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The first new episode of Doctor Who since the slightly disappointing 'Planet of the Dead' at Easter had a lot to live up to. Not only were 'Who' fans desperate for something new, 'The Waters of Mars' had been hyped beyond belief by both the production staff and preview audiences. Thankfully for everyone, this tight, scary and thought-provoking episode was more than enough to satisfy.
To start with, let’s be absolutely clear about this – it wasn’t the scariest episode of Doctor Who yet. No, that’s still definitely 'Blink'. Some of the shock value of the monsters had perhaps been lost in the extensive previewing of the episode, although that was perhaps more of a quibble for the nerdy fans who saw the monsters for the first time months ago. But while the initial shock was lost, the idea behind the monster and the execution of the design was excellent, and the fact that they remained recognisably human underneath allowed them to remain an ever-present threat to the crew members throughout the episode.
The various members of the crew were fleshed out enough that their fate was a concern for the audience, but (quite rightly) they really faded into the background when compared to the leads. The casting of Lindsay Duncan was a masterstroke – for much of the episode, Adelaide was much tougher and unsympathetic than we’re used to in a companion of the Doctor, but she also proved herself to be more than worthy of his admiration.
But really, this episode belonged to David Tennant. It’s heartbreaking to watch him move from excitement at the beginning of the episode to grief as he realises there’s nothing he can do to save these people. In many ways, this episode is a nice counterpart to 'The Fires of Pompeii', in which one of the main elements was understanding the positions of both Donna wanting to save everyone and the Doctor knowing they cannot. Here, watching the Doctor walk away is difficult, but it’s also right, so when he goes back to save them, the viewer instantly knows something is wrong. When he talks about being not the survivor but the victor of the Time War, and so the ruler of the laws of time, it's so unlike the Doctor that it is more disturbing than any prosthetic monster.
A tense, creepy and well-acted story, 'The Waters of Mars' was nigh-on perfect end to the Doctor Who drought. Having the Doctor know that this is the beginning of the end, and so allowing him to act out of character, is a brilliant way to use the audience’s knowledge of his forthcoming regeneration, as well as ramping up the tension for the Tenth Doctor’s final episodes at Christmas.
Oh, Doctor Who, how I have missed you. Never leave me again.
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