I have to say while maybe Series 3 had more pleasant surprises series 4 was just how I remembered but yet somehow much better then I remembered.This was a very massive surprise and yet exactly what I expected.It's kind of hard to explain but perhaps I should start with some of the details.Series 4 to my knowledge had alot of rumors of david leaving at the end of the series and as such this series had alot of tension surrounding it in terms of what would happen.Not helping that catherine tate would return for a more permanent companion role and the mid season return of martha for three episodes and the beginning having rose come back for a brief moment.Suffice it to say this series had very high stakes and It feels like a big season.
So high stakes,A possible new doctor,and a bunch of returning companions.This has to be the best season yet right? Well not quite.You see while this season has a lot of great moments it lacks one thing.Consistancy.As we'll see this series has some damn funny moments and episodes but sandwiched between some of the most morose and forboding moments in the series so far.It's a bit jarring sometimes and is really the only thing that keeps this series down cause the rest is pretty golden.For the most part....
And that's when we get into the episodes.After the very melancholy end to the last season (The tenth walking around the tardis after the master's death.) they sent the titanic crashing into the tardis which led to one of the more split christmas episodes
Christmas special: Voyage of the damned
So high stakes,A possible new doctor,and a bunch of returning companions.This has to be the best season yet right? Well not quite.You see while this season has a lot of great moments it lacks one thing.Consistancy.As we'll see this series has some damn funny moments and episodes but sandwiched between some of the most morose and forboding moments in the series so far.It's a bit jarring sometimes and is really the only thing that keeps this series down cause the rest is pretty golden.For the most part....
10th Doctor (David Tennant)
Most people consider The specials in 2009 part of series 4 however I don't and speaking strictly to that the tenth has a very depressing season.He seems beat right from the start after the events of series 3 and it just doesn't get easier.I heard steven moffat once describe the episode the eleventh hour as the worst day imaginable.Well series 4 has to be the worst month ever.To his credit david still maintains his acting as fantastic as always and he does a damn good job portraying the doctor as just being battered by feelings of just having his companions either basically die or have some of the worst times of their life.While all in all it was good for the doctor I only have two issues;A feeling of not much progress to his development and a very bitter ending that just leaves us feeling bad for him.
Donna Noble (Catherine tate)
Ah Donna.I gotta say this is kind of what I mean by inconsistant.Not her herself but compared to the very gloomy doctor this season she's just a ball of fun.I mean she has by far the funniest scene in doctor who history and you know the one I'm talking about I've used the gif like twenty times recently.She is very fun to watch in the funnier moments and the more serious moments are done very well by miss tate.All in all she's an excellent companion.She's an absolute wonder to watch and her story is one of the more staisfying and yet very bittersweet.It's something to watch for her alone.
And the rest
There is alot to cover here so I'll get started.Rose tyler still played by Billie (Hot) Piper has a bit of development but really it was more to give her character a happy ending which in fairness was pretty okay.Martha jones played by freema agyeman comes back and in both the sontaran two parter and the doctor's daughter And while maybe taking a bit away from donna it's nice to see her in her new job as a full fledged doctor.While little actual development happens for mickey and rose's mom sans mickey coming back to the normal dimension for some reason it's nice for them as well.As for the spinoff members namely jack and sarah jane they're both fine and as far as I know they're good with they're brought in characters from the respective shows.It is kinda neat too to see everyone in the same situation but different places almost like they're still in their show but experiencing the events.But I'll save that for that part of the review
River song (alex kingston)
It's a much smaller part then she'll play in the seasons to come but I figure I'd mention it anyway.She's pretty good though there are some moments that are a touch off not so much her but her continuity but again I'll get to that again in a later part
And then it comes to the villain and in all honesty I have two for this one.There is one I really enjoy and another I....well I can talk about them alot.Starting off is The first of the two encountered in the season.....The sontarans.
Generally speaking I'm very half and half with these guys.On one side I like the idea of this very war monger style race that's also very honorable and oddly polite.On the other side they look like a smurf crossed with mr. potato head and I could never take them seriously.I know that's kind of the point is that they are underestimated and always win by sheer force and again I like the idea but.....look at him! It looks like he has a massive allergy to whatever he's wearing.In the season they are pretty good in fairness and the concept is great but.......I can't even say the design is bad just....silly to me.
