time of the Doctor (12/25)

2014

08x01- Deep Breath (08/23/2014)

08x02- Into the Dalek (08/30)

08x03- Robot of Sherwood (09/06)

08x04- Listen (09/13)

08x05- Time Heist (09/20)

08x06- The Caretaker (09/27)

08x07- Kill the Moon (10/04)

08x08- Mummy on the Orient Express (10/11)

08x09- Flatline (10/18)

08x10- In the Forest of the Night (10/25)

08x11- Dark Water (11/01)

08x12- Death in Heaven (11/08)

Last Christmas (12/25)

2015

09x01- The Magician’s Apprentice (09/19/2015)

09x02- The Witch’s Familiar (09/26)

09x03- Under the Lake (10/03)

09x04- Before the Flood (10/10)

09x05- The Girl Who Died (10/17)

09x06- The Woman Who Lived (10/24)

09x07- The Zygon Invasion (10/31)

09x08- The Zygon Inversion (11/07)

09x09- Sleep No More (11/14)

09x10- Face the Raven (11/21)

09x11- Heaven Sent (11/28)

09x12- Hell Bent (12/05)

The Husbands of River Song (12/25)

2016

01x01- For Tonight We Might Die (10/22/2016)

01x02- The Coach with the Dragon Tattoo (10/22)

01x03- Nightvisiting (10/29)

01x04- Co-Owner of a Lonely Heart (11/05)

01x05- Brave-ish Heart (11/12)

01x06- Detained (11/19)

01x07- The Metaphysical Engine, or What Quill Did (11/26)

01x08- The Lost (12/03)

The Return of Doctor Mysterio (12/25)

2017

10x01- The Pilot (04/15/2017)

10x02- Smile (04/22)

10x03- Thin Ice (04/29)

10x04- Knock Knock (05/06)

10x05- Oxygen (05/13)

10x06- Extremis (05/20)

10x07- The Pyramid at the End of the World (05/27)

10x08- The Lie of the Land (06/03)

10x09- Empress of Mars (06/10)

10x10- The Eaters of Light (06/17)

10x11- World Enough and Time (06/24)

10x12- The Doctor Falls (07/01)

Twice Upon a Time (12/25)

2018

11x01- The Woman Who Fell to Earth (10/07/2018)

11x02- The Ghost Monument (10/14)

11x03- Rosa (10/21)

11x04- Arachnids in the UK (10/28)

11x05- The Tsuranga Conundrum (11/04)

11x06- Demons of the Punjab (11/11)

11x07- Kerblam! (11/18)

11x08- The Witchfinders (11/25)

11x09- It Takes You Away (12/02)

11x10- The Battle of Ranskoor Av Kolos (12/09)

2019

Resolution (01/01/2019)

2020

12x01- Spyfall, Part 1 (01/01/2020)

12x02- Spyfall, Part 2 (01/05)

12x03- Orphan 55 (01/12)

12x04- Nikola Tesla’s Night of Terror (01/19)

12x05- Fugitive of the Judoon (01/26)

12x06- Praxeus (02/02)

12x07- Can You Hear Me? (02/09)

12x08- The Haunting of Villa Diodati (02/16)

12x09- Ascension of the Cybermen (02/23)

12x10- The Timeless Children (03/01)

2021

Revolution of the Daleks (01/01/2021)

13x01- The Halloween Apocalypse (10/31)

13x02- War of the Sontarans (11/7)

13x03- Once, Upon Time (11/14)

13x04- Village of the Angels (11/21)

13x05- Survivors of the Flux (11/28)

13x06- The Vanquishers (12/5)

2022

Eve of the Daleks(01/01/2022)

Legend of the Seal Devils(4/17)

The Power of the Doctor(10/23)

2023

The Star Beast(11/25/2023)

Wild Blue Yonder(12/2/2023)

The Giggle(12/9/2023)

The Church on Ruby Road(12/25/2023)

2024

TBA

[khruschevshoe]

The Absolute Brilliance of the Arc of Season 3 of Doctor Who

There is really something to be said about the fact that nearly every single episode in Season 3 of Doctor Who feeds directly into the finale while never once feeling like a tacked-on addition to the episode itself as future arcs like the whole "Cybermen Afterlife" in Season 8 did. Like, Bad Wolf might seem more obvious (and yes, Season 1 has my second favorite season-arc of nuwho), but I honestly think this is the best, most organic arc build-up of any season of NuWho. Like, for example:

Smith And Jones: sets up Martha and Doctor's dynamic, first mention of Saxon

Shakespeare Code: weakest connection, but still an example of themes of charismatic speakers/power of words that Saxon will use later on

Gridlock: evolves the Doctor & Martha dynamic, reintroduces Face of Boe, Face of Boe's "You are not alone explanation," explains importance of Gallifrey/the Doctor being the last of his kind

Daleks in Manhattan/Evolution of the Daleks: not so much here, but it does mention the fact that the Doctor is the last of his kind, the only Time Lord survivor of the Time War, and emphasizes the lengths he is willing to go in order to help the Daleks evolve/guilt he feels over the Time War and being the last of his kind

Lazarus Experiment: shows why Francine Jones wouldn't trust the Doctor/how she falls under Saxon's sway to try and protect Martha, introduces deaging/aging technology

42: Martha's conversations with her mother are organically part of the plot because she thinks she's doing to die and it's revealed that Francine Jones is officially reporting to Saxon

Human Nature/Family of Blood: introduces chameleon arch/fob watch which is very, very important to the finale

Blink: as a companion-light episode, not so much foreshadowing here, but mentions Harold Saxon again

By the time you get to Utopia, you don't need any of the main mechanics of how the chameleon arch explained to you AND you have the Face of Boe's "you are not alone" warning to explain Professor "Yana" and dread can build without exposition. When you get to Sound of Drums, Harold Saxon and his connection to Francine Jones/threat he poses has been well-established and you have Dr. Lazarus' technology established to explain how the Master ages the Doctor. And in Last of the Time Lords, you have the Doctor's guilt over the Time War/his grief over his people well-established so you understand why he would beg the Master to stay alive even after everything the Master does + the Face of Boe/Jack Harkness reveal gets its amazing payoff.

