Smith and Jones

There's an old saying that what is past is prologue. That goes not only for the twenty-six years Doctor Who was a television staple, but also for the past two years, when spirits were high and Rose Tyler kicked Dalek butt across the cosmos and back. Indeed, Rose is now such a distant memory, it seems, that the one time her name comes up in "Smith and Jones" it feels like one of those fanwanky nods to the past that people complain about ten years on and everyone's moved away from the table toward other, more current pastures.

"Smith and Jones" feels like the start of a new era, and rightfully so. It's not merely because there's a new occupant in the TARDIS -- we've done that already, and almost did the same this past Christmas. Rather, it's as if there was a great big balloon that was blown up over the past two years, "Doomsday" popped it and "The Runaway Bride" was stretching out the new one, ready to start it all over again. We have a different sensibility, a more mature Doctor in control (and I realize how that sounds; it's merely because Tennant was so new to the role last year, it almost felt like he was getting his boots wet over the course of the year.) There are many of the same trappings -- the TARDIS is still familiar, we still have the Doctor saving the world and even a ratty old family thrown in for good measure. But there's something different about the start of the third series; maybe it's a different method of storytelling, or simply a different ambience to the series now that Freema Agyeman's joined the show.

Freema is the heartbeat of the episode; it's from her character, Martha Jones, that we gain our point of view. We don't know why the Doctor's here at the hospital, or why in the world she saw him out on the street (a clever plot device that, granted, might have been more interesting if they hadn't explained it so thoroughly at the end of the episode.) We're left to the Doctor's explanation of the Judoon, without so much as a reason for why these intergalactic rhinos are so amazingly stubborn that they'll kill on sight without any thought for mercy, but will gladly hold a hospital full of people captive and then plunk it back down on Earth without so much as an apology for the inconvenience. (I'm sure I wasn't the only person for whom the word Vogon passed through one's mind.) She's the anti-Rose; she's not as wide-eyed and innocent as her predecessor, a bit more worldly, and seems to know the face of adversity. (Try living with that family for a week; you'd be battle-hardened in no time.) Whereas one of Billie Piper's strengths was knowing when to demonstrate independence and when to show deference to the Doctor, Freema Agyeman portrays a woman willing to stand on her own two feet, willing to draw the line in the sand -- whether a good idea or not. She has no idea why the Judoon have come, or why Anne Reid's creepy Mrs. Finnegan is sucking blood through a straw, but one has to wonder if she really cares exactly why it's happening or just wants it to stop altogether. In this way, Freema seems like more of a match for Tennant, whereas in my mind Piper's suitability was always with Christopher Eccleston. She might just be exactly what this incarnation of the Doctor needs.

Tennant is more calm, more assured, and has quite clearly taken the role of the Doctor as his own. There are far fewer moments of unconvincing histrionics, and Tennant demonstrates more confidence, especially on the lighter, sillier side; last year, it might have merely seemed goofy that the Doctor was sitting in his pajamas in a hospital bed, but this time around it feels right. Combined with the more sophisticated companion Agyeman plays, it feels like there are really two leads running with the series. (That shouldn't be taken as a knock against Piper, who I always felt was one of the strongest parts of the first series; it was just that last year, being relegated so often to the 'damsel in distress' role or the far-too-cheeky irreverence that really ruined parts of "Tooth and Claw" for me, Rose had become a fundamentally different character, and I'm not sure that was the smartest idea.)

"Smith and Jones" also has a very different feel to its production. Charles Palmer's direction is far more confident than the touch-and-go moments of the series' first two years; making use of an actual hospital is fine, but when it actually FEELS like it's been transported to the moon instead of simply making us understand that it is, and forget all the logic faults, one can appreciate the subtleties (darkened lighting, clever edits and so forth) a director, editor and cinematographer must use. The CGI this time is limited solely to events that aid the production instead of overtake it, and in fact the only time I felt slightly letdown was the unnecessary pan from overhead on the lines of Judoon leaving their ships, which wasn't as flawless as one would hope. Speaking of the Judoon: very nicely done in design and development, and fantastic work on the prosthetics, although a bit derivative of the Vogons as I mentioned before. (I do have to wonder, though, if the Sontarans were the original series aliens rumored to be part of the start of this season, but they couldn't be used for rights reasons. No matter.)

Whilst Anne Reid's deliciously daffy portrayal of Mrs. Finnegan works beautifully in this episode, and the only problem with Roy Marsden's hospital administrator is that he's not given nearly as much screen time as one would hope, the over-the-top portrayal of Martha's family feels a bit forced. We've done the whole 'Piper clan' thing the past two years; I understand the reasons why the production team might wish to 'ground' the Doctor with the anchor his companion's life provides, but coming so quickly on the heels of the last family-who-became-familiar, it's unnecessary. The Doctor, after all, managed to ground himself to Earth for twenty-six seasons of the original series; he's tied to planet Earth, he doesn't need a reason to come back. (Especially to London or Cardiff!) Apart from this, some nice little references here and there both answer to the past as well as set up things for the future: the one-liner about Agyeman's past as a guest player, the "Vote Saxon" stuff that's being set up for later this year, and so forth. And what's this about the Doctor's brother…?

Trivialities aside, "Smith and Jones" breathes new life and a new sense of direction into Doctor Who. Martha Jones is a welcome addition to the TARDIS crew, and one hopes Agyeman will be able to handle herself as a foil to Tennant's Doctor with as much ease as she's demonstrated here. Never a fan of last year's season opener (which I still feel is easily the weakest episode of the new series), "Smith and Jones" was far more to my liking. It's a new dawn for the Doctor and his rackety old TARDIS, and I can't wait to see how this new season plays out over the next few months.


(For my reviews of the first two series, see my books "Back To The Vortex" and "Second Flight: Back to the Vortex II" available from Telos Publishing.)