Doctor Who (TV Series) The Poison Sky (2008) User Reviews

The Environmentally Unfriendly...

[Xstal · 7/10 · 9 December 2021]

Martha Jones is a Sontaran clone, infiltrating is why she was grown, but she's only candid, with those making a bid, for the end of the world as it's known.

The reason for the Sontaran's presence in the sky becomes clear after they initiate the Atmos devices fitted to millions of cars. It's a race against time to stop their unearthly damage and also to prevent the top brass of UNIT launching their nukes, but with the Martha clone double agent the odds look stacked in the alien invaders favour.

Molto Bene!

[W011y4m5 · 8/10 · 13 April 2020]

Whenever I rewatch "The Sontaran Stratagem" & "The Poison Sky", it's an enthralling experience as I'm completely filled with childlike excited nostalgia.

I was 10 when these two episodes originally aired together & from then on, I was utterly OBSESSED with them as a kid - able to quote entire scenes word for word - amusingly, a skill I still haven't actually forgotten. Granted, I'd never seen a Sontaran before (in "Classic Who", not just whilst generally walking down the street) but as soon as they appeared on my television screen at home, I immediately knew - as though instinct - I had a new favourite villain in the series.

12 years later, absolutely nothing's changed; still to this day, General Staal remains one of the best villains - strong, articulate, unrelenting, formidably strategic & charismatic; most of that memorability is largely due to the phenomenally talented guest actor Christopher Ryan who is also one of the greatest ever casting choices made on Who; he literally embodies the role with his incredible performance, stealing each & every scene he's featured in with such captivating gravitas & presence, somehow making a physically small opponent seem incredibly threatening & imposing - testament to his remarkable abilities as an actor. It cannot be stated enough, he's truly magnetic on screen with his outstanding portrayal & it's likely the scripts would've struggled to make the same profound impression had it not been decided that he should play the vital role.

However, that's not to trivialise the contributions of scribe Helen Raynor - after all, what is his personal interpretation but a translation of the words she generously gifted to him with her scripts?

In reality, Staal's remarkability as a character verges on his unique psychology (one which is depicted boldly through events as they unfold) - being an opponent who's unbothered by the concept of his own mortality. Hence, he challenges the Doctor in an unfamiliar way because he'd happily rather die victorious than live with defeat & considering the Doctor - ever the diplomat - usually relies upon open dialogue to resolve a heated conflict, Helen cleverly forces his character in to a fascinating moral dilemma whereby he has to negotiate peace with a race who aren't interested in demilitarisation.

That sheer level of immediate emotional complexity conflicting with his fearlessness - resulting in defiant stubbornness which forces him in to action like no other - leading the hero in to behaving uncharacteristically - is honestly engrossing to witness as a fan. It's so rare to see a foe actively encourage their own demise - if the consequence equally results in the death of their sworn enemy - & yet Staal goads him nonetheless, antagonising our protagonist with an overwhelmingly insurmountable aggressive provocation.

In actual fact, this is a story where the Doctor loses. If it weren't for the likes of Luke Rattigan, the Time Lord would've been beaten - which subsequently makes the Sontarans simply seem that much better. Additionally, no story has done them justice since this one & so for that, I'm eternally grateful to the geniuses who were responsible for the inception of this outing.

Furthermore, my praise of Christopher isn't to say the other actors aren't brilliant either - because they are; eg. David Tennant runs around throughout with an gleefully infectious kinetic energy, clearly having immense fun with the content he's been given to work with, playing off of everyone perfectly with sharp wit & timing.

It has to be noted too how the design is faultless in this story, from the Sontarans to their spaceship - due to extraordinary make-up & prosthetics, costume design, production design & visual effects, collectively working together with producers & director Douglas MacKinnon to create a distinct aesthetic which results in a noticeable visual pay-off - moreso than usual for RTD era episodes as these are especially striking & impressive.

Basically, Helen Raynor more than compensates for her lacklustre Season 3 Dalek story & delivers one of the most underappreciated two-parters since Who's 2005 revival. I absolutely adore it.

I have to give them a choice

[msb_rock · 8/10 · 6 May 2008]

All i've heard from reviewers is that this story is rubbish and lacks scale, but why can't people take this for what it is. Doctor Who is about a man who is a time lord who travels through time and space with a clue box called a tardis, its a series which allows viewers young and old to go on adventures that are out of this world. It's an escape from reality which lets viewers at home forget about their worries and have some fun for 45 minutes.

