3.1: Smith & Jones
Synopsis: In the course of investigating some electromagnetic activity, the Doctor meets Martha Jones, a medical student at Royal Hope Hospital. The entire hospital is teleported to the moon, where the Judoon, an army of galactic enforcers, begin scanning the patients and staff for any non-human entity (bad news for the Time Lord). The Plasmavore, the real subject of their search, has hidden herself among the patients by drinking human blood and assimilating it, thus confusing the Judoon's equipment. The Doctor recruits Martha to be his "backup," to help divert the Judoon and track down the Plasmavore.
The Doctor tricks the Plasmavore into drinking his blood and assimilating it, thus effectively killing him, but revealing her as non-human. The Judoon take her out, but she has rigged an MRI machine to barbequeue anything in its path, including half the Earth. In addition, oxygen in the hospital is running low. Martha performs CPR upon the Doctor, reviving him and draining herself, and he is able to diffuse the MRI danger while the Judoon return the hospital to Earth.
Later, after Martha's brother's birthday party, the Doctor turns up and invites her aboard as a "thank you" for saving his life. Though, he promises her one trip only, and they depart together in the TARDIS.
Golden Comic Moment: After being doused with a shedload of roentgen radiation from the x-ray machine, the Doctor's body expels the rays out through a shoe, which he throws, with flourish, into the bin. The words he speaks go as follows: "If I concentrate, shift the radiation out of my body and into one spot. Say, my left shoe. There we go, easy does it. Out! Out, out, out out... ow ow ow! Itches, itches, itches, itches! Hold on - done!" However the performance that David Tennant gives is something that cannot be committed to words. It's insane and spastic, and without the techno-babble, very Tenth Doctor! It is with good reason that Martha responds to this with, "You're completely mad."
As a piece of trivia here, Russell T. Davies has said that he believes that this is the moment when Martha properly loves the Doctor. (Interesting... but who am I to argue? Of the two of us, I and Russell T, which one of us wrote the episode?)
Golden Fangirl Moment: "Martha, stay here. I need time, you've got to hold them up... just forgive me for this. It could save a thousand lives and it means nothing. Honestly, nothing." Smooching on Doctor Who doesn't happen very much, but notice that this is the second season-opener in a row that contains a nice juicy one! Cheeky ratings-grabbers. And I'm a Martha fan, so how could it not be that kiss? Yes, it was sort of a cruel thing to do, and could very well have led to Martha's feelings for the Doctor (and therefore misery), but those three seconds constitute the best of David Tennant's run for many of us! And here's why:
In earlier comments, it is mentioned that the Tenth Doctor got more lip action onscreen than all nine previous Doctors combined. Let's take a moment to analyse this data, beginning with names and stories. 1) Lady Cassandra in Rose's body, New Earth, 2) Madame de Pompadour, The Girl in the Fireplace, 3) Jackie Tyler, Army of Ghosts, 4) Martha Jones, Smith and Jones, 5) Joan Redfern, Human Nature, 6) Astrid Peth, Voyage of the Damned, 7) Donna Noble, The Unicorn and the Wasp, 8) Rose Tyler, Journey's End (though it's the clone Doctor, not the real Doctor), 9) Lady Christina de Souza, Planet of the Dead.
We would like to point out that of the nine kisses, only numbers four and five are not a result of the woman grabbing the Doctor by the cheeks, hair or lapels and surprising him with a forceful lip-lock. And only number four, the kiss with Martha Jones, is a kiss that the Doctor initiates (because in number five, he's not himself). Sure, it's a genetic transfer, a ruse, but the fact is: he grabs her and chooses to kiss her, not the other way around! Just keep that in mind when you watch Rose and Handy make out on Bad Wolf Bay, okay?
Cringeworthy Moment: We're totally in Martha's corner when she says, "Well, you're the one that kissed me... and [if you'd] travel all the way across the universe just to ask me on a date..." And we'd also like to mention again that while Rose and Donna pursued the Doctor before becoming full-time Companions, Martha was the one pursued, tested and chosen out of a hundred doctor, nurses and medical students. He gives her some very flirtatious glances over the course of the day, and as is later pointed out, the Doctor has an eye for the ladies (so he can't be blind to the fact that she's bloody gorgeous). And did I mention about the kissing? All of the evidence seems to point to the fact that he's the one who chased her down, convinced her to come aboard, because he sees something special in her. Then he seems to get inside the TARDIS, think of Rose, and suddenly it's, "Not that you're replacing her! Just one trip to say thanks. You get one trip, then back home," all with the forceful index finger and the yelling.
And our heart bleeds for her, as for the first time, though certainly not the last, she bites her lip and averts her eyes with the pain of rejection. As the Doctor says, off we go.
