S3E11: Utopia

Captain Jack's back and, to prove it's no cameo, the titles have been re-timed to squeeze John Barrowman's name in.

It's Claudius In Space! Sir Derek Jacobi says he's longed to be in two popular programmes for most of his career: this one and Coronation Street. There's no accounting for taste.



I do believe this is our first adventure on the surface of an alien planet in three years of the revived series. (New Earth doesn't count.)

I oughtn't find the feral Futurekind female crush-worthy but she's like a biker chick and a goth chick combined. Somebody knows my Achilles' Heel...

What's with Blue Insect Girl's speech pattern? The Ship translates all foreign speech into forms we recognise so why not hers? It's over-cute and irrelevant, just like the ten-year-old Scots girl put to work in a base full of a thousand adults. (Welcome to the writing of Russell T Davies. As producer, he's been the most enthusiastic spokesman for the show that we could have wished for but he writes in big blockbusting sweeps that often leave me wanting for detail and structure.)

I like the over-layed "tunnel effect" that they always use on flashbacks - until now. Boo to production inconsistencies.

"You built this system out of food and string and staples."

I suppose The Face Of Boe could have chosen his words to reference Professor Yana in a kind of Nostrodamian Hister/Hitler-like prediction, but as a pre-packaged important revelation it stinks of parmigiano. If Ol' Rubber Mouth really wanted to help, he could have said more. One thing in fiction that really annoys me is a crisis that's prolonged (or even created) by characters on the same team withholding information from one other. I knew The X-Files was bollocks when Mulder and Scully only talked about the big conspiracy in sweeps week.

Reminiscing about Rose was nice but let's hope that closes that particular book. Poor, second-tier Martha.

The Futurekind are not merry men when their lunch flies away.

He can't get into the T.A.R.D.I.S. using his Yale key because The Master has flipped the catch on the other side! Who needs technobabble?

"I know that voice!"

This episode works as pay-off to what's gone before and set-up to the finale much more than a beginning, middle and end on its own terms. Will the rocket reach Utopia and is it even real? I doubt we're supposed to care about the first thirty minutes any more now another classic villain has been dusted off. Somehow I think it won't be followed up.

I like that Jack's story ties up without needing to see Torchwood. In fact, it makes more sense if you ignore it. Shouldn't be hard.

Kudos to the Beeb for not billing this as Part 1 of 3 cos the fans knew The Master was coming back - Gene Genie from Life On Mars let slip that his co-star had been cast in the part - but we assumed the grand finale wouldn't start until next week. I can't be harsh about an episode full of cool stuff when there's another 90 minutes of story on the way.

P.S. Which incarnation of the Master was Jacobi? Was it #13 again, grown old in yet another stolen body? Why did he hide as a human? How did he know he would regenerate? Does the loss of Gallifrey mean the rules are broken? Is this how we'll get round ending the series after Doctor #13? Does the Blinovitch Limitation Effect still work? My brain hurts. Nurse!