So I'm going to start this off with a bang. Series Four of Doctor Who is the best series of the show so far. Part of this might be on purpose, as this was David Tenant's last series as The Doctor, and also the last series helmed by Russell T. Davies. So they had the power of finality in their corner, but that didn't get in the way from telling some of the best regular series episodes here, as well as telling the strongest series concluding arc to date. So let's dive into every episode of this series!
"Partners in Crime" gave us our wacky intro to the series, and this episode served to reunite the Doctor and Donna Noble. Now I was not a big fan of Donna during her first introduction in "Runaway Bride" and yet as this series progressed, I think Donna became my favorite companion. A big part of that is that she had a different dynamic with the Doctor, allowing her to escape the shadow cast by Rose Tyler that in my mind prevented Martha Jones from ever becoming my favorite. It was just nice to see a different dynamic, one based on comedy instead of angst, and Donna Noble is the most important person in the universe after all. As for the Adipose, I thought they were kinda funny, but overall they were a very campy alien "menace" that left me overall unimpressed with this episode, but still it was a fun start! Also Rose Tyler is coming back!
"The Fires of Pompeii" was a little stronger than previous second episodes, since that seems to be the slot meant for weak episodes. This episode however had the cool premise of the prophets actually had seer abilities. And apparently The Doctor is responsible for the disaster...
"Planet of the Ood" is the first great episode of this series. The Ood are one of the best creations of Davies' show, and although I'm not someone who gets particularly moved by the tropes of enslaved races, I found the Ood to be very evocative. The whole idea that the supposed "slave race" had been forced into this slavery, and then humanity rewrote history made great sense to me as this is the only way that I can imagine a slave culture to exist. Not everyone involved in a slave society can be evil, so some people have to simply have bought into propaganda. They're wrong, but not evil, and that's an important distinction. Even The Doctor himself let the slavery pass when he first came across the Ood, and this episode did a good job making sure the Doctor corrected this past mistake, and also helped establish Donna as a strong character for being able to keep The Doctor in line. This episode also gave us DoctorDonna which would play out later.
"The Sontaran Stratagem" and "The Poison Sky" was the traditional action packed two-parter of Series Four. What stood out about this particular one, beside the ironic environmentalist message, was the introduction of the Sontarans and the reintroduction of Martha Jones. I like Martha Jones, and I actually would have been okay if the series decided to keep her along, and just have The Doctor have two companions from that point on. I also really like the Sontarans, and I'm very thankful that they were the antagonists in this two parter instead of the Daleks who I feel are over used. The Sontarans are a more interesting enemy for the Doctor to face anyways. They're bad guys in the standard bloodthirsty way, but there was something about them that spoke of honor and virtue that made me relate to them as well. I hope to see more of them.
"The Doctor's Daughter" was an amazing episode that would have been my favorite episode of this series if it weren't for the rest of the episodes in this series. Putting that paradox aside, the reason I love this episode besides a good plot and even a strong moment for Martha Jones mourning the Hath, is simple. The titular character is a brilliant character that in a single episode inspired me to want an entire show dedicated to this character. Georgia Moffett was absolutely brilliant in a role that served as a brilliant character study of The Doctor, and also gave us some backstory for the character and him having a family before the show. I really want Jenny to come back at some point.
"The Unicorn and the Wasp" was the episode that brought us to the relatively recent past, and gave us Agatha Christie solving a murder mystery. A funny concept, that was executed well, but nothing special in the grand scheme of this series.
"Silence in the Library" and "Forest of the Dead" I don't know what role River Song will have later in this show, but I can guess. These two episodes were reminiscent of the plot of Time Traveler's Wife a movie that I thoroughly enjoyed and broke my heart. The idea of a time travel love story is always fun, and I can't wait to see more of it. This two parter was also the best episodes of the series, including Donna Noble officially becoming my favorite companion during the second episode focusing on her having an entire life lived out in an alternate reality, the shadowy menace which served as the scariest villain for my money the show has ever had, the greatness of the backstory of Cal, and finally the "spoilers" mention that made me crack up just because of the fact that I'm trying to watch a spoiler free version of a series of a show that has been out for four years. Brilliant.
"Midnight" was another brilliant episode, and my only complaint was that the pilot and engineer died, when I thought the mass hysteria message would have been more effective if there wasn't actually any death to be legitimately afraid of.
"Turn Left" was a strong Donna episode that also featured a relatively underwhelming part for Rose Tyler to return. I love alternative realities.
"The Stolen Earth" and "Journey's End" was an absolutely epic way to end this series. Mickey coming back moved me a surprising amount, although does him ending up with Martha Jones in "The End of Time" actually make sense? I thought she was already engaged. Is that another paradox? Seeing Sarah Jane Smith was cool I guess, although I cared much more about Captain Jack and Torchwood for obvious reasons. Anyways, let's get to the meat of this two parter.
Rose Tyler ends up with a human version of The Doctor. This was perfect, and it allowed me to be able to completely move on from Rose, and onto the next chapter of the Doctor, and will let me root for any future love stories he goes into.
Donna Noble became a human/TimeLord! Doctor Donna! Brilliant. And ultimately tragic. Sorry, that's mostly incoherent and there's no analysis there, but that's what you get.
Finally "The End of Time" ends David Tenant's tenure as The Doctor. It includes The Master and the return of the Time Lords including some brilliant revelations about the backstory of the Time War. Ultimately though, this two parter was all about the last twenty minutes of the Doctor Who getting his last moments with his past companions. It was beautiful and very bittersweet. I'm going to miss David Tenant.
On to Matt Smith!
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