Plot Details: This opinion reveals major details about the movie's plot.

So, here we go for Doctor Who, round three. Can Russell T Davies and the BBC Wales production team strike gold a third time? Let's find out - but first a recap for those of you coming in late. . .

From 1963 to 1989 (and a couple of false starts thereafter) the BBC ran an immensely popular family program called Doctor Who. The main character is called The Doctor, a Time Lord from the planet Gallifrey. He travels the universe in the TARDIS, a wondrous spaceship that can go anywhere in time and space - provided that the Doctor can steer it correctly. During his adventures, he and his companion (usually a young human female with weak ankles and good lungs) combat evil and injustice wherever they find it. Key to the longevity of the series - Doctor Who can do what the James Bond movies have done several times. When fatally injured, Time Lords have the ability to regenerate, totally changing their faces and personalities, allowing the ability to swap out the lead roll when the actor wants to leave the series. So there have been several Doctors with different faces (ten, so far), but all of them the same character.

Oh, and the name of the show is Doctor Who. The main character is simply called The Doctor.

And so here we are in the third series (season 29, for those of you keeping count at home), and where most production teams begin to really hit their stride and shine, provided that they survive that long - and Doctor Who is no exception. There's an overall feeling of increased confidence, that the team is far more comfortable in style and tone of the show, willing to stretch themselves and try new things.

Consider the previous two series, mostly stories that that would have been at home somewhere in the classic series. Rose was where John Nathan Turner and his production team were heading in terms of characterization for the companion when the series was rested back in 1989. And Father's Day, going back in time to when the companion was a baby to deal with some sort of childhood trauma, is something that doesn't sound too far out of place in the McCoy era. Tooth and Claw was direct from the template of a classic Troughton story, just modernized and adapted for Doctor Ten.

Sure there's the odd episode like Boomtown - an introspective character piece that the old series wouldn’t have done in a billion years - or The Girl in the Fireplace (a romance with the Doctor?) that wouldn't really fit in any specific period, but you could tell that they were sticking with the tried and true as they found their legs. And while we do get the occasional episode like Gridlock - which evoked the spirit of Sylvester McCoy (it wouldn’t be that much of a stretch to see the Seventh Doctor dropping down through the aircars one at a time, doffing his cap at the occupants as he went and, no doubt hanging by his umbrella from a car at some point), this doesn't seem to be the case anymore. The folks at BBC Wales are trying new and different things, episodes like Human Nature or 42. They're breaking away from the mold in bold new directions - yet remaining true to the spirit of the show.

More telling of this comfort is not so much the stories, but where the direction the characters went over the course of the first two seasons. Allow me to explain. . .

In the first season, there's no doubting that Rose was good for the Doctor in the short term, humanizing him and restoring his lost moral compass, much like Barbra and Ian did forty years ago for the first Doctor. However Rose ultimately undid all the progress that the Doctor had made as a character.

One of the major themes throughout season one was rejecting "godhood". We see this culminating in the decision to not destroy Daleks at the cost of the human race. However In the process of saving his life, Rose goes and does *exactly* what the Doctor was taken to task for. She saw the whole of creation, she manipulated the natural course of history, and acted as a god (taking the lives of the Daleks while giving life to Jack). Rose, in a sense, had become too much like the Doctor.

That led into directly into the second series, where the Doctor and Rose became even more smug and satisfied with how utterly perfect they were - and it was this that was eventually their undoing. It was their hubris that triggered the formation of Torchwood, setting in motion the events of Army of Ghosts/Doomsday. If the Doctor and Rose had been more mature in their dealings with Queen Victoria, the battle of Canary Warf would have been avoided and they would still be together.

Enter Martha. Smart, strong, willful, and sassy, she could be perceived as a return to the Old School style of companions. On the other hand, an old school style companion is exactly what the Doctor needed. In The Runaway Bride, Donna told the Doctor that he needed someone to *stop* him. Rose was too much like him, and therefore couldn't act as his conscious. Ultimately they had an insanely destructive relationship. The only question is whether or not the Doctor was going to come to realize this and start to undo the damage that was done to his personality.

