By Ross Ruediger
If “Blink” was the perfect standalone episode of Doctor Who, then “Utopia” is just the opposite. To get what’s going on here, one must be well versed in the lore of the new series, otherwise the entire affair will seem a jumbled mess. Familiarity with the old series is either a huge bonus or a detriment, depending on how willing you are to accept some bold Who revisionism. “Utopia” is also the unbilled Part One of Season Three’s three-part finale. Get onboard now or forego watching the rest of the season until DVD.
The Doctor: “You two! We’re at the end of universe, right? Right at the edge of knowledge itself and you’re busy…blogging!”
The pre-credits sequence is so ridiculously over the top, one wonders if the rest of the episode is going to be something to be taken even remotely seriously. The TARDIS returns to Cardiff to refuel at the Rift. A figure outside runs toward the time machine. Martha (Freema Agyemen) asks the Doctor (David Tennant) about the earthquake in Cardiff a few years ago and wonders if he had anything to do with it. He references Season One’s “Boom Town”:
The Doctor: “Bit of trouble with the Slitheen. A long time ago -- a lifetime. I was a different man back then.”
The running man is revealed to be none other than Captain Jack Harkness (John Barrowman). He screams at the TARDIS as well as to the operator inside. The Doctor looks at the TARDIS scanner and upon seeing Jack oddly decides it’s time to get outta Dodge. No time for reunions here! But Jack’s been waiting a looong time for this chance and rather than give up, he jumps directly onto the TARDIS exterior, clinging to it as if for dear life. Inside the controls explode and the machine kicks into overdrive, heading for the furthest point in time it can reach, the year 100 trillion -- a silly number that punctuates the improbability of the sequence, as does the Doctor’s assertion that they’re headed for “the end of the universe”. As if all that isn’t enough, Jack’s still hanging onto the TARDIS as it makes its speedy getaway through the time/space vortex.
On the planet Malcassairo some mutant rejects from The Road Warrior are continually at odds with the remnants of the human race. There is a third species present in the form of one individual, Chantho (Chipo Chung) – an insectlike alien female who is the sole survivor of Malcassairo’s indigenous population. Chantho is the assistant to Professor Yana (Derek Jacobi), an addled, grandfatherly scientist who suffers from a periodic pounding of the head. He works to aid the humans in reaching Utopia via a rocket -- although exactly where or what Utopia is, is about as nebulous as its name implies. Yana and Chantho don’t seem entirely certain this pipe dream is ever gonna happen, but in the interest of keeping morale high amongst a race that’s nearly extinct, they perpetuate the notion of ongoing success.
The TARDIS arrives on Malcassairo and upon the Doctor and Martha exiting the ship, they see Jack laying on the ground, seemingly next door to death. The Doctor is again curiously non-plussed and about all he can offer up to Jack’s inert form is a half-hearted utterance of his stock apology, “I’m sorry”. Jack springs back to life, healthy as a horse and immediately flirting with Martha. There’s a swinging of dicks between the two men.
Jack: (suspiciously) “Doctor?”
The Doctor: “Captain.”
Jack: “Good to see you.”
The Doctor: “And you. Same as ever – although…have you had work done?”
Jack: “You can talk!”
If you’ve been watching Torchwood, Jack’s inability to die will come as no surprise. If you’re strictly a Who viewer, writer Russell T Davies brings you up to speed in a matter of minutes as the trio carry on a lively conversation covering everything from Jack’s escape from the Game Station, his immortality, how he got to present-day Earth and gratuitous Rose Tyler chit-chat (much to the annoyance of Martha, who doesn’t care for the revelation that she was blond). After a run-in with the vicious mutants, the trio eventually ends up at the compound safeguarding the humans. Professor Yana is overjoyed to meet the Doctor, as perhaps this man of science can help him with the Utopia project. Martha finds a kindred spirit in Chantho (a very Rose Tyler thing to do) and Jack sticks his fingers in all the pies (ahem…).
Jack: “So what about those things outside – the Beastie Boys. What are they?”
Yana: “We call them the Futurekind, which is a myth in itself, but it’s feared they are what we will become…unless we reach Utopia.”
The Doctor: “And Utopia is?”
Yana: “Well every human knows of Utopia! Where have you been?”
