Season Four Speculation

[meddow]

I was typing out some thoughts about Doctor Who and it became this: a somewhat lengthy speculation post for season four, the specials and eventual regeneration.

So according from the information I’ve managed to glean from Wikipiedia, the Sontaran episode is the first two-parter, which contains Martha, who is wearing a wedding ring in the promo shots. I think the assumption before this is that Martha was actually going to travel with the Doctor and Donna, but it appears she’s going to be Earth based, making Martha the new Brig. And this episode will be written by Steven Moffat since he’s writing the first two parter.

Since the Sontarans are appearing the first two parter as opposed to the second, it could be a set up for the season finale like the Cybermen episodes in season two. I think it would be quite awesome if the season finale contains the Sontaran-Rutan War. Since this war is as old as Sarah Jane, and with current technology the Rutans could be a lot more visually threatening then they were in Horror at Fang Rock (though with very respectable 100% guest cast mortality rate, you can’t argue that the Rutan’s are not effective at what they do). And since the Rutan’s can impersonate people, there is the potential for evil doppelgangers of the current and former cast.

Either before the Sontaran episode or after is going to be the Pompeii episode (we had three episodes before the first two parter in seasons 1 & 3 and four episodes before the first the first two parter in season 2), which I had previously though was going to be a two parter. However, we’ve not had a monster outlined to us for the episode indicating it might a historical and if it is indeed such, the first episode of New Who without a monster and I’d imagine TPTB would want to keep it to a one episode thing in case audiences don’t respond.

And then at some point or another after all of this, Jack is going to be back. For how many episodes we don’t know and the BBC has yet to confirm this. Since Martha and Jack are both Earth-bound it would make sense that they would appear in an episode together. Unless it’s Future!preFaceofBoe!Jack. The idea of Jack and Donna being in the same place at the same time has a lot of potential. The question is for how long will Jack be rejoining the Doctor, and will he return to being a companion?

Assuming Martha is in fact Earth bound, she still has to appear in three more episodes, which means three more episodes set on present day Earth. No surprises there.

All indications are that Donna is leaving at the end of the season, though I don’t think anybody has explicitly stated that Catherine Tate has been asked to do more and turned them down, and nobody thought she would do a full season in the first place, so I don’t think Donna leaving at the end of season 4 is quite an absolutely sure thing. The question then is how? Chooses to leave, is forced to leave and left behind have been the three methods used in New Who and married off or killed off are methods both methods that have been used in the history of the show.

Now for Martha’s future, if she is getting married, she’s probably not going to get back in the TARDIS, because she’s got a sensible head on her shoulders and leaving your fiancé to go gallivanting around space and time with the guy with whom she was previously in love is not a brilliant idea. She could however bring the fiancé along, with would make for an Ian and Barbara dynamic in the TARDIS. Somehow I doubt it though, I’m not sure if three doctors is the quite the dynamic the new series is going for.

So without Donna or Martha and also presumably without Jack, the show’s moving into the specials and then onto supposedly the death of the Tenth Doctor with the Doctor companionless. There’s always the potential for a crossover with the Sarah Jane Adventures which could be done without a companion. Of course television sets across the world would most likely explode as a result of the sudden surge of adorkable cuteness should the Doctor and Luke Smith ever interact, but if TPTB are willing to take that risk, I would love for that to happen.

Personally, I think a Doctor, Sarah and Jack team would be a good one to get through the regeneration with. After all, Tennant’s incredibly popular and will have by the time he regenerated been the Doctor for four years or 80% of the new series’ years on air. The new guy (or girl) is going to have a hell of a task when it comes to winning over the audience, and Jack and Sarah both characters capable of drawing an audience themselves from their spin-offs and may help. Of course, you’d probably have to come up with some reason why Sarah would leave the kids behind. But if Jack and Sarah were unwilling passengers the new Doctor drops them back off, it would offer the opportunity to tie up Torchwood and SJA should the new show runner not want to continue with the spinoffs. Plus my flatmate thinks that Sarah and Jack flirting would be the most awesome thing ever, and we should not deny my flatmate, after all she puts up with me.

