New Who Review for "The Lazarus Experiment"

[puppetmaker]

For this one we are back on Earth and we learn a little more about Martha and Martha's family. This is one of those Doctor Who mysteries which also has repercussions into the end of the season. The quest for eternal youth is one that has been used in our mythology and literature since probably the beginning of storytelling. This time it is told with technology as the catalyst and of course something goes wrong because something always goes wrong in these sorts of stories.

Again we are not in my favorite episode territory but after the Daleks last week, I found this much improved. The monster is pretty well done with CGI. I would almost be scared to see what they would have come up with if this had been shot in the Tom Baker era. It is also nice to have another glimpse of Martha's family and the dynamics within the family. Her sister seems upwardly mobile but a bit clueless. She reminds me of other pretty young things that get promoted and then panic on whether they can do the job they were hired for.

I am grateful for sleeping cats.


Mr. Saxon is mentioned and just keep that in the back of your head. It becomes more important later (remember no spoilers past this episode). Martha's mother is quite a pistol. She is very protective of her children and you can tell that she is also proud of them. The casting of Martha's family is just brilliant. I could see this set of people being a family.

The transformation into Monster is an old theme in Doctor Who. In this case it is again human's meddling with forces that are beyond them. And the Doctor is there yet again to tell the humans how stupid they are being. And we have the mad scientist not seeing the harm in what he is doing. This is kind of a by the numbers episode of Doctor Who with a few twists along the way.

The dialogue is strong especially some of the exchanges between the Doctor and Martha. I will give this season two thumbs up for good dialogue even in so-so episodes.

Next week the Doctor has 42 minutes to save Martha and then we are onto the really good stuff.

Comments

[mabfan.livejournal.com]

I have to say that I didn't like this episode all that much; to me, it was far too much "monster-of-the-week" despite the seeds being planted for things later in the season. (And I was much more fond of the Dalek episodes than you were.)

I cannot wait to enjoy "Blink" again... :-)

[adpaz.livejournal.com]

I've got to agree that it wasn't one of the episodes that really pulled me in. Some of it, I have to think, is because when Martha's mum started the "that man is a bad, bad man" thing in reference to the Doctor, all I could think was "Oh no, not again."

With this being the second companion of the new Who and the second companion with a mum that doesn't trust the Doctor, it's getting old. I'm seeing a lot of the same things that seemed interesting when they started with Rose (like having family around, even if they didn't trust the Doctor) seems like a rehash with Martha.

[scarlettina.livejournal.com]

Count me as another who didn't find this episode to be of a muchness (by which I mean, it's not all that). I can see where there are things here that are important later but given the strength of what's yet to come, this episode feels like filler to me. Monster of the week indeed. Let's get on the to goodness with "42."

[popfiend.livejournal.com]

I hate BRICK level symbolism.

The dude's name was Lazarus!!!

Geez.

I'm not sure it's that symbolic if you're hit over the head with it

[jenny_evergreen]

I find it mildly amusing, and not very symbolic. :P

Also, I haven't seen the rest of the season, but I am pretty close to certain I already know where they are going.

[ghilledhu.livejournal.com]

I actually rather enjoyed this one, even with the anvilicious symbolism. Then again, I like stuff that deals with death vs. immortality, and the high price of getting what you want. There were also some nice moments, like reversing the polarity (callback to Pertwee), and once again having the solution be actually sonic.

I can't help wondering if each season is deliberately following a pattern (Doctor meets Companion, Doctor meets Companion's family, family distrusts Doctor and warns Companion) or if it's just sort of happening that way. If it's deliberate, there's something interesting about that; if it's just laziness I hope they break away from it soon.

[querldox.livejournal.com]

Not really liking (in a personal sense, not in the actress is doing a bad job sense as she's portraying the character type well) Martha's mother, who seems very over controlling of her adult kids and way too involved (or attempting to be same) in their lives.

Also, despite seeing the Doctor attempting to save folk, and having two of her kids' recommendations for his actions, she's unquestionably believing whatever J. Random Guy-in-suit tells her about him. Yep, it's supposedly from Saxon, but how does she know that it really is, and does anyone really believe a politician that much anyway? (OK, in the Whoverse, there could be some sort of charisma enhancement going on there).