The Doctor: “I'm a bit of a hermit.”
Yana: “A hermit? With friends?”
The Doctor: “Hermits United. We meet up every ten years and swap stories about caves. It's good fun -- for a hermit.”
There’s an amount of skillfully written and played technobabble that goes on for a good fifteen minutes or so as the ins and outs and complexities and snafus of Utopia are explained and explored. The scene between Jack and the Doctor discussing the significance of Jack’s immortality and how Rose was responsible for it is one of the great Doctor Who moments because it weaves together numerous dangling threads from both Who & Torchwood and says so much about the ideology of Davies’ Whoniverse. Their conversation could only exist and make sense within the confines of this show.
Throughout the escalating madness, Yana’s brain farts become increasingly intense…and upon first seeing the blue police box, his internalized reaction indicates that a certain bodily excrement is about to hit a certain spinning device designed to facilitate the movement of air. The tension builds as words like TARDIS and Dalek have debilitating effects on Yana. The Utopia project seems to be gaining a positive momentum when all of a sudden Davies plays a card I never saw coming, even though -- for an old school fan like me -- everything else was plainly written on the wall: Yana possesses a fob watch identical to the one used by the Doctor to rewrite his biology in “Human Nature” -- a watch Yana’s owned his entire life yet has never opened.
“Utopia” shifts into “Holy Shit!” mode and the entire affair is an adrenaline rush. Martha runs to tell the Doctor about the watch. He snaps and tears into her, basically saying, “Don’t fuck with me, lady!” The Doctor is sideswiped by the name “Yana” and recalls the final words of the Face of Boe from “Gridlock”: You Are Not Alone. (Back when that scene played it had a pedestrian vibe, but here it is redeemed.) As Yana opens the watch, the transformation begins and a Time Lord is reborn: The Master.
If new Who is all you know, then the Master as a character means nothing to you, although the fact that he’s a Time Lord should be a big payoff. He’s the Moriarty to the Doctor’s Sherlock Holmes and they’ve periodically locked horns over the years since the character was first introduced in 1971’s “Terror of the Autons”. Jacobi’s transformation into pure evil is chilling. He proceeds to shut down the compound’s defenses allowing the Futurekind to attack, sabotage the Utopia project, and electrocute a terrified Chantho when she pulls a gun on him.
The Master: “Now I can say I was provoked! Did you never think all those years standing beside me to ask about that watch? Never!? Did you never once think -- not ever -- that you could set me free?”
Chantho: (trembling) “Chan. I’m sorry. Tho. Chan. I’m so sorry--”
The Master: “And you, with your Chan and your Tho driving me insane!”
But Chantho summons up enough energy before dying to put an end to this horrible creature who looks exactly like the man she’d secretly loved for so many years. The Doctor, Jack and Martha enter as the dying Master jumps inside the TARDIS -- which he locks from the inside! (The simplicity of this never before seen mechanism is a fanboy’s wet dream.) The Doctor pleads from outside, begging his enemy for a meeting of minds. Inside, the Master regenerates -- like any sensible dying Time Lord would do -- and is reborn yet again into a much younger, far more energetic Time Lord played by John Simm (Life on Mars). He taunts the Doctor, steals the TARDIS and whisks himself away leaving the trio stranded to face the oncoming threat of the Futurekind.
For an episode that initially looked to be the filler before the season finale, “Utopia” delivers some stellar goods.
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Ross Ruediger is a San Antonio-based critic and columnist, a contributor to The House Next Door, and publisher of The Rued Morgue.
NEXT WEEK: The identity of the mysterious Harold Saxon is finally revealed (although it doesn’t take rocket science to figure it out at this point) in “The Sound of Drums”.
Classic Who DVD Recommendation of the Week: I’ve quietly recommended Master stories numerous times in this season’s recap series. Now check out “Survival”, which was actually the last story of the classic series. It featured the Master as well as evil cat people long before “New Earth” came along.
Saturday, September 22, 2007
Doctor Who, Season Three, Ep. 11: "Utopia"
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21 comments:
This was a pretty decent episode in its own right, considering it's actually the first of three parts. The scene between Jack and the Doctor in the radiation room really showcased Barrowman as well as Tennant's less manic side.
