Smith and Jones 6.5/10

This was fairly enjoyable. It's nice to have an actor stick with the role for a while as it really allows one to accept him as the Doctor, not to mention allows the actor to get comfortable in the role as Tennant really seems to be becoming. I like Martha on first impression. We'll have to see because I think I liked Rose at first too and grew to really not like her at all. I do like that it looks as if perhaps the relationship between the Doctor and the companion won't just be a rehash of the (terrible) relationship between the Doctor and Rose.

I really liked the Judoon. Kind of like a mix between Sontarans and Judge Dredd. The special effects were quite good too.

The extras were pretty bad. Having been an extra myself however, I don't want to blame them. Instead I'll blame a) the director (did they really need all that screaming and running around? Surely not everyone would react that way) and b) the costume designer (not only did the extras' reactions make them seem like mental patients, but the costumes also led me to believe they were mental patients (all pajamas and robes and no clinical gowns or patients hooked up to machines or what have you)).

This episode would have worked just as well without the introduction to Martha's family. Except for the sister and brother, I really didn't like them at all. Hopefully we see less of her family than we did Rose's.

All in all, the best opener of the new series. I'm not as excited about next week's Shakespeare episode as others seem to be. I'm more looking forward to some of the later episodes if some rumours hold to be true.

The good bits: Judoon, Tennant, Martha, special effects

Not so good bits: Martha's family, the extras

The Shakespeare Code 7.5/10

I enjoyed this quite a lot more than I thought I would. I'm not a huge fan of historicals, but the new series has done them fairly well; mixing sci-fi with history nicely. I enjoyed it more than I would also because Shakespeare himself wasn't the centre of attention. Rather than being a story about Shakespeare (as I thought it was going to be), it was a story that just happened to have Shakespeare in it.

I think the Doctor probably should have had Martha dress in period clothing rather than her severely anachronistic clothes.

I liked the Harry Potter references, but really liked the nods to the classic series ("Act like we own the place", and the mention of the Eternals).

The story moved at a good pace, and the only thing I really didn't like was the Doctor going on about how Rose was the greatest again. I mean come on, she was NOT the greatest companion; get over her already!

The good bits: HP references, old series nods, Lilith, the Back to the Future bit

Not so good bits: Rose is apparently still the greatest companion ever

Gridlock 7.5/10

For some reason I liked this episode. I've read some very good reviews as to why this episode was weak, and I agree with pretty much every point made. Yet, for some reason, I still enjoyed it. I think that by season 3, I've finally gotten to the point where I can just turn my brain off and enjoy the show like I used to with the old show. When I watched the original series when it was on (from age 3-16 or so) I would just watch the show, enjoy it, and wait until next week. I never really judged episodes saying things like "that one was good" or "that one sucked". I just watched and enjoyed. I seem to finally be back at that stage again, which is a really, really nice feeling. Let's see if that continues this season.

I liked the Judge Dredd inspiration, though wish they had gone even more in that direction. I liked the return of the Macra, especially since I've only ever listened to the audio of their original story with the 2nd Doctor. I thought David Tennant did a pretty good job as usual. The build up to seeing the Macra was pretty scary.

I don't really understand the use of the Face of Boe. Who the heck is this guy and why exactly are we supposed to care about him? Oh, because he has some wisdom to impart. Whoopy do! Seriously, he's such a plot device it's sad really. Didn't really get the fact that that cat-guy has baby kittens with a human. That's just too weird. And I still don't like that these far-out futuristic times (year 5 Billion!) look like the year 2010. I mean there's retro and then there's just stupid.

The good bits: Judge Dredd-esque, return of the Macra, kind of dark and scary at points

The not so good bits: Face of Boe is Bo(e)ring, kittens?, year 5 billion looks like year 2010.

Daleks in Manhattan/Evolution of the Daleks 7/10

This two-parter was pretty good, and definitely felt cinematic. I was concerned about this one after seeing the previews. I was worried the American accents would be bad. However, unlike most Big Finish productions, they were very good. There was nothing overly special about the episode however, so like all the previous ones this season, it only gets a slightly above average rating. Though I've enjoyed every episode this season, none have stood out as they have in the past two seasons.

The Daleks were very good in this and it felt a little like a classic plot which was nice. I'm glad one Dalek survived to escape and the Doctor offering to help it before it escaped was very well done. For a Dalek learning-and-growing story though I'll stick with Big Finish's The Genocide Machine.

I found it funny that the actor who played Lazlo said he was well prepared to play a pig-man because he was a one-time pig farmer. Yet all he did was stand arund blandly in pig-makeup. Not much acting going on there. Everyone else was quite good.

The good bits: The Doctor, the Daleks, cinematic feel

Not so good bits: Lazlo was pretty bland, story didn't really jump out at me

The Lazarus Experiment 7.5/10

Once again, enjoyable but nothing extraordinary. Well paced and acted. Gatiss was really very good as Lazarus and the scene with he and the Doctor talking in the cathedral was spot on; an excellent moment. The CGI monster was pretty good for the most part and I love the "reversing the polarity" bit.

Martha's mother is a little annoying, but Martha is slowly starting to come into her own. I don't have much to say about this episode. It was good, but nothing super.

The good bits: Gatiss

Not so good bits: Martha's Mum

42 6/10

A cool idea, and some good bits, but overall it felt too rushed and once again, as with every episode this season, it's just 'good' and not 'great'. It's nice that Martha had another quasi-object of affection other than the Doctor. This is the way it should be. Give the companion "love" interests every 2-3 episodes. Let the Doctor do his own thing and maybe give him a "love" interest every few seasons (like "Girl in the Fireplace").

