Doctor Who Season 4 Review

Trailer courtesy of Gallifreyforever97

Episode Guide

Voyage Of The Damned
Partners In Crime
Fires Of Pompeii
Planet Of The Ood
The Sontaran Statagem
The Poison Sky
The Doctors Daughter
The Unicorn and the Wasp
Silence In The Library
Forest Of The Dead
Midnight
Turn Left
The Stolen Earth
Journeys End

Usually by this time in a show’s lifespan, the majority of TV shows start to falter or lose that spark along the way that made them so unique and well loved to begin with. Thankfully, Doctor Who is the complete opposite. The fourth season is the best since returning with memorable episodes, a well worked story line intricately thread throughout and surprisingly not a filler episode in sight. New companion Donna (Catherine Tate) is a welcome change of pace too, with a refreshingly new slant on the companion role and more importantly, not being completely infatuated with the Doctor like the previous two companions were.

The irony here of course is Donna stands out as being the most fleshed out companion since the show returned, despite massive fan criticism to her over-the-top comedy role in the Christmas special. It was a massive gamble to pick her to be the Doctor’s full time companion but she absolutely delivers. Known for her comedy sketches, Catherine Tate steals the show as Donna with a mix of heartfelt comedy, amazing chemistry with David Tennant and a natural character progression throughout the series. Its fascinating watching her grow from a loud, obnoxious woman to where she ends up by season’s end. This season is all about her journey, and no episode encapsulates that better than one of the best episodes this season, “Turn Left”.
 
Aside from “The Doctors Daughter” which stands out as being the weakest episode here, the entire season has some of the best episodes since the show returned. The second half features some of the best Doctor Who episodes and the finale is fantastic, tying up the previous three seasons and highlighting the end of Russell T. Davies’ role as the lead writer. Special mention here needs to be given to “Midnight” though. The simple premise featuring one set, a terrifying idea and chilling execution is this season’s “Blink”. The episode is so masterfully executed and its claustrophobic setting and lack of a companion at the Doctor’s side only emphasise the desperation.

The fourth season of Doctor Who boasts some of the best episodes since its return; brilliant acting, excellent set design and masterful writing combine to make it the golden series of the show. Donna Noble, while not as memorable as Rose, does a great job of shaking off the doubters with a stunning performance as the Doctor’s latest companion. The writing is some of the best since the show’s return in 2005 and with Stephen Moffat set to take the helm next season, the show promises to be bigger and better than ever before.