Doctor Who: Series 1, Episodes 4-5 – “Aliens of London” / “World War Three” (2005)

*Episode premise spoilers.*

Look, it is what it is. It’s not new Who’s finest hour, and it’s proof that the fart jokes in “Space Babies” didn’t come from nowhere. There’s a lot that’s ridiculous here, but even some of the more “oof” episodes of Who have their bright points. I mean, this is the story that gave us Harriet Jones! It can’t be all bad.

Back in London after her first few adventures in the TARDIS with the Ninth Doctor, Rose deals with the challenges and questions that come with being home. It’s almost a relief when a UFO lands in the Thames! But the spaceship is only the beginning—there’s something deeper going on here than anyone realizes.

Yes, this is the debut story for the Slitheen. Yes, they’re goofy farting aliens, and yes, their actors are giving panto levels of subtlety out here. Along with the plastic Mickey stuff in the pilot, it makes series 1 a bit tricky when it comes to introducing new folks to Who. You either have to be selective with your episode choices or ask them to have faith that it gets better. “Just wait until episode 6!”

And I dunno, maybe I’ve just seen all of these episodes enough times that I’m inured to the hokiest bits, but there honestly is a lot to like in new Who’s first two-parter. Rose’s homecoming is much more dramatic than she anticipates, and all the family stuff is good. We kick off the Doctor’s long and storied history of contention with their companion’s mothers, and Mickey gets to come into his own more as a character. (Side note: ugh to Noel Clarke.) There’s fun stuff too, like the Doctor and Rose getting stuck at her flat watching the news about the UFO unfold on the telly because they can’t get through the gridlock.

As I said, Harriet Jones is a terrific character, and her introduction here is a hoot: a faithful backbencher MP who’s shown up at Downing St. in the midst of a UFO crash. Nobody knows who she is, and she can’t get in to see anyone who matters, but she’s here now and isn’t about to be counted out. All her appearances on the show are memorable, but her debut story is definitely my favorite of hers—by the way, kudos to Who for memorably featuring so many female characters over 40 throughout the years. And it was only canonized retroactively, but I also like that we get our first appearance of Toshiko Sato here!

And regardless of how silly a story might get or how many cringeworthy moments it has, the Doctor and Rose are always worth watching together. In this story, I like watching Rose find ways to contribute on her own when the Doctor is whisked away as an extraterrestrial expert, I love seeing the Doctor bluff his way through a tense standoff with the Slitheen, and there’s a great scene between them when it’s down to the wire and the Doctor knows their options are both limited and dangerous. Not to mention, Christopher Eccleston’s delivery on, “Excuse me, do you mind not farting while I'm saving the world?” is impeccable. It’s a goofy line, but he sells it so well.

Doctor Who: Series 1, Episode 11 – “Boom Town” (2005)

*Episode premise spoilers.*

This episode didn’t grab me as much the first time I watched it—“Aliens of London” / “World War Three” had predisposed me against Slitheen stories—but I’ve warmed up to it a lot since then. While it has its iffy parts, it also has good character moments, especially some great stuff for the Doctor.

The Ninth Doctor, Rose, and Jack have landed in Cardiff to give the TARDIS a top-up of vortex energy from the Rift. Mickey has come out to see them, but of course, their lowkey holiday doesn’t quite go as planned. They discover that one of the Slitheen they thwarted at Downing St., still posing as a human, has become the mayor of Cardiff. They set out to foil her latest plan, but then the question becomes what to do with her.

Again, the Slitheen? Not RTD’s finest hour. But of the Slitheen we met in the original two-parter, Margaret a.k.a. Blon was probably the most tolerable. And the story here is very toned-down compared to the Slitheen’s appearance earlier in the season. There’s way less farting, and Annette Badland is given the chance to be less campy and more grounded.

The highlight of the episode is the dynamic between the Doctor and Blon. Once the Doctor apprehends the nefarious Slitheen, he sets his mind on returning her to Raxacoricofallapatorius to face justice. But on that planet, justice is particularly barbaric, and Blon immediately sets to work trying to escape and/or convince the Doctor to let her go. Christopher Eccleston is excellent here. He starts out blithely chipper as he deflects Blon’s initial attempts to evade him, but as she goes for the guilt-complex jugular, it all gets much more serious. This type of gambit would land a blow against most Doctors, but I’d say it’s particularly hard on Nine.

I haven’t seen this episode since the allegations about Noel Clarke came out, along with the renewed attention to John Barrowman’s on-set behavior during Who and Torchwood. I’ll just say screw Clarke. What predators do to their victims is far and away the worst part of this entire cesspool, obviously. But I also hate it when perpetrators tarnish good media by being creeps.

Talking about Mickey and Jack as characters, this is a pretty good episode for them both. While Mickey gets some doofus moments early on, it’s also an important episode that addresses how dismissive Rose has been of him and his feelings. And this is Jack’s only “regular” adventure during his short run as a companion, sandwiched between a pair of two-parters. I love seeing the dynamic between him, the Doctor, and Rose—his presence shakes things up, and all three of them are so cute together. Also, his nerdy glee over the extrapolator is delightful.

Because of the Mickey stuff, it’s not the best episode for Rose, but it’s good to see her face up to her own callousness, even if she hadn’t realized how much she was taking Mickey for granted. Not to mention, the moment where the Doctor patiently teaches her to say “Raxacoricofallapatorius” is positively adorable, especially their mini-celebration when she gets it right!