The Rose material was a wee bit heavy-handed, although I thought Freema Agyeman was commendably subtle in her reactions. Too many time this season the stage direction appears to have been "the name 'Rose' is uttered. Cut to Martha looking as though someone just stabbed her."
As much as I love John Simm, wouldn't it have been cool if Derek Jacobi could have been the Master in all three eps? Although I guess the similarity in age/body type/voice between Simm and Tennant will provide intriguing compare/contrast moments.
I'm enjoying reading these reviews, having already seen the show. When the episode first aired there were quite a few people who were disappointed that Jacobi was not to be the Master in all three episodes. Granted John Simm does a great job, I think, but Jacobi is one of a kind.
Ah, the Face of Boe...
Loved Derek Jacobi, but knew as soon as I saw the watch that he wasn't going to be around much longer.
Scott said: Ah, the Face of Boe...
When that tiny shot of the FoB was shown, my kids all had the same reaction. My daughter (8yo) said, "Oh, I love him!" with such feeling and my boys didn't bother to tease her for being so sentimental, so you know they felt the same way.
This was a fantastic episode, even if the Futurekind were a little too Road Warrior-ish and OTT. I loved the business between Jack and the Doctor, and the TARDIS trying to get away from Jack as best it can. Can't wait to see how the rest of it plays out.
I thought the Futurekind were kind of weak. It would have been better if they were the Weevils from Torchwood. But, I suppose they have another story in mind for them.
Loved Jacobi as the Master. It's a dream come true since Jacobi is a Master actor. I am one of those people who would have preferred to see him do all three episodes and then change at the end., Oh, well.
I have mixed feelings about John Simm's Master. He's a bit too cartoony for me at times. But he does make him believably evil and creepy. I just wish he didn't channel Jim Carrey at times.
Those of you who haven't seen the next two episodes, expect some major shocks. They make a very disturbing set of stories with this one. The new Master is one twisted dude.
James,
At first I thought Simm was a bit manic, then I stepped back and thought. Let's see, he's aged as a human until he's almost dead, now he's young and vital again. Why wouldn't he jump around like a little kid? Looked at in that light, he's so much more interesting than a brooding villain would have been.
Yes, but then it makes him seem silly.He doesn't have to be brooding to be menacing. There are all kinds of effective ways to do that. From the detached manner of Marlow on The Wire to Swearengen's profane nutty style on Deadwood, or Hearst's mercurial personality on the same show. Villains can be all over the map and still be scary. I just thought, to go from Jacobi's more classical evil villain stage style to Simm's goofy adult-child persona was kind of jarring. I mean, the Doctor's personality changes with his bodies, but you can always tell its him somehow. There is a consistent way he operates.
I think Simm was good overall. I just don't like a couple scenes where he gets all wacky. Especially that musical number in the third episode. It took me out of the show for a moment.
But I'll admit, I was disappointed Jacobi only got to play the Master for a few minutes. He's great. I, Claudius is one of my favorite TV shows of all time.
RE: Jacobi vs. Simm
I'll comment more on this issue over the next two weeks, but ultimately I think the change was probably a smart move, and Simm doesn't get to really show his stuff until next week. But Jacobi was a fan-friggin-tastic 10-minute Master, although this isn't the first time he's played the part.
For those interested in tracking it down by whatever means, the 2003 flash-animated DW web serial, Scream of the Shalka, written by Paul Cornell and starring Richard E. Grant as the Doctor, featured Jacobi lending his vocal talents to a splinter version of the character. Interesting tidbit: David Tennant had a tiny role in "Shalka" as the Caretaker.
I do totally agree that the Futurekind are goofy as hell and are an off-putting jump start for the episode...but I've come view them as something of a nod to the classic series. They're exactly the sort of thing the old show would've done (although the pointy teeth would undoubtedly have looked far less convincing).
Utopia was meandering filler designed to get to the final 15 mins, which were undeniably superb. For my money, the best "moments" in DW's long history. A shame everything before that was so dawdling.
The Jacobi vs Simm thing we'll get onto next week... but Jacobi makes such an immediate and glorious impression here, nobody can deny it's a shame he didn't stick around awhile longer.
