Writer: Helen Raynor
Director: Douglas MackinnonCast: David Tennant (The Doctor), Catherine Tate (Donna), Freema Agyeman (Martha), Christopher Ryan (General Staal), Rupert Holiday Evans (Colonel Mace), Dan Starkey (Commander Skorr), Bernard Cribbins (Wilfred Mott), Jacqueline King (Sylvia Noble), Elenor Matsuura (Jo Nakashima), Ryan Sampson (Luke Rattigan), Christian Cooke (Ross Jenkins), Clive Standen (Prvt. Harris), Wesley Theobald (Prvt. Gray), Rad Kaim (Worker) & Elizabeth Ryder (ATMOS Voice)
The Doctor is urgently called back to Earth by Martha Jones, as the warmongering Sontarans prepare to attack the planet..."Is that what you did to her; turn her into a soldier?"
-- Donna to The Doctor, on Martha
After last year's disappointing Daleks In Manhattan/Evolution Of The Daleks two-parter (good ideas, weak execution) writer Helen Raynor tries her luck again in another epic two-part story; this one contemporised and involving lesser-known classic Who villains The Sontarans, first seen in 1973s The Time Warrior...
Doctor Who has a long history of finding ways to turn innocent-looking people or innocuous items into deadly weapons and enemies, and that's exactly what The Sontaran Stratagem counts on with its ATMOS device. These "Atmospheric Omissions Systems" are now attached to the world's 800 million vehicles, but their environmentally-friendly appearance (and helpful in-built sat-navs) are actually miniature Trojan Horses for a devastating alien attack...
The Doctor (David Tennant) has to cut short a TARDIS-driving less with Donna (Catherine Tate), after receiving a phone call from former-companion Martha Jones (Freema Agyeman), who's now a qualified doctor, engaged to Tom Millington (the handsome soldier seen in Last Of The Time Lords) and working for UNIT. She's calling because she needs The Doctor's help in identifying the origin of the ATMOS devices, after 52 people simultaneously died worldwide from some kind of poisoning whilst driving ATMOS-equipped vehicles.
The Sontaran Stratagem works on a number of levels for fans of the show:
1 -- it's obviously great to see Martha Jones back (her character so badly fudged after a great introduction last year), although her interim appearances on Torchwood means her reappearance isn't as exciting as it could have been.
2 -- the prospect of seeing two companions together is interesting to see play out, but the script is quick to shoot down any antagonism between Donna and Martha. I suppose that's fair, as both women are adults, Donna's yet to stamp her authority as a companion, and Martha's moved on from The Doctor -- but it still seemed like a missed opportunity in some ways. I actually think the writers shied away from having two companions bickering (thus fuelling anti-Donna sentiment from Martha fans), which is fair enough.
3 -- the return of a popular Who villain like the Sontarans is bound to get old-school fans salivating at how modern techniques can breathe life into these potato-headed, cloned super-soldiers... who were always hamstrung by low-budget effects in the 70s/80s.
After a muted performance last week, The Doctor is back on top form as he's brought up to speed on events from Martha and UNITs Colonel Mace (Rupert Holliday-Evans), who has just led an assault on an ATMOS manufacturing plant looking for answers. Yes, there's a sinister underbelly to the ATMOS factory, but it's not quite as clichéd as usual – although it does once again involve a secret room. Inside, two UNIT soldiers find a faceless, naked human submerged in a tub of green, stinking goo. Curious.
Martha imparts some advice to Donna about ensuring her family know about her adventures, so Donna decides to head home to catch up with her family. With Martha engaged with UNIT-related matters elsewhere, The Doctor actually spends a large chunk of the episode with a new "companion", in the shape of UNIT grunt Ross (Christian Cooke). Together, they investigate Rattigan Academy, the abode of young genius Luke Rattigan (Ryan Sampson), the teenage creator of ATMOS who's in cahoots with the orbiting Sontarans, led by General Staal (Christopher Ryan).
The performances are all very good here. As I mentioned, David Tennant is really back on form after a slight dip last week, as Helen Raynor's script gives him more opportunities for inventive wordplay, jokes, and fuel for the impish glee Tennant excels at. Without a decent script, Tennant always brings enthusiasm and playfulness to things, but he's at his best when the strength of the dialogue matches his performance.
A scene where he mistakenly thinks Donna has decided to leave him for good, after such a short time, before it dawns on him she just nipping home for a few hours, was beautifully done. And only Tennant could get away with puns like "intruder-window" after teleporting aboard the Sontaran ship, which would only cause eye rolls in lesser hands, but got a big smile from me.
Catherine Tate is pushed into the background rather a lot, as she's not that instrumental to the Sontaran-focused plot. Her trip back home to Chiswick, to see her Gramps (Bernard Cribbins) and mother Sylvia (Jacqueline King), wasn't particularly interesting, although it was amusing when Donna realized her Gramps has already met The Doctor (during Voyage Of The Damned) and her mother remembers him from her wedding reception (in The Runaway Bride). If there's one thing Donna's elevation to companion status has achieved as an added bonus, it's the loss of wearisome introductions between the Time Lord and his companion's extended family.
Freema Agyeman can be slightly limp and occasionally wooden (was that really the best line deliver of "Doctor, I'm bringing you home" the director could choose from?), but she has a strange habit of getting better as you watch. It helps that the adjustment of her character (all done off-screen, but seen in Torchwood this year) has certainly helped, but I don't Martha will return to the TARDIS as a regular ever again – not if she's found her place in life and has a fiancé now. Martha's more proactive and in-charge than we've seen her before here, and it works well – even when she's captured and reverts to being a damsel in distress again. But as a result, Freema's fans get to see a naked clone-Martha covered in slime -- so I doubt there'll be any complaints!
Guest star Christopher Ryan (The Young Ones) is excellent as General Staal – with his voice particularly perfect as a dictatorial "little man", while the make-up for all the Sontarans finally do justice to the idea (which 70s/80s make-up couldn't achieve.) They've always been the silliest-looking Who aliens (with their bullet-shaped heads), but the revamp here works extremely well. And it's nice to have an iconic villain that The Doctor can properly act opposite – as the Daleks and Cybermen (while both great for other reasons) are faceless automatons.
Overall, The Sontaran Stratagem is a strong episode, packed with entertaining moments and lots of Who mythology for older fans to savour. It worked brilliantly as a set-up for next week's The Poison Sky, although plot specifics were slightly too routine and clichéd to fire my imagination. A brilliant Tennant, likeable Agyeman, the presence of UNIT and the wonderful Sontarans ensure there's never a dull moment, but I'm hoping The Poison Sky gets Donna more actively involved and manages to explain Stratagem's less successful elements; like Rattigan's role, the cloning pool, and the Sontarans' ultimate aim...
Whatever next week brings, this is definitely the best opening run of episodes for any new Who season, suggesting the production has found its groove...
26 April 2008
BBC1, 6.20 pm