Anyway, on to the individual episode commentary. I'll try and keep it as spoiler free as I can, but it's tough to analyze a show with any depth while remaining vague, so some will indeed creep in. If you want to be totally in the dark, stop now.

Episode Zero: The Runaway Bride -
Wherein the Doctor gets Donna to the church on time. . . .
Light, fluffy entertainment for Christmas day - and it’s not suppose to be anything more. We get some exciting moments (the Tardis car chase for starters), a couple of really punch-the-air moments (Gallifrey gets a name-check finally), a really scary Doctor, and a pretty entertaining story. Is it super deep? No, but it's loads of fun.

Episode One: Smith and Jones -
Wherein the Doctor encounter a Jadoon Platoon on the Moon
So, it’s a new season with a new companion, another case of unrequited love, another round of domestic family baggage. Sounds like Rose part two, huh? Not exactly - Martha is sassy enough to put some distance between the two characters, even though the Doctor is clearly still pining away for his lost companion. Its not a bad start, certainly a stronger season opener than New Earth and Rose were - but it gets better from here.

Episode Two: The Shakespeare Code -
Wherein witches cast their spell on the Doctor and Martha. . . .
The Shakespeare Code didn't exactly reach out for the designation of "art", but it was good fun and featured some solid performances. The bloke they got doing Shakespeare was the best thing of the episode far and away.

Episode Three: Gridlock-
Wherein the Doctor and Martha get into a bit of a jam. . .
A brilliant episode, Gridlock is a episode which incorporates the best aspects of the McCoy era (in fact one could argue that Gridlock was just Paradise Towers with a big enough budget to light it effectively). Rounding out the picture is a beautiful performance by David Tennant, and features some real character development for both of our leads. It's a beautiful commentary on humanity reaching out to find hope in the midst of darkness, a theme that will be revisited later in Utopia, and a surprisingly moving death for the Face of Boe. Who ever thought I'd be sad about the death of a 6 foot tall foam rubber face? But there you are.

It's not quite The Girl in the Fireplace, but it is still precisely what I love in new Who.

Episode Four & Five: Daleks in Manhattan/Evolution of the Daleks -
Wherein the Daleks are up to their most outrageous plan ever. . . .
Let me say that the Dalek two part arc isn't a bad story - far from it in fact, but it is a rather middle of the road episode that doesn't really stand out that much from the pack. Not that there's anything wrong with that - not every episode can be School Reunion or The Doctor Dances. And it's still WAY better than most shows on TV right now.

That said, I think it's a bit too ambitious. It really tried to say something about the good and bad in human nature, but didn’t quite get there.

On the other hand, we get some pretty iconic imagery, invoking what made classic Daleks so damn scary: Daleks in sewers. More specifically, the Doctor hiding around corners from Daleks gliding through sewers. There's also some pretty good acting (and some overacting) to keep your attention between the Extermination bits, and wonderful moment where someone tries to get all "Captain Picard" touchy-feeling with a Dalek. . .. with the expected one word response.

Episode Six: The Lazarus Experiment -
Wherein turning back the clock always has consequences. . . .
Again, we get the themes of what it means to be human, while laying the groundwork for the Harold Saxon story arc. It's a variation on the classic Vincent price film The Fly, with an excellent performance from Mark Gatiss (the creative pen behind The Unquiet Dead and The Idiot's Lantern from series one and two).

Episode Seven: 42 -
Wherein The Doctor and Martha feel the heat . . . .
Up until now, the series has been good, but now things shift into high gear (literary and figuratively) with 42. There's not much in the way of plot (and what there is, was pretty much shamelessly lifted from the Tom Baker story Planet of Evil) - it's more of a full out sprint to the finish line, with the doctor putting out fires along the way. But it's a nailbiter. Everyone who's watched this with me has loved it.