TLDR; The subtle/organic storytelling in this season is absolutely brilliant. Maybe the best, most well-integrated set-up, build-up, and payoff of any season of NuWho.

[adventure-showdown]

What is your favourite Doctor Who story?

ROUND 1 MASTERPOST

synopses and propaganda under the cut

New Earth

Synopsis

In the distant future, an order of cat-nuns cure all illnesses, but the Tenth Doctor is suspicious of their methods. He must uncover the truth and save Rose from the vengeance of his old enemy, the Lady Cassandra.

Propaganda no propaganda submitted

Tooth and Claw

Synopsis

Landing in the 1870s by accident, the Tenth Doctor and Rose get caught up in trying to protect Queen Victoria. However, it seems something more sinister is afoot than a simple assassination plot; can the time travellers stop the coming of the Empire of the Wolf?

Propaganda no propaganda submitted

The Girl in the Fireplace

Synopsis

For their first trip with Mickey, the Tenth Doctor and Rose end up on a spaceship in the future that contains several portals to pre-Revolutionary France. When he steps through one of these portals, shaped like a fireplace, the Doctor discovers the even greater mystery of actual, romantic love.

Propaganda no propaganda submitted

Fear Her

Synopsis

In London in 2012, the Tenth Doctor and Rose Tyler set off to see the Olympics, only to find terror in the most ordinary place.

Propaganda no propaganda submitted

The Shakespeare Code

Synopsis

As a reward for her help with the Plasmavore, Martha Jones gets a trip in the TARDIS. The Tenth Doctor takes her to 1599 England. After viewing a performance of Shakespeare's latest play, the time travellers are beset by apparent sorcery. Under threat of annihilation from a species from the Dark Times, the TARDIS team have to establish whether there is a connection between a witch they've met and Shakespeare's Love's Labour's Won — a play that was legendarily lost to time.

Propaganda no propaganda submitted

Daleks in Manhattan/Evolution of the Daleks

Synopsis

During the building of the Empire State Building in 1930s New York City, the Cult of Skaro continues their attempts to destroy humanity and reign supreme.

Propaganda no propaganda submitted

The Lazarus Experiment

Synopsis

After travelling backwards, forwards and backwards again in time, Martha Jones has returned home. However, before the Tenth Doctor can bid farewell to her, he hears Professor Richard Lazarus announcing that he'll "change what it means to be human." What could this mean? And could it lead to something far more dangerous than a simple scientific failure?

Propaganda no propaganda submitted

The Sontaran Stratagem/The Poison Sky

Synopsis

Fifty-two people across the world in eleven different time zones die at the exact same time. The only connection: they all have ATMOS installed in their vehicles. Martha Jones, now a UNIT medic, summons the Tenth Doctor back to modern-day Earth to help figure out why, but an old enemy lies in wait...

Propaganda no propaganda submitted

[iwatchthingsandstuff]

It's September which means legally I can start 💀👻🎃Halloween Posting🎃👻💀

So let me give you a list of Doctor Who episodes I think are great to watch on October 31st while you're waiting for trick or treaters to show up! And my justifications for each episode which means if you haven't watched any Doctor Who, this list may have spoilers! (Probably not though)

The Doctor Who SpookyList (Part 1)

S01E01 Rose - This episode is an introduction to the show through the perspective of an average 19 year old girl. It utilizes horror tropes exquisitely, and is framed a lot like a horror B film. So, SpookyList it is!

S01E03 The Unquiet Dead - Zombies, ghosts, possession! Very spooky, great for the holidays! Perfect candidate for the SpookyList!

S01E09&10 The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances - Now this is a two parter, and the second part does not make the SpookyList on it's own. But given the utterly terrifying horror movie vibes of the first part, and the whole fear of the unknown and contagion aspects, the second part makes it on the list by default because it's the wrap-up, so SpookyList it is!

S02E02 Tooth and Claw - Werewolves!!!!!!! It's also fairly scary in it's own right, of course, but you're kidding yourself if you think I'm not putting WEREWOLVES on the SpookyList, like literally even if they were cuddly wuddly they'd get on the list!

S02E03 School Reunion - This episode has such Goosebumps vibes, it's not super scary but it's got all the right ingredients. However, it is also a "teachers living in the school and eating students" horror, so SpookyList it is!

S02E07 The Idiot's Lantern - This one's got a lot of fear of the unknown horror tropes, and a mysterious thumping coming from the attic because something unthinkable has happened to grandma! But the scariest thing about this episode is the domestic abuse. SpookyList it is!

S02E08&09 The Impossible Planet/The Satan Pit - People dress up as the devil for Halloween all the time. Also possession and shit and stuff naturally, and fear of the unknown, and also all the horror movie "one by one last survivor" stuff. Another for the SpookyList!

S02E11 Fear Her - Scary little girl with unnatural powers that freaks her mom out? I've seen trailers for that horror movie before. But again, the scariest thing about this episode is the past domestic abuse! So SpookyList it is!

S02E14 The Runaway Bride - I know it's a Christmas Special. I don't care. The horror movie vibes are STRONG with this episode, and also I have arachnophobia. 'Nuff said, SpookyList!

