The Doctor's Daughter
Encyclopedia
"The Doctor's Daughter" is the sixth episode of the fourth series of British
science fiction television series Doctor Who
. It was broadcast on BBC One
on 10 May 2008.
" left off, the TARDIS
kidnaps the Doctor
and his companions
and whisks them away to the planet Messaline, in the midst of a generations-long war between humans and the Hath, fish-like humanoids. Emerging from the TARDIS, Martha reveals that although she wanted to be home, she did miss the adventure. They are then met by armed men working for General Cobb. Cline, the leader of the men, forces the Doctor's hand in a progenation machine, using his DNA to create a female soldier, the episode's title character. Born without a name, she is named Jenny
by Donna after the Doctor describes her as a 'generated anomaly'.
Martha is captured by the Hath, and, following an explosion caused by Jenny, the Doctor, Donna, and Jenny are imprisoned by General Cobb because of the Doctor's pacifist
attitude. Each of the primary characters learns about the war from its belligerents; the Hath and humans were initially meant to live in a peaceful colony, but were divided over a dispute about "the Source", believed by each side to be the breath of their creator
. When the Doctor unwittingly reveals the location of the Source, the two sides race to claim it first. The Doctor, Donna and Jenny escape their prison cell when Jenny distracts Cline by flirting with him, and then holding him at gunpoint.
The Doctor is initially dismissive of Jenny but becomes closer to her as the episode progresses. Donna is also intrigued by a series of numbered plaques she notices in each room. When they reach the location of the Source, it turns out to be a terraforming device within a colonising spaceship
. They discover that the plaques represent the date the building was completed, which was a mere seven days previous; the humans and Hath have bred so many generations through the progenation machines that their own history degraded into myth. The original casus belli
was a power vacuum caused by the death of the mission commander.
Meanwhile, Martha has been making her own way to the Source via the surface with a Hath who dies saving her from quicksand
. Devastated, she reunites with the Doctor and Donna near the Source shortly before both armies arrive.
The Doctor declares the war to be over, and releases the terraforming agent; everyone present lays down their weapons, with the exception of Cobb who tries to shoot the Doctor. Jenny steps in the way and takes a bullet to the chest. The Doctor cries as he holds her, lovingly telling Jenny they have many journeys to take as father and daughter. She replies she'd like to do that, and finally passes away. Enraged, the Doctor picks up Cobb's gun and holds him at gunpoint, to the shock of Martha and Donna, but refuses to shoot him. Angrily, the Doctor orders the humans and the Hath to build their society on the basis of 'the man who never would'.
With Jenny to be given a proper burial by Cline and the Hath, the Doctor takes Martha home. Martha says she can't handle the death and devastation any more and warns Donna that life with the Doctor can be dangerous. Donna nevertheless resolves to stay with the Doctor indefinitely. As Donna leaves them to walk on their own, the Doctor rehashes one of his lines from their time together ("We're making a habit of this"), while Martha expresses her sorrow about the Doctor losing Jenny. He remarks that there's always something worth living for before hugging Martha tightly and departing as Martha happily runs inside her home.
Concurrently, on Messaline, Jenny revives. She escapes Messaline, determined to follow in her father's footsteps by resolving disputes and fighting villains (and doing "an awful lot of running").
" the Doctor mentioned to Rose he "was a dad once". The only other member of the Doctor's family seen in the series has been Susan
, the Doctor's granddaughter, who travelled as the First Doctor
's companion until The Dalek Invasion of Earth
. The Second Doctor
tells Victoria Waterfield
of his family in The Tomb of the Cybermen
, claiming they "sleep in [his] mind". The Eighth Doctor
, during his century-long amnesic
exile on Earth (The Ancestor Cell
to Escape Velocity
), also adopted a young girl called Miranda
in the 1980s (Father Time
).
". Jenny's death was originally to take place in what Davies called "a Generic Spaceship Room", but producer Phil Collinson
suggested filming the scene at Plantasia
botanical garden in Swansea
. Having Jenny come back to life at the end of the episode was Steven Moffat
's idea.