In my opinion this was a great two part story, this series has reminded me so much of the classic series from what I have seen thanks to DVD purchases. The stories to me felt epic and were really emotional, it showed that wherever the doctor goes, death and destruction follow suit as referenced in episode 1 of series 1. I have only ever seen one full story with the Sontarans and that was The Two Doctors, but I felt that these stories just showed they are such a great monster, the fact that they love war and are not afraid to die makes you think just for a second that the doctor will have to sacrifice himself in order to stop them destroying the earth. I think it is fantastic that they have to always face their enemies in battle because of their one weakness, what a great race of creatures.

This story also developed Donna Noble's character which might possible be becoming one of my favourite companions, she is a definite runner up to Rose Tyler in my book. She is so different to what you usually expect from a companion, she disagrees with some of the Doctor's decisions and makes him better for it, she has a tremendous belief in him and she is very independent. In this story she gets separated from the Doctor and has to prove herself worthy, to everyone's delight she helps save the world with only a few guiding words from the Doctor. Also another reason for loving Donna is her Grandad, I love Bernard Cribbons in this role, he has become something very special to the show and I would love to see more, it's great to see someone like us who wants to believe in this magic world and who wants to encourage his granddaughter to travel the stars.

Then there was a really worrying moment which was truly emotional, the Doctor armed with an atmospheric converter says what seems his final goodbye to his companions. We have been told that David Tennant has done the whole series and is filming the three specials next year but every time something like this happens, you still wonder....could this be it. The moment that really showed the true character of the Doctor was when he said to his companions that he could not just send the weapon up because he had to give them a choice. That sums up the Doctors persona, he defeats these alien races but he always chooses to give them a chance even if they've committed terrible crimes. Thankfully it wasn't the end, I won't reveal what happened but it was a very good ending I felt which showed the how the Doctor helps people but just meeting them.

The trailer for the next episode also left me wanting more, it left me wanting to skip ahead a next and see the next story. As the Doctor finishes the trailer saying 'She's my daughter' you could hear a nation shouting 'What?'. This will be interesting.

The Three Companions!

[wetmars · 10/10 · 25 August 2020]

As the poisonous gas from the Tenth Sontaran Battle Fleet's ATMOS continues to thicken throughout the world, purging humanity one country after the next, a clone of Martha Jones works in the shadows to support them. Will the Tenth Doctor learn about Martha's replacement? And can he figure out what the gas is made of, and destroy it before the entire planet chokes to death? More importantly, can the Doctor stop UNIT from starting an interplanetary war with the deadly Sontarans? It's all down to Donna Noble and child genius Luke Rattigan to fix things before it's too late.

Wow, my god. This episode was just perfect, and Wilfred just keeps getting very likable, a great reference to the Empty Child/The Doctor Dances (( lol )), kid made the ultimate sacrifice to destroy the Sontaran ship, I unexpectedly got surprised by Billie Piper's cameo, nice one coming! I loved the 'three fingers' and the 'back of the neck' scene, lol.

What I wish what happened in this episode is to have Nicholas Courtney and just bring back that good old 70s/80s UNIT vibes instead of the other UNIT characters not having character development, I'm sorry.

10/10

It's the scale of it

[ametaphysicalshark · 3 May 2008]

"It's the scale of it". This quote from Wilf, who is fast becoming my favorite character of the new series who isn't an alien who hops around time and space in a police phone box, perfectly describes my problem with this episode and with much of the new series. Perhaps for lack of a budget, the classic episodes rarely if ever dared set up a catastrophe on this scale. I really hate the idea of humanity being threatened every couple of weeks while the Doctor saves them. It's better if he's stopping plans that are being laid early or something of the sort. It's like the Pertwee era on steroids or something. At least the aliens didn't hover over London with nobody noticing them again.

However, there was much to love in "The Poison Sky" with the Sontarans getting their butts kicked, more Wilf action (the only reason I'll be in favor of more Earth stories this season is seeing Bernard Cribbins in the role again), and some fine action scenes and special effects.

The best part of the episode though, was what some would term 'fanwank' and those were the references. They weren't too obvious, after all, why WOULDN'T the Doctor mention the Brigadier?! (Stranded in Peru? Could we be seeing the return of the Brigadier sometime?) The rest of the references were pretty funny too, in particular "Are you my mummy?" If you didn't laugh at that you're either not a fan or you just don't have a sense of humor.

