📝6/10

Thworping through time and space, one adventure at a time!

This is a review of both Aliens of London and World War Three.

"Aliens of London & World War Three: A Tale of Two Tones"

The Ninth Doctor’s first two-parter brings Rose back to the present day, blending family drama, political intrigue, and an alien invasion. While the premise is ambitious and parts of it succeed, the execution is uneven, with tonal inconsistencies and pacing issues marring what could have been a standout story.

The episodes struggle to balance comedy, drama, and action, often lurching awkwardly between them. The Slitheen’s farting gags might delight younger viewers but detract from the otherwise sinister qualities of the aliens, whose design and predatory nature are genuinely creepy. The shift from slapstick humour to moments of high tension (such as the Slitheen’s human-skin disguises and their clawed attacks) creates a jarring viewing experience.

That said, the comedic tone does work in places, particularly in Harriet Jones’ subplot. Penelope Wilton is a delight, delivering both humour and gravitas as she begins her rise from backbencher to world leader.

The Slitheen concept has its strengths and weaknesses. Their grotesque designs and head-chipping process give them a menacing edge, but their motivation—a family-run business aiming to profit from Earth’s destruction—feels more whimsical than threatening. It’s a clever subversion of the typical "alien invasion for conquest" trope, but the execution leans too heavily on broad humour.

Christopher Eccleston continues to shine as the Ninth Doctor, adding layers to his character through his interactions with humanity, aliens, and Rose. His speech in Aliens of London, where he praises humanity’s potential while confronting the Slitheen, is a standout moment.

Rose feels sidelined compared to earlier episodes, reduced to a more traditional companion role as the Doctor takes charge. However, Camille Coduri as Jackie Tyler steps up, delivering a heartfelt performance that showcases her love for Rose and mistrust of the Doctor. Mickey Smith also has moments of growth, proving himself capable in the crisis, even if his character still leans on comic relief.

The visual effects vary wildly: the crashing spaceship looks impressive, but the CGI Slitheen at the end of Aliens of London has not aged well. The practical Slitheen costumes, however, are excellent, effectively conveying the aliens’ size and menace.

The production design is serviceable but unremarkable, relying on familiar settings like Downing Street and the Tyler flat. The action-heavy pace of World War Three contrasts with the slower buildup in Aliens of London, but both episodes feel slightly padded.

Final Thoughts:

Aliens of London and World War Three represent a bold attempt to modernise the alien invasion story, blending political intrigue with family drama and action. While it doesn’t always succeed, the episodes are still enjoyable and showcase the strengths of the Ninth Doctor’s era: character-driven storytelling, emotional stakes, and ambitious (if flawed) narratives.

An uneven two-parter that alternates between thrilling and juvenile, with strong performances and a memorable cliffhanger saving it from mediocrity.

This represents the first major stumbling block for the new series. Tonally it is a bit all over the place - it’s the burping bin in Rose, but for a much larger chunk of the run time. However, because of RTD’s natural ability to create enticing, likeable characters, as a whole package this story still works out okay. Thanks to Jackie (“The Slikeen!”), Mickey (/Ricky), Harriet Jones (and her cottage hospital plan) Rose and The Doctor have plenty to bounce off of.

Rose being reported as a missing person during her time away from early 21st century earth is yet another realistic detail Russell brings into the series. This story shines a light on what happens to those who are left behind - and foregrounds those characters, building a strong and rich world around our companion. RTD nailed this.

Farting aliens and the inexplicable transformation of Mickey into a computer expert who can subvert national security surveillance does not quite have the same level of rigour… but it doesn’t really matter. The emotional beats are there, and all audiences care about are character journeys and emotion.

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.

Disclaimer: This Review is exactly the same as my Review for "Aliens of London", since my Thoughts don't vary as much between the Two Parts.

This one could really do it for me if it wasn’t for all the farts joke and the rather campy tone. Don’t get me wrong, I love campy when it’s done very well, personally I don’t think Russel is good at handling it (this one and space babies are very jarring to watch because of those kinds of jokes). I do love the Design of the Slitheens and there are some great Bits here.

Personally, Series 1 had a weak first half overall, not bad but like I find myself feel very underwhelmed looking back on some Episodes. Not to say that RTD can’t handle a more campy Doctor Who Episode, but for me, he strikes me the best when he lets others do it than do those himself.

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