World War Three

This episode is definitely a step down from the first part of this story. Eccleston, Piper, Clarke, Coduri, and Wilton are the biggest saving graces, delivering excellent performances in an an otherwise iffy episode. The ending is one of my biggest issues with this story, with 10 Downing Street literally being blown up, something which seemingly has little effect on Britain and the world. I do enjoy what this episode does to set up Harriet Jones, as she's a personal favorite side character of mine. Overall, a decent ending to our first alien invasion story of the revival.

I liked it less than the previous part. Doctor Who has a whole bunch of less serious episodes like this one and it is executed more or less correctly, playing between the immediate threat of a nuclear attack and the incompetence of the Slitheens, it makes for a decent comedy with even more political commentary than the previous part.

I think that the FX are a bit uglier than in the previous episode. The transition Slitheen in a costume and Slitheen running in 3D is a bit too jarring but I think they just did what they could and running around in those costumes must not have been easy.

I still don't like Mickey. They just made him a nerd who is now capable of hacking and it's pretty bad. He's still a comedic relief but this time the main source of comedy is either him getting bullied by the Doctor or his incompetence and it doesn't works at all.

The episode is even more on the nose regarding it's political commentary. It has a strong message about war only serving financial interests, all the comedy about the government incompetence and the fact that it's that easy to get access to the nuclear bomb by creating false threats and that it is that easy to launch a missile works great and is surprisingly still never corny.

I really liked all the scenes that are more character centric as it helps developing a lot more the characters and giving hints on their personality, such as when they are sheltered waiting for Downing Street to be bombed, it's great seeing The Doctor not wanting to cause any more casualties than he already has, Rose blase attitude regarding her death, Jackie's concerns regarding her own daughter and Mickey willing to risk it all are just hints of character traits we'll see more of in the future. But I think the character that takes all the spotlight is Hariet Jones. She is just magnificient here, taking decisions as the only democratically elected person in the room. It's just really fun to see all her genius moments and her facial expressions are just really fun.

The ending is a bit too rushed, The Slitheen all being in the same room, naked without their costumes feels a bit too easy and forced and it was a bit too disapointing.

The tone of the episode changes for the ending, Rose assuring her mother she will be back within 10 seconds and Jackie counting to 10 knowing well she won't is a great moment and ends the episode on a more somber and melancholic tone, putting a focus on the feeling of being abandoned.

I think overall it's a less interesting episode than the previous part. It was a good standard Doctor Who adventure, the focus put on the characters is all great but I'm a bit disapointed all the highlights are put in the last part of the episode.

There seems to be a lot of Tom Baker’s influence in what Eccleston gets up to in this two-parter, namely the sequence following the cliffhanger’s resolution, where he allows Margaret to continue chasing Rose and Harriet while standing nonchalantly in a lift, juxtaposed with the seriousness of “I could save the world but lose you.” Doctor Who is sometimes at its best when it doesn’t take itself too seriously, and this episode does a good job of balancing the serious threat of nuclear fallout and the comedic almost-incompetence of the Slitheen.

It’s a great plan and it would’ve worked, if not for those meddling kids.

Running down corridors, narrowly avoiding being chased by men in costumes in one shot, and pure CGI in another, is a little jarring but entirely understandable - those costumes don’t look easy to run in.

When did Mickey get so good with computers? Or manage to be so calm in a crisis? Perhaps that year of being under suspicion of murder gave him plenty of time to hone his skills? Still, it would’ve been nice to see hints of said skills in earlier episodes so it didn’t feel so completely out of the blue. At least we (but mainly Rose) are reminded that Mickey isn’t all that special compared to the Doctor a bit later on… Gherkins, pickled onions, pickled eggs, all being readily available in his kitchen, prompt the Doctor to wonder “YoU kIsS tHiS mAn!?” (I’d like to point out that Mickey had no idea where they were but Rose knew exactly what cupboard they were in, so maybe it’s not Mickey with the vinegary breath…)

I digress. There’s a lot of serious stuff going on amidst the farts and the vinegar, the discussion of blowing up Downing Street is some of the best character-centric stuff in the revival so far. The Doctor’s reluctance to cause more death, Rose’s blasé attitude to her own life/death, Jackie’s concern for her daughter, Mickey’s willingness to do whatever it takes- all these things come back later in the series, some more than others, but it’s a brilliant little scene to capture all their motivations in one go. Yet the star moment is Harriet’s- the only democratically elected person in the room. It rips the decision out of the Doctor’s hands and he is so relieved by it, and her statesmanship finally reminds him why he recognises her name.

