DW: Episode 3.7

Someone's been watching Sunshine...

This episode is a lot of a muddle. There is vaguely an actual story, but not much of one, and so there is a lot of running around and/or being very emotional to cover up the lack of plot. One expects better of the Torchwood writer.

A name like 42 invokes certain images, not the least of which would be that the author should be David Agnew. Unfortunately, the superficial resemblence is all we get. What else we get is a count-down real time episode (although I don't think it completely lines up, certainly not at the end), which also ties into the whole "low plot" theme of above of we get to time exactly how much actual plot there is (not that I did, of course, but I doubt we would clock more than ten story-related minutes).

There was also a lot of resemblence to that other space-story, The Impossible Satan Pit Planet. (I'm sure there was a character called Ashton in that too.) It might be the style of the craft that suggests it, but all you need are Ood and you are telling that story in one episode. But without the pub quiz. (About which, the only point I could see, was to drag the Saxon element in.)

(ObScience: I totally call the script on the lifepod. There is no way Martha and thingy would not be dead.)

I haven't said much about the characters because, well, they get picked off too quickly for one to care about them. And I had trouble telling the two unshaven men apart at the end. As for the Doctor and Martha... how does she run in those heels? I would have gone sprawling through a doorway after about three goes.

Still, say what you like... actually, I just did! Redeeming features? Could have been worse. Not a "generic" episode, but not one that felt original either.

Next week: Ah, yes, that Paul Cornell book.