Perhaps I'm a literalist, or maybe a moron, but certain things just drive me crazy which leads to being put off which makes me adjust my thinking and I end up wondering just why I think like I do.
To wit: The TARDIS has transported The Doctor, Martha and Jack to the year 100 Trillion - ten to the fourteenth power - the end of life, the universe and everything. They run for their lives towards "the silo" where they are greeted by gun (specifically AK-47)toting "humans".
Now I ask you, is it reasonable to assume that at the end of time, whatever humanity that is left has an AK-47? Do you think TPTB might have put a little effort into something more suitable to the year 100 Trillion?
Or am I being much too picky?
So with that in mind, it took me a while to warm up to the episode, but I did enjoy it. For once, I liked Tennant and his Who with the sole exception of the end where he did his weirdo grimace routine.
I was actually kinds of proud of myself - YANA popped into my brain immediately - You Are Not Alone. Of course, it helped that I had seen the trailer, but still. Normally, those things just zoom by me.
The only problem I had with the episode, beyond the AK-47, was that it was very much a "fans" show - I had no clue who Master was and had to look it up.
I also keep enjoying the Rose references - it would appear that Martha is having trouble dealing with anything remotely connected to Rose. Which is good - maybe by the end of the next episode she will be gone. To me, it won't be a loss. Just didn't warm up to Martha.
Great review as always.
sheik,
My daughter and I laughed about the AK-47s. 100 trillion years in the future and mankind is still using explosively powered projectile weapons? So, maybe not too picky, but I try to remember that this is a low-budget television show. If that bothers you, how about a galaxy where the stars have burned out, but somehow a planet still supports life?
As far as Martha, you and I will just have to disagree. I think the writers took some serious missteps with her character (cough*Daleks in Manhattan*cough), but I like the character and her arc just fine and I think Freema Agyeman has done an excellent job.
Sheik: yes, you are being much too picky. A huge part of the charm of this show is that it is unashamed of its cheesiness. They pick and choose how to spend whatever budget they have, and obviously this time they spent it on the coupling chamber and the Master regenerating effects, etc.
BTW, I thought Chantho was awesome. I loved the scene between her and Martha, when Martha got her to "swear" and they were both giggling over it.
Actually I'm inclined to side with the Sheik on his AK-47 issue and I'll take it even further by saying that if a sci-fi story is going to be set so ludicruously far in the future, it could stand to create a world that seems a bit more futuristic than what's presented here.
I got over it, to be sure, but when Davies first went into the future back in "The End of the World", he gave the impression that humanity had all but lost its basic form. He seemed to amend that somewhat in "New Earth", and now in the year 100 trillion, humanity seems closer to the present than ever before. It'd be easier to believe that humanity would be unrecognizable, but I suppose that wouldn't make for terribly relatable drama.
Since Davies is such a devout atheist, I assume that he must buy into evolution on some level and it's surprising he doesn't much play with the concept, other than as a throwaway gag about the Futurekind.
Also, the aforementioned "Scream of the Shalka" can be seen on the BBC DW website by clicking here.
Ross,
Wasn't "Utopia" going for a kind of run-down, dystopian vibe? I'm thinking of the scene where the Doctor discovers Yana has used gluten to patch his network.
I also don't think that Davies is that interested in creating complete, believable worlds. He's not a "sci-fi" writer in that sense. His worlds seem to be just alien enough to support the story he wants to tell.
Of course, there could also be budgetary reasons for some of this. Last episode and money's tight, y'know?
BTW, since we're being picky, how did the Futurekind saboteur get into the silo? I didn't see any dental prosthetics.
a -
Certainly the dystopian agenda is a big part of rationalizing away such criticisms, but when the script has the audacity to shoot for the year 100 trillion, I expect at least a little bit of creative effort in the area of presenting "the future". On the flip side, I *loved* Jacobi's retro costuming.
Anyway, it's a minor criticism because as Dan mentioned above, the ep's really about those last 15 minutes.
The moment when Derek Jacobi turns around after the transformation with that chilling darkness in his eyes -- that's just breathtaking acting. Combined with the fantastic direction and incidental music, it makes for one of the most memorable moments in all of Doctor Who.
