Doctor Who
"Smith and Jones"
Writer - Russell T Davies
The first proper episode of series three, "Smith and Jones" should feel mighty familiar to those who have seen the opener of series one, "Rose," as we are introduced to the Doctor's new companion, Martha Jones (Freema Agyeman). While the episode was far from the best that the show can produce, it provided a largely entertaining introduction that provides some hopeful signs of more good things to come.
"Smith and Jones" starts off from the perspective of Martha, giving the audience a bit of chance to get to know the character - Freema Agyeman exhibits an intelligent enthusiasm and curiosity in the role, playing well off David Tennant's playful Doctor. Martha Jones initially seems like she may be a bit more capable than former companion Rose was, though obviously it is impossible to replace the spirit and vitality that Billie Piper brought to the role, at least not over the course of one episode. Anyway, Martha becomes entangled in the world of the Doctor after the hospital she is training to be a doctor at (irony!) is suddenly transported to the Moon. It turns out to be the work of the Judoon, a group of alien bounty hunters of a sort, who are searching for a rogue Plasmavore (which is pretty much what it sounds like) that is hiding in the hospital. The Doctor seems a bit less distraught over the loss of Rose here - appropriate, given that "The Runaway Bride" took place immediately after the farewell scene - though he seems to be actively auditioning Martha for the role of companion from early on in the episode. In some ways I wish "Smith and Jones" had given us a bit more of Smith (the alias that the Doctor uses), but hopefully subsequent episodes will allow for a bit more insight into his state of mind. Plastered rather obviously towards the end of the episode are further references to a Mr. Saxon, which appears the be the "arc word" for series three, following in the footsteps of Bad Wolf and Torchwood. I'll withhold judgment on that, given that I have no idea who Mr. Saxon is, except to say that it seemed like the didn't even bother trying for subtlety - maybe the writers figured that fans would scrutinize everything so closely that there was no point.
"Smith and Jones" moves quickly and has plenty of tension built into the story, while still allowing for characterization and thematic significance. This season particularly seems to be addressing a juicy topic, which is what it means to be human. To the thuggish and simple-minded Judoon, a quick scan and analysis of genetic material is enough to determine one's humanity, but things are clearly more complicated than that. The Plasmavore appears human, but is not - and most interestingly, same goes for the Doctor. Writer Russell T Davies already introduced some questions about the Doctor's capacity for "human" feeling and sentiment in "The Runaway Bride," and these ideas recur with a bit more depth and finesse in "Smith and Jones." That's not to say the episode is all weighty issues of great import - there's plenty of room for humor amidst the crisis (which is also perhaps a rather human phenomenon), and both Tennant and Agyeman bring with them a sense of fun and adventure to their roles.
We'll have to see if the chemistry between the Doctor and his new companion continues to work as well as it does in "Smith and Jones," but the episode gives me a great deal of faith for the direction of the series. Combining humor and sci-fi adventure with a dash of pathos and wit, it's hard to find much to complain about here.
Grade: B+
"Sorry, you'll have to excuse me I'm a little bit out of my depth - I spent the past fifteen years working as a postman, hence the bunions"
No comments:
Post a Comment