2025 REWATCH

• I do like this episode, I genuinely do, but I have found myself not wanting to watch it as much. It was a high-ranking story last time, but I found myself enjoying this rewatch less
• I often find the Doctor + new character romances annoying, some stories can handle it well and this one, just makes you assume there was a strong romantic attachment between them, despite spending very little time together, I think it's how I understand SM's writing it's romantically dark, and these elements are evident in a lot of his stories, especially the ones pre-his era
• Love the clockwork droids. They are beautifully designed inside and out
• It's a shame that this is Mickey's first trip in the TARDIS, and I can't help but feel he was a little sidelined. I think he deserved more of a focus
• I think the more I watch this story, the more I come to believe that Sophia Myles is not that good an actress, but that's just my personal judgment. The child actress did a better job

2025 REWATCH

• I genuinely used to find this episode as slog, I would put it down to it being THE episode that always got re-runs on Watch / W / Whatever the channel is called now, but having rewatched it invigorated my love for this story
• Krilliant and Mr Finch are brilliant villains, wonderfully acted and scary. The design is great
• Sarah Jane Smith and K9, the only pair of companions that would have made the perfect reunion episode, and boy do they deliver. It's great material for Rose and Mickey. Bringing genuine closure to Sarah Jane, that last scene now brings tears to my eyes, which didn't before. Maybe I'm getting soft, lol
• It's also one hell of a thrillride, gets straight into the action, and doesn't give in, even if the circumstances are very convenient, like the school blowing up
• Balances the cast beautifully, and I love it. shows that a bigger TARDIS team can work

2025 REWATCH

• I love the whole concept: Queen Vic and a werewolf in Scotland. It is so much fun!
• The energy of this episode is electric and just gets higher and higher. It's gloomy and thrilling. gotta admire the writing and directing
• The CGI itself for the wolf is genuinely not that bad and still looks pretty good all these years later, especially when it crashes through the glass ceiling
• The only issue I'd say is that overly dramatic cold open with the monks. Did they really need to fly through the air just to beat up some farmers? Too much, you could say, but I guess it keeps you watching.
• I genuinely think this shows the perfect dynamic between 10 and Rose, If 'The Christmas Invasion' and 'New Earth' couldn't do it as well, this episode early on does it brillaintly

2025 Rewatch

• While I don't think it's a solid story, I have a soft spot for it. It's not offensive to watch; it just doesn't feel so believable and echoes the message of the first trip to the 'New Earth' period of the show.
• I do like the concept and the great ideas, some funky and some simplistic; just the execution is the true problem
• How does Cassandra know how to do so much? Where did the cat nun on the ladder come from? When did the sick learn to talk?
• Cassandra, just like that,t realised she had to die? I don't think she was shown what it means to have her time
• The solution of using those melted ice pop bags of coloured juice in the lift, I guess, makes sense by it spreading from hand to hand and steam propping up from every single touch was the most unbelievable thing

2025 Rewatch

• I don't know what this episode is about, but I have no interest in it. As a Christmas episode or a general story, it's not one for me
• The Sycorax are cool; they look awesome! But I dare say wasted a little, they make demands stand around and one of them battles the Doctor, yeah? okay cool
• I always wonder about the creative choice behind creating Harriet Jones, making her a likable character, then making her unlikable or have the Doctor take a different approach to her
• I would feel slightly hypocritical for liking Castrovalva for having the 5th Doctor out of action, but I found this a strange concept to have the doctor out of it for a bit, considering the shorter runtime. I know it's Tennant, and he commands any room he walks into. It just feels a little unnecessary
• How is it that the Sycorax know to attack the Tyler family with Christmas-themed robots, Santas, and a tree? a little bit on the nose and fun, but I don't buy it lol

2025 Rewatch (Will post on both episodes)

• I love the wild and bold choice to bring iconic reality shows of the time and turn them into deadly games. still such an iconic idea, and it feels dated as well, but beautifully so. It would be so weird trying to do that today. What shows would they use? Love Island? The Chase?
• However, overall, I didn't feel much interest in the story as I used to. I wonder if that's because it doesn't have that grandeur most finales I'm expected to have. It has that feel of just another adventure. I know that changes by the finale episode, but vibes don't always be there
• During my classic rewatch I can't help that this feels a little like a combination of Vengenace on Varos and Revelation of the Daleks for certain plot points. which is interesting because they are very separate, but I can't help but think of them
• The Daleks are pretty great in this story, killing tons of people, a bit insane
• 2 minor points I don't feel so set with
  • Why did the Doctor have to kiss Rose?
  • Why didn't the Doctor put Lynda on the TARDIS, too? Felt like he was interested in having her onboard but only decided to save Rose fully? RIP LYNDA we love you

2025 Rewatch (Will post on both episodes)

• I love the wild and bold choice to bring iconic reality shows of the time and turn them into deadly games. still such an iconic idea, and it feels dated as well, but beautifully so. It would be so weird trying to do that today. What shows would they use? Love Island? The Chase?
• However, overall, I didn't feel much interest in the story as I used to. I wonder if that's because it doesn't have that grandeur most finales I'm expected to have. It has that feel of just another adventure. I know that changes by the finale episode, but vibes don't always be there
• During my classic rewatch I can't help that this feels a little like a combination of Vengenace on Varos and Revelation of the Daleks for certain plot points. which is interesting because they are very separate, but I can't help but think of them
• The Daleks are pretty great in this story, killing tons of people, a bit insane
• 2 minor points I don't feel so set with
  • Why did the Doctor have to kiss Rose?
  • Why didn't the Doctor put Lynda on the TARDIS, too? Felt like he was interested in having her onboard but only decided to save Rose fully? RIP LYNDA we love you

2025 Rewatch

• I've always had good fun with this story. It's a cute follow-up to the Slitheen 2-parter before, and whilst very much a filler, it is just some fun to have developing the cast a little
• Gives us one of the best quartets of the show, 9 + Rose + Jack + Mickey, one appearing together in 1 episode, criminal
• I love the scenes between Margaret and 9 in the restaurant; they are beautifully written, and such strong dialogue between them. Can only think in the moment how weird for other customers it must have been if they eavesdropped accidentally.
• It's far more character-based, which I feel does ground the show a bit, considering in the past few it's been heavier with the scarier visuals and more sci-fi. great to give some variety
• This episode has a great humour to it, I would definitely say it is the comedic episode of the series.

2025 Rewatch (Post the same review for all parts)

• This story is still a classic, even after 20 years. It's such a high-concept horror thrillride
• Moffatisms galore. You can hear him in his scripts, and I dare say they become a little distracting
• The simplistic use of the gas mask is such a brilliant idea, weaponising something already creepy to make it worse
• Jack seems much rougher around the edges under SM's writing, and I dare say more likable. There's a better twinkle in his eye. It's a shame SM never wrote for him again
• That old woman with the regrown leg is an absolute icon

2025 Rewatch (Post the same review for all parts)

• This story is still a classic, even after 20 years. It's such a high-concept horror thrillride
• Moffatisms galore. You can hear him in his scripts, and I dare say they become a little distracting
• The simplistic use of the gas mask is such a brilliant idea, weaponising something already creepy to make it worse
• Jack seems much rougher around the edges under SM's writing, and I dare say more likable. There's a better twinkle in his eye. It's a shame SM never wrote for him again
• That old woman with the regrown leg is an absolute icon