| SMITH AND JONES by Russell T Davies |
| Story 23 Synopsis: Medical student Martha Jones is surprised when her hospital is transported to the Moon. She meets a patient, Doctor Smith, who says they've been brought there by the Judoon, space police, who are looking for someone non-human. But their target is a Plasmavore, and has drunk human blood to pass the Judoon test. The Doctor tricks the Plasmavore into drinking his blood, thus exposing her to the Judoon. Before she dies, she sets an MRI scanner to deliver a magnetic blast that will kill everyone in the vicinity. But after Martha does CPR to bring him back from unconsciousness, he is able to switch the scanner off. The Judoon return the hospital moments before all the oxygen runs out. The Doctor offers Martha the chance to join him in the TARDIS, as a thanks for saving his life. So she takes it. |
| Review:- And the adventure begins again... Just an ordinary day in London (presumably) for medical student Martha Jones, handling her hectic family via the magic of the mobile phone. Oh yes, somebody clearly thinks the mobile is a godsend, don't they? Anyway, a sudden appearance from a stranger taking his tie off is followed by seeing a strange man wearing a crash helmet. And before long, there's a strange man in a hospital bed, the rain's going upwards, and everyone's gone to the moon... One of the many good things about this story was its pace. The viewer is slowly bombarded by new sights and sounds, and once the hospital is on the moon, there seems a pause whilst Martha adjusts to it, and to her new friend, ex-patient Mr Smith, who likes to be called "Doctor"... And then the spaceships land, and the rhino-esque coppers, the Judoon, arrive to track down a mysterious felon who's trying to hide in the hospital. It's subtle that Martha never really suspects that the Doctor is the missing baddy, despite seeming to fall into the required category. In fact, it's just a Plasmavore, a blood sucker who had a run-in with royalty and plans to decimate thousands to effect a getaway. Cunningly, the Doctor falls foul of the Judoon and uses it to his advantage, leading them to their real target, and using her over-confidence against her, even at great personal cost to himself. He is the driving force behind the resolution of the hunt, and then he is able to prevent the ancillary danger posed by a device that would wipe out the minds of thousands (hmm, wasn't that what he planned to do in The Parting Of The Ways?) Anyway, as Martha's CPR somehow reversed the effects of blood loss (eh?), he decided he owed her a favour, and a trip in his ship was the order of the day. Martha seemed to hit the right notes, being bright but not to extremes, compassionate and practical. Her silly family seem more promising than the Tylers did, but it's probably too early to say that. So, a new start, no old monsters, a nifty pace and simple enough plot, characters you could care about (poor Mr Stoker, for instance), and motivation in spades. The best "first" episode of a season since it came back, and a promising return to form after some bum notes last year. |
| Disclaimer: I have watched this story. |