Comments

[ragdoll.livejournal.com]

There are rumours that Jack, Martha and possibly several other characters who I won't name for fear of more spoilage will be seen in the Doctor-lite episode(s) which usually happen around ep 9/10 (i.e. Love & Monsters, Blink). I thought that was the Steven Moffat 2 parter but I could be wrong.

There are also rumours that we may not see the end of the 10th Doctor in the specials. I suspect it all depends on whether Russell leaves, who replaces him and whether David Tennant wants to continue on at that point based on the other 2 factors.

I hadn't picked up on the wedding ring so that's pretty cool. And I'm all for Martha as the New Brigadier/head of UNIT, especially since there are also pretty strong idicators that UNIT may be showing up again on the show!

[meddow.livejournal.com]

I'd be interesting to see how they get Jack involved in alien activity without the Torchwood crew turning up. Unless they are turning up (I'm curious as to who these 'other characters' are) You could have the Torchwood team involved, but then it'd just be an episode of Torchwood with less sex, swearing and violence and so there's not really much point.

As much as I do like Tennant, I'm kind of hoping he doesn't stick around after the specials. I just think some new blood after that length of time would be good, and he's in danger of turning into Tom Baker 2.0, not that I don't adore Tom Baker to bits, it's just I think its dangerous for the only the second New Who Doctor to become so iconic.

Oh, I'd love UNIT to show up more, and have actual characters who can make repeat appearances instead of being nameless soldiers like they were in SoD.

[ragdoll.livejournal.com]

I don't know how Jack's supposed to get involved or even much about the plot but I am reasonably sure that there will be no other Torchwood members (aside from Martha, obviously). John's definitely doing an episode - he let that slip in a recent interview. However, several tabloids have made a big deal about his return along with several other past companions *shifty look* who may have last been seen in Season 2 and one who just might have her own programme on CBBC right now... I think Donna and Martha are also supposed to be involved in that storyline assuming it's real and not something made up by the Sun or so much wishful thinking by crazed fangirls/boys.

I don't want DT to stay around forever either but I won't mind if he does 4 1/2 seasons rather than the obligatory 3. Tom Baker did overstay his welcome but that was over seven years with a lot more stories so I'm not quite sick of David's pretty face yet.

I am hoping we get a bit more UNIT stuff again. It was nice to see the Brigadier and Benton from time to time in the past. It's scary to think that it's only a few more weeks until the Christmas Special and presumably the S4 trailer which will just set off even more speculation!

[meddow.livejournal.com]

Oh, that casting rumour. I discounted it when a couple of weeks later Lis Sladen got asked about it and hadn't a clue. Plus I live in hope that any rumour about a possible return of Rose will be untrue.

And, yay, season 4 trailer and Christmas special! Bring it on!

[ragdoll.livejournal.com]

I'm with you on the return of Rose although it seems like the whole Rose + Tyler family return rumours won't die. I don't mind so much if it all takes place on Alt-Earth and there's no connection to the Doctor at all but we'll see.

We're getting closer. Right now, I'm trying not to go mental over the Children in Need Special this week. I'm really peeved that I couldn't find the mags with the Peter Davison interviews before I left London. They were out there -- just couldn't find a news stand that had 'em!

[doyle_sb4.livejournal.com]

(Here while browsing the who_daily watchlist) Steven Moffat's 2-parter is the second one (and it's apparently linked to an idea from The Empty Child, leading to lots of speculation that it's the Jack story) - the Sontaran story is by Helen Raynor.

[lizbee.livejournal.com]

Wasn't RTD saying at one point that the Doctor-lite story of season 3 was Moffat's Jack story? Or am I just going crazy (as usual)?

[meddow.livejournal.com]

Well, I've never read anything to that effect, but I've been known to miss things. And RTD has carried on ditched ideas from one season to another, like Pompeii.

[notfromvenus.livejournal.com]

I think I've seen a bit of speculation about that on OG, but I don't remember RTD saying that.

[meddow.livejournal.com]

Sweet. I (obviously) thought it was the other way around. That unfortunately gives me a bit less hope that they're going to break the first two parter being not particularly good pattern, though I do think Helen Raynor's going to do better this time around.

