Utopia

"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?"

Writer: Russell T Davies

Format: TV

Broadcast: 16th June 2007

Series: 3.11

Featuring: Tenth Doctor, Martha, Captain Jack

Synopsis 

Refuelling on the Cardiff rift and running from Captain Jack, the TARDIS flies to the end of the universe itself. There, the last remnants of humanity are headed for Utopia, the brainwork of Professor Yana.

Verdict 

Utopia was an incredible start to the unprecedentedly large three-part season finale of what has been a brilliant third series of the revived Doctor Who. Recently, the quality of the series has just been off the chain. Since Human Nature what we've had on screen has been amazing and the two stories preceding this one rank highly in my all time favourites and based upon this first episode it's clear that this huge finale will be close up there as well. I love how the episode starts where End of Days finished in the first series of Torchwood with the TARDIS being heard and Jack vanishing. It was terrific to know that was now explained here. I was quite surprised by the Doctor's reaction to seeing Jack on the TARDIS scanner. Why had he wanted to go so quickly instead of catching up with his old companion. Throughout the episode I was quite surprised by his remarks about leaving Jack in The Parting of the Ways, a story that was nicely referenced and flashbacked to here. But once the Doctor and Jack had caught up, the relationship was better than ever. Martha finding his temporarily dead body outside the TARDIS was brilliant as he awoke. Immediately he was flirting, and when someone who looks as stunning as Freema Agyeman does then who can blame him? The moment where the Doctor and Jack stood eye to eye was superb. I think in his previous travels with the Ninth Doctor, Jack was still perceived as being an understudy of sorts to the Time Lord. But now, thanks to Torchwood, the viewer knows a lot more about the Captain and the two are more like equals now. Once the remarks between the boys with the toys was over, it was clear the Doctor enjoyed having Jack on travels with him. I mean, he'd hung onto the TARDIS to the year 100 trillion despite her trying to knock him off. It was brilliant that Jack's inability to die was explained with Rose bringing him back but she couldn't control her power from the vortex. She brought him back for good and now Jack was a fixed point in time and space. His remarks about enjoying the chase was superb but I really loved how quickly and easily he got on with Martha. The talking about Rose was difficult for Martha which was hard to see, even if the Doomsday references were lovely to see with Jack being thrilled about Rose and Mickey's survival on the parallel world. The chase into the silo was excellent and I loved the scenes once inside. Professor Yana had pledged his life to seeing that mankind will continue on at the end of the universe. The indomitable species. The irony of Yana having done that with the climax surprise was astounding. Martha's relationship with Chantho was lovely and I liked the humour surrounding her starting her sentences with chan and ending with tho. Martha's kind nature continued with Creet which was also nice to see. I loved the references to The Christmas Invasion and the mystery surrounding Jack's prized possession of the hand in a jar was finally explained. I love how we've been given subtle hints leading up to this finale throughout the first series of Torchwood. It's brilliant to have a spinoff that runs simultaneously with the parent show. The flashback to the Sycorax cutting off the Doctor's hand was great but the absolute genius comical moment was Martha asking if he just grew another hand and the Doctor simply said "yep". I loved that. He shrugged at the thought as if it was second nature. I liked how the Doctor, after grinning at the prospect of being at the end of the universe - a time even the Time Lords hadn't come to, was excited about setting mankind on their way to Utopia. The Futurekind were left to starve whilst mankind set off in hope of continued survival. The Doctor boosted the circuit and Yana's work was now in operation. The rocket would launch, but not before Jack's inability to die was put to the test once again. A Futurekind had got in and tampered with things so Jack was sent beneath the rocket to connect the final circuits if you will. The conversation he and the Doctor had was terrific. They were getting on magically which was fantastic to see! Jack talking of his past and when he learned he couldn't die was excellent knowledge to be gained. I also thought it was nice how he went and watched Rose grow up periodically. Things were about to take a turn though as throughout the episode, thanks to the Doctor and Jack's catching up, mentions of Time Lord artefacts were made such as TARDIS, regeneration and time travel. And that struck a chord with Yana. The drumming in his head increased and thanks to Martha's stunned reaction to his fob watch, the perception filter had warn off. The voice of an all too familiar villain were head pleading for the watch to be opened. And as Martha went and told the news to the shocked and angered Doctor, we suddenly had a second Time Lord in existence. The Face of Boe's prophecy in Gridlock had come full circle in the form of Yana. You are not alone. An acronym. The moment Yana knew who he really was is one of my favourites. The Master was back. In my opinion, this is the best method for his return by a long way because of the shock factor and the fact he was disguised even to himself as human. He murdered Chantho, but she managed to shoot him also before dying. The Doctor and the Master looked eye to eye and immediately the former knew who the latter was. But he squirmed inside the TARDIS locking it shut. The Doctor, Martha and Jack were being hunted by Futurekind and could barely keep them out before the Master regenerated inside the Doctor's TARDIS. Now there's something quite incredible! John Simm arrived in the new incarnation and having a younger incarnation can only mean that he'll be more crazy. Overall, an incredible episode in its own right with the return of Jack. But the Master returning made it incredibly special. And there's still two episodes of the story left! That is of course where the rating will appear.