So ... was it worth the wait or not?

Well, I'm talking about Episode 7 - 42 of course. And the title certainly was intriguing even before it got to our screens. Forty-two is after all, according to Douglas Adams the answer to "Life, The Universe And Everything" from the Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy. And Dougie A. did contribute to Doctor Who many years ago so maybe it was some kind of tribute to him or acknowledgement of this.

Anyway, we were promised that it was, in fact, to be 42 minutes of real-time thrills and action and The Doctor and Martha Jones would NOT know what hit them by the end! Oh, and we were also tempted by ex-Eastenders soap star Michelle Collins in the main role as the ship's captain Kath McDonnell.

I was at a kid's party for my son at Doctor Who Time yesterday so caught it on Catch-Up TV that we have on our cale channel (as most of you do I'm sure). Only missed it by about 20 minutes live mind you, so don't go calling me a Lightweight or anything like that! My boy's birthday comes first - even before Doctor Who (though HE might disagree!).

It was, I think, yet another new Doctor Who writer in Chris Chibnall, though he has apparently done Torchwood episodes before now. Well, sorry mate but in my opinion you'd better stick to the 'Wood and leave Doctor Who alone!

WHY do I say such a callous thing? After all, yes, it was an action-packed 42 minutes as the ship hurtled towards the sun with those mysterious "Burn With Me" sun-guys (well they didn't have a name, did they?). And OK, I DID like the final idea revealed near the end that the 'sun' was in fact a living organism which was powerful and was able to possess living things (ie, people) and get them to do its killing work for it. What else? Yes, the bit where Martha is ejected in the escape pod with that other lonely guy which then has HER heading faster towards that toasty end which never came. That was a great bit full of desperation and I really thought that Martha was gone for good. there was no way that she could be brought back - after all, this was one hot BABY of a sun and would surely burn them up together quicker than they knew it. The Doctor's seemingly vain call of, "I'll Save You!", really did seem like a hopeless cause as there was no way it could have happened that she got back.

OK, I love science fiction above most other types of TV and film. Sci-fi for me is that nightmarish vision of our future, that abandonment of present-time sensibility for future impossibility where they have all the technology in the world to do what they will. It is the most imaginative form of vide entertainment there is and that is a brilliant thing and that is why I love this totally escapist form of TV and movie entertainment.

BUT sci-fi or not, it has to be believable or at least explained in a plausible sci-fi kind of way. And we surely have to believe that the laws of physics are still present even in deep space.

And this is where it all goes up on its head and where I start to groan.

My biggest Groan Of Implausibility is obviously the bit where The Doctor somehow manages to remagnetise the escape pod's 'connewction' to the ship which "magically" pulls the escape podded Martha and new friend back to the safety of the ship - which by now is only ten seconds away from the sun itself anyway so is bound to be roasted PDQ. I mean, COME ON NOW GUYS!! In order to remagnetise such a large item as this escape pod had to be, you are looking at an absolutely HUGE magnetic force! ESPECIALLY considering the distance it was from the ship for crying out loud!! Even a powerful electromagnet couldn't work at THAT kind of range! And they were in space, ie, in a vacuum. Well, here's where I'm not so sure and where my Physics knowledge might let me down. But can you magnetise something so far away in a vacuum through space?? This was just about the most ridiculous moment in the entire Series 3, and is high on the Silly List for David Tennant's term as The Doctor. The only other more silly moments I can think of are the horse leaping through the mirror in Series 2's "Girl In The Fireplace", the whole of the "Love And Monsters" Abzorbaloff carry-on and I guess "The School Reunion" episode where of COURSE a bunch of super-hyper-intelligent school kids REALLY COULD get closer to solving the Skasis Paradigm (the God-Maker) with just a few modern-day computers and a spinning cube! So that remagnetisation RANKS HIGHLY!

Ah, but that is not the end of my critique, my friends! There is more to follow. Now, this part is not nearly so silly, but WHAT ABOUT the aprt where The Doctor himself is 'possessed' by this Living Sun and becomes a Burn-With-Me? Seems it doesn't get him quite so bad since he still has the ability to carefully instruct Martha and tell her exactly what to do to save him - which was TWO THINGS she had to do. Complicated ones too! Myself, I thought it would prove the rumours to be true and that it was regeneration time. And THAT was quite exciting, and in a way appropriate because it would show the brilliance of the BBC's timing to delay this for one week before letting it at us. But no, somehow he survived that because after the sun-fuel dump, all the Living Sun organisms magically bled away from everyone on the ship leaving him clean and dry!

Oh, and of course the last bit (but by this stage my criticism is only a small one) On The Silly Side is these 29 doors between the crew and the Control Room sealed by what? A bunch of quiz question which they thoughtr up when they were DRUNK!! OhMyGod! HOW pathetic is that? Makes good watching for all those eight-year-olds, eh! Yup, really shows them how it should be done! Well, if they had such a corny thing, why not share MORE of these dumb questions with us? I mean, we ALL love a good Pub Quiz, except THIS one was a Saturday and not a Sunday night.

Did I like Michelle Collins though? Prefer her in blonde! No, just kidding. Yes, she wasn't bad, though she seemed to be hiding some Dark Secrets that we weren't told. And one of her crew (I forget their names right now) said something about how she was the KEY to all this and that they ALL depended on her. So I had hoped for something darker to be revealed at the end, but NO!!

Oh yes, before I go, yes there was more good stuff though not enough of it. The "Continuity" bit with Mr Saxon and his mysterious pursuit of The Doctor now using Martha's mother as bait to try to lure them in. Mmmmmm!!

Ah, and of course The Tardis Key. Rose got it in episode 4 but it's taken Martha up until episode SEVEN to get hers. Will they have a tiff and will she be giving it back like The Doc and Rose did? Will she let some Unwanted Visitors in to the Tardis? Oh, and let's not forget that ONLY NOW does Martha get her SuperPhone! Rose got her upgrade way back in episode 2 which was, by some coincidence also a space episode.

Poor Martha! it's all happening too little and too late for you, my dear! Watch out for my little Martha/Rose poll coming soon.

OK, that's it, Yup, in summary, I didn't like the Saturday episode! We've got a two-parter coming up next week which promises to be a good'un. See ya then, Time Lords!