I liked this episode quite a bit, and this story as a whole. It is definitely the weakest Sontaran story but the competition is strong so I'm not complaining. Good stuff, just wish we could have fewer stories where the entire universe is in peril (just Earth, eh? Still too big a scale).

7/10

Sontar-ha! (Part II)

[MrFilmAndTelevisionShow · 9/10 · 2 April 2021]

A classic Dr Who two parter with a great ending, better than most I'd wager. I still find the Sontar-Ha dance to not only be the best part of the episode but also absolutely hilarious.

Still mediocre with predictable twist added

[dkiliane · 7/10 · 3 March 2019]

Same weaknesses and same strengths as the previous episode. Rattigan is still annoying and his endgame twist was rather dumb. Tho he does save the Doctor, so there's that I guess. The "clone Martha" was supposed to be an interesting character but her death failed to create any real sympathy.

The villains are still campy. I will give props to the Sontarans for one thing tho - - they at least are more believably destructive than the Cybermen from season 2. Faster and aim better!

The poison sky aspect was not done all that well unfortunately but managed to squeeze in some good character moments for Donna's family. But the episode as a whole is still blandly average. 7/10

Better than the opening installment but a weak tale

[DVD_Connoisseur · 8/10 · 4 May 2008]

Perhaps the most disappointing Sontaran tale to-date, this double header just doesn't cut the mustard. There are moments of genius contained within the story but the pace is too slow and there's too much filler. This could have made for a great single episode but I'm not truly impressed with the quality of Helen Raynor's script.

While the effects work continues to impress, the quality of this adventure is not up to previous installments. I'm complained about the scope of recent "Who" stories before and this is no exception. In "The Poison Sky" the whole planet is at risk. Whatever happened to good old fashioned "domestic" peril? Tennant and Tate continue to be a classic double act while Martha seems a little out of her depth. The next episode should prove a very interesting one...

8 out of 10.

No better than the opening episode

[warlordartos · 6/10 · 13 March 2021]

No worse either, and yes for a guest star Bernard Cribbins is killing it in his role as Donna's Granddad, so that was good to see. Another problem is I see this episode as a way of putting Donna and Martha together to "compete" you know the same way they already did in season 2 with Sarah Jane Smith and Rose

Better second part

[boigonh · 7/10 · 16 November 2022]

The second part of the story is better. Watching it from a 2022 rewatch, it's actually amazing how much this episode predicted. A petulant man-child using "emissions" to pretend he cares about anything but his ego. And of course everyone having to seal themselves in their homes because it's deadly outside.

While it's not the best in season 4, it was fun to come back to earth to see Donna's family. The conversation around collateral damage is a good one to keep having, and it presents a good before and after between Martha and Donna. I think it's also a good contrast between the two, and shows how the shoe benefits without the sexual tension or crush. When the companion is simply a companion, the doctor is at his best.

A Classic Invasion with Modern Flair

[hwiltshire-06889 · 8/10 · 4 April 2024]

The conclusion to the Sontaran two-parter, The Poison Sky, delivers a satisfying mix of action, heart, and a clever twist to the usual alien invasion plot. It earns a solid 8 out of 10.

This episode shines in its character moments. The companion dynamics are fantastic, with Donna showcasing bravery alongside her usual humor, and Martha proving her strategic brilliance. The return of Wilfred adds a heartwarming element. Even the Doctor gets some poignant moments of quiet resolve.

The Sontarans continue to be a fun, if predictable, threat. The stakes are raised from the previous episode, with the threat now more global and the Doctor facing difficult choices. There's a great sequence with cloned Martha that explores ideas of identity and free will.

The episode has a few weaknesses. The science isn't always sound, and the resolution relies on some familiar Doctor Who tropes involving a last-minute reversing of the big weapon. Some of the supporting characters are thinly sketched.

However, The Poison Sky succeeds due to its pacing, emotional impact, and a thrilling final act. Director Douglas Mackinnon delivers stylish action sequences, and the core themes of family and sacrifice resonate nicely.

Overall, it's a highly enjoyable Doctor Who adventure. While not groundbreaking, it expertly weaves together classic elements like an Earth-based invasion with strong character interactions and a few genuinely surprising moments.

Fireball XL5

[southdavid · 6/10 · 31 December 2021]

The conclusion of this two-part episode was, thankfully, a bit stronger than the opening half.