S03E02 The Shakespeare Code - Witches!!!!!! They're straight up just witches!!! Like sure it's scary or whatever but more importantly they're ACTUAL WITCHES IT'S A WITCH EPISODE, happy holidays, this is prime SpookyList material!

S03E04&05 Daleks in Manhattan/Evolution of the Daleks - I try to avoid the robot heavy episodes in my list, because it just doesn't jive with my mental perception of Halloween. But that's bullshit and this two part story is soaked in horror movie vibes and fear of unknown monsters. I think, again, that part two is less of a fit for the SpookyList, but I can't put only one half of the story on the list so there.

S03E06 The Lazarus Experiment - Horor movie vibes!!! Science has touched bounds it should never have horror!!! Also vampire tropes!!! Anyway this makes the SpookyList for sure!

S03E08&09 Human Nature/The Family of Blood - This one's got all that spooky mystery horror stuff that people love to play with when characters have amnesia. It's also got living muderous scarecrows which is terrifying, but a beautiful and lovely fall mood. Happy holidays! Anyway it's also extremely upsetting so have water on hand! The scariest part of this episode, however, is the racism! Tragic.

S03E10 Blink - You knew this one was coming, don't even lie. Like why wouldn't it make the SpookyList? Give me one good reason.

S04E07 The Unicorn and the Wasp - Okay this one's a stretch. But I just like murder mysteries in fancy mansions! It's literally Clue but with monsters! You have to let me put this one on the SpookyList. Actually, you know what, I'm doing it anyway, I don't need to listen to anybody else, LALALALA!

S04E08&09 Silence in the LibrarytForest of the Dead - Yeaaaahhhh I'm outing my phobias, I know. But this one's SCARY okay!? The dark literally eats you! "Who turned out the lights" haunted my dreams! SpookyList material in a heartbeat.

S04E10 Midnight - Ahaha the monster is trapped in a box with you and you don't know who it is horror! Have fun~ it's totally SpookyList material.

S04E16 The Waters of Mars - Unknown pathogen zombie shit, you KNOW this made it onto the SpookyList. Anyway have fun with your terrifying water zombies!

S05E01 The Eleventh Hour - I tried not to put too many first episodes but like... come on. Shapeshifter horror alllllllllll the way, like up the wazoo and everything. Total SpookyList material.

S05E06 The Vampires of Venice - Literal actual vampires this time! Finally! Yes I'm aware they're actually fish aliens or something, but let's be real the werewolf wasn't a werewolf either, and neither were the witches. So vampires! At last! Definitely SpookyList stuff!

More to come in a part 2

[autisticstevenuniverse]

Rating Every Nu Who Episode: Season 3

The Runaway Bride: 8/10 gets a LOT of points for Donna being so amazing and Ten being so befuddled, because the actual spiders in the Earth plot is a little meh. The star-shaped ship is fun though, and Donna already reigning in Ten.

Smith and Jones: 9/10 omg Judoon!! The rhyming! It's so silly but I still care that people are dying! Martha is just doing her best but is so brave and still kinda excited about the adventure!

The Shakespeare Code: 6/10 perfect aesthetics and the ending with Queen Elizabeth is hilarious. The idea of using words as magic is fun. The alien designs are a little shaky, and the Doctor can be a dick to Martha just for not being Rose, which is my ongoing complaint this season. He cares about her but doesn't make that clear. And I don't love her crush on him the whole time either.

Gridlock: 9/10 New Earth is back!! I love the worldbuilding while keeping it simple here. And the ending made me cry!

Daleks in Manhattan/Evolution of the Daleks: 8/10 now THIS is a proper dalek episode, no matter how ridiculous. Because that's the show!

The Lazarus Experiment: 3/10 but why though? I guess this one was kind of regular silly filler, but I didn't love it. Is a little funny in retrospect that Tish consistently gets jobs working for masquerading villains.

42: 1/10 nothing wrong with it per se but rickety spaceship/space station episodes just aren't my vibe.

Human Nature/The Family of Blood: 6/10 was one of my favorites when I first saw it because I'm obsessed with shows making their own AUs, but upon rewatch I'm actually really upset for Martha. She deals with so much racism and shit, and the Doctor brushing her off while not himself would be one thing if he didn't do that constantly anyway. Plus her one friend, who was very sweet, gets possessed.

Blink: 10/10 no notes one of my (and everyone else's) favorite episodes ever. So creepy in a fun way!

Utopia/The Sound of Drums/Last of the Time Lords: 5/10 I do actually like this plot, it's in character for the Master, and the (for now) death scene is sweet. BUT I can't get over how, after being brushed off and generally not appreciated the whole season, Martha gets even more trauma and her big brave way of "saving the world" is sharing stories of the Doctor who is out to save the world. I feel like if she had gotten more focus on coming into herself here I might have been ok with it. Plus Simm!Master is my least favorite, I just don't like how wildly he plays it. I guess I do appreciate Martha making the choice to do what's best for her and her family.

Bonus Character Ratings:

Ten: 7/10 he's still fun but STOP BEING MEAN TO MARTHA JUST BECAUSE YOU MISS ROSE. STOP IT!

Martha: 8/10 not for her acting, which is great, but for the character getting all the constant trauma and plotlines that make her feel like she's never fully settled in as the companion before understandably leaving.

[roseposts-stuff]

HELLO!!! thought i'd share my ranking of doctor who series 3 episodes today!!!! been a while since i posted series 2 ranking so yeah:D

1. Blink - I LOVE this episode so much, everyone probably gets why, it's so well written, the weeping angels are a brilliant idea, it has great characters, it's visually beautiful (seriously there are so many frames i just look at like "wow the colours are SO COOL i want to paint this" or like the composition looks nice or something) and the way the viewer counts with the angels not moving is SO COOL, what more can a girl ask for???

