Reaction Post: The Lazarus Experiment
Welcome to the reaction post for Doctor Who: series 3 episode 6 - The Lazarus Experiment. My full-fledged review will appear after this episode airs in the U.S. (the series will begin in July.)
Spoiler warning!
There is so much to say about this episode that I hardly know how to begin. It may end up being a bit…disjointed. Sorry. Anyway, first of all, Mark Gatiss finally got to be in an episode of Doctor Who! He has written two episodes so far, and he’s been in three Doctor Who-related comedy sketches. But he finally got to act in the show, and as a Baddie, no less. So many random references this time around, too. From “Spinal Tap” - “I need to turn this up to 11.” to Classic Doctor Who - He reversed the polarity! Martha brought The Doctor to the party as her “plus one.” “Lazarus” was a person in the Bible who was brought back to life. Interesting parallel.
Oh, and hello perfect landing! The Doctor managed to land in the right time, and he didn’t crush any of Martha’s furniture in her tiny apartment. “Laundry” *snicker* And I loved his reason for returning. “Did he just say he was going to change what it means to be human?” The Doctor and Lazarus quoting form T. S. Eliot’s The Hollow Men was just perfect right there. The Doctor and Lazarus talking about lifespans. Did anyone else think of Rose when The Doctor spoke of some people living more in 20 years than other folks do in 80? Mr. Harold Saxon finally makes an appearance! How exactly does he know who The Doctor is, much less have “terrible” information about him? (Is Mr. Saxon The Master? If he is, why doesn’t The Doctor sense him?) And then the whole bit at the Cathedral. The conversation was especially interesting when you factor in Jack and his little immortality problem, and folks who have tried to extend their lives in the classic series. The poor Doctor. He’s so old now. “In the end you just get tired. Tired of the struggle. Tired of losing everyone that matters to you.” Good thing that Martha and Tish survived. I was satisfied with the way that Martha ended up becoming a real companion. She stood up for herself, and it’s just as well that The Doctor isn’t alone. He really does need someone to keep an eye on him. Or, as Turlough said to Peri in The Planet of Fire, “Look after him, won’t you? He gets into the most terrible trouble.”
Well, I liked this episode. And now…we have to wait two weeks for the next one. *cries* What did you think?
Doctor Who, The Lazarus Experiment
May 6th, 2007 at 7:46 pm
I think the analogy of doing more in 20 years applies here. Although this was a one off episode, it did more and was in my opinion a better executed story than the recent two parter.
May 6th, 2007 at 8:23 pm
“Nice shoes, by the way.”
Yeah, for all that I liked part two last week, I liked this one better.
May 7th, 2007 at 4:43 am
I enjoyed this one more as well, though the name “Dr. Lazarus” being so on the nose annoyed me. We’ve come to expect more subtlety from RTD. I’ve still got reservations about Martha, though unlike my wife, I don’t fault the actress. I just think they should have gone for a different dynamic between the Doctor and his companion this time. It’s too close to The Doctor and Rose and suffers by comparison.
I now have very little doubt that Mr. Saxon is The Master. (And I expect Tish to be working for him - in a non-villainous capcity - next time they make it back to London.) He has every reason to sponsor longevity research, particularly if he can’t regenerate anymore. And given how familiar The Doctor was with the technique, I’d guess that it had something to do with regeneration technology/ability.
Now I’m just waiting for the first doll-sized corpse to be found. They’ll probably show it in the trailer the week before.
May 7th, 2007 at 10:20 pm
Ooo, Eric J. Tish working for Mr. Saxon? I hadn’t even thought of that. Imagine Martha trying to figure out a doll-sized corpse while The Doctor is busy freaking out.