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BBC Partners in Crime |
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| Story No. | 203 | 
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| Production Code | Series Four Episode One | |
| Dates | Apr 5 2008 |
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With David Tennant,
Catherine Tate
Written by Russell T Davies Directed by James Strong Executive Producers: Russell T Davies, Julie Gardner. |
| Synopsis: Donna Noble is investigating the mysterious Adipose industries when she chances upon an old friend. |
A Change of Pace (for the Companion at Least) by Nathaniel Wayne 5/5/08
Wow, what a mixed bag this episode turned out to be. It revisits a lot of the themes that have run through the new series since Season One, yet at the same time highlights how the Doctor has changed over time and indicates how things will be different for this season. This episode has the always-thankless job of hooking up the Doctor with a new companion. These episodes have been handled well by the new series so far, but they're always tricky, usually having to do just as much about establishing the companion as giving us the wonderful antics of the Doctor.
Partners in Crime, however, manages to cut a break by bringing back Donna Noble from The Runaway Bride. So she doesn't need to be established from the ground up, just enough has to be given to let the audience know how she's been since last we saw her. However, nobody seemed to pass the memo onto Russel T. Davies that since we've seen her before he doesn't need to establish her as thoroughly as was done with Rose and Martha. So we're treated to repeated scenes and dialogue about her discontent with her dull life and the point is just hammered into the ground. Some scenes like the one she shares with her grandfather are quite delightful. Others, like the one in the kitchen with her mother, are almost interminable. Also, the scenes establishing Donna resurrect what is starting to become a bit of a tired theme in the new series, which is the impact the Doctor has on those he leaves behind. At first, this was an interesting angle because it was something that had never really been explored before. But now we've seen it done with both Rose's and Martha's families and really truly run into the ground with Love & Monsters. While I recognize it's important to establish why she wants to join the Doctor now when she turned down the opportunity before, it just feels like a retread in many ways.
Aside from the way in which she is sort of over-established in this episode, I'm very happy to see Catherine Tate return and be the Doctor's new companion. Having done variations on potential romance with two companions in a row now, it's nice to see the Doctor paired with somebody with whom there really seems to be no romantic angle to be played at all. And, in fact, the very idea is wonderfully and flatly dismissed towards the end of the episode. It's time for the Doctor to have a companion who is completely platonic, and I think there's a clear chance for a more antagonistic relationship as well, which could bring a new kind of energy to the show if it's done properly. It's also nice to have the change that's happened in the Doctor as seen through the eyes of Donna. She points out some minor adjustments to his character that I personally hadn't really noticed but now that they've been pointed out I'm rather pleased about.
Aside from the new companion, the plot is somewhat blah. The Adipose company has its new miracle diet pills out on the market in London and about to go nationwide, but, as we all immediately suspect, there's something unpleasant going on behind the scenes. The actual effects of the pills are actually quite inventive. It's such a shame that Davies had to ruin the potential surprise and shock by dropping a painfully obvious hint early in the episode (made all the worse by the line delivery from the otherwise solid Sarah Lancashire which just screams "this is a big hint!"). It was interesting to see a villain who could match the Doctor in terms of technology, though this idea was used in fairly obvious ways. Tennant has slipped back into the role of the Doctor without missing a beat and he maintains that wonderful almost manic energy that makes him so engaging and he also forges a very interesting connection with Catherine Tate that I'll be very interested in watching develop. And the scene when they first see each other after a half an episode of near misses is just delightful.
The effects are kind of bland. There's a very nice but unoriginally designed spaceship and the effects of the diet pills result in some of the least convincing special effects yet on the series, though I suppose they serve the purpose they're intended for.
While the episode in and of itself isn't stellar, it does set up the season well in terms of both the Doctor and the new companion. And then of course there's that one delightful moment towards the end (you'll know it when you see it) that is a very nice surprise and it will be interesting to see how it plays out. I think that, after the previous season had gone fairly dark, overall this episode shows that this season may potentially lighten up slightly and be a return to the more fun aspects of the show that were so wonderfully prominent in the first season.