"Sound of Drums" Recap

[webbgirl]

Spoilers (duh) for DW through "Sound of Drums", the trailer for "The Last of the Time Lords" and all of Torchwood



I wasn't expecting to like this episode as much as "Utopia" because I thought there was no way they could possibly get the same level of character development in it. I am so happy to be WRONG. I've seen a couple of less than favorable reviews and I wonder if it's that the hardcore sci-fi only folks aren't digging the character stuff as much. Not sure.

Anyhoo...Yet another episode where I love Martha in spite of a couple of things. We got spared the Rose!hammer for the most part in this one, but we did get Mooning!Martha which I'm sorely hoping goes bye-bye after this whole adventure. I also feel bad that we've never gotten the same chance to get to know Martha's family like we did with Jackie and Mickey. I mean, I felt the tension with her family getting taken but not to the level I would have with Jackie and Mickey.

John Simm as The Master was just...Wow he kicked ass! I loved that he was just enough over the top and that the maniacal part just shone. The thumbs up scene was hysterical. He has this great way of using the humor to make The Master that much scarier.

OMG! The phone sex scene! I mean the way The Doctor says "Master", I got all squishy inside over that one. The whole thing of him offering to go off with The Master and have his mpreg babies forever and ever forever was just awesome. David Tennant is bringing the hotness in a huge way right now.

The scenes of Galifrey were just gorgeous and I'm really hoping that RTD has a long-term plan for giving us a clearer look at the Time War. Props to RTD for the "I thought you were going to say he was your secret brother or something." "You've been watching too much telly." exchange. HEE!

I got my Torchwood revalation scene between Jack and The Doctor. YAY! I'm so glad they didn't just gloss over Jack's involvement with the organization. It was also a nice revelation about Jack's place in Torchwood. For all intents and purposes he runs the place now. In honor of The Doctor. GUH!

If we didn't have enough angst with Jack before, we have plenty now. I mean not only did he keep the Doctor's hand, but he still had a key to the Tardis on his keychain (which did we ever see the Doctor giving him that onscreen?) and it's been verbally confirmed that Jack has been carrying more than a platonic torch for the Doc. (Poor Ianto.) I wonder if that line about Jack fancying the Doctor is what made John and David squee like schoolboys. I can see John getting excited over verbal confirmation of something like that. It's also nice to have something like that as part of canon rather than just fanon.

I do have a plot question. Did The Master use Lazarus' technology to age the Doctor simply to incapacitate him, while pushing him closer to another regeneration? I mean it's not as though he's going to just die of old age and that's that.

I'm wondering what Lucy's connection to the whatsamagigit aliens is. She just seems odd. And what's with the drumming? I still don't get that even though the beat is now stuck in my brain.

Finally, in the trailer for next week's ep was that Adam from Series 1 running with Martha? If so, nice continuity. Wonder how they hook up. I really like the idea of Martha having to take charge, which is I'm sure why they had her teleport without Jack.

I think the only really bad thing for me next week would be if it ends up as a Season cliff hanger. I would have to injure RTD if that happened.

Comments

[nialla]

I'm wondering what Lucy's connection to the whatsamagigit aliens is. She just seems odd.

I can't figure out if she's just naturally odd, or if the Master did something to her. I did find it interesting that he referred to her as his "perfect companion" at one point. "Companion" is usually used to refer to those traveling with the Doctor.

And what's with the drumming? I still don't get that even though the beat is now stuck in my brain.

My understanding is it's a signal being broadcast throught the Archangel network via mobile phones. The signal not only used a subliminal message to get people to vote for Saxon, but also masked his presence from the Doctor whenever he'd been on present-day earth during the same time period as the Master.

Finally, in the trailer for next week's ep was that Adam from Series 1 running with Martha?

I couldn't tell, but I could tell that they used the same person to voice the Toclafane that they used for the Gelth back in season one's The Unquiet Dead. Not sure if that indicates a continuity with that episode or not, but it could.

The Toclafane say to the Master at one point, "We have to escape. Because it's coming, sir. The Darkness. The never-ending darkness. And the terrible, terrible cold. We have to run, and run, and run..."

This might tie into Torchwood's They Keep Killing Suzie, in which Suzie says to Gwen, "There's something out there. In the dark. And it's moving." Later, when she pulls the tube from her father, she says, "Oh, that's worth coming back for. Sending him into the dark. Just what the bastard deserves."

And then right before her death says, "There's something moving in the dark and it's coming, Jack Harkness. It's coming for you."

Jack also has a line in that episode (and yes, I'm Googling instead of rewatching to find the quotes) about trying to use the glove to revive someone, "You just sort of feel. Like reaching into the dark. Finding the dead."

So could the "wrongness" with Jack both the Doctor and the TARDIs were fleeing from be something this "darkness" is coming for?