.....As for the other one.....
Davros (Julian bleach)
Oh man.This guy is absolutly amazing.I love how creepy and just unsettling his theme is and man his speech where he just tears into the doctor. and I quote
"The man who abhors violence, never carrying a gun, but this is the truth, Doctor: you take ordinary people and you fashion them into weapons... behold your Children of Time, transformed into murderers. I made the Daleks, Doctor, you made this."
Need I really say more?
First off this is the first episode using a newish version of the opening and it is pretty awesome.It's alot more dynamic but on to the episode.Again more evil chirstmas robots but these are better then the previous versions but really that's not what's unique about this one.Number one the most obvious one being the fact that it's on the space titanic and that is admittedly unique and the other being that kylie minouge plays the temp companion and in honesty she's not bad.her and david have good chemistry and I almost want to see more of the two but she's a temp companion so her days are numbered.
In all honesty this is a very odd one in that I do like the story and while the characters are a bit one note they're not bad in terms of general like-ability but where it falls is things like the bizzarre villain who is admittedly kind of a decent chuckle but not much more.or the odd moment with the doctor being lifted by the angels in an incredibly silly moment that I think was supposed to be some kind of paralell and it's kind of weird.it's not a bad christmas special but compared to others it's one of the worse ones similar to daivd's first but a bit better if only cause david's in most of this one.Not bad but there is better.
also a small spoiler it doesn't end well and that does start a very morose trend with this series and while the climax benefits from it it makes the series a bit depressing at points not that you could tell from a few episodes like this first one for instance.
Episode 1: Partners in crime
For a season that can get really depressing at times this first episode is hilarious.I mean do I even need to bring up the gif I've been using.The scenes of the doctor and donna just bearly missing each other are pretty funny and my god when they meet the build up was for a very worthy cause.if it's not the funniest scene in the series it's very close. but other then that there's not much else to say.It's a definate enjoyable watch
And from there on the battle of whether this series would have a more happy or darker tone begins and lemme tell you darker seems to have won in the end
Don't get used to this image ladies and gentlemen there's maybe one more coming this season and then it hits the fan
Episode 2 Fires of pompei
Ah yes This is pretty decent.I honestly don't have that much to say about this one sans the end gets a bit bittersweet if positive all in all still using a bit of the sadder tone with it though.and the other thing well as I said I just recently found out that Karen Gillan was one of the prophets and that's still really cool.other then that though It's a pretty good episode no real complaints
Episode 3 Planet of the ood.
This one I always thought was kind of a sister episode to fires of pompei.The feeling and quality is about the same.Again no real complaints but again not much to say.It's kind of nice seeing the ood again but past that these last two episodes are good but just not much to else to say
Episodes 4 and 5 The sontaran strategem and the poison sky
This one's pretty good.I dig the overall story and it's very nice seeing martha again if only cause I'm a huge fan of her and her development into a medical officer of UNIT is genius.As I said I'm confused how to feel about sontarans but this it is done well showing their intelligence using human paranoia even if as the doctor said himself it was rather cowardly more or less.It's a pretty good two parter though.All in all I can't think of anything too majorly wrong so I give thimbs up.
And from this point on well lemme put it this way
Prepare for ALOT of this.
Episode 6 The Doctor's Daughter
Oh boy very quickly we all know this one is NOT going to end well.I won't say whether it does or not but jeez.It's nice having david in a more anti-violence tone for the first time in a while and hell both Jenny (The titular character) and martha back for round two do well and It's a damn good episode but this is really the start of the depressing streak.There is one or two issues namely the borderline red shirt state of Jenny (again I won't say what happens but it sure screams it at the beginning.) and a very massive confusing bit at the end that I'm sure you could explain with certain things but It just seems off as hell to me.Good episode just be prepared for a damn tense moment
Episode 7 The unicorn and the wasp
Okay we have one more laugh episode before the depressing barrier hits full on.This one is kind of silly but really It's a good silly.Lemme put it this way.Before the opening music plays we see a giant wasp beat someone to death with a lead pipe....Half of you probably just said that's awesome and the other half facepalmed.I think that says it all right there.It`s a fine episode just silly.....very silly.
