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The Sontaran Stratagem (3004/404)

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    The Sontaran Stratagem (3004/404)

    Visit the Episode GuideDOCTOR WHO SERIES 30
    THE SONTARAN STRATAGEM
    EPISODE NUMBER - 3004

    Martha Jones summons the Doctor back to Earth, where U.N.I.T. is investigating a zero-emission car company that has been linked with suspicious deaths world-wide.

    VISIT THE EPISODE GUIDE >>
    Last edited by Darren; 10 April 2011, 03:54 PM.

    #2
    As a first half of a story, this was good. The villans are wonderfully nasty, the precocious lad is obviously going to fall hard sooner or later, Martha is a perfect fit in a way she wasn't quite with Torchwood, and I liked the continuity references with UNIT.

    Donna's still doing well, and I loved how she and Martha got on, and also how she brought her 'temp's eye view' into the investigation.

    Reasons to like the Doctor more than ever:
    1) He saves himself and the UNIT chap with a tennis ball. Okay, it's not quite up there with a cricket ball, but still...
    2) He corrects someone's grammar. Please can he be real so I can marry him?
    3) He says daps. Not trainers, plimsols or shoes: DAPS. I plan to have his babies.

    Madeleine

    Comment


      #3
      Right where do I start, it's nice to see Gramps again and that he is the same bloke that was in the paper booth in VotD, not too sure about Donna's mum tho. Also the plot's a little lame, God save us from brainy teenagers, evil clones, UNIT grunts ignoring the Doctor and God save us from Helen Raynor's recycled aliens. IMO it really took it's time to get going, I hope there's more action next week. I did love the fact that Donna can figure something out by common sense rather than clever deductions

      I see UNIT are hiring from the shallow end of the gene pool again, honestly those two squaddies deserve everything they get 'I can hear banging from inside an alien box, lets open it' D'OH

      Ok so you know that the emission gizmo in your car is made by aliens, it's given off poisonus gases and you know the Sat Nav has a mind of it's own, so what do you do, you get in the car, D'OH

      And why didn't Donna or the Doctor break the car's window to let fumes out.

      I didn't expect much more from Helen Raynor to be honest but I did expect a more from the Sontaran's and bloody hell I'd forgotten Chris Ryan was that small

      Comment


        #4
        I rather liked this episode.

        Aside from an outburst of anger at the Unified Intelligence Taskford element, I think UNIT's transition to modern day was fantastic. Particularly when the Doctor drew comparisons to the old style version of UNIT and when he was working with them (which was always supposed to be the not too distant future).

        I like the Colonal. Very much so. He's no Brigadier, but he's got character. And dear God YES! He saluted the Doctor! Whoo! Sorry, but I just know that I personally would salute the Doctor and call him sir constantly, so it's nice to see a military bod respond as I would. If I were in UNIT and came across the Doctor he would be treated like the Chief of Defence Staff himself.

        Now... Martha. Hmm.

        Well she was a tad dramatic in bringing the Doctor back to earth... have you seen how often he's on earth? I'm not sure how her experience would get her fast tracked to a fully qualified doctor either... and lastly, what the hell was SHE doing commanding a military raid of a factory? Maybe the Col was just humouring her but Medical Officers do NOT do that. Furthermore you do NOT say "repeat" over the radio! It's basic military comms protocol. It's "I say again"! Grrrrrrrrrr

        The actual UNIT staffing are good and it was nice to see a UN reference.

        Sontarans. I really don't remember them being that tiny... oh well. But I did love their characterisation. Except their battle chant... hmm.... not very officerly is it?

        Donna and Martha not fighting? Very clever little scene that.

        And yes... they should have smashed the window...


        "Five Rounds Rapid"

        sigpic

        Comment


          #5
          AHHH! My car! It's accelerating and steering towards the river!
          ...
          Pop the clutch?

          Still, it was good. A non-Whovian friend of mine even said he enjoyed it.

          The center of Khlysty surrounds me

          Comment


            #6
            I knew there was something else I should have said. Did anyone else think that the Sontaran war dance looked more like the All Black's Haka?

            Comment


              #7
              Originally posted by Madeleine_W View Post
              Donna's still doing well, and I loved how she and Martha got on, and also how she brought her 'temp's eye view' into the investigation.
              ...

              2) He corrects someone's grammar. Please can he be real so I can marry him?
              Yeah, I don't think I would have noticed that thing with the sick-days.

              I know the grammar fight thing was amazing!! It reminded me of some of my friends.

              Originally posted by Reefgirl View Post

              I see UNIT are hiring from the shallow end of the gene pool again, honestly those two squaddies deserve everything they get 'I can hear banging from inside an alien box, lets open it' D'OH
              Yeah, they were total idiots.

              Originally posted by Flying Officer Bennett View Post

              Aside from an outburst of anger at the Unified Intelligence Taskford element, I think UNIT's transition to modern day was fantastic. Particularly when the Doctor drew comparisons to the old style version of UNIT and when he was working with them (which was always supposed to be the not too distant future).
              I agree with you entirely there. The reference to the Unit stories Dating controversy was hilarious. Though I was desperately hoping that instead of taking a jeep they would have taken the Doctor's old yellow car, but then the ATMOS thing would not have worked.

