This week’s episode…
The second part of the two-parter, thankfully, did not let us down. Helen Raynor can now be forgiven for last season’s “Daleks in Manhattan” atrocity.
A classic UNIT adventure in pretty much every respect, really — even down to the time-honored tradition of UNIT chappies with bazookas (rocket launchers/RPGs/whatever)! Of course, this being NewWho, they also brought out the SHIELD HelicarrierAircarrier Valiant as well.
More lovely bits of throw-away fanwankery: References to the Rutans and to the Brigadier — who is apparently SIR Alastair now! Although, come on — Nick Courtney is very much still alive: would it have killed them to give him a cameo, or even replace the largely useless UNIT commander character with the Brig?
More season-arc fodder: A brief, blink-and-you’ll-miss-it cameo of Rose, shouting for the Doctor on the TARDIS viewscreen….and another, although not specifically stated: The Sontarans are seeding the earth to use as a clone hatchery. Why? Could it be that their main “nursery” world is now gone? Remember, there’s been a running theme of planets mentioned as lost or ‘disappearing’….
Next week’s preview: The Doctor’s daughter? BUH? I mean, I suppose he must’ve had children, given that he has a granddaughter (Susan) — but still: BUH?