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NuWho Rewatch: Smith and Jones
The first episode of a new series is a strange thing, especially as it is often burdened with introducing a new Doctor or companions. It has to juggle introducing the show to potential new viewers, introducing the new character to old ones, providing a quick brush up on the general idea for the forgetful and introducing the first glimmerings of whatever this season's theme and/or arc is going to be. On the whole it is remarkable that so many of them fall into the category of competent if a bit unmemorable, given the temptation to be a huge mess.
Smith and Jones actually has many of the Davies' hallmarks. For instance, as it's central premise, it asks you to swallow a monumentally unlikely idea (a whole hospital gets transplanted to the moon for "jurisdictional" reasons while maintaining structural integrity etc., etc.). It has a police force made out of slightly dim space rhinos largely, one suspects, because who couldn't like space rhino police? rather than as part of any actual coherent attempt at world-building. The new companion exists in a web of family which includes a slightly unreasonable mother but grounds her out in largely believable human interactions.
This is actually a really good episode for Martha. She has yet to develop a crush on the Doctor and I've always felt Freema Agyeman really struggled with Martha's pine-after-the-doctor moments. Agyeman is really much better at portraying a Martha who is brisk, practical and compassionate. NLSS Child warmed to her immediately, announcing a more favourable first impression than Rose had (though I think Clara is still winning in the companion stakes). Since this episode is about introducing Martha she gets to demonstrate all her good points, her medical knowledge, her ability to remain calm under fire and her ability to think on her feet.
Obviously there's a hospital on the moon and somewhat dim space rhino police all existing on the "yes, but" level but these stories work best if you just go with the flow and, on that level, Smith and Jones works well. Like New Earth, it does its job as a season opener and given that isn't the easiest job for a Doctor Who story, it does well to be competent if unremarkable.
Smith and Jones actually has many of the Davies' hallmarks. For instance, as it's central premise, it asks you to swallow a monumentally unlikely idea (a whole hospital gets transplanted to the moon for "jurisdictional" reasons while maintaining structural integrity etc., etc.). It has a police force made out of slightly dim space rhinos largely, one suspects, because who couldn't like space rhino police? rather than as part of any actual coherent attempt at world-building. The new companion exists in a web of family which includes a slightly unreasonable mother but grounds her out in largely believable human interactions.
This is actually a really good episode for Martha. She has yet to develop a crush on the Doctor and I've always felt Freema Agyeman really struggled with Martha's pine-after-the-doctor moments. Agyeman is really much better at portraying a Martha who is brisk, practical and compassionate. NLSS Child warmed to her immediately, announcing a more favourable first impression than Rose had (though I think Clara is still winning in the companion stakes). Since this episode is about introducing Martha she gets to demonstrate all her good points, her medical knowledge, her ability to remain calm under fire and her ability to think on her feet.
Obviously there's a hospital on the moon and somewhat dim space rhino police all existing on the "yes, but" level but these stories work best if you just go with the flow and, on that level, Smith and Jones works well. Like New Earth, it does its job as a season opener and given that isn't the easiest job for a Doctor Who story, it does well to be competent if unremarkable.
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I think its a very difficult line for a show like Dr Who to judge - just how much people will swallow. There are always people, like a friend of a friend I once met who objected to a Robin Hood adaptation because the minarets in Jerusalem in the first scene were incorrect (and you are never going to win over those people), on the other hand there can be a moment when whatever it is you are doing stretches most of the audiences credulity too far. I think both Smith and Jones and Gridlock are just on the right side of that line for Dr Who, but they are both very, very close to it.