Golden Moment: Smith and Jones could almost have been a pilot for a brand new series. The "principal" cast of Doctor Who had now come full circle, and we no longer had either of the stars with whom we began this journey. This was the first new Companion of the new series - a re-vamp. The audience loved Rose Tyler, and were watching this episode partly just to see who they'd got to take her place. Perhaps many of you expected and wanted to hate Martha Jones (plenty of you may have!), but this episode was all about checking out the new girl.
And beginning with the words, "Very good point, brilliant in fact! What was your name?" it is clear that the Doctor, too, is sizing up a new girl for possible running and screaming action in the future (and past). This is the girl who heard both heartbeats and not only didn't freak out, but she also didn't tell anyone! And notice that right away, he dismisses Julia Swales as a candidate. He seems to give Martha a series of tests, prompts to see what she'll say or do, and of course, she knocks them out of the park.
When the Doctor and Martha go out onto the veranda to find out whether they have air on the moon, the dialogue here might very well clinch the Doctor's faith in her.
Doctor: You okay?
Martha: Yeah...
Doctor: Wanna go back in?
Martha: No way! I mean, we could die any minute, but all the same... it's beautiful!... What do you think happened?
Doctor: What do you think?
Martha: Extraterrestrial. It's got to be. I don't know, a few years ago that would have sounded mad, but these days?
She's scared, but it's not going to stop her. She's not looking for a "rational" explanation, suggesting they've been drugged or it's a trick. She knows it's aliens, and that's brilliant!
This is the point at which he chooses to reveal that he his not John Smith, and vows to "earn" the right to be called Doctor by her. This is the effective beginning of his partnership with a woman of some ingenuity, and in spite of her feelings, not clingyness. He's chosen someone, probably by design, very, very different from Rose in almost every way. This is a relationship which will serve him well (and her, mostly) in the long-run, and is a Golden Moment for the Doctor and for Doctor Who!
Why I Beg To Differ: It's very, very hard to argue with DWM on this. They named the moment when Martha gives the Doctor her last breath as the Golden Moment of the episode, stating that Martha has passed the Companion test with flying colours at this point, when it really counts. "It's a neat counterpart to the snog (that's genetic transfer to you and me) the Doctor gives her earlier in the episode. The smooch 'means nothing,' he insists; Martha returning the favour means everything."
I suppose the only reason I can come up with to support the conversation on the veranda being more important to the Companion test than this is... well, the Doctor is conscious to experience it! He is literally looking her up and down as she talks about what she knows of aliens. When she gives him CPR, he's checked out, and when he comes to, he's got to hit the ground running and doesn't have time to think, "Gee, she's pretty cool."
The Doctor tricks the Plasmavore into drinking his blood and assimilating it, thus effectively killing him, but revealing her as non-human. The Judoon take her out, but she has rigged an MRI machine to barbequeue anything in its path, including half the Earth. In addition, oxygen in the hospital is running low. Martha performs CPR upon the Doctor, reviving him and draining herself, and he is able to diffuse the MRI danger while the Judoon return the hospital to Earth.
Later, after Martha's brother's birthday party, the Doctor turns up and invites her aboard as a "thank you" for saving his life. Though, he promises her one trip only, and they depart together in the TARDIS.
Golden Comic Moment: After being doused with a shedload of roentgen radiation from the x-ray machine, the Doctor's body expels the rays out through a shoe, which he throws, with flourish, into the bin. The words he speaks go as follows: "If I concentrate, shift the radiation out of my body and into one spot. Say, my left shoe. There we go, easy does it. Out! Out, out, out out... ow ow ow! Itches, itches, itches, itches! Hold on - done!" However the performance that David Tennant gives is something that cannot be committed to words. It's insane and spastic, and without the techno-babble, very Tenth Doctor! It is with good reason that Martha responds to this with, "You're completely mad."
As a piece of trivia here, Russell T. Davies has said that he believes that this is the moment when Martha properly loves the Doctor. (Interesting... but who am I to argue? Of the two of us, I and Russell T, which one of us wrote the episode?)
Golden Fangirl Moment: "Martha, stay here. I need time, you've got to hold them up... just forgive me for this. It could save a thousand lives and it means nothing. Honestly, nothing." Smooching on Doctor Who doesn't happen very much, but notice that this is the second season-opener in a row that contains a nice juicy one! Cheeky ratings-grabbers. And I'm a Martha fan, so how could it not be that kiss? Yes, it was sort of a cruel thing to do, and could very well have led to Martha's feelings for the Doctor (and therefore misery), but those three seconds constitute the best of David Tennant's run for many of us! And here's why:
In earlier comments, it is mentioned that the Tenth Doctor got more lip action onscreen than all nine previous Doctors combined. Let's take a moment to analyse this data, beginning with names and stories. 1) Lady Cassandra in Rose's body, New Earth, 2) Madame de Pompadour, The Girl in the Fireplace, 3) Jackie Tyler, Army of Ghosts, 4) Martha Jones, Smith and Jones, 5) Joan Redfern, Human Nature, 6) Astrid Peth, Voyage of the Damned, 7) Donna Noble, The Unicorn and the Wasp, 8) Rose Tyler, Journey's End (though it's the clone Doctor, not the real Doctor), 9) Lady Christina de Souza, Planet of the Dead.