2. Human Nature/Family of Blood - again so so good, i LOVED martha my girl was so amazing, the acting was so good, the plot was great, i liked the side characters, just really really good guys

3. Gridlock - no one will ever understand how much i love this episode, i love love love how we jump from one car to another it feels so cosy like jumping to tiny worlds it was so amazing fr do y'all see what im saying??? it's so nice and feels so real and i love old lesbians and random kittens and!!!! also it was cool to see face of boe (he's an icon) and anyway the story was enjoyable and i really really liked it

4. Smith and Jones - i love this introduction to martha, the story is great and interesting and i was IMMEDIATELY on board like hello martha i like you already, AND it had funny moments too!!

5. Utopia/The Sound of Drums/Last of the Time Lords - man this is a great finale, martha, jack and 10 together were so fun to watch and the master's reveal is great and y'all i'm SO proud of martha she was an ICON i love her, anyway the plot is great and i also kinda like how the master was basically defeated with hope, i think it was beautiful, also i love martha's departure it's one of my favourites

6. Daleks in Manhattan/Evolution of the Daleks - really liked the side characters, especially solomon and tallulah, they were great, and i liked the idea of one of the daleks kinda turned good you know? or at least realised that there are better ways to survive, and anyway i just like the story

7. 42 - LOVE how this is in "real time" i think that's such a great idea, i enjoyed freema and david's acting and the story overall it's great

8. The Runaway Bride - donnaaaaa!!! this is pretty funny (as stuff with donna tends to be ngl) and the story is alright, but not my fav christmas special and i wasn't the biggest fan of the villain

9. The Shakespeare Code - i like the idea of carrionites and that words can be used like that it's so cool and the ending was funny with the queen just telling folks to execute the doctor but like this episode isn't my fav + i was SO mad when 10 compared martha to rose like im sorry i just never got into timepetals i didn't really like the ship, like i did NOT care enough to get that moment 😭

10. The Lazarus Experiment - it's enjoyable and i really like tish i kinda wished she'd become a companion with martha are you seeing my vision?? and i love some 10 moments in this, but overall it's kinda mid

welll there we are!!!! hopefully will do series 4 soon!!! also remember these are my opinions y'all are free to disagree and if you wanna tell me if you disagree or agree feel free to do that:D

[empressawesomecoolness]

Doctor Who: The Ultimate Speedrun Marathon - Series 3 (2007)

The semester’s keeping me busy but trust me I’m still trying to keep this speedrun going and get caught up on everything before May, so I’m glad to say I finally finished Series 3 yaaaaayyy! It was a lot of fun, especially in how it carried over from Series 2 into 10’s adventures with a new companion after Rose. Aight let’s get into it…

General Thoughts

Right off the bat, I loved Martha as a companion. Similar to Sylvester McCoy, I was familiar with Freema Agyeman from her stellar work on Sense8, so I was already a fan of her’s as soon as she popped up on screen. She’s got her own brand of intelligence and spunk that bounces off of 10 really well. Don’t get me wrong, I love that Rose was carried over from Eccleston’s tenure into Tennant’s, but I believe that Martha meeting 10 as he is for the first time in this series was beneficial to them building a better chemistry. Also, it’s great and refreshing to see the Doctor get his first black female companion in the show’s history. Overall, probably one of my fav companions so far, if not my favorite.

Not much to add in regards to David Tennant’s performance as the 10th Doctor, but I’ll heap praise anyways. He’s just as charismatic as he was last season, never phoning it in for even a second. All of 10’s big emotional and personality quirks can really be chalked up to Tennant’s clear love of the material, which was also apparent in the previous two Doctor actors I’ve covered thus far.

Besides the Doctor and Martha, Series 3 also had a really big moment that I was pleasantly surprised to see be built up so well: the return of The Master. Last time I saw that character in this speedrun watch-through, he was ‘90s Eric Roberts doing his best impression of an effeminate man. I was wondering how he’d inevitably return after his fate in the TV movie, so I genuinely felt the rug pulled out from under me when he was revealed to have been hiding right under my nose as Professor Yana in Utopia. Derek Jacobi played both the unassuming professor and the menacing Master really well, so props to him. As for his almost immediate successor, John Simm as the 7th Master, I must admit…. not really my thing. I will admit he had some great moments that made me truly hate him (which in turn made me like him more cuz well y’know he’s the villain duhh), but the over the top flamboyance just gave me major BBC Sherlock Moriarty vibes. idk, again I still haven’t seen the classic series in its entirety yet, so maybe that’s just how the Master is, but I’m inclined to believe Stephen Moffat is the common denominator in this specific characterization. Despite my criticisms tho, Simm’s chemistry with Tennant was really fun. Much more dynamic than the complete diva Paul McGann had to act off of.

Favorite Episodes

• Blink

• The Shakespeare Code

• The Lazarus Experiment

• Human Nature

• The Family of Blood

• Daleks in Manhattan

• Evolution of the Daleks

• Utopia

Favorite Moments

• The entirety of Blink was a really clever well done treat for me. It felt a lot like an episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and it just played with Doctor Who’s version of time travel so well and to such great effect. The Weeping Angels are now some of the Doctor’s most iconic foes, which is well deserved because they are super memorable and scary as fuck. Also it was funny to see baby Carey Mulligan here lol

• The moment Professor Yana reveals himself to be The Master was so crazy cool. Like just a few seconds earlier when he started acting weird and jaded I was thinking “holy shit is he the Master he’s gotta be the Master” and I was right 😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎

• I appreciate that Martha mentions how William Shakespeare doesn’t look exactly like he does in the famous portraits we have of him. It’s still kind of a topic of speculation as to what exactly he looked like in his youth, so I liked that she’d pick up on that.