              Why could the Sontarans not take part in the Time War? Didn't the Time Warrior show that they had time travel technology?

              Originally posted by Reefgirl View Post
              I knew there was something else I should have said. Did anyone else think that the Sontaran war dance looked more like the All Black's Haka?
              YES!!!!

              Comment


                #8
                I liked it. And the whole Donna "I'm going home"/Doctor panicking/"You just meant you were going to pop by for a visit" exchange was quite funny - and mentioned the Medusa Cascade again.

                Knowing only the new series, I enjoyed the militaristic aspect of the Sontarans. It's like someone cloned the ancient Spartans and took away their humanity.

                Please to not kill grandpa? That would make me v. sad, I like his character. And I enjoyed the fact that he and the Doctor recognized each other from the Christmas episode.
                *~*

                *~*

                Spoiler:
                *~*
                sigpic
                *~*
                photo manip by SGKawoosh, based on my crazy dream about the Earth being destroyed and the Asgard, wearing flannel and jeans, saving SG-1. Yah, my dreams are usually that messed up.

                Comment


                  #9
                  Originally posted by Reefgirl View Post
                  I knew there was something else I should have said. Did anyone else think that the Sontaran war dance looked more like the All Black's Haka?
                  I mentioned that to my brother, as we both had to learn it in PE. We restrained ourselves from doing it though...

                  Comment


                    #10
                    I enjoyed that one. Pretty solid.

                    All that talk of the 70s, and no mention of the Brig?

                    The Doctor was wonderfully silly at the Academy and the Sontaran ship.
                    "Well, it's just like a thing, innit? People don't question things, they just think 'Err, it's a thing.'" "How did he get in? In-tru-der window?"
                    And the tennis ball!

                    Donna was great, as was her Grandad. He'd better live.
                    Hard to belive the sonic screwdriver couldn't open a car door, though... But they should have just broken the window...

                    7.5/10
                    Originally posted by Madeleine_W
                    2) He corrects someone's grammar. Please can he be real so I can marry him?
                    3) He says daps. Not trainers, plimsols or shoes: DAPS. I plan to have his babies.
                    You told Mr W about these plans of yours, Mads?

                    Comment


                      #11
                      Originally posted by pbellosom View Post
                      Yeah, I don't think I would have noticed that thing with the sick-days.

                      I know the grammar fight thing was amazing!! It reminded me of some of my friends.



                      Yeah, they were total idiots.



                      I agree with you entirely there. The reference to the Unit stories Dating controversy was hilarious. Though I was desperately hoping that instead of taking a jeep they would have taken the Doctor's old yellow car, but then the ATMOS thing would not have worked.

                      Why could the Sontarans not take part in the Time War? Didn't the Time Warrior show that they had time travel technology?



                      YES!!!!
                      I think the Sontarans had limited time travel capabilities, but never fully functioning time travel... I know they wanted it.

                      I remember reading a book called "The Infinity Doctors" and the sontarans were desperate for time travel technology...


                      "Five Rounds Rapid"

                      sigpic

                      Comment


                        #12
                        Originally posted by Naonak View Post
                        "How did he get in? In-tru-der window?"
                        Best pun ever!!

                        Comment


                          #13
                          Originally posted by Naonak View Post
                          I enjoyed that one. Pretty solid.

                          All that talk of the 70s, and no mention of the Brig?

                          The Doctor was wonderfully silly at the Academy and the Sontaran ship.
                          "Well, it's just like a thing, innit? People don't question things, they just think 'Err, it's a thing.'" "How did he get in? In-tru-der window?"
                          And the tennis ball!

                          Donna was great, as was her Grandad. He'd better live.
                          Hard to belive the sonic screwdriver couldn't open a car door, though... But they should have just broken the window...

                          7.5/10

                          You told Mr W about these plans of yours, Mads?
                          I know! Where's the brig damn it!?

                          Maybe Bessie will make a come back as she isn't atmos controlled? They need secure transport...


                          "Five Rounds Rapid"

                          sigpic

                          Comment


                            #14
                            Originally posted by Naonak View Post
                            Hard to belive the sonic screwdriver couldn't open a car door, though... But they should have just broken the window...
                            When they created deadlocks wouldn't that mean the cars are deadlocked too???

                            I mean the ATMOS things are integrated into the vehicles so when they're deadlocked isn't the rest of the car???

                            That way, people can't get out, people can't get in and the Doctor can't use the sonic screwdriver to get in...



                            (Just a thought)

                            Comment


                              #15
                              Originally posted by Naonak View Post
                              You told Mr W about these plans of yours, Mads?
                              Mr W will be thrilled. It'd leave him free to marry Buffy, the chearleader from Heroes, and Michelle Pfeiffer.

                              Madeleine

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