Doctor Who Club of Australia

[Tegan]

It just keeps getting better and better. I've watched it three times since this morning.

There was so much reference to classic Doctor Who. Filmed in a quarry. It was off earth and distant in time. At last, the return of The Master. And it looks like the first in a three part story

Sir Derek Jacobi was brilliant as the Professor, and even better as the Master, evil incarnate. Hearing the voices of past Masters was a ... delight is NOT the right word ... exquisite shock seems best.

I think John Simm will play him with unbridled malevolence, and he could get away with hamming better than Jacobi could. Not that Sir Derek would have anywhere near the free time to spend filming Who, but what a turn that would be! BAFTA's all round I think.

Yes, I know I'm gushing, but this was simply brilliant. I am soooo looking forward to the next two weeks.

I've also just listened to the commentary. When the Professor says he was found on the shores of the Silver Devastation, it's mentioned that this is where The Face of Boe was born. That can't be a coincidence.

[arturo]

Now that was quality! The voices from the stopwatch were awesome, especially the first time you heard that evil ominous laugh. The story itself was unremarkeable, but the conversation with Jack in the radiation room and the wonderful realisation at the end made it a five star effort. Love it!!! Loved the cliff hanger... lets see the sonic screwdriver get them outta this one.

Only thing left on my wish list regards next week. Did the spherical ship in the preview get anyone elses hopes up?? I know there were little ones too but I'm hoping.

[SharazJek]

Now THAT brought back the Master in a better way than I ever could have imagined!!! Absolutely FANTASTIC!!!

This was indeed an episode of mega-revelations.

- Captain Jack returns to his less 'dark' self.

- 'Abbaddon' from the final episode of Torchwood series 1 has obviously not drained Jack's life force and returned him to mortality as some of us have theorized.

- It's explained in detail how Jack found his way back to Earth and when.

- The 'hand' is finally explained. I knew it right from ep 1 of Torchwood anyway.

- The Face of Boe's prophecy is fulfilled in more ways than one.

- We get another regenderation scene.

- RTD writes what could possibly be (in conjunction with the next 2 episodes) the most riveting and exciting (note I don't use the word 'best') script for the new series since it started.

I was getting butterflies watching Derek Jacobi's performance firstly as The Professor and his transformation to The Master was for me, one of the best highlights since the new series began.

I was not overly happy with the return of The Master when I first heard the news, but I was confident that RTD could deliver a satisfying re-emergence for the character. And he hasn't disappointed.

Mind-blowing stuff!!!!!!

How are we going to wait until next week??????????

[Amano07]

that was the best episode of the series yet in my opinon !!! i loved it! the only thing i would love more would be that the next two episodes clear up all the crap that happened in the movie with the Master being a snake thing and being swallowed by the tardis. if they can clear that up then that would make my bloody year

[Tom N.]

I finished watching Utopia just now, and I'm in shock. Just as I was at the end of Army of Ghosts last year.

Although the Master's return was hardly a surprise (given the amount of recent fan speculation), it was still great to see how everything came together. I agree with arturo in that the story itself wasn't that spectacular, but I don't really care. If it seems like Utopia was just an excuse to bring the Master back and set up the next two episodes, then that's quite alright with me.

Brilliant performances all round, especially from the regulars. David Tennant is really in the zone now - I don't think he's put a foot wrong all year. And it probably goes without saying that Sir Derek Jacobi is excellent as both the Professor and in his brief turn as the Master.

Great to see Captain Jack return, as well. And John Barrowman gets a credit in the opening titles! Yay!

[dave]

This was a brilliant return for the Master. The story following Prof. Yana was really well foreshadowed by Human Nature, and put to excellent use in this story. And the Master's new regeneration looks like he could be a lot of fun.

Why the people of the year 100 trillion should have firearms of the 21st century is beyond me, but that's a minor quibble. The future kind looked alright, though there did seem to be a lot of just running about in this episode. I wonder if there is a Utopia, or if it's just something the Master set up before assuming the identity of the Professor.

I gave this an excellent, and am glad the Master gets a three part story to celebrate his return.

[Greg]

Well, yes, that was a bit of all right.

As already commented, not the best written episode of the year, but nevertheless an engrossing piece of television.

Any number of people (generally, around the world...) seem happy to slag off Russell T Davies writing, but here he is firing on all cylinders - a good episode in its own right, and one that draws upon many of the pieces that he has put in place over three years. By asking other writers to include things in their stories - even centrally, such as asking Paul Cornell to adapt his novel Human Nature for TV - allows him to set things up and give his episodes a grandeur that transcends the content.

So, anyone think that having a villain called the Editor in an episode called The Long Game was Mr Davies statement of his game plan for the series?