• “Come on. We can all have a good flirt later!” “Is that a promise, Doctor?” “Oh, 57 academics just punched the air.” I love this show

• They should induct Blink into the National Film Registry for preservation just for the introduction of the phrase “wibbly wobbly timey wimey stuff” alone

• Captain Jack Harkness (great to see him back btw) is THE FACE OF BOE????????????????? not sure how to feel about that. points for creativity tho

• tryna just chill and watch The Lazarus Experiment then BOOM!!!!! MARK GATIS JUMPSCARE AHHHHHHHHH

• The sound of a militaristic drumbeat constantly playing in the Master’s head is a great motif. One of the things I did like about Simm’s portrayal was how well he got across the maddening effect of the drumbeat’s sound in his head.

• The series finale was soooo crazy. I loved how the consequences of the Master’s plan were shown to have been so hard to crack that it took a whole year for them to even get close to him. It really built up the Master as a new kind of villain for this revamped version of the show. Also, fucking good on Martha for busting her ass to travel the globe and gather the support of millions. She’s such a badass

• “Good old J.K.!” *thousand yard stare*

Alright, that about wraps it up for Series 3! I had a great time with this series, even if it took me a bit to get through. Time to crack on, though. Gotta keep this speedrun train going. Onto Series 4, which (for the most part) marks David Tennant’s final tenure as the 10th Doctor.

[noblechaton]

so I finished my rewatch of Doctor Who series 3 and wrote a bunch about it in my media thread and feel like crossposting it lol. just some scattershot thoughts in the fallout of the most mid series of the show yet - kinda like how I remembered

This one's really hard to rate, honestly

On one hand you have some of the very best episodes across the entire show's history, but on the other you have some genuinely hard to watch stories marred by overambition and/or just lazy writing

It all comes back to Martha, really, and how she's treated as an afterthought straight out of the gate. I understand the storyline at play here, I get what they were doing and even why they were doing it - but that doesn't make it fun to watch, or good. She deserved a lot better than she got here and the worst part is I think those behind the scenes sorta knew it.

She gets this fantastic introduction in Smith and Jones only to then immediately take a backseat in The Shakespeare Code (one of the worst of this era btw) and she just doesn't really get a chance to recover from that until it's way too late in the series and again, that's kind of the point, but it's also kind of a bad one. She's a rebound for the Doctor in a post-Rose universe but, rather her remain a match for the Doctor and maybe gradually find feelings for him, she's head over heels almost straight away and suffers for it. It's like they weren't sure if they could continue making the show without some sort of romantic angle but didn't want to commit to Martha in that way for one reason or another so they rushed that element so that, by the time it made sense, it was, again, way too late

I just don't really get it. Freema is a great actress, she has great chemistry with David and there was definitely something here. A doctor to help fix the Doctor's broken heart. But that's not really what we get, so much as the Doctor just gradually getting over it on his own and Martha just sort of being there. That there are multiple scenes across multiple episodes where he basically - if unintentionally, thoughtlessly- insults her to her face is just so baffling, it feels weird as a viewer and almost mean outright to the character of Martha herself, and kind of OOC for the Doctor.

Just such a shame because I love Martha. She's such a fun foil, so competent and compassionate and could certainly have stood toe to toe with the Doctor outright if they'd just let her more often than they didn't. That her being an afterthought is the story through her entire series and that she only overcomes it by the very end just feels so wrong.

More on the whole though, the series is also the most inconsistent yet. There's some rough stuff here like Shakespeare Code and 42, while the final episode of the series is so outright bad and stupid from a writing standpoint that I can't believe it didn't get another pass. But then, some of the best of the best are in here. Human Nature/Family of Blood is a fantastic story, Runaway Bride is another classic Christmas special and Blink is an outright masterpiece of an episode and might be the very best single episode there is for the entire show

The first two parts of the finale are pretty great too, Utopia does a great job of playing with expectations and the concepts of despair and hope while Sound of Drums is a great, desperate hour of the Doctor being properly backed into a corner due, in part, to his own hubris. Lazarus Experiment was a surprisingly great episode on rewatch, while I still mostly enjoyed Gridlock and the Dalek two parter as well. It's just that those that are even just solid aren't as solid as most of series 2 or even series 1, while there's some proper bad stories here too.

Last of the Time Lords in particular is just such a huge disappointment because it feels really clear that they'd built up the finale without much forethought in terms of how it would actually end. You can't let Earth stay decimated like it was, but what solution is there beyond walking it back? And that's exactly what they do. A big reset button for the whole world, with promises of trauma for those still on the Valiant (a literal helicarrier btw) that just aren't really followed up on that much. The only real consequence of the story is that the Doctor is, again, alone, but he'd felt detached from Martha all series long anyway.

Like yeah Martha's family has trauma to work through, but they never really appear again so it doesn't really matter. Jack's all smiles by the end after being tortured to death multiple times in a year. And the Master himself doesn't even stay dead. Nothing really changes and there's not much consequence to the Year that Never Was - which was the point of the reset button, but in turn it takes consequence away from the audience too.

It's a clear case of compelling, interesting and ambitious storytelling just getting the better of those involved and as such, Last of the Time Lords is easily the worst finale episode in this era at least. Just got too far ahead of themselves and didn't know what to do. Which is kind of how series 3 feels in general. As if they just didn't really know what to do about that Billie Piper shaped hole in the crew and spun the wheels for a bit, making for a very mixed bag of incredible highs and some real disappointing lows

Plenty to enjoy in this series even if it's all a bit duller, still perfectly fine television - just not what it could have been, with a lot of dropped balls and disappointments throughout. Watchable is a really good word for at least half of this series, like it's better than some stuff that gets put on TV these days but that doesn't really make it great.

