Doctor Who Watch A Thon Season 1 Episode 11 "Boom Town"

As an effort to justify our somewhat obsessive T.V watching Meghan (Of Coffee and Wizards and @MegTao on Twitter) and myself have decided to undertake a Doctor Who Watch-a-long. We'll be starting with the beginning of the 2005 relaunch and will be posting about one episode each Friday, on our respective blogs. We hope you'll join in – whether as a re-watch or to discover the Doctor for the first time!

*just a heads up each post may contain spoilers for that episode and then ones before it*

Epsiode Summary

Written by: Russel T Davies
Directed by: Joe Ahearne

The Doctor has landed the TARDIS in Cardiff, using the energy of the Rift to recharge the time machine. He, Rose, and Jack, along with Rose's boyfriend, Mickey who has met them there, spend the afternoon relaxing, until the Doctor recognises the photo of Margaret Blaine, a Slitheen in her human suit, who has become the new mayor of Cardiff. The four track and capture Margaret, suspecting her of nefarious deeds after escaping the destruction of the other Slitheen ("Aliens of London"/"World War Three"). The Doctor observes her scale model plans for a new nuclear power plant, but identifies it is purposely flawed to cause a meltdown that would open the Rift and destroy the Earth. He also discovers the model contains a functioning tribophysical waveform macro-kinetic extrapolator that Margaret would have used to flee the Earth. The Doctor decides to take Margaret back to her home planet Raxacoricofallapatorius, but Margaret laments that she is considered a criminal there and will be executed

Thoughts on the Episode
First off - Sorry about last week and my lack of post on "The Doctor Dances". I hadn't forgotten to write about it and then I did write about it and blogger ate the post. So just as a quick summary - love this episode. Everything that's great about "The Empty Child" is echoed here and then some. It's frightening, there's more Captain Jack and you get to see some real sentiment from the Doctor in his interactions with Rose. A+

Poor Mickey

Now onto this week's episode - "Boom Town". This episode brings us the return of our friends (or at least one), the Slitheen. Margaret Blaine escaped the explosion at the end of "World War Three" and has become mayor of Cardiff. Still up to her old tricks however she has concocted a scheme that will destroy the Earth. I found the"science" of this plan a little hard to follow. It doesn't really matter, but it's one of those things I'll turn over and over in my mind, as I try to figure it out.

I loved the continued presence of Captain Jack. He adds an interesting dynamic to the Rose-Doctor relationship, mixing it up so there's not as much strange sexual tension between. Instead they've graduated into a mutual polygamous union and it works for them. I have affectionately begun calling them "Team Tardis". We also see the return of Rose's boyfriend (if we can call him that?) Mickey. A lot of my posts ask about Mickey - every time Rose meets a new guy I wonder about him. As goofy as he is, watching him get his heart broken makes my heart break. He really cares about Rose and, though I love her, it bugs me the way she forgets about him when she's out travelling.

There are some really serious questions put forth in this episode, which is always a plus for me. After they capture Margaret, there's a lot of arguments about who gets to decide who lives and dies, and when mercy should be shown. It's heady stuff but important nonetheless. I like that you get to see some of the Doctor's inner turmoil - as he starts out firmly believing that Margaret deserves what she's going to get, to questioning whether he's making the right choice, to essentially giving her a second chance.

Favourite Moment
I love the scene where the Doctor takes Margaret for her last meal. The dialogue between the two of them is great. She pleads for her life, they talk about morality but there's plenty of funny moments thrown in too. Like when she attempts to breathe poison on him and he gets her with the breath freshener.

Love it.