It’s a little bit of a rushed conclusion to the threat- every single Slitheen in Britain being in one specific room right at the end so they can push the big red button together and out of their human-disguises because victory should be naked feels a bit convenient, but the shot of them all standing around looking gormless is fab.

The tone changes right at the end- Rose assuring her mum that they’ll be back in ten seconds, and Jackie counting those seconds hopefully, knowing deep down that they won’t be back, and very quickly being proven right- is a more sombre note than much of the rest of the episode, but it’s a wonderful (if short) exploration on what it’s like to be left behind like that.

🙏🏼60% = Fine! = Skippable!

Thworping through time and space, one adventure at a time! This time: Big Ben is destroyed, aliens have a farting problem, and the cliffhanger makes a comeback!

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

STORY:

It’s back to the present day for this one, with Rose having to deal with the consequences of her travels while trouble looms in the background. A spaceship crash lands in London, and what follows is RTD’s take on a classic alien invasion story, with an eager Nine investigating.

The adventure begins promisingly, but the focus quickly shifts to news coverage of the crash, political scheming, and running gags centred on farting aliens and Harriet Jones, of which only the latter truly works (Penelope Wilton is phenomenal). Since this is a two-parter, there’s a bit more time for the story to take its time to build tension and real stakes, and that is why the pace feels a bit less rushed. Aliens of London is essentially one big build-up for the real event in World War Three.

The Slitheen as a concept does feel silly in retrospect (they are child-friendly aliens with a great design, clearly created in hopes of sling toys), though they carry a scary quality with the head chippers and the big claws. I also like how they are a family business rather than a race that tries to take over Earth for business reasons.

The humorous tone and playful take on politics haven’t aged all that well.

I love the final few moments of Aliens of London, which cut excellently between the Doctor having a speech, Jackie being attacked by a Slitheen, and Rose and Harriet being cornered by another; all three scenes culminate in a tense reveal of the Slitheen in modern Who’s first cliffhanger.

The fast-paced plot of World War Three propels the action, with the Slitheen effectively attacking everyone. I also like how the Doctor, Rose, Harriet, Mickey, and Jackie all work together to figure out what’s going on and how to stop it while being put under immense pressure from the Slitheen. But this is also where the stakes are felt, and we realise for the first time what travelling with the Doctor might mean for Rose, in case he cannot save her every time.

POPULATION:

Chris Eccleston continues to develop his take on the Doctor, and we get a better understanding of his views on alien races, humanity, and violence. Billie Piper doesn't get a whole lot to do, with Rose mostly reduced to a more traditional companion role. Camille Coduri fires off in this two-parter, not taking any bullshit from the Doctor while truly showing how much she cares for Rose. Mickey is still largely played for laughs but gets a couple of opportunities to step up and prove his boyfriend's chops.

The guest cast is pretty nice, with the aforementioned Wilton and the wonderfully creepy but oh-so-delightful Annette Badland standing out. David Verrey overplays his comedic aspects too much, and Rupert Vansittart is difficult to take seriously as well.

This is the 21st-century debut of UNIT (still named after the United Nations at this point), though their role is pretty minimal.

PRODUCTION:

I find the music somewhat distracting in this one, and the visual effects vary hugely in quality (the crashing spaceship looks pretty good, but the Slitheen reveal at the end of Aliens of London is a bit naff, while the Slitheen costumes are great). The production design isn’t very interesting, as most of the story is set inside Downing Street, the TARDIS, or the Tyler residence.

ATMOSPHERE:

There are some tonal inconsistencies here, and the episodes clumsily jump between comedy, action, and more serious dramatic beats. However, I find the fact that the UNIT in the 21st century has certain measures in place to get hold of the Doctor if the need arises a realistic one.

The explosive finale feels perhaps a bit too much, but at least it ends this adventure on a high note.

FINAL THOUGHTS:

The first two-parter of the revived series has pacing issues, somewhat childish aliens and a heavy memphis on politics, but it’s also effectively action-packed and fun at times.

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.