Really the brightest side to the entire series being that series 4 is next and that is quite honestly, at least in my memory as of right now, the peak of the entire show to this point

[besidesitstoowarm]

"The Shakespeare Code" thoughts

right when the harry potter references hit i googled gareth roberts to see if he was the person i thought he was and there's a section of his wikipedia page titled "transphobia controversy" so i guess i'd like to applaud doctor who in linking harry potter with terf bullshit as early as possible

that said, i like the episode despite the fact that gareth roberts should die in a ditch. it's stupid, but the guy playing shakespeare is deeply charming and i'm a sucker for a good historical

i was actually comparing it in my mind to "the unquiet dead" in the sense of the doctor meeting a famous historical figure and i think dickens is one of the better choices for that role; famous enough to be immediately recognizable by the audience, but the average viewer is probably only vaguely familiar with their work and so the doctor can fangirl a little over them and the episode can make weird meta references to their work. madame de pompadour was too obscure and shakespeare is too familiar, but dickens struck the nail right on the head. i think agatha christie next season also nails it. also this trend of "one big history guy per season" kind of dies after van gogh which is a bummer, i like it. you get a personal connection to the historical period, your own little vergil as guide

anyway the guy who plays shakespeare here is so sexy. one earring, chest hair under the pirate shirt. ep 2 obi wan hair and beard. bisexuality. we must stan

we learn that the doctor failed his license test. martha's introduction to history will be repeated almost beat-for-beat in "thin ice" 7 years later with bill, and honestly i like the bill version better. the "just like every other day of your life" hits different. that said this episode does give me the "there was only one bed" trope which made me SICK even if ten ruined it w his rose reminiscing

(just want to say that when they first see shakespeare martha clarifies "and those are men dressed as women?" and ten says "london never changes" and again i think gareth roberts should explode)

i love a good witchcraft story. i love that the main witch has two mothers and they're named "bloodtide" and "doomfinger" really just giving me everything right there. shakespeare is extremely into martha but says some very questionable things about her race, and i would be more inclined to chalk that up to good-natured jabs at the time period if the writer wasn't a creep already. i just learned from googling that he's gay, which is disappointing. he also wrote some episodes i really love ("the lodger") and others i despise ("the planet of the dead") so truly a mixed bag. whatever

anyway this is one of the episodes that i put in my "i don't know that i could defend this as 'good' but i really like it anyway" pile, which is also where "the lazarus experiment" will end up later this season. next episode thankfully we can have kittytime with the macra

[casasupernovas]

im ranting again lol.

there's a lot of creepy shit in regards to martha's season. mainly in the shakespeare code but also the lazarus experiment. like why was the doctor picking up her underwear? mark gatiss made a joke about how this is probably the first time the doctor has done this to a companion on tv.

why was there supposed to be a scene where the doctor undresses in front of martha in the shakespeare code - "you gonna stand there all night?" (thank GOD david said absolutely not!).

the innuendos - the doctor's awkward conversation with martha's mother? it's funny but more indicative of a bigger issue.

my conspiracy theory is that the annoying fans that hated her by default were so anti her because they saw how more suggestive the series was written in regards to her and they were pissed.

in fact, THIS is how the press reacted to her casting and the series:

it even veers into more violence or aggression which also startled me - utopia where he yells in her face (you understand he was panicking but my God...). she looks so scared :/ i hate how she jumps...

or when john smith manhandles her out of the room. i know she slapped him but it makes me madder because it didn't need to happen because joan tells him martha was right about the watch and she only says this once martha's been manhandled out of the room of course.

and of course the doctor's blatant rudeness and dismissveness e.g her asking about her safety in shakespeare or pretty valid questions about time and space and his rudeness in the house.

or just cruelty (im using the words that even russell and david use here) at the end of gridlock when he hurts her feelings and the "never waste time on a hug" line in the daleks two parter.

or how the series in general pushes her aside for a blonde woman - rose tyler, lilith, joan redfern, sally sparrow. shit even lucy saxon. and i know for a fact a lot of fans revelled in her bad treatment.

there just a lot of themes that aren't necessarily bad if utilised well, and i don't think they were, especially as no one really pulled up the doctor on how he treated martha or how he really felt about her. and even the press had their share. even in doctor who confidential, they include a piece where someone commented that they were impressed with martha which they found themselves surprised at, as they had seen the promotional pictures and thought it didn't look right, a sentiment echoed throughout the forums for a long time. take a wild guess of what THAT meant?

[nevernotnotnotting]

im rewatching doctor who with my partner (they’ve never seen it, ive watched up to s9 but haven’t finished it and haven’t watched dw in years- I was obsessed as a teen tho)

we just finished s2 and ive come to the realisation that i hate it. i do not like it. its not enjoyable to me. love and monsters?? are you kidding me?? the fuckin 50s tv one?? the cat hospital?? like there are episodes that i think are objectively good that i just don’t enjoy (impossible planet/satan pit is fascinating, and there’s a lot of interest with the parallel world stuff) but overall i just really really /really/ dislike rose and ten together. don’t like it.

theyre insufferable, they’re not nearly human enough (like dw as a whole does treat a lot of serious stuff without gravity, but this season is atrocious for it - it’s like the second he regenerated ten went ah it’s all fine now!! im over the time war it’s fine (: never mind that his entire planet and species died a year or two ago for him), and everything that they have holding them together seems to be what happened when the doctor was a completely different person (ie before he regenerated). he’s important to her not bc of who he is now but bc of what they went through and who he was before he regenerated, and she’s important to him because she’s his only family since the time war.

