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The Sontaran Strategem Format Reviewed: TV Review The Sontaran Strategem follows the return of a new series race, the Ood, with the return of a 'classic' series race, the much loved Sontarans. The Sontarans were last seen in the Sixth Doctor stor The Two Doctors, also featuring Patrick Troughton. We also return to Earth here, and see a little more of the back story of Donna Noble, interestingly, with her main relatives, Mother and Grandfather, both having already met The Doctor in previus adventures. Whilst travelling to their next destination, The Doctor receives a call on a mobile phone left him by Martha Jones, who calls him back to help. Martha is working for UNIT, and they are investigating a company that manufactures a device for cars that removes all harmful emissions, and also integrates Sat Nav functions called the Atmos System. There have been many deaths linked to each other, and to the Atmos system. UNIT go in on mass to the ATMOS factory, and two soldiers discover a secret room in the basement with a mysterious vat in it. They are conditioned by a Sontaran and become under his control. The Doctor goes off to investigate the Atmos' creator, child genius Luke Rattigan, at his genius institute, while Donna goes home to see her Mother and Grandfather. The Doctor discovers a matter transporter a the genius institute that links up to a Sontaran mothership. He escapes and goes back to pick up Donna. Back at the Atmos factory, the two Sontaran controlled UNIT soldiers dupe Martha into going to the basement, where she is captured and cloned into the creature in the VAT. When The Doctor finds Donna, they look at the Atmos system in their car, and discover it is also a dangerousweapon full of gas that can control all of the cars functions. Donnas Grandfather then becomes trapped in the car while all 400 million atmos systems in the world start to emit gas. Watching The Sontaran Strategem, you really get the feeling that the series has started with a vengeance, something that you didn't necessarily feel before. We also have the return of another of the 'big' adversaries fromthe classic series, the Sontarans. As with all returning adversaries, they have as you may expect undergone a severe visual re-imagining, in other words, they are being redesigned with the money and effects that modern times bring. Some have been more successful than others, The Daleks, whilst slightly too powerful, visually were successful, the Cybermen with their flares, less so. I think that with the Sontarans, they are now possibly the most successfully redesigned classic series monster, really evoking memories of stories past, but haveing been beefed up and made more realistic with modern practices. There is an interesting dynamic with the regular cast of David Tennant and Catherine Tateas The Doctor and Donna respectively, as returning regular cast member Freema Agyeman as Martha throws something of a curveball into the equation. The character of Martha is clearly different to when she was a regular cast member, and Agyeman gives a more mature performance. Tennant and especially Tate are really settling in to their dynamic, andTate seems to be growing as an actress by the episode. In the guest cast, there is Jacqueline King as Sylvia Noble (Donna's Mother), and Bernard Cribbins as Wilfred Mott (Donna's Grandfather). The family of the companio is always important in the new series of Doctor Who, and in a way having really just the two members, especially if one is Bernard Cribbins, is welcome. Cribbins especially does a wonderful job. Elsewhere, Ryan Sampson is slightly wooden as Luke Rattigan, and Rupert Holliday Evans underplays his role of Colonel Mace. In terms of the Sontarans, note should go to Christopher Ryan and Dan Starkey who play the principal adversaries, General Staal and Commander Skorr. They do successfully evoke memories of the classic series, despite the rediculous chanting. It is worth discussing a bit aboutUNIT, who are now called the UNified Intelligence Taskforce. This came about following a request from the United Nations, and it is a real shame that this is the case. Ignoring this however, cosidering there is a classic series monster, given another classic series setting, on Earth with UNIT, popularised mainly during the Pertwee era, it really can be seen as a story that is modernising the traditional setting. There are many nods to the past, most noticably the call signs on the UNIT radio. These again are further indiocations that the classic ideals can work in the modern setting. One criticism of the story though is the 'Haka' style chanting of the Sontarans. The Sontarans are renowned to be efficient, scientific, ruthless and dispassionate warriors, honour seekers. This isn't really compatible with the Haka, or their nicknames they seem to have acquired from battles, such as 'The Undefeated'. This does make them more of a pantomime villain, and reminiscent of American showbiz wrestlers. It's almost as if they're trash talking at times, which is not a good image considering the nobility of their heritage. Overall, The Sontaran Strategem really marks the dramatic start of series 4. It is the start of the first two part adventure, and marks the return of many things, Martha, classic series settings and monsters and many nods to previous stories. The Sontarans themselves have been fantastically realised, but their heritage seems to have been slightly skewed in this re-imagining of the old adversaries. All in all, a good episode that builds tension throughout, and leads well into the cliffhanger at the end. Rating:  |