Doctor Who Series 2 (2006)
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Doctor Who Series 2 Review
Doctor Who Series 2 is a major step backwards from the previous strong season and although it has its moments, it is mostly incredibly disappointing.
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“I had NO trouble with space-stuff.
I’ve seen things you wouldn’t believe!“
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So let’s first talk about the Doctor himself. This season introduces the new Doctor played by David Tennant. He is an excellent actor and he gives a terrific, energetic and very charismatic performance throughout this season. His Tenth Doctor is very sympathetic, exceedingly charming, likable and consistently fun. It is no surprise to me that he is an audience favorite.
New Earth is actually a pretty solid opening episode which does have excellent world building, intriguing storytelling and a solid use of Cassandra. The comedic elements here bothered me as they were too silly and goofy while also being childish. However, the performance from Billie Piper is excellent and she is quite amusing here. The story is also surprisingly touching in its handling of the Cassandra character in the third act.
Tooth and Claw is a werewolf story set in the 19th century and naturally it is the kind of silly mix of historical narrative and supernatural elements the show is famous for but never quite did right. Here the story is too silly, the action is extensive and I did not like the werewolf elements, but Queen Victoria herself is excellent and the episode has solid characterization and dialogue.
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School Reunion is not a perfect episode as it is too slow in its first half and not emotionally rewarding enough, but still it was moving seeing Sarah Jane Smith and her reunion with the Doctor is quite touching and sweet. It is great to see the same actress again and it showcases the strengths of the show’s format so well.
The Girl in the Fireplace is admittedly a very interesting and lovely experiment and I did like its moving, almost poetic ending, but still romance has no place in Doctor Who in my opinion and thus I find this episode overrated and the Doctor to me is best when being asexual.
Rise of the Cybermen and The Age of Steel definitely made the Cybermen somewhat cooler than they previously had been back in the old days of the show, but still this serial remains a typical war/action-oriented excursion with no interesting storytelling or dialogue anywhere to be found.
The Idiot’s Lantern admittedly has a pretty interesting premise and is thematically very observant and sophisticated, but they never went anywhere with this great premise as the end results are decidedly mixed.
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The Impossible Planet and The Satan Pit definitely does have solid aliens in Ood with interesting designs and creepy looks, but the overall serial is very boring, too bombastic and overall highly forgettable.
Love & Monsters is actually one of the most purely original episodes ever for Doctor Who. Certainly it is a lost potential for greatness as it is too goofy in its third act and the overall episode is half-baked, but this experiment still worked more often than not and seeing the people that are affected by the Doctor but never see him or go with him on adventures proved to be a fascinating insight.
Fear Her is the most childlike and some would even say childish episode so far in the entire series and although I didn’t mind its tone at all as I find it an interesting and authentic departure, I did mind its unfortunately less than stellar execution and weak acting.
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Army of Ghosts and Doomsday are pretty solid albeit far from great episodes that form a fine concluding serial for this season with a pretty solid use of its villains and an interesting look at Torchwood and its goings-on.
Overall, I liked this season to some extent. Some episodes are pretty solid and some stories are actually impressively original and out there, but more than half are pretty weak, forgettable stories that favor spectacle and action over substance and although David Tennant is excellent as the new Doctor, the material is just rarely as great and the show desperately needs better script writers without a doubt.
Worst Episodes: Rise of the Cybermen, The Age of Steel and The Impossible Planet.
Best Episodes: New Earth, School Reunion and Love & Monsters.