they remind me of a couple who’s been married for like 5 years, but they got married while like they were in school or one of them was in the military or something and now that their circumstances have changed the only thing holding them together is the fact that they’re already together. like they love each other- but why? what do they actually love about each other? their history, that’s 95% of it. ive had this opinion for years about them as a ship, but frankly I’m realising this about them as any kind of relationship, platonic or not. i dont like them together and i dont think they’re good together or for each other.

also like- rose is 19 when they meet. she dropped out of school and works in a shop and dates someone she knew growing up. she experiences a lot more and grows up a lot during her time with the doctor, but she’s still at most 21 by the end of s2- she’s still a kid. like developmentally, she’s not full grown yet. she and nine work together bc their relationship is based on understanding that huge power imbalance, which is partly bc of how much older (and less traditionally attractive) nine looks, partly because she’s newer to the tardis, and partly because of how different nine’s attitude is to so much.

idk im glad to be up to s3 for sure. i don’t understand martha hate, i adore her, and i think most of her season is really good. i wish they’d spent less time having her moon (lol) over the doctor, i think it does both of them a real disservice, but she’s a great character and person and i love her arc and the series arc as a whole (i ship ten/john simm master Heavily so this should not be surprising but i do think that it genuinely holds up).

i just, i don’t understand why so many fans love rose/roseten/s2 when to me the whole thing feels like the writers had a really strong vision for s1, finished it, and went ah. didn’t think we’d get this far, have uhhh a werewolf i guess??? and then so many fans have such a negative opinion of martha & s3, when imo that’s when they wrestled the story back into something that’s really very narratively strong. like there’s dodgy bits and bad episodes (i am Not looking forward to lazarus or the pig people lol) but they’re bits and episodes, and even the parts that are dodgy can still be really enjoyable (i love the shakespeare code!! it’s so fun!! someone please either let martha smack bill for being racist, have someone else do it on her behalf, or just don’t put the racism in, but other than that it’s a really enjoyable episode). the daleks episodes are genuinely so good, and the family of blood, and blink???? and everything with the master??? sick as fuck. i love it. im so excited to enjoy the show again lol.

[thegodcomplcx]

Okay, so my headcanon for their first real talk that leads to a friendship takes place between Gridlock and Daleks in Manhattan.

So:

-The Doctor properly talks to Martha about why he's been so evasive and aloof to her during the events of the Shakespeare Code and Gridlock. (Without hanging over her head how much better Rose was)

Not hate against Billie, but tbh, Rose is really overrated for me.

-After apologizing, like he should, he asks Martha if she wishes to keep traveling with him, instead of the One Trip only excuse. Then, after he gets her answer, they leave for a new trip.

-Once in Manhattan, once they witness the fight between two men fighting for bread, he turns to her and tells her to stay close to him. (Courtesy of the memory of her being kidnapped in Gridlock).

-When he volunteers, he offers her the key to the Tardis,so in case anything happens, she can be safe. She refuses and volunteers with him. Surprised, he tells her he'll keep her safe.

The plot of the episode goes as usual until she runs off to chase one of the pig men and gets kidnapped again. (Making the Doctor almost go batshit crazy at the Daleks).

I had to rewatch the Dalek two parter to refresh my memory.

So,Martha gets taken to the tunnels by the pig-men and the Doctor goes after her.

-The Doctor and Talulah meet with Laszlo, and when he sees what the Daleks did to him, he demands to know if the same has been done to Martha. He makes Laszlo lead him to the Daleks, saying that he promised Martha he would protect her.

-When Martha and the others are being scanned, he has to be held back by both Talulah and Laszlo.

-When they meet again in the tunnels, instead of that "You can kiss me later", he grabs her hand and asks her if she's alright. They hold hands all the way. All the way to when they're standing infront of Dalek Sec.

Evolution of the Daleks:

-When the Doctor tricks the Daleks with the radio and tells everyone to run, he goes and grabs Martha's hand again. They run together all the way back to camp.

-When the Doctor gives his speech to the Daleks after they attack the camp and kill Solomon. Martha runs to stand infront of him, which makes the Doctor snap and try to push her behind him.

-When the Doctor is told to go with the Daleks, Martha stops him, begging him not to go. The Doctor hands her the keys to the Tardis again, in case he doesn't come back, and kisses her forehead before he goes.

--

kldfjsdkfj the doctor being protective over martha is truly one of my favorite things on the planet. i love those moments where we can see thru the cracks a little bit and see how he actually feels about her.

FULLY AGREE ABOUT ROSE BEING OVERRATED TBH. i really enjoyed her with nine but i thought her interactions with ten were just too cloying sweet for my tastes. she's kinda mid :/

i really like all the little changes you made! like its not plot altering but it just makes it a little softer and a little more kind to martha :) i think she got SHAFTED fr in canon. i also truly despise the way that the doctor "just one trip"'s her for like half the season so i think it's a good move for the doctor to make his own decision that he would like her to stay instead of being forced to say it. (one of these days i'll write an au where martha refuses to travel with him again after lazarus experiment and he spends a lot of time pining and repenting).

another thing i truly hate is when the doctor says "never waste time on a hug" to martha like. my brother in christ, you were the one who hugged her. he's so emotionally constipated.

i thoroughly enjoyed your thoughts on these episodes tho this was so fun

[an-american-whovian]

• The Story Thus Far:

The Doctor recently lost Rose and then basically gets friend zoned by Donna Noble on Christmas. It's okay, tho', Martha Jones is there to be a rebound.

Coincidentally enough, I was going through a rebound, myself, when this series came out.

Martha was cool -- my rebound wasn't. (I, eventually, dumped her over FB messenger; she wasnt happy about it.)

