Series 4, Episode 5 | 2 parts | First broadcast: 3 May 2008 | Writer: Helen Raynor | Director: Douglas Mackinnon
Cast
- David Tennant as the Doctor
- Catherine Tate as Donna Noble
- Freema Agyeman as Martha Jones
- Christopher Ryan as General Staal
Summary
With Earth’s atmosphere rapidly turning toxic under the Sontarans’ scheme, the Doctor works against the clock alongside UNIT and a recovered Martha to shut down the poison gas generators before the planet becomes uninhabitable. Sacrificing the possibility of an easy victory, the Doctor ultimately convinces the Sontaran commander to withdraw by threatening mutually assured destruction, narrowly saving Earth once again.
Interesting Facts
- This concluding half sees the Doctor make explicit his refusal to use weapons himself, even as UNIT forces around him press for a military solution.
- Martha’s role as a doctor within UNIT is reinforced throughout, distinguishing her ongoing character arc from her earlier days as a full-time TARDIS companion.
- The character of Luke Rattigan, the genius teenager manipulated by the Sontarans, provides a tragic redemption arc within the two-parter’s climax.
- This story marked the last significant Sontaran appearance in the series for several years afterward.
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