, who plays Jenny, is the real-life daughter of Fifth Doctor
actor Peter Davison
and The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
star Sandra Dickinson
. David Tennant
described the episode by saying "We get to see the Doctor's daughter, played by the Doctor's daughter." Moffett had previously auditioned for the role of Rose Tyler
in 2004 and a role in "The Unicorn and the Wasp
" in 2007. Her role as Jenny was not chosen because of her father; it was entirely coincidental but nevertheless a "great PR coup" for the series. Moffett previously appeared alongside her father in the Big Finish audio story Red Dawn
and drama series Fear, Stress & Anger
. In Doctor Who Confidential, Peter Davison stated that after he finished filming "Time Crash
", he said to Georgia "[now] it's your turn".
although its audience was down by a million at 8.17 million. Doctor Who was the highest rated programme on BBC1 for the day and had the biggest share of any programme on Saturday. The episode received an Appreciation Index
score of 88 (considered "Excellent").
"The Doctor's Daughter" received mixed reviews. David Chater of The Times described it as "A wonderful episode - funny, exciting and strangely moving." Martin Anderson of Den of Geek! stated that it was "rather good - though badly plot-holed". He noted that it was yet another episode of Doctor Who "undermined by Murray Gold's
incessant music". He also described the episode as "quite redolent of Tom Baker
-era Who, with plenty of dark and cheap corridors to run down and two under-manned warring factions for the Doctor to bring peace to". For SFX's
Ian Berriman, the running up and down corridors was reminiscent of Lenny Henry
's 1985
Doctor Who spoof featured on The Lenny Henry Show
. Berriman described the episode as "underwhelming", citing that because one "always suspect[s] she's a redshirt
" it is difficult to care for Jenny. Although "reasonably diverting", Berriman argues that budgetary constraints make "the story feel so enclosed" and that the episode's plot, likened to "old-school Trek
", seems too similar to that of the Sontaran
two-parter
immediately prior to this adventure because both involve "militarism" and "cloning". Newsround
s Lizo Mzimba
also notes the similarities with "The Sontaran Stratagem
" and "The Poison Sky
". Mzimba asserts that the episode's "biggest problem" is that it tries "to cram an enormous amount into 45 minutes" with most of the "interesting" and new ideas not getting "the attention they deserve" resulting in the audience not caring about either the human fighters or the Hath and thereby limiting a "sense of danger or menace".
Mzimba observes that since her return in "The Sontaran Stratagem", Martha shares little onscreen time with the Doctor therefore reducing the emotional impact of her departure in this episode. He describes Moffett as "superb", with Berriman calling her "cute as a button". Berriman praises Tennant's performance, but Anderson suggests that Tennant shouts too much. Anderson asserts that "Donna's role as the Doctor's conscience is beginning to take shape" describing this as "refreshing" in a companion
and noting that "Tate has toned down the grating voice a tad".
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
science fiction television series Doctor Who
Doctor Who
Doctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior...
. It was broadcast on BBC One
BBC One
BBC One is the flagship television channel of the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It was launched on 2 November 1936 as the BBC Television Service, and was the world's first regular television service with a high level of image resolution...
on 10 May 2008.
Synopsis
Continuing from where "The Poison SkyThe Poison Sky
"The Poison Sky" is the fifth episode of the fourth series of British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It was broadcast on BBC One on 3 May 2008. The episode features both former companion Martha Jones and the alien Sontarans...
" left off, the TARDIS
TARDIS
The TARDISGenerally, TARDIS is written in all upper case letters—this convention was popularised by the Target novelisations of the 1970s...
kidnaps the Doctor
Tenth Doctor
The Tenth Doctor is the tenth incarnation of the protagonist of the long-running BBC television science-fiction series Doctor Who. He is played by David Tennant, who appears in three series, as well as eight specials...
and his companions
Companion (Doctor Who)
In the long-running BBC television science fiction programme Doctor Who and related works, the term "companion" refers to a character who travels with, and shares the adventures of the Doctor. In most Doctor Who stories, the primary companion acts as both deuteragonist and audience surrogate...
and whisks them away to the planet Messaline, in the midst of a generations-long war between humans and the Hath, fish-like humanoids. Emerging from the TARDIS, Martha reveals that although she wanted to be home, she did miss the adventure. They are then met by armed men working for General Cobb. Cline, the leader of the men, forces the Doctor's hand in a progenation machine, using his DNA to create a female soldier, the episode's title character. Born without a name, she is named Jenny
Jenny (Doctor Who)
Jenny, portrayed by Georgia Moffett, is a fictional character in the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. She first appeared in the episode "The Doctor's Daughter", originally broadcast 10 May 2008...
by Donna after the Doctor describes her as a 'generated anomaly'.