• Once, Twice, Three Times a (New) Lady:

Poor Martha had to follow up the heartbreak that was Ten and Rose. Freema Agyeman doesn't get enough credit in DW lore as a great companion (which she most certainly is!).

Like, is she a rebound? Pfft -- duh! Fucking Ten takes her to a cheap version of he and Rose's first date. That's okay, tho', because 'Gridlock' makes fer a dope ass episode.

• I Got Ahead of Myself, Again:

Before Martha comes along with her puppy dog eyes -- Catherine Tate's Donna is introduced. 'The Runaway Bride' is yer typical corny as fuck Christmas special; but the chemistry between Tennant and Tate is so dope you can put that ALL aside. (Anything is better than 'The Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe'. That shit is painful.)

Lastly, love how at the end she rebuffs the Doctor's invitation to come along the TARDIS. Yet tells him that he still needs to find someone else to join him.

So good.

• Let's Get the 💩 Out of the Way:

'The Shakespeare Code' is too corny fer its own good. That Dalek two parter ALMOST ruins them forever. More importantly, what's with the pig faced henchmen!? Didn't we already have those in 'Aliens of London'!?

'The Lazarus Experiment' is kinda B-movie fun (but just BARELY).

'42'? Just four words, "Fuck you, Chris Chibnall".

• Space Police Rhinos Rule:

'Smith & Jones' is up there as one of my favorite series openers. Right away yer properly introduced to Martha and her family; the Doctor is running around being the Doctor. The Judoon are, like, so legit.

Those motorcycle henchmen are kinda dumb, tho'. Like, could they not afford a better look fer them. I do LOVE that the villain is an English 'Golden Girl' who sucks people's blood with a straw. Fucking gold.

Did I mention I love 'Gridlock'? You get a brief look at the Macra and that Face of Boe appearance at the end is SO DOPE. Enigmatic as fuck.

'Human Nature'/'The Family of Blood' is up there as ONE OF THE BEST Doctor Who two parters -- all time. I'll fight anyone about it. Like, the Doctor turns human and falls in love -- NOT WITH MARTHA, THO', 'CAUSE SHE'S TOO BUSY DEALING WITH RACISTS BIGOTS! It's just beautiful.

• Yer Gonna Wanna Fight Me About This One:

'Blink' is overrated. THERE I SAID IT! Like, it's a good story and all. However, some people put it up there in the top 5 stories of all time -- and I can't agree.

• That Time I Was Introduced to Scissor Sisters:

I think it can be said that series three ends in a three parter. It's pretty epic. The return of the Master is great. John Simm is pure manic camp. Captain Jack is back ready to bang everyone -- that's always cool. Although, at the end when they all "think" about the Doctor to save the day, he looks like he's gonna legit jizz himself. 💦

Then you get Martha kinda nicely(?) dumping the Doctor (at least it wasn't through FB messenger) and then the Titanic crashes into the TARDIS.

(Or he, also, briefly meets his Fifth regeneration somewhere in there. Depends how yer watching it.)

• Allons-y:

A step down from series one and two -- but there's A LOT still to love. I wanna like that Dalek two parter, but I cant. The American accents are terrible and that Dalek/Human hybrid with penises on his face doesn't do it fer me.

Also, fuck Chris Chibnall.

Aside from all that: a really impressive series with a VERY UNDERRATED companion.

Certified Freshly Squeezed.

[eightdoctor]

i’m sorry to keep haranguing you about this but can we hear more about martha and the eighth doctor? what happens season 4?

literally please keep haranguing me (interesting word) about them they’re sorta all i think about idk 😐

ok so season 4... this is gonna need some explaining bc the timeline in this au is sorta fucked up & i take episodes from season 2 and put them into the events of season 3 and put season 2 after season 3 and ANYWAY. like i do this bc i’m just saying the impossible planet with 8 and martha would make me have an allergic reaction bc i’d go nuts (i’m allergic to nuts). also it’s my canon i can do what i want

the timeline goes like: smith and jones, the shakespeare code, gridlocked, new earth (the doctor originally wanted to take martha to the setting there but since he can’t drive he ended up in the setting in gridlocked first), daleks in manhattan 2 parter, the lazarus experiment, 42, human nature 2 parter, blink, utopia (remind me to talk about jack harkness in this!!), the sound of drums 2 parter, then what follows is season 2 AFTER new earth (starting at tooth and claw), and then after “season 2” are the events of season 4. SO

i say this because doomsday DOES happen in this au :)! martha gets stuck in a parallel universe (i do have to think about the specifics of what’s different in this dimension - if it’s mostly similar or completely different ... idk) & the doctor, absolutely losing his shit, goes to gallifrey to beg for their help in getting her back. they say they can’t, because they can’t find any trace of her in the other dimension O_O!!! uh oh

the doctor is very sad bc his gf companion is Lost Forever. this is when the runaway bride happens, which obviously introduces donna!!! :D (donna in this au doesn’t show up again till during the sontaran stratagem. she actually starts investigating things for unit, which is how they end up meeting up again in that episode)

now, while this is happening with the doctor, in the other dimension martha works tirelessly to get back to her universe- back to the doctor, back to her family. (because time isn’t real) only a few days pass in the original universe until martha comes back (this is why the time lords couldn’t find her, she wasn’t there to be found). HOWEVER her phone broke with the doctors contact in so she has no way of contacting him. this is when partners in crime takes place - they both investigate that adipose industry place at the same time. & idk. maybe when they find each other again they h*g and k*ss. idk. maybe.

i’m stopping there bc it got Very Long oops!!! hopefully this makes sense bc i have no idea what i just wrote. i sorta just slapped my jumbled thoughts out