After the excellence of “Blink” and the superbity of the “Family of Blood” duo, “Utopia” is bound to disappoint — except insofar as it is nigh-on-classic Doctor Who, from running about in an open pit mine to generic underground complex 12-A. This episode could have been done in practically any previous Doctor’s tenure (and, in some ways, was).
But … as much as seeing the return of yet another classic Doctor Who villain — one that I could have sworn Russell Davies once asserted would never return — allow me to say that seeing Derek Jacobi playing a starring role in the ep (and a fine job of it, too) was utter glee.
Oh, yeah, Captain Jack shows up again (and we learn more about him than in all three Torchwood eps to date) (and you were, right, Solonor, about the hand). And Martha gets more reminders of how maybe she’s hitched her romantic wagon to the wrong star.
And, oh, yeah — mobs of monsters and a giant rocket and the end of the universe (nearly) and a big gravel pit and Derek Jacobi and serious continuity fan service. If it weren’t for the last three eps, I’d say this was the best of the season to date, for nostalgic reasons if nothing else. Good stuff.
I love the on-going patter between Captain Jack and the Doctor around Jack’s flirting with everyone and everything.
“Can’t I even say hello?”
“No”
Is the whole watch thing a classic Dr Who device or is it new. If it is new I wonder how far back it was planned.
The watch thing was new as of this season, so far as I know (my knowledge is not, I fear, exhaustive on the subject). The person behind the watch — not at all new (aside from the face(s)).
I liked this episode a lot–especially Derek Jacobi. This was fun, classic Who. Tennant was a lot less “Tennant-y” in this episode, I thought. I kept seeing the Eccleston version in this one, but that was probably just me remembering his interaction with Jack the first time.
I think the whole watch thing is new this season.
I’m still wondering how they’re going to explain away [redacted] in the TV Movie…and the fact that [redacted], yet there he was [redacted]!
[Spoilers redacted for those who haven’t watched it yet. Careful!]
1. Well, both are supposed to be the same Doctor. Actually, it was kind of interesting watching the Doctor be kind of cold and rude toward someone we all “like.”
2. The TV movie is considered, in a lot of quarters, non-canonical. Plus, who’s to say where in the individual’s timeline this actually takes place?
[As noted, I redacted a bunch of spoileriffic bits from your comment, Solonor.]
Crud. I keep forgetting the spoiler stuff. Sorry. I assume that by the time I have watched it the entire world must have seen it. 🙂
Yeah, I especially love it when flashes of The Doctor’s previous personalities flair up. I think I have seen little bits of just about every one of them since Tennant has taken over. He’s done the best job of incorporating the history of The Doctor as a character…at least in my opinion.
As to #2, I’m pretty sure that since, when he was John Smith, he drew a picture of himself as Paul McGann in the notebook (along with all the other Docs) that at least they acknowledge that it was one of his incarnations. Whether they keep the events of the movie as part of the canon is still up in the air I guess.
I love the fact that Rose made the John Smith sketchbook, but not Martha.
Yeah, y’know, there’s a whole lot o’ dysfunction in that whole relationship that I’m waiting to have crash down upon one or the other (or both of their) heads.