The Rundown: Martha Jones is gone, and the age of Donna Noble has begun! Donna is my favorite companion, and her time with the Doctor is full of some amazing stuff. The main arc of this season isn’t so cohesive, but the fact that it’s companion-centric is a huge plus. Check out this season for some of the best Who episodes out there!
So Martha Jones’ tenure on the TARDIS is at an end, and Season Four and the reign of Donna Noble has begun. While Martha Jones wasn’t that interesting at the start of her season, near the end she got really badass. It is also good to note that she is the only companion of the new series who leaves the Doctor of her own free will. On principle. Ok, so it’s a little shaky, because who would do that? Still, it gives her back the strength of character they set her up with in the first place.
Donna Noble is a whole new kind of companion, and my personal favorite.
We first saw Donna Noble (Catherine Tate) as a mysterious bride who was suddenly transported onto the TARDIS for mysterious reasons in Season Two’s Christmas special. She was strong-willed, and unimpressed by the Doctor and his gadgets, only focusing on how horribly he had disrupted her wedding day. What I love about Donna is just how strong-willed she is compared to the other two companions we’d seen so far. She has no problem getting in the Doctor’s face and pointing out when, despite his vast intelligence, he’s being a complete moron. It’s fascinating to watch. There is also the amazing lack of sexual tension, which had become so tiresome after both Rose and Martha Jones, that it’s great to have a companion aware of the alluring charms that having a time machine might offer, and is mostly immune to them.
Another reason this season is so amazing is, while still very Monster-of-the-week, the episodes tend to deal with larger issues that come about when you have a being romping around through time and space messing with stuff. We get to see moments where the Doctor can’t help, or instances of where, if he helps, he may be committing atrocities at the same time. It pits him up against some of the hardest choices he’s had to face, and also makes him face up to some of the emotions he’s been repressing throughout the last two season.
Season four is where we really get to see Tennant’s Doctor show some depth, and it’s a refreshing change of pace. We also get introduced to an awesome character from the brain of Steven Moffat to give us taste of what to expect from Season Five!
There are a lot of things to love about Season Four of the New Who. Not only do we get a kick-ass new companion, but we also get to see at least two cameos by future full-time Who cast members. The writing is exceptional, the finale is fun, and the hits just keep on coming.
Stay tuned next time when we delve into the 11th hour!