Writers: Russell T. Davies & Phil Ford
Director: Graeme Harper
Producer: Nikki Wilson
Series: 4, Fall Special
Companion: Captain Adelaide Brooke (Lindsey Duncan)
Summary: The Doctor arrives on Bowie Base One on Mars, where he meets Captain Adelaide Brooke. He’s arrived at the worst possible time–an alien race called the Flood has infected the crew, turning everyone into monsters craving water. They will kill all who resist. The problem: this is a fixed point in time. The Doctor is angered by all the death. He’s seen too much sadness. He decides just this once, he’ll break the laws of time and save everyone. Surely, this is an event he can change. Does this make him better than his foes?
Review: The Master once told the Doctor that they are like. Given the proper motivation, the Doctor would be just as tempted to break the laws of time as he is. This episode shows just how reckless the Doctor can be when lives are on the line.
Lindsey Duncan is great as Captain Brooke. I loved how she objected to the Doctor at every turn. Her defiance made it difficult to cheer for the Doctor, which was the point.
Overall Review: 10/10
Continuity: The Doctor refers to when he visited Pompeii, another time he changed history. Brooke recounts the Dalek invasion in “The Stolen Earth/Journey’s End”. The Doctor wears the same space suit from “The Impossible Planet/The Beast Below”. The TARDIS’s Cloister Bell rings in this episode, which it did for the first time in “Logopolis”.
Trivia: Bowie Base One is a reference to David Bowie and his song “Life on Mars”. This episode was dedicated to Barry Letts, who produced Doctor Who during Pertwee’s era.
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