Martha is captured by the Hath, and, following an explosion caused by Jenny, the Doctor, Donna, and Jenny are imprisoned by General Cobb because of the Doctor's pacifist
Pacifism
Pacifism is the opposition to war and violence. The term "pacifism" was coined by the French peace campaignerÉmile Arnaud and adopted by other peace activists at the tenth Universal Peace Congress inGlasgow in 1901.- Definition :...
attitude. Each of the primary characters learns about the war from its belligerents; the Hath and humans were initially meant to live in a peaceful colony, but were divided over a dispute about "the Source", believed by each side to be the breath of their creator
Creator deity
A creator deity is a deity responsible for the creation of the world . In monotheism, the single God is often also the creator deity, while polytheistic traditions may or may not have creator deities...
. When the Doctor unwittingly reveals the location of the Source, the two sides race to claim it first. The Doctor, Donna and Jenny escape their prison cell when Jenny distracts Cline by flirting with him, and then holding him at gunpoint.
The Doctor is initially dismissive of Jenny but becomes closer to her as the episode progresses. Donna is also intrigued by a series of numbered plaques she notices in each room. When they reach the location of the Source, it turns out to be a terraforming device within a colonising spaceship
Spacecraft
A spacecraft or spaceship is a craft or machine designed for spaceflight. Spacecraft are used for a variety of purposes, including communications, earth observation, meteorology, navigation, planetary exploration and transportation of humans and cargo....
. They discover that the plaques represent the date the building was completed, which was a mere seven days previous; the humans and Hath have bred so many generations through the progenation machines that their own history degraded into myth. The original casus belli
Casus belli
is a Latin expression meaning the justification for acts of war. means "incident", "rupture" or indeed "case", while means bellic...
was a power vacuum caused by the death of the mission commander.
Meanwhile, Martha has been making her own way to the Source via the surface with a Hath who dies saving her from quicksand
Quicksand
Quicksand is a colloid hydrogel consisting of fine granular matter , clay, and water.Water circulation underground can focus in an area with the optimal mixture of fine sands and other materials such as clay. The water moves up and then down slowly in a convection-like manner throughout a column...
. Devastated, she reunites with the Doctor and Donna near the Source shortly before both armies arrive.
The Doctor declares the war to be over, and releases the terraforming agent; everyone present lays down their weapons, with the exception of Cobb who tries to shoot the Doctor. Jenny steps in the way and takes a bullet to the chest. The Doctor cries as he holds her, lovingly telling Jenny they have many journeys to take as father and daughter. She replies she'd like to do that, and finally passes away. Enraged, the Doctor picks up Cobb's gun and holds him at gunpoint, to the shock of Martha and Donna, but refuses to shoot him. Angrily, the Doctor orders the humans and the Hath to build their society on the basis of 'the man who never would'.
With Jenny to be given a proper burial by Cline and the Hath, the Doctor takes Martha home. Martha says she can't handle the death and devastation any more and warns Donna that life with the Doctor can be dangerous. Donna nevertheless resolves to stay with the Doctor indefinitely. As Donna leaves them to walk on their own, the Doctor rehashes one of his lines from their time together ("We're making a habit of this"), while Martha expresses her sorrow about the Doctor losing Jenny. He remarks that there's always something worth living for before hugging Martha tightly and departing as Martha happily runs inside her home.
Concurrently, on Messaline, Jenny revives. She escapes Messaline, determined to follow in her father's footsteps by resolving disputes and fighting villains (and doing "an awful lot of running").
Continuity
In "Fear HerFear Her
"Fear Her" is an episode of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It was first broadcast on 24 June 2006.The episode takes part on the day of the opening ceremony of the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, almost exclusively on a fictitious cul-de-sac named after the British athlete...
" the Doctor mentioned to Rose he "was a dad once". The only other member of the Doctor's family seen in the series has been Susan
Susan Foreman
Susan Foreman is a fictional character in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. The granddaughter and original companion of the First Doctor, she was played by actress Carole Ann Ford from 1963 to 1964, in the show's first season and the first two stories of the second season...
, the Doctor's granddaughter, who travelled as the First Doctor
First Doctor
The First Doctor is the initial incarnation of the protagonist of the long-running BBC television science-fiction series Doctor Who. He was portrayed by the actor William Hartnell from 1963 to 1966. Hartnell reprised the role in the tenth anniversary story The Three Doctors in 1973 - albeit in a...
's companion until The Dalek Invasion of Earth
The Dalek Invasion of Earth
The Dalek Invasion of Earth is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which originally aired in six weekly parts from November 21 to December 26, 1964....
. The Second Doctor
Second Doctor
The Second Doctor is the second incarnation of the protagonist of the long-running BBC television science-fiction series Doctor Who. He was portrayed by character actor Patrick Troughton....
tells Victoria Waterfield
Victoria Waterfield
Victoria Waterfield is a fictional character played by Deborah Watling in the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. A native of Victorian England, she was a companion of the Second Doctor and a regular in the programme from 1967 to 1968.-Character history:Victoria first...
of his family in The Tomb of the Cybermen
The Tomb of the Cybermen
The Tomb of the Cybermen is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who that originally aired in four weekly parts from September 2 to September 23, 1967 and is the earliest serial starring Patrick Troughton as the Second Doctor to exist in its entirety...
, claiming they "sleep in [his] mind". The Eighth Doctor
Eighth Doctor
The Eighth Doctor is the eighth incarnation of the protagonist of the long-running BBC television science-fiction series Doctor Who. He was portrayed by Paul McGann...
, during his century-long amnesic
Amnesia
Amnesia is a condition in which one's memory is lost. The causes of amnesia have traditionally been divided into categories. Memory appears to be stored in several parts of the limbic system of the brain, and any condition that interferes with the function of this system can cause amnesia...
exile on Earth (The Ancestor Cell
The Ancestor Cell
The Ancestor Cell is a novel by Peter Anghelides and Stephen Cole, based on the science fiction television series Doctor Who. It features the Eighth Doctor, Fitz Kreiner, Compassion and Romana III- as well as a brief appearance of the Third Doctor in a ghost-like state due to the Faction's...
to Escape Velocity
Escape Velocity (Doctor Who)
Escape Velocity is a BBC Books original novel written by Colin Brake and based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It features the Eighth Doctor and Fitz and introduces the new companion of Anji Kapoor...
), also adopted a young girl called Miranda
Miranda (Doctor Who)
Miranda is a fictional character from the Eighth Doctor Adventures novel series published by BBC Books; based upon the British science fiction television series, Doctor Who. She was, for a time, the adopted daughter and companion of the Eighth Doctor...
in the 1980s (Father Time
Father Time (Doctor Who)
Father Time is a BBC Books original novel written by Lance Parkin and based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It features the Eighth Doctor and introduces the Doctor's adopted daughter Miranda.-External links:*...
).
Writing
Russell T Davies has stated that this episode "does exactly as it says on the tinDoes exactly what it says on the tin
"It does exactly what it says on the tin" was originally an advertising slogan in the United Kingdom, which then became a common idiomatic phrase...
". Jenny's death was originally to take place in what Davies called "a Generic Spaceship Room", but producer Phil Collinson
Phil Collinson
Philip "Phil" Collinson is a British television producer. He was initially an actor, before switching to working behind the cameras in the industry as a script editor and writer on programmes such as Springhill and Emmerdale, later becoming the producer of Peak Practice, Doctor Who and Coronation...
suggested filming the scene at Plantasia
Plantasia
The Plantasia is a large public hothouse located in the Parc Tawe retail park, Swansea, Wales.- Exhibits :It exhibits a wide range of tropical plants and insects. It opened in 1990....
botanical garden in Swansea
Swansea
Swansea is a coastal city and county in Wales. Swansea is in the historic county boundaries of Glamorgan. Situated on the sandy South West Wales coast, the county area includes the Gower Peninsula and the Lliw uplands...
. Having Jenny come back to life at the end of the episode was Steven Moffat
Steven Moffat
Steven Moffat is a Scottish television writer and producer.Moffat's first television work was the teen drama series Press Gang. His first sitcom, Joking Apart, was inspired by the breakdown of his first marriage; conversely, his later sitcom Coupling was based upon the development of his...
's idea.
Casting
Georgia MoffettGeorgia Moffett
Georgia Elizabeth Moffett is a British actress. Moffett was born in West London, the daughter of actors Peter Davison and Sandra Dickinson....
, who plays Jenny, is the real-life daughter of Fifth Doctor
Fifth Doctor
The Fifth Doctor is the fifth incarnation of the protagonist of the long-running BBC television science-fiction series Doctor Who. He is portrayed by Peter Davison....
actor Peter Davison
Peter Davison
Peter Davison is a British actor, best known for his roles as Tristan Farnon in the television version of James Herriot's All Creatures Great and Small and the fifth incarnation of the Doctor in Doctor Who, which he played from 1982 to 1984.-Early life:Davison was born Peter Moffett in Streatham,...
and The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (TV series)
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, is a BBC television adaptation of Douglas Adams's The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy broadcast in January and February 1981 on BBC Two...
star Sandra Dickinson
Sandra Dickinson
Sandra Dickinson is an American-British actress. She trained at the Central School of Speech and Drama in London. She has often played a dumb blonde with a high-pitched voice in the UK – notably commencing in the St...
. David Tennant
David Tennant
David Tennant is a Scottish actor. In addition to his work in theatre, including a widely praised Hamlet, Tennant is best known for his role as the tenth incarnation of the Doctor in Doctor Who, along with the title role in the 2005 TV serial Casanova and as Barty Crouch, Jr...
described the episode by saying "We get to see the Doctor's daughter, played by the Doctor's daughter." Moffett had previously auditioned for the role of Rose Tyler
Rose Tyler
Rose Marion Tyler is a fictional character portrayed by Billie Piper in the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who, and was created by series producer Russell T Davies...
in 2004 and a role in "The Unicorn and the Wasp
The Unicorn and the Wasp
"The Unicorn and the Wasp" is the 7th episode in the revised fourth series of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was aired by BBC One on 17 May 2008 at 19:00. Perhaps due to its later broadcast, it received an overnight audience rating of 7.7 million, making it the...
" in 2007. Her role as Jenny was not chosen because of her father; it was entirely coincidental but nevertheless a "great PR coup" for the series. Moffett previously appeared alongside her father in the Big Finish audio story Red Dawn
Red Dawn (Doctor Who audio)
Red Dawn is a Big Finish Productions audio drama based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who.-Plot:...
and drama series Fear, Stress & Anger
Fear, Stress & Anger
Fear, Stress & Anger is a British sitcom that aired on BBC Two in 2007. Starring Peter Davison and Pippa Haywood, it was written by Michael Aitkens...
. In Doctor Who Confidential, Peter Davison stated that after he finished filming "Time Crash
Time Crash
"Time Crash" is a mini-episode of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It was broadcast on 16 November 2007, as part of the BBC One telethon for the children's charity Children in Need...
", he said to Georgia "[now] it's your turn".
Broadcast and reception
Unofficial figures indicated that "The Doctor's Daughter" was watched by 6.6 million viewers, giving it a 38.4% share of the total television audience. The final consolidated figure was 7.33 million viewers. While most programmes received lower figures than the previous week, Doctor Who had increased its audience. The top rated programme of the day was still ITV1's Britain's Got TalentBritain's Got Talent
Britain's Got Talent is a British television talent show competition which started in June 2007 and originated from the Got Talent series. The show is produced by FremantleMedia's TalkbackThames and Simon Cowell's production company SYCOtv. The show is broadcast on ITV in Britain and TV3 in Ireland...
although its audience was down by a million at 8.17 million. Doctor Who was the highest rated programme on BBC1 for the day and had the biggest share of any programme on Saturday. The episode received an Appreciation Index
Appreciation Index
The Audience Appreciation Index is a score out of 100 which is used as an indicator of the public's appreciation for a television or radio programme, or broadcast service, in the United Kingdom. Until 2002, the AI of a programme was calculated by BARB, the organisation that compiles television...
score of 88 (considered "Excellent").
"The Doctor's Daughter" received mixed reviews. David Chater of The Times described it as "A wonderful episode - funny, exciting and strangely moving." Martin Anderson of Den of Geek! stated that it was "rather good - though badly plot-holed". He noted that it was yet another episode of Doctor Who "undermined by Murray Gold's
Murray Gold
Murray Gold is an English composer for stage, film, and television and a dramatist for both theatre and radio.-Television:Gold has been nominated for a BAFTA four times in the category Best Original Television Music, for Vanity Fair , Queer as Folk , Casanova and Doctor Who...
incessant music". He also described the episode as "quite redolent of Tom Baker
Tom Baker
Thomas Stewart "Tom" Baker is a British actor. He is best known for playing the fourth incarnation of the Doctor in the science fiction television series Doctor Who, a role he played from 1974 to 1981.-Early life:...
-era Who, with plenty of dark and cheap corridors to run down and two under-manned warring factions for the Doctor to bring peace to". For SFX's
SFX magazine
SFX is a British magazine covering the topics of science fiction and fantasy.-Description:SFX magazine is published every four weeks by Future Publishing and was founded in 1995. The magazine covers topics in the genres of popular science fiction, fantasy and horror, within the media of films,...
Ian Berriman, the running up and down corridors was reminiscent of Lenny Henry
Lenny Henry
Lenworth George "Lenny" Henry, is a British actor, writer, comedian and occasional television presenter.- Early life :...
's 1985
1985 in television
The year 1985 involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1985.For the American TV schedule, see: 1985-86 United States network television schedule.-Events:*January 1 – VH1 launches in the United States....
Doctor Who spoof featured on The Lenny Henry Show
The Lenny Henry Show
The Lenny Henry Show is a comedy sketch show featuring Lenny Henry. In its first incarnation it ran for two seasons on BBC 1, in 1984 and 1985. Each season had six episodes. A 40-minute special was aired in December 1987...
. Berriman described the episode as "underwhelming", citing that because one "always suspect[s] she's a redshirt
Redshirt (character)
A "redshirt" is a stock character in fiction who dies soon after being introduced. The term originates with fans of Star Trek , from the red shirts worn by Starfleet security officers who frequently die during episodes.-Star Trek:...
" it is difficult to care for Jenny. Although "reasonably diverting", Berriman argues that budgetary constraints make "the story feel so enclosed" and that the episode's plot, likened to "old-school Trek
Star Trek: The Original Series
Star Trek is an American science fiction television series created by Gene Roddenberry, produced by Desilu Productions . Star Trek was telecast on NBC from September 8, 1966, through June 3, 1969...
", seems too similar to that of the Sontaran
Sontaran
The Sontarans are a fictional extraterrestrial race of humanoids from the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, and also seen in spin-off series The Sarah Jane Adventures. They were created by writer Robert Holmes.-Culture:...
two-parter
The Sontaran Stratagem
"The Sontaran Stratagem" is the fourth episode of the fourth series of British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It was broadcast on BBC One on 26 April 2008...
immediately prior to this adventure because both involve "militarism" and "cloning". Newsround
Newsround
Newsround is a BBC children's news programme, which has run continuously since 4 April 1972, and was one of the world's first television news magazines aimed specifically at children...
s Lizo Mzimba
Lizo Mzimba
Lizo Mzimba is the Entertainment Correspondent for BBC News.-Early life:He attended the independent Solihull School and The University of Birmingham...
also notes the similarities with "The Sontaran Stratagem
The Sontaran Stratagem
"The Sontaran Stratagem" is the fourth episode of the fourth series of British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It was broadcast on BBC One on 26 April 2008...
" and "The Poison Sky
The Poison Sky
"The Poison Sky" is the fifth episode of the fourth series of British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It was broadcast on BBC One on 3 May 2008. The episode features both former companion Martha Jones and the alien Sontarans...
". Mzimba asserts that the episode's "biggest problem" is that it tries "to cram an enormous amount into 45 minutes" with most of the "interesting" and new ideas not getting "the attention they deserve" resulting in the audience not caring about either the human fighters or the Hath and thereby limiting a "sense of danger or menace".
Mzimba observes that since her return in "The Sontaran Stratagem", Martha shares little onscreen time with the Doctor therefore reducing the emotional impact of her departure in this episode. He describes Moffett as "superb", with Berriman calling her "cute as a button". Berriman praises Tennant's performance, but Anderson suggests that Tennant shouts too much. Anderson asserts that "Donna's role as the Doctor's conscience is beginning to take shape" describing this as "refreshing" in a companion
Companion (Doctor Who)
In the long-running BBC television science fiction programme Doctor Who and related works, the term "companion" refers to a character who travels with, and shares the adventures of the Doctor. In most Doctor Who stories, the primary companion acts as both deuteragonist and audience surrogate...
and noting that "Tate has toned down the grating voice a tad".