[artic-fox.livejournal.com]

Interesting thoughts. It makes me whimper to think of Ten leaving, even though it is inevitable and of course, the way of the show. I hope that whoever is Eleven is different, and yet still hooks us in as quickly as Ten did. As you said, having a companion who we are already invested in is a good way to tide over the transition.

I read of Jack's return from an article quoting John Barrowman himself, but he didn't say anything further on number of episodes, or anything like that. Although I'm sure if any news surfaces the Who fandom will dig it out.

[meddow.livejournal.com]

I can't wait to see what they do with the New Doctor. I think Tennant's doing a wonderful job at the moment and I'll be sad to see him depart, but I'd love to see a production team and actor's new spin on the character.

[artic-fox.livejournal.com]

Yes, it is exciting yet scary at the same time to think of a new Doctor. Scary in the fact that Tennant has been one, if not, THE most popular Doctor ever, and whoever follows on from him will have huge shoes to fill, and a lot of people will be very judgemental, just by sheer loyalty to Ten. But exciting at the same time to see how Eleven will be interpreted and played and how the new dynamic of the character plays out.

A lot of people are saying John Simm, but personally I don't see it, and can't think of how that would work without confusing people.

[meddow.livejournal.com]

There is some precedent to the John Simm claim. Colin Baker played a villain on the show before being cast as Six, though unlike Simm he played a relatively minor one, I think (I haven’t seen that serial). Anyway, I’ve seen a theory posed in fandom that the Fifth Doctor’s death was so horrific, he turned into the image of enemy, or something like that (I haven’t seen the Fifth Doctor’s death serial either), which could make for some wonderful drama if that happened to Ten and Martha happens to be travelling with him when it happens.

Though generally I think there’s really no base to the rumour because it really would be confusing. And it’s not as if there isn’t another show out there where you can see John Simm as a time traveller.

[artic-fox.livejournal.com]

Ahh, I didn't know that about Colin Baker, although I know very little about old Who. Neverthless, for the sake of simplicity, recasting John Simm as the Doctor would probably confuse a lot more people rather than it being a normal regeneration.

And as you said... John Simm, timetraveller? Familiar :P

[gwynevere1.livejournal.com]

Plus my flatmate thinks that Sarah and Jack flirting would be the most awesome thing ever, and we should not deny my flatmate, after all she puts up with me.

Aw, heck. I had just decided that Jack/Donna flirting would be the greatest thing ever, and here you go and prove me wrong again.

[meddow.livejournal.com]

Don't worry, other than Donna/Master, I'm all out of never met in canon New Who pairings.

[notfromvenus.livejournal.com]

(Here from whodaily)

Some interesting ideas there!

it appears she’s going to be Earth based, making Martha the new Brig

That totally could be (especially given the rumors going around that she might be linked to UNIT somehow! ;)). The other possibility is that she does one Earth-based story early on, and then rejoins the TARDIS crew for the last two stories.

And since the Rutan’s can impersonate people, there is the potential for evil doppelgangers of the current and former cast.

You know, I haven't been keen on the Sontaran/Rutan war thing, but if that's what's going on..... it could totally explain all those rumors about Rose, Jackie. etc returning. That's brilliant. :)

However, we’ve not had a monster outlined to us for the episode

Mmm, I think I read somewhere that an alien spaceship lands on a quarry Mt. Vesuvius. Still, if not... it'd be the first pure historical since, oh, S19? O_o

. Plus my flatmate thinks that Sarah and Jack flirting would be the most awesome thing ever

SO TRUE. :D

[notfromvenus.livejournal.com]

Oh, and I should say: I like your idea of Martha and her hubby/fiancee (I hope it's fiancee, so one of the specials can have her wedding ;)) travelling with the Doctor. As long as they didn't make the Doctor a third wheel, which would be weird/awkward. But TPTB could probably manage to avoid that. :)

[meddow.livejournal.com]

Oh, I hope there's not going to be a spaceship on Mt. Vesuvius. While I haven't seen The Black Orchid, I really love the Season One historicals and would love to see a reintroduction of them into the show.

Personally, I think it would be fun to see the Doctor as the third wheel, it'd be funny to see him try to compete for attention and a place within his own TARDIS. Though only for an episode and no longer, I could imagine it getting old very quickly.