Oh, and another interesting tidbit I discovered. "Professor Yana" said he was found as a child "on the coast of the Silver Devastation." This was mentioned in season one's The End of the World, when The Face of Boe was introduced by the Steward as "our friend from the Silver Devastation." The Face of Boe was the one who "named" Yana with his final words to the Doctor "you are not alone." Interesting coincidence, no?

[webbgirl.livejournal.com]

*hee* I love that your response took up two comments. *g*

John Simm said in the Confidential that he played the Master exactly as RTD wanted. He wanted him to be maniacal and out of control. I liked that part because it did add a level of not knowing what he would do next.

I thought the whole Torchwood revelation was played out wonderfully. It does raise some continuity questions for me, but I'm willing to go with the flow for the time being.

I think you may be right about why Jack stayed behind on the ship with the Doctor. I mean he was somewhat weakened, but he wouldn't want to leave the Doctor alone to the mercies of the Master.

Initially I thought that the mentions of the "Darkness" from Torchwood may have been tied into Abadon, but now I'm not so sure. I just have to give RTD props for juggling this many balls at once.

I seem to recall something being mentioned that we haven't seen the last of The Face of Boe which makes me wonder if we'll get some sort of revelation about that next ep. I also saw a casting note about someone in next week's ep that makes me curious about what's going to happen. (Don't worry it's not Rose or anything like that. *g*)

The Master also said something about the Toclafane to The Doctor about once he knew what they were it would make him weep or something like that. I'll have to go back and check that part.

As far as the Drums go, I know that the rhythm was used as a subliminal trigger, but I'm wondering about the Drums that the Master hears. He said he's heard them all of his life and that they're getting louder. Does that mean that it has something to do when when he looked into the vortex? Are they connected to the Darkness?

One more week to go. Then I will be sad because there will be no more to look forward to for so long. :(

[nialla]

*hee* I love that your response took up two comments. *g*

[blush] Jack's back, so I have to talk more. ;)

I think you may be right about why Jack stayed behind on the ship with the Doctor. I mean he was somewhat weakened, but he wouldn't want to leave the Doctor alone to the mercies of the Master.

Jack also knows he can't die, but Martha can, so that was probably a factor too. He feels he has a better chance of being able to help, and not risk death doing so. Martha might also take more risks not only to help the Doctor, but her own family. I have to wonder if her brother managed to hide and will be critical in helping her now.

Initially I thought that the mentions of the "Darkness" from Torchwood may have been tied into Abadon, but now I'm not so sure. I just have to give RTD props for juggling this many balls at once.

I had thought the same. I had even thought maybe BadWolf!Rose had known what was coming for Jack and made him immortal to be able to destroy the demon, but according to what the Doctor said in Utopia, it was an accident. But what does the Doctor know, eh? ;)

The Master also said something about the Toclafane to The Doctor about once he knew what they were it would make him weep or something like that. I'll have to go back and check that part.

It's possible they really are the Gelth. They claimed to have lost physical form due to the Time War, so maybe this is what they looked like before their appearance in The Unquiet Dead.

This could make sense with making the Doctor's hearts weep, because the Doctor indirectly caused their physical death by ending the Time War, so his actions would have brought all this about. It might also explain Saxon's wife. She might be real as the reporter said, but she might also be dead and possessed by a Gelth who wasn't in gaseous form.

As far as the Drums go, I know that the rhythm was used as a subliminal trigger, but I'm wondering about the Drums that the Master hears. He said he's heard them all of his life and that they're getting louder. Does that mean that it has something to do when when he looked into the vortex? Are they connected to the Darkness?

I think it does have something to do with looking into the vortex. Whatever the Darkness is, it may be what drove him mad. A literal looking into the Abyss, and the Abyss looking back.

Another bit that's being talked about that I found interesting is the drum beat has the same beat as the opening of the theme for Doctor Who. Replay it and tap out the notes and it does sound similar.

[webbgirl.livejournal.com]

This could make sense with making the Doctor's hearts weep, because the Doctor indirectly caused their physical death by ending the Time War, so his actions would have brought all this about. It might also explain Saxon's wife. She might be real as the reporter said, but she might also be dead and possessed by a Gelth who wasn't in gaseous form.


It's interesting because the past couple of seasons there's been a real theme of the Doctor having to deal with the unintended consequences of his actions. Some have been more subtle than others, but it's a very strong theme.

The face off with the Master is sort of a culmination of that. He defeated the Slitheen, which put Harriet Jones into power and then he said the six words which brought her down and made way for Saxon.

There's a lot of cause and result going on all the way back to season 1. No wonder he's such an emo Time Lord.

[nialla]

The unintended consequences theme has been very interesting. It's an example of the road to hell being paved with the best of intentions.

Knowing what we do now, I want to go back and rewatch and see if I can pick up some nuances, but I have so much new stuff I want to watch, I don't have time to rewatch. [pout]