10.35: The Sontaran Stratagem

In which size isn’t everything.

Broadcast: April 2008

Watched: September 2021

“Someone put a dent in the 1980s” – love a UNIT dating joke.

I’m not sure why anyone decided to bring the Sontarans back – they don’t seem important enough. Was it just a fanboy thing? Was it that they were doing an invasion story and, hey, might as well? [Consensus on my nerd list was that clones are a sci-fi staple and if you’ve got one you don’t need another so these guys are the obvious next candidate, and also that I’m a moron.]

Anyway, it’s brilliantly done: the idea of a clone race looking for an advantage in an eternal war is very straightforward; the idea that stupid vent at the back of their necks is so they have to face their enemies in battle is a lovely retcon; and the clone thing is sort of used thematically to make it about conformity and rebellion. As with the last couple, it’s nothing spectacular, but for an action-y, album track of an episode it’s pretty much note perfect.

It’s also quite cool that we got a new UNIT story in 2008, although the failure to create a new UNIT family, yet, means it doesn’t feel like one. Colonel Mace feels a bit low-ranking for this job, but it’s only one rank below Brig, I guess. I like the way he just sort of tolerates the Doctor being an absolute dick to him. It’s not entirely clear why the Doctor hates soldiers now, other than to build up some self-righteousness which can be popped in the finale. There does seem to be a sort of theme this year of questioning Doctor’s morality, asking if he’s as big a hero as he thinks.

Atmos is a weird combination of all futuristic car tech anyone could think of, self driving cars, sat navs, and emissions reduction all rolled into one. The bit where the Doctor talks one into self-destructing is great; ditto the way it blows up and there’s no explosion, just a slight pop.

Martha’s return feels like a new approach to ex companions (although we sort of had that with Jack, I guess). I love how she and Donna are immediately friends. The bit where Donna says she’s going home and the Doctor does a big speech and then realises she means “to say hi” is *hilarious* but also sort of fits with her asking to leave in Ood.

Lovely to see Wilf. There’s something peculiarly touching about Bernard Cribbins crying. And the cliffhanger – Wilf in danger, 400 million poison gas cannisters going off, the pathos of Rattigan, the boy who’s never fitted in, joining in with the Sontaran battle cry, the final shot of the Doctor in silhouette surrounded by smoke – is really, really good. 

It’s a mark of how good this season is that this episode has been totally forgotten.

Other things:

• Is there a version of this where the journalist in the pre-credits was Penny from episode 1?

• I’d forgotten the Sontaran spaceship. That’s pretty cool.

• Doctor Who’s idea of how medical qualifications work is hilarious.

• The UNIT soldiers who scream when they see an alien are rubbish. Still, they have red berets now. Red berets are cool.

Dan Starkey!