The sentient sun was an okay idea, I suppose, but posessing humans made no sense, and why bother putting on those helmets?

The supporting actors were okay, but the overall look of the episode was a little too close to "Impossible Planet/Satan Pit".

All in all, not bad, but nothing special... again.

The good bits: Tennant good as usual, Martha had some nice moments

Not so good bits: possessed humans, the overal look was nice but too close to Impossible Planet

Human Nature/Family of Blood 8.5/10

The first above average episode this season. All in all it was extremely well done with some nice little bits thrown in for old fans (which makes this an 8.5 instead of just an 8). Some excellent villains, good story-telling, and great acting make this a wonderful new Who story. I wasn't looking forward to this story as I didn't really like the novel it's based on. However, they changed enough that it worked, and I think it works much better as a 10th Doctor story than a 7th Doctor story.

The villains, in particular Bains, were excellent. Terrifying and sometimes comical, they were really well portrayed.

I lived the nods to the old series, especially the journal with the pictures of the past Doctors. It was so amazing to see Paul McGann front and centre.

I thought Tennant was very strong, and when he became the Doctor again, you really saw the difference between the two characters. I though he overdid it a little on the sadness that John Smith felt when having to make the decision to "kill" himself to become the Doctor again. I understand what they were going for, but it was overdone just a little too much in mu humble opinion. Otherwise this story was really well done.

The good bits: the nods to the old series especially the pics of the old Doctors, the story, the villains

Not so good bits: John Smith's last moments were a little overdone (too much wimpy crying)

Blink 8.5/10

This was very enjoyable and very scary too. Probably the scariest of new Who so far. Some great acting, some great moments... scary, funny, and sad, and some great use of time travel. This one really gave me the creeps and overall was probably my favourite this year (tied with Human Nature/Family of Blood).

Like Love and Monsters from last year, it was a "Doctor-lite" episode. I don't mind one of these every season, but I much prefer a "typical" formula (like Impossible Planet/Satan Pit) to these strange ones that the Doctor is barely in. This one works better than Love and Monsters though and was very, very scary.

The good bits: did I mention it was scary?

Not so good bits: none

Utopia 9/10

Not really the greatest story in the world and it has a lot to do yet again with the ridiculous date RTD sets it in... 100 trillion? What's next. "We've landed in the year 500 gazillion."? Also, once again the music was far too loud and intrusive in many spots. But apart from that, the episode was excellent and memorable for quite a few reasons.

The acting was top rate again. Jacobi was really excellent in his "two" roles. The directing was superb as well. There is also an excellent scene with a laser gun that's the best laser gun scene in new Who so far.

The return of Captain Jack was very nice. I didn't really like him the first go around but grew to like him in Torchwood, and he's great back here again.

But the biggest reason this ranks so high is the return of the Master! I love the fact that the Master escaped the Time War by basically doing exactly the exact same thing the Doctor did to escape the Family of Blood. It was also nice having Anthony Ainley's laugh and a line from Roger Delgado in the watch (though I only knew after reading it online. I can hear them now when I listen for them, but the darn music is playing so loudly you can barely hear anything! What's the point of using old sound clips like that and then covering it up with loud incidental music?). Jacobi was great as the Master and I think Simm will be good. I just hope they don't kill him off at the end of the season. We need the Master as a recurring character.

The good bits: the return of the Master!

Not so good bits: ridiculous date, music too loud

The Sound of Drums/ Last of the Time Lords 7/10

Well, this one was all over the place. Some really excellent moments, and some really, really silly/stupid/bad choices/moments.

The Dobby-elf Doctor... say wha?

The super-powered Doctor... say what

Jack is the Face of Boe... come again?

It was a good Master crazy-take-over-the-universe plot, which I liked, and I like Simm as the Master, but it was too jumpy. I also wonder why bring back the Master only to kill him 2 1/2 episodes later? Though his death scene was really well done. And I suppose there's always a chance the Master will be back.

Most of the best scenes were in part 1. The Master and the Doctor on the phone, the crazy Master-song moment, and the best bit was the flashback to Gallifrey!

And Martha is gone (supposedly she will be back for the odd episode of Who and Torchwood). Let's get a new companion dynamic in there now and not just a Rose rip-off.

All in all, easily the weakest finale so far for new Who.

The good bits: Simm, the Master's death scene, Gallifrey flashback

The not so good bits: CGI elf Doctor, supernatural Doctor, killing off the Master, too jumpy

So my thoughts on the 3rd season: For the most part, Tennant has really come into the role of the Doctor. Unfortunately, Martha is just an exact copy of Rose (albeit better looking). They really should have changed the dynamic between the Doctor and the companion, rather than using the same old love nonsense. This season didn't really have any stinkers, but it didn't really have any excellent episodes until late in the season. Overall, probably the best season, but the finale was the weakest of the three seasons so far, and the best episodes overall were in season 2. The return of the Master was great, and hopefully he isn't really dead.

Final standings:

Loved:

Human Nature/Family of Blood
Blink
Utopia

Liked:

The Shakespeare Code
Gridlock
Daleks in Manhattan/Evolution of the Daleks
The Lazarus Experiment
The Sound of Drums/ Last of the Time Lords

So-so:

Smith and Jones
42