"Doctor Who" The Sontaran Stratagem (2008)

Director:

Douglas Mackinnon

Writers:

Helen Raynor (written by)
Robert Holmes (character: "The Sontarans")

TV Series:

"Doctor Who" (2005)

Original Air Date:

26 April 2008 (Season 4, Episode 4)

Genre:

Adventure | Drama | Sci-Fi

Plot:

UNIT's newest recruit Martha Jones enlists The Doctor's help to investigate kid genius Luke Rattigan and his ATMOS system that is used in every car on Earth. |

Plot Keywords:

Alien | Time Lord | Tardis | Companion | Doctor Who

Cast

David Tennant	...	The Doctor
Catherine Tate	...	Donna Noble
Freema Agyeman	...	Martha Jones
Bernard Cribbins	...	Wilfred Mott
Jacqueline King	...	Sylvia Noble
Ryan Sampson	...	Luke Rattigan
Christopher Ryan	...	General Staal
Clive Standen	...	Private Harris
Dan Starkey	...	Commander Skorr
Rupert Holliday-Evans	...	Colonel Mace (as Rupert Holliday Evans)
Eleanor Matsuura	...	Jo Nakashima
Wesley Theobald	...	Private Gray
Christian Cooke	...	Ross Jenkins
Radoslaw Kaim	...	Worker (as Rad Kaim)
Elizabeth Ryder	...	Atmos Voice (voice)

Runtime:

45 min | 45 min (50 episodes)

Certification:

UK:PG (DVD rating)

Filming Locations:

Margam Castle, Margam, Neath Port Talbot, Wales, UK

Company:

BBC Wales

Trivia:

Rose mention: An image of Rose shouting "Doctor!" briefly flashes across the monitor when Donna is trapped on the TARDIS inside the Sontaran ship.

Quotes:

The Doctor: You are not coming with me. I want to talk to this Luke Rattigan, not point a gun at him.
Colonel Mace: It's 10 miles outside London. How are you going to get there?
The Doctor: Well then give me a jeep.
Colonel Mace: According to the records, you travel by TARDIS.
The Doctor: Yes, but if there is a danger of hostile aliens, I think it's best o keep a super-duper Time Machine away from the front lines.
Colonel Mace: I see; so then you *do* have weapons but choose to keep them hidden.

Surprisingly good opening part to the Sontarans' return

I was among those not impressed with Helen Raynor's Dalek two-parter from Series 3, but "The Sontraran Stratagem", the opening part to her two-part story which sees the return of classic Doctor Who villains the Sontarans, is surprisingly effective and exciting.

The episode has a nice humorous tinge to its opening scenes and it is absolutely brilliant to see the Doctor's interaction with UNIT once again. The Sontarans themselves also look quite good and their storyline is handled reasonably well.

The trailer for next week's episode left me cold and a tad bit concerned rather than excited, with another really outlandish Earth invasion sort of thing apparently slated to happen. During Pertwee's era of Earth-bound stories at least everything happened under wraps. However, considering how surprised I was with this episode, next week's could be impressive as well.

I very much enjoyed Bernard Cribbins' character again. I think I like Donna's family more than Rose's or Martha's family, although I honestly could do without Sylvia Noble (Donna's mother's) cartoonish 'comic relief', which contrasted badly with the well-delivered and occasionally clever one-liners Raynor came up with.

I doubt this story will end up not being my least favorite Sontaran story, but it's already looking like it'll finish a not so distant loser, and considering the competition from classics like "The Time Warrior" and "The Sontaran Experiment", it's not really much of an insult.

7/10 for this first part, and what a cliffhanger (I sure do miss those).