Annnnnnnnnd we hit the wall.There are a couple of jokes here and there but from this point on each episode has a very dark or morose feel to it.It`s not a bad thing just be prepared and yes I know I went on about how depressing this gets for waaaaaay too long but It`s just a big thing for me.I like more upbeat stuff that takes a dark turn and then gets back from that to at least kind of happy.....That was a terrible job describing it but If you`ve played Persona 4 you know what I mean.
Episodes 8 and 9 Silence of the library and forest of the dead.
This one.....This one is something I`m very torn on.On one side It has the start of a very cool plotline with river song and some decent moments but on the other side it has some plot holes for those namely the fact that she asks if he`s done the crash of the byzantium yet.Uh that`s not eleven river.I know you could make the claim that she thought he was twelve but I don`t know I figure she`d know what the forms she`s met look like or for that matter after asking about the byzantium why did she continue asking she knew it was before 11.I know these questions should be directed more towards the episodes in series 5 and 6 but I can give the benefit of the doubt to them.This two parter also has a lot of silly moments that just break the tension.Suffice it to say
``Hey who turned out the lights``
Need I say more? But that being say there are some good moments especially in part two but It`s a toss up really.A friend of mine loves it so take that as you will.
Episode 10 Midnight
This is me about half way through the episode.....well my reaction I`m not actually a cat.This is one of the freakiest episodes in doctor who history with how insanely tense it gets and how freaky it is.Seriosuly maybe ten minutes in and you have one of,If not the best idea for a horror movie ever.The only reason God complex is scarier is because it`s alot more unnerving and uncomfortable.Now with midnight It`s tense and never stops being so.Seriously this one is amazing and one of the better episodes of the series easily.To give you an idea this was my favorite episode for a very long time.
Episode 11 Left turn
This is a very cool idea for an episode.What would happen if the doctor was not around for any of the stuff that happened? Evidently crap would start falling apart rather badly.Companions dying left and right people dying constantly and hell all of england was practically turned into a 3rd world country.It`s a very unsettling episode definatly continuing the trend of this half of the season.Really nice to see just how much one choice can make
Episode 12 and 13 The stolen earth and Journey`s end
One thing I have to say for the pre moffat era is my god are the finales OUTSTANDING.It`s just bearly below The sound of drums two parter.Davros is amazing in it really showing his genius.not trying to kill the timelord but demoralize him and make him see he hasn`t been helping people but building an army and it`s genius.Arguably moreso then the master when you think of it.The daleks are out in full force in this one and it`s pretty intimidating I mean between the fact that they`re just blowing everything they find up and their theme combined with Davros` theme (A Dark and endless Dalek night and Davros Respectivly) really make them seem like the greatest threat ever and hell they fatally wounded the doctor by the end of part 1.Why did I spoil that? Well....It`s the roughest part of the two parter.He Sends the regenration energy into his severed hand from seasons past and he gets healed without transforming.WHAT THE HELL?!
I`m sorry but that is one of the worst excuses for a cliffhanger I`ve ever heard.And yes I know that the hand turns into another doctor which does help out in the end but that`s just really stupid.I mean Russel T Davies had one of the best episodes this season in Midnight actually writing that gem and then he pulled that one off and it`s the only reason that this isn`t my favorite finale That I`ve seen.It`s just a very off point in a great two parter but it could be worse.I do love this one despite that.Mostly for davros and for the return of basically every companion since series 1.It`s just epic put simply.
Series 4 was a very interesting case.On one side it has great episodes when it gets serious and even then the average episode quality is still pretty good.On par with the average from the previous seasons if not maybe a little above.The problems are some sketchy episodes namely very missed horror attempts in Silence in the library,a massive wall of morose episodes at the end and one of the biggest off ideas of the entire series with the false regen.All in all It`s the most conflicted season of the revived so far.A good season just marred with alot of mistakes small or otherwise.It`s worth a watch even at it`s worst though cause it still provides entertainment for the most part.Not as good as say series 3 but better then series 1 by a hair.But of course there is kind of more to this series.
After this season aired there were a series of specials that aired as a replacement for next years series.I`m not certain why but I think it may have been from david`s desire to leave the series and continue other things but I`m just guessing.Most people say that the specials are still part of series 4 but I don`t count it myself. I`ll do each on it`s own since they`re independant of each other more or less.But first off is the special the next doct......Wait what? I hope this isn`t another tease.