Episode Eight & Nine: Human Nature/Family of Blood -
Wherein The Doctor finds the most unusual hiding place. . . .
As Dalek was an adaptation of the Big Finish audio Jubilee and Age of Steel/Rise of the Cybermen had it's roots in Spare Parts, the production team draws from the rich history of the show and adapts the 1994 book Human Nature for the small screen - and like Dalek and Age of Steel, the end result is a fantastic episode.

We get probably the most continuity heavy episode to date, with loving nods back to the previous nine doctors (and yet it doesn't overwhelm the user with baggage), and.

I found it interesting that the episode so sharply calls on the view to ponder the way the Doctor conducts his business. Aside from the various punishments dealt out to the family - showing that it is unwise to cross the Time Lord, for he will call down the thunder upon anyone who dares to do so - the final scene with the Doctor and the human-Doctor's love interest was moving, powerful and very disturbing to watch. We get a unfeeling and distant Doctor, offering to take her along as a companion. But that word has never sounded so cold before, like the Doctor was saying "Be my new placeholder".

It was a masterful scene with some wonderful dialogue and brilliant acting and. Clearly David Tennant at his best.

Episode Ten: Blink -
Wherein the Angels are watching out for you. . . .
Like last season's Love and Monsters, Blink is this years 'Doctor Lite" episode. The production schedule is such that the team has to double up the shooting, and the regular cast is mostly unavailable, appearing as a cameo in their own show. Were Love and Monsters suffered uneven reception (I happened to enjoy it, but a great many fans hated it), Blink enjoys nearly universal acceptance as a damn fine episode, and quite possibly the most scary story in the whole 40 year run. Blink comes to us from Steven Moffat, two-time consecutive Hugo winner for the Empty Child and The Girl in the Fireplace - and if he doesn't walk away with next years Hugo for this, something is terribly, terribly wrong.

Episode Eleven: Utopia -
Wherein the TARDIS goes further than it's ever gone before. . .
I tried avoiding major spoilers, but there's no way to avoid dropping a huge bomb now. When I say "Here there Be Spoilers", I really, *REALLY* mean it. You have been warned.

What a wonderful episode! It starts out as an average romp, but as it turns out the script was saving all the Awesomeness for the last 15 minuets or so. Derek Jacobi was utterly wonderful as warm and cuddly Professor Yana, manages in the blink of an eye turns utterly and completely cold and evil for the big reveal as The Master.

Yup - the big villain for series three? It's the Master.

My only regret for Utopia is that we couldn’t keep Sir Jacobi around longer. He was a great Master, easily in line with the best Delgado offered in the roll. The only problem with that would be that it would have bumped John Simms and his wonderful performance as the newly regenerated Master, and that would have been a dreadful shame to lose too. And wow - what a cliffhanger!

Episode Twelve & Thirteen: The Sound of Drums/The Last of the Time Lords -
Wherein you should always be careful who you vote for. . . .
Captain Jack as the Face of Boe! The Master triumphant! UNIT gets a SHIELD Hellicarrier! A Flashback to Gallifrey, complete with traditional Time Lord robes! Scissor Sisters! Backstory! Tearjerking Drama! The RMS Titanic!

Really, I can't go on, not because of spoilers, but because the last two episodes are just SO DAMN BIG. It's a hell of a wrap up to a hell of a season. Whew.

So, season one was about redemption, cause and effect and rejecting of power - the Doctor overcoming the grief of being the last survivor of his species and finding his moral compass again. Season two was about isolation and loneliness, pride and hubris - Sarah Jane being left by the Doctor, Elton losing his friends, the Isolus finding Chloe because she was lonely - what then is the theme of season three?