With the Sontaran's gas slowly overwhelming the planet, The Doctor (David Tennant) must find some way to eradicate that danger, all whilst convincing the UNIT team not to attempt to take the nuclear option on the Sontaran warship and with something off about Martha (Freema Agyeman). He does have help though, as unbeknownst to the Sontaran when they transported the TARDIS on board, they brought Donna (Catherine Tate) along with them.

The silliness that soured the first part is largely sorted out here in the conclusion, especially once someone works out that you can smash windows to save Wilfred. He and Sylvia sealing themselves inside the house is, admittedly a bit of a strange idea, but I suppose the idea was to buy more time for the Doctor to save them? One bit of silliness that remains though is the fireball solution to burning off the gas, which would be plausible if it was only in the lower atmosphere, but we've seen the gas at ground level. I'm probably thinking too much about it, especially as, as I said I quite liked this episode.

It holds another Doctor sacrifice, although this time he's replaced by a much more deserving replacement. Years ahead of his time, Luke Rattigan nails the Incel aesthetic by sacrificing his planet, so he can organise an off-world breeding program.

Truth be told, it's still not brilliant. The Sontaran's are a pretty underwhelming threat. The Cybermen have the unconquerable army aesthetic down already and you think a little plastic cap on their feeding pipe would deal with the one weakness pretty quickly. This second episode was an improvement though, and lifted the double bill from shaky to solid.

The Sontaran Shambles.

[Sleepin_Dragon · 4/10 · 23 August 2015]

Sylvia comes to the rescue with an axe, but would the Doctor have been so dim??

Toxic gas is pouring out of the cars, and the (small) Sontarans are preparing for war. The Doctor accuses them of cowardliness and learns their ongoing war with the Rutans is going badly. Martha's double is proving a thorn in the side. The Sontarans invade the base (at last,) but UNIT retaliates. The Doctor discovers what the gas is and sets about putting it right.

The Sontaran ship is a fantastic design, I liked the Sontaran invasion, the music was good. I loved the brig mention too.

I wasn't overwhelmed with Part 1, but it did have a few small redeeming features, The Poison Sky doesn't have too many, the performances are great in general, but the script is dreadful.

Are we due an episode with the Rutans? would be good to have a re imagining of them.

I will forever remember 'back of the neck,' loved Donna clubbing the Sontaran.

Is it a total disaster? not quite, there are some nice bits, the battle scenes are well played out, some of the effects are great, I quite like the Sontarans, they are well realised, other then that it's lacking on so many levels, all really due to the bad script, the actors gave their best, but poor 4/10

The Poison Script

[Theo Robertson · 3/10 · 22 September 2008]

One aspect of the previous week's story was that the cliff hanger was very effective . When you stopped to think about it then it was easily resolved - just break the car window . Alas if you thought this week's episode was going to summed up by the word " crap " then you'd be bang on the money

The Poison Sky reminded me of the season one NuWho story World War 3 with Sontarans replacing Slitheen . Sontarans are rubbish monsters whose only quirk is that they like war , apart from that they could be any alien race and in order to show the Sontarans as being an idiosyncratic warrior race we get continually hit over the head as to their warrior code . On top of that we get the old clices about the traitor being used so allies himself to the good guys etc . Perhaps the worst aspect is how the laws of science have been changed where the Earth's atmosphere can be burnt away without anyone suffocating or burning to death . I know suspension of belief must come in to play but that is the success of DOCTOR WHO . Writers like Nation , Holmes etc have managed but RTD and Raynor have spectacularly failed here

Excellent production values and acting terrible script

[Dexter099 · 3/10 · 23 September 2012]

Like in most television episodes, this one is let down by the abysmal writing. Just before they die, b ad guys have a complete turn of heart, as though the ideas they cling to are able to be flipped thanks to a moment of compassion.

The not-so-subtle anti-technological undertones are apparent in the script as evil capitalist cars are used to kill the planet, with the atypical big bad military taking a nice big hit as well.

Thankfully, the script editor seems to have reoriented Ms. Raynor back towards actually writing a Doctor Who episode and so Tennant and a big crew manage to make some excellent entertainment.

But why, oh why, do the linguists always have to suck...

The Poison Sky

[studioAT · 3/10 · 5 September 2021]

As others have said, this second part is a bit better, but certainly this is not an example of the show at its best.

Too pc

[DerekGregg83191 · 3/10 · 21 February 2021]

Too anti gun for my liking to much hating guns. guns are not bad