# Doctor Who 4x01 "Partners in Crime" **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 5, 2008, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-4x01-partners-in-crime/444100 "2008-04-05T18:09:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Pushkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ee59a6/32.png) [@Pushkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pushkin)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2008, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-4x01-partners-in-crime/444100/1 "2008-04-05T18:09:02Z")
I’ve never had a chance to start one of these review threads, so I’ll start it while I watch. The premise for the first episode of the new season seems to follow the same format as the others, army of beasties (previous we’ve had the Autons, the diseased humans from New Earth and the Judoon) and nothing too serious of a plot. Slight tweek to the theme leaves it much the same as the last one (thanks to the BBC announcer for talking over the end!) Catherine Tate doesn’t seem to gel as well as Rose and Martha, possibly because there doesn’t seem to be the possibility of a not quite romance between them. There doesn’t seem to be much to talk about otherwise, not too much of a plot, but the Sontaran and Dalek episodes to look forward to. Oh and there’s the new BBC website for the series too [linky](http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/). ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2008, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-4x01-partners-in-crime/444100/2 "2008-04-05T18:13:14Z")
Bit of a surprise at the end. ---
**Author:** ![chowder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/977dab/32.png) [@chowder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chowder)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2008, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-4x01-partners-in-crime/444100/3 "2008-04-05T18:14:20Z")
Agree about Catherine Tate not sorta fitting in. To be honest I quite expected her to say “What a fucking liberty” ---
**Author:** ![Pushkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ee59a6/32.png) [@Pushkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pushkin)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2008, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-4x01-partners-in-crime/444100/4 "2008-04-05T18:39:53Z")
[QUOTE=Struan] Bit of a surprise at the end. [/QUOTE] Yeah, didn’t expect the returning character to show up so soon. ---
**Author:** ![Ximenean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/aca169/32.png) [@Ximenean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ximenean)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2008, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-4x01-partners-in-crime/444100/5 "2008-04-05T18:40:34Z")
The Russell T Davies episodes really are crap aren’t they? That was exactly the same as the Sarah Jane one (either of them). Faceless corporation is not as benevolent as it seems. ---
**Author:** ![Pushkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ee59a6/32.png) [@Pushkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pushkin)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2008, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-4x01-partners-in-crime/444100/6 "2008-04-05T18:45:27Z")
The highlights of the Nu-Who series for me haven’t been the RTD episodes. Any idea when the Daleks are returning in this series? End episodes perhaps, given when Rose is supposed to come back and that most Daleks seem to be stuck between our universe and ours. ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2008, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-4x01-partners-in-crime/444100/7 "2008-04-05T18:45:44Z")
[QUOTE=Usram] The Russell T Davies episodes really are crap aren’t they? [/QUOTE] I agree that he’s not as good a writer as some of the others. This was enjoyable enough, though. The little critters were super cute. I laughed at the mimed conversation between the Doctor and Donna too. Catherine Tate was fine, and I’m hopeful she’ll be an excellent companion. ---
**Author:** ![Ximenean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/aca169/32.png) [@Ximenean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ximenean)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2008, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-4x01-partners-in-crime/444100/8 "2008-04-05T18:49:39Z")
Yeah, the miming was funny. Any Stephen “Blink” Moffat episodes coming up? ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2008, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-4x01-partners-in-crime/444100/9 "2008-04-05T18:57:07Z")
[QUOTE=Usram] Yeah, the miming was funny. Any Stephen “Blink” Moffat episodes coming up? [/QUOTE] I think I read he’s got a two-parter coming up. No Paul (Human Nature) Cornell this year though. ---
**Author:** ![Pushkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ee59a6/32.png) [@Pushkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pushkin)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2008, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-4x01-partners-in-crime/444100/10 "2008-04-05T19:19:12Z")
Tate probably added a bit of humour the previous two companion actresses couldn’t, I liked the two way miming. Human Nature and Blink were the two highlights I was thinking of when I was comparing RTD episodes to others. ---
**Author:** ![seosamh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce7236/32.png) [@seosamh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/seosamh)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2008, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-4x01-partners-in-crime/444100/11 "2008-04-05T20:39:59Z")
Watch “The Daleks” on BBC4! (Hartnell has just said “glove” when he meant “drug”…) ---
