Army of Ghosts/Doomsday
We finally get to see Torchwood, they're messing around with forces they don't understand (no change there then) and have let the Cybermen cross over from Pete Tyler's alternate universe and in doing so also release the Daleks. Way to go Torchwood! The Doctor saves the day, loses Rose (yay) and has some big overdrawn emo goodbye to her on Bad Wolf Bay (boo). Cybermen are made to look like a joke (no change there), getting their arses handed to them on a plate by just 4 Daleks (albeit there are considerable more later). Genesis Ark is a clever idea harking back to 'Dalek' as well as the TARDIS ie bigger on the inside. Final shots of the story DONNA!!
The Runaway Bride
Our first glimpse of the best companion in RTD's era (some would argue since the 2005 return), Donna Noble. Donna's a bit shouty in this story though although to be fair she has just been swept up from the wedding aisle and dumped in the TARDIS. Great chase scene with the TARDIS and taxi. Loved the scene where they travelled back billions of years too to see the creation of the Earth (so that's the creation and destruction of the planet that RTD has covered now) just to find it was a Racnoss ship. The Doctor saves the day and it snows (as always). One of the best New Who Christmas episodes yet.
Smith and Jones
Oh look it's Martha Jones, she looks familiar. The Doctor using his pseudonym John Smith, think this may be the 1st use of it in New Who. They end up on the moon whilst the silly brutish Judoon search for an alien. What they're really looking for is an old women with a straw that sucks human blood to disguise herself as human. Nice resolution sucking The Doctor's blood so the Judoon recognise her as alien. My problem is how Martha revives him with just CPR when he's had his blood sucked dry. Other than that it's a good intro to the character of Martha, let down by further appearances.
The Shakespeare Code
I quite like this story as it's playful. There's loads of Shakespeare references and even plays with the stuffy image of the Bard that is in this story he's not bald (though The Doctor warns him he'll go bald) and The Doctor gives him a big collar to use as a neck brace at the end. The villian just had to be 3 witches with it being a Shakespeare story! Of course because it's Doctor Who it's not magic it's the science of words. Loved the references to Back to the Future and Harry Potter. Experliarmus!
Gridlock
The Doctor returns to New New York but this time it's different, there's drug pushers selling mood enhancers and everyone wants to join the motorway, a place where people literally spend a lifetime in traffic (know that feeling!). Turns out New Earth is this way because of The Doctor's previous actions. He set the disease ridden people free, New Earth was quarantined, nothing survived but the people on the motorway which was sealed off to protect them. Before saving everyone again the Face of Boe (Captain Jack?) informs The Doctor that he is "not alone". The Doctor shoots Martha down when she says he's got her (arse!) by telling all that he's the last of the Time Lords. Tennant's Doctor is so emo!
So there's my brief synopsis of the end of series 2 and the beginning of series 3. No spectacular episodes (The Runaway Bride is prob the best of them) but no bad ones either. Once again Russell T Davies goes for the spectacular in his series finales and for once the 2nd part doesn't completely let the promise of the 1st one down too much. It's probably his best series finale after the series 1 finale. Put it this way it's no 'End of Time'. So far Martha is likeable (to be honest I always did like Martha but that might be because Freema Agyeman is hot!) but I know in hindsight they're going to ruin that.
