The Rundown: Series three of the new Doctor Who plods along much like the previous two. With a new companion who is trying way too hard to be the old one, Tennant’s second season as the Doctor lacks a lot of the punch that caught my eye with his first. Still, if you want to find out what happens at the brilliant end, you need to make your way through this less-than-stellar season. Despite all that, it still manages to have some amazingly memorable moments.
So with the end of Series Two of Doctor Who we said goodbye to Rose Tyler. While she had some amazing moments on the show, I will have to say it was about time to see her go. The whole ‘unrequited love with an alien being who is way older and more brilliant than I am’ thing does grow a bit old over two seasons, especially when the tension seems very one-sided. As the lens through which we see the Doctor’s actions, Rose was somewhat uninvolved. Most of the time along for the ride, ever since she got a little too involved in the middle of series one. So enter Martha Jones. Martha is a doctor who was abducted, along with the rest of her hospital, to the moon while intergalactic authorities tracked down a dangerous fugitive. Her assistance in helping apprehend the subject makes the Doctor take notice of her, and afterwards he asks her to travel with him.
Martha’s season is full of good moments, don’t get me wrong. There’s plenty of intergalactic intrigue, Daleks, and world-shattering crisis to keep you interested. Also, there’s David Tennant just being a badass all over the place. That’s pretty cool. More of my issues are with Martha Jones, who they don’t let really hit her stride until the season is almost over. As a companion she is too often the damsel in distress, despite the fact that they set her up as being sassy and intelligent, what with being a doctor and all. Yet, with all the capability and self-sufficiency they build into her, Martha tends to devolve into a doey-eyed girl who is just melting in the dreamy pools that are David Tennant’s eyes. This is all too familiar, as it’s most of what Rose did during her tenure on the show. While Rose was great, I was really hoping to move forward, and this just seems like they really wished Rose could have stayed for another season.
Overall, Season Three is a wash. On the one hand, Tennant’s Doctor is a pleasure to watch, and they give him plenty of space to run around and spread his particular brand of insanity. On the other hand, Martha is a disappointment. Rose was understandable, as you needed the lowest common denominator to introduce audiences to who and what the Doctor is without overshadowing that fact with an overly complex companion. For their second go they had an amazing opportunity for someone way more complex than a slightly more fleshed out version of Rose. Still, the ending of Season Three is phenomenal and sets you up for the epicness that is Season Four, as well as introducing my favorite Doctor Who villain to date. So sit back, try and enjoy the ride, and hopefully I didn’t spoil it too much for you. Allons-y!