Consider this
- Doctor shows Donna the dust that would eventually form the Earth, telling her what makes humans special is their ability to make sense out of chaos by marking it out with birthdays and weddings and so on.
- The Plasmavore takes on biological human characteristics
- Shakespeare exemplifies human creativity, the most 'human' human that ever lived.
- The motorists in display human spirituality in their hymn-singing and fellowship.
- The Daleks want to incorporate humanity's "ambition, hatred, aggression, genius for war," but gets accidentally positive traits like courage and tolerance in the bargain.
- Lazarus believed it was natural evolution to fight against death, but loses his humanity and becomes a monster in the process.
- Human Nature is all about the Doctor gaining perspective on humanity.
- Utopia, of course is humanity's struggle against the oppressive end of - well, of everything. Our indomitable species fighting to the bitter end.

It would seem that Season 3 is an exploration in what it means to be human. More specifically, I'd say that season three is a metaphor for family. Smith and Jones established this right at the start and Gridlock extended the family idea further. Family is what defines you - who you are and what you are. It gives us the connections between Martha and her family, and for the Doctor, it gives him an outlet for this pent up grief he's had over the destruction of Gallifrey - the moment in Gridlock where he lets his guard down to talk to Martha hits that dead on.

THE DVD
In the years since the start of the Doctor Who range on DVD, the show has enjoyed a lavish amount of love and care showered upon it, in the terms of restoration. Shows with amazing amount of print damage appear as though the episode was shot a month ago. While Series three doesn't need that level of restoration, it still maintains a high level of presentation. The DVD is presented in the original widescreen anamorphic format.

THE EXTRAS
The Doctor Who range has always led the TV on DVD field with a cornucopia of extras with every release. Series three is no different

We get commentary on every single episode from (takes deep breath) RTD, Julie Gardner, David Tennant, actress Christina Cole, actor Travis Oliver, visual effects producers Marie Jones, Barney Curnow and Will Cohen, Chris Chibnall, Helen Raynor, actress Miranda Raison, costume designer Louise Page, Nicholas Briggs, actor Reggie Yates, director Charles Palmer, writer Paul Cornell, composer Murray Gold, Susie Liggat, art director Arwel Jones, production manager Tracie Simpson, Steven Moffat and John Barrowman.

(And if that's not enough for you, the BBC has additional commentary for each episode available on bbc.co.uk/doctorwho for you to download)

In addition to the overwhelming amount of commentary, we get Freema Agyeman's Tour of the Studio, Series 3 Outtakes and Deleted Scenes, David's Video Diary, BBC One trailers, and the Blink Easter egg. Rounding out the package is disc six, containing Doctor Who Confidential - the series that ran concurrent on BBC2 just after the main program. While these are edited from what ran on BBC 2, there are easily two and a half hours of behind the scenes making of, covering the whole season.

With all that, there is one disappointment that stands out: Doctor Who: The Infinite Quest. On the companion show Totally Doctor Who, there a 13 part animated adventure similar to the Clone Wars cartoon that Lucasfilm did a couple of years ago, featuring the voices of David and Freema reprising their live action rolls. While the Infinite Quest is getting a stand alone DVD release (at least in the UK), it would have been nice to have it included in the series 3 bundle.

IF SOMEONE STOLE THIS, WOULD I BUY IT AGAIN
Yes, without question or hesitation.

THE BOTTOM LINE
With the recent announcement from the BBC about the commissioning of Series five - an act unheard of in an industry where a show is lucky to get 13 episodes, let alone a commitment two years in the future - it's clear that they have faith in the show. And if the quality of season three is anything to go by, that faith is well placed. You would be hard pressed to find a show on television these days that's as smart, exciting, poignant, and fun as Doctor Who. It's accessible to all age groups - a rarity these days - and it's some damn fine story telling.

Here's to season four!

OTHER DOCTOR WHO EPISODES ON DVD:
* The Beginning
* Doctor Who and the Daleks
* The Lost in Time Collection
* Tomb of the Cybermen
* Genesis of the Daleks
* The Pyramids of Mars
* Revelation of the Daleks
* Doctor Who - Series One
* Doctor Who - Series Two
* Doctor Who - Series Three

Recommended: Yes

Viewing Format: DVD
Video Occasion: Better than Watching TV
Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children up Ages 8