Let's go back into the Vortex!
Hey Everyone,
Welcome back to the lab!
Hope you are all keeping safe and well.
Today is the Third instalment in our ‘Looking Through the Vortex’ series. A series where we go back and look through each Series of Doctor Who starting from Series 1 in 2005, We look at the story arc, what worked, what didn’t work so well, its stars and standout moments. So far we have covered Series 1 (2005) and also Series 2 (2006). Today is all about Doctor Who Series 3 (2007).
Let's jump straight into it!
After a very emotional farewell to Rose at the end of Series 2, The Doctor returned in the 2006 Christmas Special ‘The Runaway Bride’ before returning for a full series of adventures in 2007. After saying goodbye to Rose, The Doctor needed a new friend to accompany him on his adventures. This new companion of his, Miss Martha Jones, was played by Freema Agyeman.
The show hadn't seen a new companion since the return of the show back in 2005. Viewers had gotten used to the stories being seen through The Doctor and Rose’s eyes, so having a new companion to learn about The Doctor through was a welcome sight to most viewers. The character of Martha was a medical student learning to become a doctor. After Helping our Doctor defeat the Plasmavore in episode 1, He agrees to take Martha on adventures through Space and Time.
Martha was a great character in this series, challenging The Doctor in new ways as he deals with the loss of Rose. However the only downside to this character was she was always pining after The Doctor in each episode, having seen this already with Rose, i grew to get quite tired with it yet as the series went on she learned how valuable she truly is which is great to watch play out. It was a joy to see her in the TARDIS.
Also returning as The Doctor in this series was David Tennant. Having now had a full series in the TARDIS, he had become well loved as this character all over the world. Doctor Who was going from strength to strength and that was thanks to its actors and its writers through each episode. This series saw The Doctor encounter more adventures yet also loss and grief. Tennant plays each episode with such confidence you cannot help but love him in the role. No wonder he is known to be the nation's favourite Doctor.
As well as the new and returning stars, this series also saw a brand new story arc to keep viewers hooked until the end of the series. A story arc, I will argue, is one of Doctor Who’s strongest arcs it’s ever had. The arc saw subtle hints to a new leader of Great Britain known as Harold Saxon. Viewers were shown various ‘Vote Saxon’ posters and hints to him at the end of various episodes. This was also paired with the story arc of a message given to The Doctor at the start of the series saying “You Are Not Alone”. This culminated in a surprise three part series finale which to this day still holds as this series strongest episodes and possibly one of the shows strongest finales in general. The finale saw the return of Captain Jack (John Barrowman) which absolutely delighted both viewers and myself, being a fan favourite character we welcomed him back with open arms. It was great to see his dynamic with The Tenth Doctor, it was like he had never been away. It also saw both the message and Harold coming to a head with the return of a well loved foe. The Master.
The Master was seen to be a human having known nothing of his human life, he was played in this episode by Derek Jacobi. After regaining his TimeLord Consciousness he regenerated and was played by John Simm (Known for the show Life On Mars at the time). This choice in casting was truly stellar and in my opinion the best casting of The Master. Simm portrayed the lunacy and madness of The Madness with such ease, to this day it is still chilling to watch on screen. The Master was haunted by a noise of Four Knocks. A noise that drives him to absolute madness as he tries to take over the world as the prime minister Harold Saxon, In-prisons The Doctor and Captain Jack, and causes Martha to go on the run.
The finale was simply just thrilling to watch, it truly kept viewers at the edge of their seats. Media spoke about each episode's cliffhangers for days after and saw millions tune in to see how The Master would be defeated. After travelling the world alone for a year Martha returns in a last battle with The Master. Defeating him whilst freeing The Doctor and Jack. Viewers punched the air as The Doctor returned to his rightful glory. Simm’s heartbreaking portrayal of defeat and madness echoing in viewers' minds for days afterwards.
This Story Arc, and finale, was some of the strongest Doctor Who had seen thus far and since. It had kept fans guessing for weeks and left us in awe of everything we had seen. It was also refreshing to not see Daleks or Cybermen as the main antagonist too. It also led to what I feel is the strongest moment in the entire series. The Master’s (Supposed) death.
After being shot, The Doctor cradles a dying Master in his arms begging him to regenerate so he is no longer the last of his kind. The Master wanting to claim any form of victory over The Doctor refuses. This really is a heartbreaking scene. Watching Tennant crumble and become so filled with grief caused viewers to truly commend his acting. This truly is where Tennant shines as The Doctor breaks down knowing he is once again the last of the Time Lords.
Series 3 saw some of the strongest set of stories and adventures seen yet, but we cannot talk about this episode without talking about the episode that everyone knows about. Even if you haven't watched Doctor Who, you know of his enemies The Weeping Angels. Therefore, you’ll remember the episode Blink by Steven Moffat.
This episode was known as a Doctor-Lite episode to fans, with very little screen time from both The Doctor and Martha. The Episode saw Sally Sparrow (Carey Mulligan) encounter the Weeping Angels in a bid to stop them taking over the TARDIS as The Doctor and Martha were stuck in the 1960s. This episode was a massive hit with both fans and non-fans of the show alike. It was its first true venture into the horror genre thanks to the creation of The Weeping Angels.
The Weeping Angels were a foe where if you stared at them, they quantum locked, meaning they could not move, so long as you did not blink. Look away or Blink, they would kill you either through displacing you through time or snapping your neck. These are frighting villains, the most frightening the show had used so far and it came to critical acclaim. People loved them and how scary they are. To this day I still know many people who cannot rewatch the episode due to fear. Not only did fans and critics love this episode, but so did the awards committees. The episode won multiple Bafta's for its storytelling and performance. This episode truly put the show on the map unlike any other.
For me, Series 3 is one of the strongest series of Doctor Who since 2005 up to the present day. Looking back at each episode I find it very difficult to find a weak episode amongst them. That's not to say there are no flaws with this series, with the notable one being Martha falling in love and pining over The Doctor again, but for me I think this series stands out amongst others. With a strong two leads, a stunning finale and standout episodes such as Blink, future series’ of the show truly had a lot to live up too.
Did they manage to do it? You’ll have to wait for future posts to find out.
So there we have it, our third entry in this series. What are your thoughts and opinions on Series 3?! Let us know below!
Come back this Saturday for a brand new post on Marvel News, and tune in soon for another entry where we Look through the Vortex!
Until then,
Stay Safe, Look out for each other.
Harry x