| UTOPIA by Russell T Davies |
| Story 31 Synopsis: The Doctor stops off in Cardiff for more refuelling, but as it takes off, Captain Jack clings to it, causing the TARDIS to zap to the end of the universe, the planet Malcassairo. There, they find the last humans beseiged by mutants called Futurekind, and preparing to make a final rocket journey to Utopia. But their scientist, Professor Yana, is unable to make the final connection to make the rocket work. Impressed with what he has done, the Doctor is able to fix it, and the rocket is boarded. Whilst the Doctor and Jack make last minute connections, and talk about old times, Martha finds the Professor has a watch similar to the one the Doctor used to change his DNA. She accidentally goads him into opening the watch. The Doctor and Jack rush to catch up, but the Professor enters the TARDIS, and regenerates - he is the Master. Despite the Doctor's pleas, he takes off in the TARDIS... |
| Review:- So the third series draws to a close with an episode of treading water, allowing the writer to remind the audience of events they have seen before, and provide a new focus of direction. But unlike other attempts at this, this episode somehow shines that bit brighter. The chief reason is not the exciting moral debate about the indomitable future of humanity (so what?), but the guest star turn from Sir Derek Jacobi, as the Professor, ignorant of his origins, and trying to save the human race even though he's short of a few answers. Jacobi makes every scene glow, and this helps no end when there's a lot of contrived hanging around and chewing the fat. The other notable actor here is John Barrowman, returning after 24 episodes as the immortal Captain Jack Harkness, whom the Doctor is strangely unhappy to see back. Like a lot of modern performers, Barrowman is more interesting on screen than off, and manages to recreate a lot of the interest that he built up during his initial spell at the end of the first series. In a pretty static episode, the extended gubbins with the rocket helps fill out convenient gaps in the plot to give time for characters to chat, for the TARDIS to be recovered, and for a small bit of drama when the rocket is sabotaged, and someone dies quite nastily. As for the rest, Martha is understandably cheesed off with the endless platitudes for Rose, and inspires Chantho to break servility. She then goes for broke and tips the Professor over the edge. Some day's work that. And so to the big finish, which was being touted as memorable beforehand. And so it is. The Professor realises his true destiny, kills Chantho, but not enough to stop her shooting him, and he then regenerates, hijacks the TARDIS, allows the Futurekind into the complex to hassle the Doctor, and leaves his old enemy in the lurch... to be continued, indeed. It's hard to judge this episode on its own merits, because the central drama of the rocket isn't really very central. Or dramatic. But as one part of an overall whole, this is very satisfying, perhaps the most exciting the series has been since... who knows when? As a way to make people tune in next week and find out what happens - it does what it has to. Hard to say whether the same could be said if tried again, but on this occasion, it works a treat. |
| Disclaimer: I have watched this story. |