I'm a great fan of Sir Derek Jacobi, so his inclusion here was always going to be very welcome. And the part allowed him to demonstrate the wonderful range of his acting skills. It was such an important role in the story that having someone who isn't a wonderful actor would probably have been less successful in initially gaining the viewqer's sympathies, being sufficiently mysterious that people want to know what is happening, while leaving enough room for some to dismiss it as early signs of an illness, and yet turn around and be an urbane and sinister villain after the transformation. There was enough hints in his acting (look at his eyes!) once he is a Time Lord again that this is a dangerous man you wouldn't want angry with you. Wonderful, wonderful combination of writing, acting and directing.

I'm not a big fan of Captain Jack, but I was pleased to see him, and I gave a small cheer to see 'John Barrowman' in the credits. I, too, was pleased to see the Doctor Who Jack rather than the Torchwood Jack - more fun, less mopey - and an explanation as to why he seemed less fun in Torchwood.

And, while we're at it, I should mention that both David Tennant and Freema Agyeman put in good performances as well, but they've been doing that all year!

I was disappointed by series 2, so it's great to see the series back on top form. In some respects (the long game view...), the bubbly over-enthusiastic adventures of the Doctor and Rose last year help this year out - not just by comparison, but by taking the Doctor out of a comfortable area and putting him back into a universe of danger.

[uhumanite]

That was a master-peice!

get it? ...oh in such poor taste

I loved this episode and our first 3 parter

[meglos]

Brilliant! What more can I say

[Hiruma]

How about.. fantastic, Meglos?

A Very impressive episode. Notice the play on the face of Martha when the Professor first takes that watch out of his pocket. That scene really electrified me. Im actually surprised Martha didnt think this was the Doctor.. in a different body but the same Doctor. I much preferred the professor when he had entered his Master Phase, but having said that, if nobody here had viewed any of the spoilers nobody would of expected the Professor to have been the Master. Im sure most of us would of thought the Professor was turning into one of the futurekind creatures.

Im sure the Doctor must be well and truly cheesed off now. Not only has his run down type 40 been stolen, but the Master can somehow regenerate again AND has left him in the lurch. Very Entertaining

I do like how Jack's condition was explained away. The Time Vortex is perpetuating him as a fact in time. All in all my favorite episode of the 3rd series easily.

[El_Zoof]

Well, I mean honestly, it could have been better.

I just don't know how. Fardzwarking brilliant... From an okay start to a horrifyingly dull lull, and then the last 4 episodes in a row... This season will definitely be on my "must buy" list. Well, it would have been anyway, but now it'll top it.

I wonder if the Doctor, Martha or Jack will even show up next week...

[FredDag]

What can I say. I've been ignoring all the rumors about the Master so I was really surprised Utopia. I even let out a big scream as I did last year at the end of Army of Ghosts. Thank goodness we've got a run of good episodes at last. I was dreading any idea of the Master coming back, but it seems this mast is a lot better then the previous. I'm excited too because this will be the first three part story in the new series. It seems in the last two seasons, Russel T Davies episodes are the best. That'll put a cat among the pigeons!

[Greg]

Watch Who fans watching Utopia and getting just a little bit excited at Youtube here. WARNING - You can hear dialogue and sound effects for the episode at some points during this clip, which would SPOIL the plot twists of the episode if you haven't already seen it.

[Dougy]

I spoiled the Master's return for me when I was looking at Dr. Who's IMDB entry trying to figure out who was the main witch in Ep2 (which I didn't find out - I KNOW I've seen her somewhere). I'm really happy they have brought him back and his return is something I've been looking forward to since Season one, Ep 1. I love the character and really look forward to seeing these eps!

[Theta Sigma]

A well constructed episode, the music is great especially when the Doctor and Jack were running.
It also reminds us how brilliant Graeme Harper is a director as the lead-up to the revelation that the Professor is the Master is superb as well seeing the Derek Jacobi Master regenerate into John Simm.
Also quite surprise seeing John Barrowman's name in the title sequence as I wasn't expecting that and not to mention quite shock seeing him holding onto the TARDIS as it travels in the vortex.

[awergh]

i thought the professor was a bit familiar, i knew about the remours about the master but i assumed that was ages away, i only realised just a bit before the he opened the watch, that id seen his picture on the bbc site.

[montypython]

I found this episode absolutely brilliant. I didn't really care about the lack of plot, coz each time I got a new clue about the Professor I just wanted to scream it out loud, but my clueless spoiler-avoiding dad and brother wouldn't have appreciated that. My dad was one of the few who, having seen the watch, thought the Professor must be the Doctor. But he didn't even know who the Master was, so I guess he was a bit handicapped there. I'm also going to take this time to congratulate him on lasting almost a whole week without finding out about the return of Captain Jack. Alas, he saw the name in the TV guide out of the corner of his eye when he was trying to find the start time for the rugby

[Davros]

[Commander]

This is definitely RTD's best single parter.

And Derek Jacobi steals the show - simply brilliant form from him and seamlessly transforms from the Professor into the Master.

The nods to the classic series were measured and well executed, and the lack of an enthralling storyline wasn't really significant given the importance to emulate who the Professor appears to be, and who he really is.

5/5

[meglos]