This episode is a bit weird, including “You should be used to tight spots by now” followed by a man that’s about several-hundred-years-old holding her undercrackers, I think Martha had a dose of the Innuendos. Then again, it was always going to be a bit weird given the same writer (Stephen Greenhorn) for this episode also wrote “The Doctor’s Daughter,” and his daughter is played by David Tennant’s Wife. Oh, and she’s the daughter of Peter Davison, who played the 5th Doctor. However, that’s enough of confusing an editor, it is time to talk about a giant spider/scorpion-like creature without too much detail because it might put some off.

I don’t enjoy this episode myself really. Though it is not one of the episodes written by Mark Gatiss, he is an actor in the episode (one of only three times) and it gives that horror feeling which he’s known for. It is a slightly modern version vs his usual gothic horror, but at the end of the day it is still a horror episode I’m not too keen on. It lacks fun, excitement, and a sense I should be invested: The monster/Professor Lazarus isn’t a human story, it isn’t one that people would connect with easily.

“Do I dare disturb the universe?” – T.S. Eliot. Lazarus’ goal is to be young, rich, and famous. He already had two of those three things before transmogrifying his DNA in the everlasting human desire to live forever. Backed by Mr. Saxon (Vote Saxon!), Lady Sylvia Thaw, and seemingly others, he could spend his remaining years like any mad scientist perfecting their Magnum Opus. Turns out, reshuffling your DNA by manipulating your genetic code, and destabilizing it with only hypersonic sound to create resonance within the genre structure might be a bad idea. