Doctor Who 4x06 - "The Doctor's Daughter"

MI7 · #1 May 10, 2008, 1:51 PM

On the planet Messaline, in the middle of an endless war, the Doctor meets the most important woman of his life.

Jamie Minty · #2 May 10, 2008, 2:31 PM

Well an interesting episode.

It felt different to other episodes at first. Don't know why.

Loved Martha in this and the Hath were great its good seeing good monsters. Martha's relationship with the HAth was really great too.

The last scenes with the Doctor and Jenny were great.

"The man who wouldn't" was great.

Love that Jenny survived. Could she be the hand at the end of LOTTL?

I hope we see her a few more times and see her character progress if she is to eventually turn evil though. Thats what was missing with Jack's brother Gray in TW. We didn't see the making of Gray.

Shame we didn't get any nice shots of messaline and the explosion at the start looked better shot in Confidential than in the actual thing.

And in Confidential it was revealed originally the Hath could talk. Would have rather seen them struggle to talk than not talk at all. It seemed Martha understood the Hath too easily.

Ben Dawson · #3 May 10, 2008, 3:40 PM

This was truly a fantastic episode, I was kind of unsure about the concept at first, but was really well played out.
It really brought out another side of the Doctor, as all these new ideas and possibilities started unfolding.
I'm kind of unsure how she survived, but I hope we see Jenny again in the future (either in Doctor Who, or another spin off??? Did seem to hint at another spin off to me), and I'd definitely like to see Jenny and the Doctor finding each other again.
I found the ending with the Doctor and the gun absolutely brilliant, because despite everything, and looking rather threatening, he still pulled through without killing, which I reckon is a tru testiment to the Doctor's strength.
All in all, I reckon that this is the best episode of the series so far. It seemed different to what we normally get, but I loved it.

BritCanuck · #4 May 11, 2008, 12:15 AM

Someone posted the short Georgia Moffett interview from the official website on YouTube, for non-UK viewers.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ehTzEIB4mdg

More videos for UK viewers:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/s4/episodes/
(select "The Doctor's Daughter" from the list first)

Chris Britton · #5 May 11, 2008, 4:21 AM

It was a decent episode in itself, It was not fantastic. it was enjoyable to watch but i felt there were a lot of things which could have been tweaked. It could have been very good or very bad, it was not brilliant but the team did not mess up badly. 7/10 for me.

I noted Murray reused more music again, the Martha departing music from the end of series 3 and from Time Crash. Does imagination even exist in his vocabulary?

Alexus · #6 May 11, 2008, 4:50 AM

Originally Posted by Chris Britton

I noted Murray reused more music again, the Martha departing music from the end of series 3 and from Time Crash. Does imagination even exist in his vocabulary?

Sweet Lord, they used the 'Martha Departing' music for the scene where Martha departs! Those bastards!

Danny Stewart · #7 May 11, 2008, 4:54 AM

Originally Posted by Alexus

Sweet Lord, they used the 'Martha Departing' music for the scene where Martha departs! Those bastards!

rofl. Except it's that bastard. All Murray's fault.

I cut out the end of the episode. I'd like it better if they just bring her back and explain it when it happens.

http://www.dannystewart.com/upload/406_newend.mp4

Alexus · #8 May 11, 2008, 5:08 AM

Originally Posted by Danny Stewart

rofl. Except it's that bastard. All Murray's fault.

So it's Mr Gold who edits the episodes and the music therein, and not Supervising Sound Editor Paul McFadden and Editor Mike Hopkins? Truly a man of many talents, our Murray!

Kody · #9 May 11, 2008, 4:35 PM

Going to give it a "Fantastic!" in the end, after mulling over the episode. Need to go back and watch it again now..

The way Jenny was "born" seemed a bit abrupt, but in the end I auctually like that about it. Georgia seems to be a great actress following in her fathers footsteps, really enjoyed her preformance.

I absolutely LOVED the moments where Tennant went 'dark' so to say, or well.. not dark, but very serious discussing his past again and even how he was a father. (Take that, you moronic fans that insist he's never had a relationship or children. *mutter*)

Or how he did the sarcastic laugh when Jenny tried to compare their little war to the time war. Once again, great acting from Tennant.

I was admittedly pissed when she got shot, because ANYone could see that coming from the moment the father and daughter started to get along.

Watching the doctor have to hold someone, dying, again.. was very, well, sad.

"Maybe if we just wait.." - Heartbreaking.

But then watching him, even after his daughter just died, yell at the troops and tell them he'd never kill, even Cobb after what he just did, made me smile in a way. That's the Doctor as he should be.

I didn't expect Jenny to survive, that honestly caused me to pull a mix of a double take and dash of mouth gaping.

My theory is that considering it had been less than 15 hours since her 'birth', she was still in that phase the Doctor was in, in the christmas invasion? When they're full of energy and can regenerate body parts?

Considering she does have two hearts, she'd just have to grow another.. explains why she didn't fully regenerate, even if she has that option. It does open up many questions though, how much of a Time Lord, er, Lady, is she really?

Anyway, rambling now.

Can't explain why, but I do love the Hath as a alien. Martha's interaction with them was awesome, really sad to see the one die.. but he did save her.

The "bad" in my eyes was a bit of overused music, story was slightly predictable at points, but otherwise very good.. the story surprised me more than I thought it could, hence another point towards the high raiting.

Can't wait to see where this leads.

No rose this week, or preludes to the finaly.. well, SHE probably is I guess.

Kody · #10 May 11, 2008, 11:03 PM

Oh, another completly random note that someone on doctorwhoforum.com happened to notice.

/wiggle eyebrows

Ronnie Rowlands · #11 May 12, 2008, 2:56 AM

Ah yes, I see it, sneaky buggers. I never noticed that Donna wore earrings.

Danny Stewart · #12 May 12, 2008, 8:34 AM

Originally Posted by Ronnie Rowlands

Ah yes, I see it, sneaky buggers. I never noticed that Donna wore earrings.

Indeed. That production team sure is cheeky.

Ross Hendrie · #13 May 12, 2008, 11:06 AM

The episode wasnt too bad, however it was dragged up to 9/10 by Jenny being red hot.

Also, I notice Rat Souffle seems to be quite damning this week.

Chris Britton · #14 May 12, 2008, 11:18 AM

Originally Posted by Larren

Oh, another completly random note that someone on doctorwhoforum.com happened to notice.

/wiggle eyebrows

Jenny was white hot

In regards to the picture. I did not look at the earrings inititally, but the UNIT logo which was there

Josef Kenny · #15 May 12, 2008, 12:01 PM

Originally Posted by Ross

Also, I notice Rat Souffle seems to be quite damning this week.

I almost hated it. The daughter thing ruined it for me, it was completely unnecessary and ruined what would have been a very good classic-style story. And don't even start about the ending. To be honest I'm unable to comprehend why everyone loves this episode so much.

Danny Stewart · #16 May 12, 2008, 12:48 PM

Originally Posted by Chris Britton

In regards to the picture. I did not look at the earrings inititally, but the UNIT logo which was there

I do believe that Ronn was utilizing a seldom-used device known as sarcasm, sir.

Ben Dawson · #17 May 12, 2008, 2:07 PM

Anyway, we still haven't heard Danny's review of the episode yet.

Kody · #18 May 12, 2008, 2:24 PM

Originally Posted by Ben Dawson

Anyway, we still haven't heard Danny's review of the episode yet.

Agreed!

Danny Stewart · #19 May 12, 2008, 4:39 PM

Ooh, good point. Sorry about that.

I loved it. I honestly believe that episode felt way more like classic Doctor Who than anything else the new series has yet delivered. The Lazarus Experiment impressed me in a similar way -- Stephen Greenhorn is an extremely promising writer. He's really captured the feel of classic Who in a way that no one else has (all the brilliant writers of the new series included, like Paul Cornell and Steven Moffat). This episode could have been dropped into the Peter Davison era and would have fit right in.

The Hath were excellent aliens (I loved the fact that they didn't speak), and Jenny was (of course) a great character. I noticed that Jenny being so energetic allowed David Tennant to give us a darker and more subdued Doctor, which I adored. Serious props to all the actors in this one. David Tennant, Catherine Tate, Freema Agyeman, and Georgia Moffett were all magnificent.

The only part that didn't sit well with me was the ending, so I excised it from my version. My copy now ends after Martha returns home. If they're going to bring Jenny back, they should just do it, and explain it when it happens. We didn't need that last bit shoved down our throats.

All in all, though, a fantastic and thoroughly impressive episode. I still can't get over just how much it felt like proper old series Doctor Who. I really wish we could get more of that, but so far, no one but Stephen Greenhorn seems to be able to deliver in that regard. Not sure whether I should give it an extremely strong 8/10 or a borderline 9/10, but I love Stephen Greenhorn and I'm feeling generous, so it gets a 9. After all, despite any flaws it may have had, it's the idea and the overall feel that count more than anything, and in those regards, it excelled.

Chris Britton · #20 May 13, 2008, 4:32 AM

It makes me hope Jenny will become a companion soon. I was reminded of the Lalla Ward version of Romana.

Lol, I just found this during a review of the episode

"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"

epic win