**Author:** ![Pushkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ee59a6/32.png) [@Pushkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pushkin)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2008, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-4x01-partners-in-crime/444100/12 "2008-04-05T21:05:42Z")
Ah, just missed that (leaving my daughter back to her Mum’s), not a story I’ve seen for a while. ---
**Author:** ![Charlie\_Tan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/charlie_tan/32/12582_2.png) [@Charlie\_Tan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Charlie_Tan)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2008, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-4x01-partners-in-crime/444100/13 "2008-04-05T22:17:13Z")
The themse song got a bit more umph and the Donna character was only 25 per cent as annoying as she was in the Runaway Bride or whatever the title was. However, seeing Billie Piper made me realize just what a great companion Rose is and I think it’s not very fair to Tate to let her show up in the season premiere. RTD relies too much on slapstick and physical comedy. He should stick to being a showrunner (which I think he does brilliantly) and leave the writing to those better suited. The almost-encounters of the first half was just annoying, not funny. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Some\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ad7895/32.png) [@Just\_Some\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Some_Guy)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2008, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-4x01-partners-in-crime/444100/14 "2008-04-06T00:32:42Z")
I’m not fond of the reworked theme, but then I don’t think I’ve ever been fond of one of their reworked theme right off the bat. Still it didn’t leave my ears bleeding. I thought it was an okay episode. Fairly run of the mill as far as the new series goes. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2008, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-4x01-partners-in-crime/444100/15 "2008-04-06T00:38:32Z")
It was a character dynamic episode. And they wanted to maintain the “Donna is going to be annoying” thing, and not have her suddenly turn into a nicey-nice angel. So I think she’ll add a bit of spice to the series, as well as kick the Doctor out of his gloomy lonely phase he had all last season. ---
**Author:** ![pepperlandgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f17d59/32.png) [@pepperlandgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pepperlandgirl)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2008, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-4x01-partners-in-crime/444100/16 "2008-04-06T00:44:13Z")
I really, really liked Donna (but I already love Catherine Tate…). The plot was pretty stupid, but that’s okay. All the opening episodes have been pretty dumb. I’m looking forward to more interaction between the Doctor and Donna. I think I already like her more than Martha. ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2008, 10:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-4x01-partners-in-crime/444100/17 "2008-04-07T10:25:41Z")
Has it been definitely confirmed that Rose will return? My guess seeing her cameo is that it’s not really her, its an alien shapeshifter. Or something. I like the idea of an argumentative companion. Tegan was one of my favourites. But I’m not sure yet if I’ll like this particular one. ---
**Author:** ![Illuminatiprimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/illuminatiprimus/32/11520_2.png) [@Illuminatiprimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Illuminatiprimus)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2008, 10:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-4x01-partners-in-crime/444100/18 "2008-04-07T10:30:49Z")
Yes it’s been confirmed that Rose will return, although only for one/a few episodes (she’s not returning to the show permanently). ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2008, 10:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-4x01-partners-in-crime/444100/19 "2008-04-07T10:51:36Z")
[QUOTE=Peter Morris] Has it been definitely confirmed that Rose will return? My guess seeing her cameo is that it’s not really her, its an alien shapeshifter. Or something. [/QUOTE] You make a good point. Billie Piper returns, but perhaps Rose does not return… hmmm… However, I think that all three Companions from the new series are going to appear in at least one episode together. Plus Sarah Jane Smith. But that’s just a rumour I read someplace. ---
**Author:** ![Pushkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ee59a6/32.png) [@Pushkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pushkin)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2008, 11:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-4x01-partners-in-crime/444100/20 "2008-04-07T11:26:43Z")
[QUOTE=Peter Morris] Has it been definitely confirmed that Rose will return? My guess seeing her cameo is that it’s not really her, its an alien shapeshifter. Or something [/QUOTE] Seeing so many Daleks in the trailer, I wondered if they’d whip up the void again and have Caan bring an army of Daleks through to Earth again. Its one way they could bring Rose, from the parallel universe, into the story again, given how the Cybermen were ghosting into this universe in that manner. Or maybe Donna in the trailer is just remembering the enemies of the past, given that they’re quite well recognised in the nu-Who series world wide. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-4x01-partners-in-crime/444100.md?page=2)