Doctor Who Series 4 Episode 1 - Partners In Crime - Review

Starring: David Tennant, Catherine Tate, Sarah Lancashire & Bernard Cribbins

Written By: Russell T Davies

Directed By: James Strong

 

The reaction to Catherine Tate's return as Donna, not to mention the fact that she is joining the TARDIS as the new companion, has been … mixed, to say the least. Donna divided many Doctor Who fans with her appearance in The Runaway Bride. While some found her hilarious, others (myself included) found that she became a tad unbearable at times. So it seems as though Russell T Davies has got to win back popular support of the fans if he wants Donna to join the TARDIS. Does Partners In Crime manage this, or should a new companion be joining the Doctor on his travels?

 

In modern-day London, a new weight-loss pill has hit the dieting market – the Adipose pills, which have the power to make the fat just walk away. While the Doctor investigate this mysterious company and its director, Ms. Foster, he is unaware that Donna Noble is doing exactly the same, but the two just seem to keep missing each other. At the same time, the people who have taken the Adipose capsules are beginning to become aware of just how literally they should have taken the company's slogan: “The fat just walks away.”

 

Straight away, I can tell you that Donna's character has vastly improved since The Runaway Bride, and her brashness has certainly be turned down. Donna herself even makes reference to how her previous encounter with the Doctor has changed her for the better. Now that Donna is joining the TARDIS, we are also beginning to see glimpses of what her relationship with the Doctor will be like, Although it's only early days, the first indications are that the interplay between the Doctor and Donna will grow to become something truly special. It also makes for a refreshing change to see a companion join the Doctor who isn't going to be falling in love with him, unlike Rose and Martha. Russell T Davies has also let us get to grips with Donna's family, namely Sylvia and Wilfred. While fiery, the relationship between Donna and her mother allows for some great laughs, with the highlight being Donna remaining static at the kitchen table, while Sylvia continues to nag her. Again, Russell T Davies has utilized his greatest strength by writing some really believable human characters in Donna's family, the best by far being Wilf. Wilf is utterly charming to watch and is played to a tee by the legendary Bernard Cribbins. Also, unless you have a heart of stone, I defy anyone not have a smile on their face at Wilf's final scene in the episode.

 

The alien threat of this episode is the Adipose, and how scary are they? They aren't ... at all. In a rather bizarre move, the Adipose could quite possibly be the cutest aliens ever seen in Doctor Who. Initially, I really didn't know what to make of them, but the more I watch the episode, the more I find them utterly adorable and heart-warming. But as much as I've fallen in love with the Adipose, the episode is going to struggle to be taken seriously if its only supposed threat is an adorable blob of fat. Thankfully, the lack of threat from the Adipose is more than compensated for with Ms. Foster. Played by one of the best actors you could find, Sarah Lancashire, Ms. Foster is a really chilling villain. One of the things that makes this character so good, despite the fact that she isn't particularly complex or deep, is how simply and plainly she speaks to her guards about killing the Doctor, Donna, and millions of people. In some ways, she is also the Doctor's equal, as both command the screen, both can stand up to each other, both have a sonic device, and they are both intelligent.

 

One of my favourite scenes of the episode is the Doctor and Donna's escape on the window cleaning platform. It may not be some of the most intelligent or thought-provoking stuff that Doctor Who has seen, but Ms Foster cutting the cables allowed for some genuinely tense, yet fun-to-watch sequences. Furthermore, the direction from James Strong ensured that the scene didn't become too much like something from a comic book. Throughout the episode, the production values are at their usual high standard, with the highlights being the wide shots of the Adipose plodding through London. Bringing SFX company MASSIVE on-board was definitely a smart move, as each individual Adipose has some great detail and really gives the episode a feeling of scale, despite being confined to London. Speaking of London, the city looks beautiful. While previous Doctor Who episodes have explored the less attractive parts of London, it does make for a nice change to be in the modern and executive Adipose offices.

 

So, as an opening episode, are there any problems with Partners In Crime? Unfortunately, I do have some minor issues with this episode, the first being the question as to whether or not this particular story was the best one to kick Series 4 off. Last year, Smith & Jones did a fantastic job at introducing Martha to the audience, but that success doesn't feel repeated here, as not a huge amount of time is given to showing what Donna can bring to the TARDIS. I understand that Donna has appeared before in The Runaway Bride, but Donna didn't get to show what she could do in that episode either. Still, this is a funny opening episode, and much better than the last opener that attempted to be funny, the dismal New Earth. The way the Doctor and Donna are reunited is sadly a bit hit and miss. When the two finally do see each other, it leads to a genuinely hilarious scene of having to lip-read. However, before we get to this point, we are given scenes of the two comically missing each other in the Adipose Industry offices. These scenes feel somewhat out of place and a bit too unrealistic to raise anything more than a slight smile.

 

Towards the end of the episode, it is revealed that a problem that has plagued Doctor Who since the end of the second series, doesn't seem to be ending anytime soon. Fans and audiences were sent into meltdown after seeing Rose return for a brief few seconds, before walking off and fading into the night. I really hope that Donna isn't going to get the same treatment as Martha, because the show seems to be incapable of actually leaving Rose alone, following her departure. The actual return of Billie Piper as Rose has also left me with some mixed feelings. If Russell T Davies can pull this off, then her returns later in the series could be something to look forward to, but as of now, it seems that we're treading a very thin line between providing fan-service, and spoiling the genuinely poignant and moving ending from Doomsday.

 

In conclusion, Partners In Crime is far from perfect and it isn't exactly going to shake the Doctor Who universe up or be remembered as a classic. However, it gets more right than it gets wrong thanks to the episode tapping into relevant themes around weight loss, a vast improvement in writing for Donna, the Adipose simply being adorable creations, a chilling villain in Ms. Foster and some impressive visuals. That being said, some hit and miss comedy, out-of-place scenes and the fine line being walked between a potentially great character return, and spoiling the ending of another episode, do all hold the episode back to some extent.

 

 

Partners In Crime



6/10