We would like to point out that of the nine kisses, only numbers four and five are not a result of the woman grabbing the Doctor by the cheeks, hair or lapels and surprising him with a forceful lip-lock. And only number four, the kiss with Martha Jones, is a kiss that the Doctor initiates (because in number five, he's not himself). Sure, it's a genetic transfer, a ruse, but the fact is: he grabs her and chooses to kiss her, not the other way around! Just keep that in mind when you watch Rose and Handy make out on Bad Wolf Bay, okay?
Cringeworthy Moment: We're totally in Martha's corner when she says, "Well, you're the one that kissed me... and [if you'd] travel all the way across the universe just to ask me on a date..." And we'd also like to mention again that while Rose and Donna pursued the Doctor before becoming full-time Companions, Martha was the one pursued, tested and chosen out of a hundred doctor, nurses and medical students. He gives her some very flirtatious glances over the course of the day, and as is later pointed out, the Doctor has an eye for the ladies (so he can't be blind to the fact that she's bloody gorgeous). And did I mention about the kissing? All of the evidence seems to point to the fact that he's the one who chased her down, convinced her to come aboard, because he sees something special in her. Then he seems to get inside the TARDIS, think of Rose, and suddenly it's, "Not that you're replacing her! Just one trip to say thanks. You get one trip, then back home," all with the forceful index finger and the yelling.
And our heart bleeds for her, as for the first time, though certainly not the last, she bites her lip and averts her eyes with the pain of rejection. As the Doctor says, off we go.
Golden Moment: Smith and Jones could almost have been a pilot for a brand new series. The "principal" cast of Doctor Who had now come full circle, and we no longer had either of the stars with whom we began this journey. This was the first new Companion of the new series - a re-vamp. The audience loved Rose Tyler, and were watching this episode partly just to see who they'd got to take her place. Perhaps many of you expected and wanted to hate Martha Jones (plenty of you may have!), but this episode was all about checking out the new girl.
And beginning with the words, "Very good point, brilliant in fact! What was your name?" it is clear that the Doctor, too, is sizing up a new girl for possible running and screaming action in the future (and past). This is the girl who heard both heartbeats and not only didn't freak out, but she also didn't tell anyone! And notice that right away, he dismisses Julia Swales as a candidate. He seems to give Martha a series of tests, prompts to see what she'll say or do, and of course, she knocks them out of the park.
When the Doctor and Martha go out onto the veranda to find out whether they have air on the moon, the dialogue here might very well clinch the Doctor's faith in her.
Doctor: You okay?
Martha: Yeah...
Doctor: Wanna go back in?
Martha: No way! I mean, we could die any minute, but all the same... it's beautiful!... What do you think happened?
Doctor: What do you think?
Martha: Extraterrestrial. It's got to be. I don't know, a few years ago that would have sounded mad, but these days?
She's scared, but it's not going to stop her. She's not looking for a "rational" explanation, suggesting they've been drugged or it's a trick. She knows it's aliens, and that's brilliant!
This is the point at which he chooses to reveal that he his not John Smith, and vows to "earn" the right to be called Doctor by her. This is the effective beginning of his partnership with a woman of some ingenuity, and in spite of her feelings, not clingyness. He's chosen someone, probably by design, very, very different from Rose in almost every way. This is a relationship which will serve him well (and her, mostly) in the long-run, and is a Golden Moment for the Doctor and for Doctor Who!
Why I Beg To Differ: It's very, very hard to argue with DWM on this. They named the moment when Martha gives the Doctor her last breath as the Golden Moment of the episode, stating that Martha has passed the Companion test with flying colours at this point, when it really counts. "It's a neat counterpart to the snog (that's genetic transfer to you and me) the Doctor gives her earlier in the episode. The smooch 'means nothing,' he insists; Martha returning the favour means everything."
I suppose the only reason I can come up with to support the conversation on the veranda being more important to the Companion test than this is... well, the Doctor is conscious to experience it! He is literally looking her up and down as she talks about what she knows of aliens. When she gives him CPR, he's checked out, and when he comes to, he's got to hit the ground running and doesn't have time to think, "Gee, she's pretty cool."