I don't enjoy being negative, certainly not about Doctor Who. But...

I hate the Slitheen. I can't stress that enough. I hate the Slitheen.

They don't look great (some of this is understandably due to the budget limitations of the time), they can't stop making silly jokes, the gas exchange fart jokes are overwhelming & annoying, their plan just boils down to destroy Earth = money (I never cared), the performances are over the top & cringe-inducing. I do like the subversion of Slitheen being their family name and not their species. That's interesting and kinda clever. In theory this should allow for them to have more personality and not just be nameless monsters/villains. In reality they do have more personality, I just do not like the personality they've been given. The show treats them as a joke, and it's a joke that never landed for me.

There are some good things in his episode though. I mentioned in my review of Rose that because of what that episode (correctly IMO) prioritised in it's storytelling, that Mickey & Jackie got a little short changed by the episode. Well they're both back in this two-parter, and the show more than makes it up to them here. The entire notion of what is the toll of travelling with the Doctor is a good one, but it has been examined before in Doctor Who. But, I don't recall a story where this idea was examined not through what the toll is on the companion, but on the people the companion leaves behind. It's an interesting story to explore and it is does so in way that makes me sympathise and like both Mickey and Jackie a lot more. The only slight criticism I have regarding this side of the story is the dramatic idea that the Doctor has to decide to risk Rose's life in order to save the day. A solid idea and given a lot of dramatic weight in the episode. But either I'm missing something, or the choice is for The Doctor, Rose & Harriet to maybe survive a single, non-nuclear missile being dropped (which tbf could kill Rose), or alternatively the world gets turned to slag after the Slitheen fire countless nuclear missiles over the Earth, killing everyone, including Rose. The show plays it as a hard decision to make, but presents it as a choice between saving the Earth but maybe killing Rose, or destroying the Earth and definitely killing Rose.

Honestly, although I do like the whole side of the plot that is about Rose and the people in her human life. It's not enough for me to remotely like this episode. Because, and I'm not sure I've mentioned this, I hate the Slitheen.

I find this to be the better half of the story. The dynamic between the Doctor, Rose, and Harriet Jones plays really well. Not to mention the added stakes of Jackie’s worry over her daughter, it creates good tension. The Slitheen feel much stronger here, with less awkward comedic moments they tend to stand out more. I also appreciate the complex relationship between the Doctor and Mickey, because between all the posturing and sniping at him, it’s evident he does respect Mickey.

For the most part, World War Three is a solid second part of a very good two part story. Like the first part, it balances moments of tension with moments of comedy, while also throwing in a load of great character work. Genuinely, the dialogue and characters are so strong in this that they feel properly real and tangible. They act in believable and consistent ways, inline with what I'd expect from similar real people.

However, I do feel that there are a few moments where this episode drops the ball. First is the very quick and somewhat cheaty-feeling cliffhanger resolution. Second is that the main solution to the threat, Mickey "hacking" into the UK's missile system, felt entirely unbelievable and cheap. Third is that the villains became, at times, a little too much, becoming less funny and less believable as actual threats. This was not helped by the at times slightly shoddy VFX work which, while I'm sure was excellent at the time, has not always held up so well in my opinion.

I still really like this episode and enjoy watching it, despite the flaws listed here. As with a lot of this series, it's good, and it makes me sad that RTD doesn't seem to be interested/capable (which work is most appropriate here is a matter of debate) of repeating this series' style and feel in his second era.

New Who Review #5

World War Three

This is the final part of the slitheen 2 parter. The doctor is stuck mostly in the cabinet room for this story and it builds upon Jackie & Mickeys relationship after what we learned in part 1. The conclusion to this episode isn't bad but it's far from being good. My rating for this episode will be a 4/10  and my rating for the complete story will be a 2.5/10

This part 2 has a lot of good character moments. Mickey gets to be the one that saves the day (multiple times!) for once, we get a proper introduction for Harriet Jones, and Jackie begins to come to terms with Rose travelling with the Doctor.

The Slitheen manipulate the UN into giving them control of nuclear weapons, which makes it a pretty sophisticated alien invasion. Though I do have to wonder why the claims of the alien mothership being overhead aren't disputed by anyone