kaliha | Thoughts on Boom Town

When I heard the Slitheen were back in this episode I did have my doubts around how good the episode was going to be and yes, I was somewhat justified in that, but on the whole the episode was rather good.

I can see now a some of the old school are going to complain because it was another 'character' piece, not enough sci-fi for them. But lets face it, we can afford another character piece before what looks set to be an amazing two parter. Plus I like the character pieces (although I'm hoping next year RTD and co will have figured out how to mesh the two of them together like in Dalek

Dining with monsters
An episode about consequences then. And not just on the Doctor's part either.

We see how Rose's inability to let Mickey go and live his own life sours their relationship. It's not difficult. Just tell him to see other people and be happy because the Doctor will let her go back to the time at the end of World War III where Mickey and Jackie are waiting for her. Ten seconds will have passed and it would be like nothing had happened.

Of course, that can’t really happen. Leaving Rose in the past again would alter too much of the timeline; She'd still be living at home when pigs invade the earth and Mickey would have no reason to come to Cardiff with her passport. Time travelling is a very complicated business is it not?

Where does Jack figure in all of this?

Well someone's made themselves at home quickly. I expected him to make 'A Big Mistake' and get booted out by the Doctor, but he's become one of the team. Then again I wonder if it's a case of 'keep your friends close, but your enemies closer'. We still have two years of Jack's life missing, God only knows what he got up to.

Doctor/Jack OTP?

Jack: "How come I never get any of that?"
Doctor: "Buy me a drink first."
Jack: "You're such hard work."
Doctor: "But worth it"
I admit, it got a chuckle out of me. Could Rose have a rival?

Six months later
By the sounds of things it was just six months after World War III I think some time has passed in the TARDIS too. The OT3 of Doctor/Rose/Jack is much tighter-knit than during The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances. The Doctor seems to trust Jack a lot more (see him leaving the TARDIS with Jack) and there's a lot more comfortable flirtiness between the three of them.

We also have off-screen adventures; I don't know (having not read them) if they link with any of the three books or if these adventures were before or after Jack joining them. But it's nice to know that they're not just careening from crisis to crisis.

I wonder if it says in the script: Jack must be wearing an extremely tight top and do some stretching. Oh and Jack must also wear some very bottom hugging trousers. RTD certainly knows his female fanbase.

Mickey, love
Poor old ~~Ricky~~Mickey. Nearly gets blown up and get his heart broken to boot and after trekking across the country on the sorry excuse otherwise known as our trains to go and see Rose.

I wonder if he regrets his decision not to join them, particularly when it's clear that Jack's been accepted as one of the gang.

Personally I think he's a bit justified in getting miffed at Rose. He offers to wait for her and she won't give him an answer and when the shit hits in fan and stuff starts blowing up she immediately runs for the Doctor (which really, is sensible, he's either the cause or cure of any problem).

That look on his face though at the end. It troubles me. He's going to cause problems in the future (i.e. in the next two episodes) I can see it. Ooooh, what if it's Mickey (or some future incarnation of Mickey (Ricky) who gets the Doctor killed?

You've got choices Rose, make some
She's made her choice to stick with the Doctor and go where ever the TARDIS takes them, but for God's sake don't leave Mickey hanging on like that. It's not fair on him. (I know, can you believe it, I'm actually feeling sorry for the guy.

Doctor as executioner
Margaret brings up an interesting point. There's not actually that much difference between her killing and inhabiting the real Margaret to achieve her own ends and the Doctor letting Jabe burn. You could argue that Jabe's sacrifice was to save the rest of Platform One but the Doctor does seem very willing to let a few people die in order to save the many.

Margaret
Comedy relief no more. This episode had more character development for the Slitheen's race than the whole of the two-parter managed. Margaret got lots of nice little touches, like teleporting into a skip on the Isle of Dogs or being able to shoot poison darts out of her fingernails (use a useful talent – shame the sound effect for it was so cheesy).

Credit has to go to Annette Badland who (as well as having a brilliant surname) managed to give Margaret both humanity and a lovely range in sidelong evil stares.

RTD is really working hard to make the viewer feel sorry for the 'bad guys' each week. However, I'm not sure if it is necessarily a good thing.

"My magnificent time machine!"

Finally, something in the new canon regarding the TARDIS' intelligence. Maybe now people will stop staring at me funny when I call her a she and that she's much, much cleverer than the Doctor. Mind you, you'd think she'd realise what Blon Slitheen is up to and stop the Doctor wiring the Extrapolator to her. Like the Doctor, she must be one for living on the edge.

Bad Wolf Watch
"Everywhere we go, two words, following us…"
It's one to hit you in the face this week. I particularly liked the ominous music. And the Doctor knows Welsh too. Unless it's the TARDIS translating for him.

"Nah. It's just a coincidence. Like hearing a word on the radio, then hearing it all day. Never mind."
It better bloody well be more than just a coincidence. *shakes fist* I've been reading up quite a bit on subliminal messages and stuff over the last few weeks (mainly due to Derren Brown) and I'm wondering now if someone is putting these hints in all over place as a warning to the Doctor and Rose. Only they won't realise it until they need to. Thus making my suspect for the Bad Wolf, not to be the Daleks or the Master or Rose but bloody Derren Brown. I told you he'd end up taking over the world.

So, to sum up
RTD such have stuck with calling it "Dining with Monsters", a much better title than Boom Town. I enjoyed bits of it but felt it would have been much better used in place of the majority of the Aliens of London/World War III storyline. I particularly liked the scenes in the bistro, very well acted by both.

I can't believe there's only two episodes left. It's so not fair. I've not enjoyed a series like this since the halcyon days of Buffy

6.5/10

Complaints about the Trailer
FOR GOD'S SAKE PUT IT AFTER THE CREDITS!!! After a few weeks of them doing that they've switched back and ruined the surprise. *tuts angrily*

However it does look rather good. No, not the Big Brother House, or Trinny and Susannah or the Ultimate Evil that is Anne Robinson (Although Anne Droid's got more facial expression than the real Anne has); but the Daleks. And not just one or two of them but thousands of spaceships full!!! All that war, all in vain. And now there's only one Time Lord left to stop them. Bet he wishes he had blown up the facility in Genesis of the Daleks now.