Regarding Jacobi's costume -- originally, Davies planned to have Martha discover a chameleon arch in the professor's laboratory. Then, when he realised he could use the fob watch instead (a much better idea), Yana's costume was specified so that he could wear a fob watch chain in plain sight for half an hour without it drawing any undue attention.
I thought Chipo Chung was brilliant as Chantho, especially the giggly moment when Martha gets her to "swear". Although I have some sympathy for the Master's line, "And you, with your 'Chan' and your 'tho' driving me insane!!" It shows what a good man the professor was, that he put up with it for 17 years. :-)
(Hilariously, when producer Phil Collinson first read the script, he thought there'd been some kind of glitch in RTD's scriptwriting software which had caused the character's name to get mixed in with her dialog...)
Ross wrote:Since Davies is such a devout atheist
Somehow "devout" and "atheist" just don't seem to go together.
Anyhoo...
a wrote: As far as Martha, you and I will just have to disagree.
I don't mean to dismiss her abilities as an actor/actress - pick your term - I never know which is PC. To me, it seemed that Martha isn't as central to many of the stories as Rose was - it's almost as if she is a adjunct character just to keep The Doctor with a companion. She seemed temporary from the git-go and these stories deserve better than that.
Joan wrote: yes, you are being much too picky.
Well, I did offer up the possibility that I'm a moron. :>)
However, as you well know, I tend to fixate on things that are out-of-place and that wsa pretty out of place. I can buy into the whole projectile thing because that's fairly simple mechanical process, but to me, it would have made more sense to take five minutes and make it look different.
A huge part of the charm of this show is that it is unashamed of its cheesiness.
There is cheese and then there is cheese.
Ross wrote: I also don't think that Davies is that interested in creating complete, believable worlds......His worlds seem to be just alien enough to support the story he wants to tell.
Which, oddly, is what a good scifi writer would do. Most scifi isn't "believable" in terms of what and where we are in space and time. It's the essence of the story that's important.
This probably isn't an apt comparision, but Dr. Who reminds me a lot of the old "Shadowrun" series books - it's a blend of science and "magic" if you will. Which pretty much means that if you run into a problem in telling the story, you can always use the magic (the sonic screwdriver or magic spell) to solve the problem.
It will be an interesting two final episodes.
And I SOOOO want Donna to be the next companion. :>)
Sheik
Actually I said the bit about Davies and sci-fi. I don't want Ross to get any undue blame.
I think that Martha's character was shortchanged. The "Daleks in Manhattan" two-parter was awful; a bad two-parter is a huge chunk of thirteen episodes. Then "Blink" is the Doctor-light ep. That means Martha only got ten episodes. (In case you can't tell, I think "Daleks in Manhattan" really screwed the first half of the season.) That's a short arc for a regular.
Still not that excited about Donna, thought. :)
It's interesting about Martha, because as Davies noted in a recent interview she's technically had longer than Rose as a companion, timeline wise. But although I really like her and I feel her character is well established, I do wish they'd had a bit longer to play out her season 3 arc. Could have allowed her a little more depth.
Anyway. Aside from the amazing ending, I really like this episode as a whole too. It's funny, and it allows plenty of casual character moments before the plot starts to take the front seat.
And I don't really agree with those who wish Jacobi could have stayed on. He's fantastic and I love him in 'Utopia', but the last two episodes required a more hyperactive, scene-chewing Master. Simm makes them what they are. But I'm getting ahead of myself.
Now I ask you, is it reasonable to assume that at the end of time, whatever humanity that is left has an AK-47? Do you think TPTB might have put a little effort into something more suitable to the year 100 Trillion?
The gun most likely to go the distance, last through all the rising and falling civilizations. :)
All the commentary above about humans still looking 'human' at the end of the universe indicates to me that a line must have been cut from the original version.
In the BBC broadcast, the Doctor has a line where he describes that human evolution has become cyclical - they went through various forms including 'clouds of gas' and 'downloads' before reverting to their current form. Not the most convincing of arguments, but it lets the story continue without too many second thoughts.
For trillions of years in the future, it makes more sense to go back in the past--just use spears and arrows. Anachronism is acceptable in any time period.
It's basically an okay episode with Jacobi's tremendous transformation in the end. Worth it for that moment when he turns around.
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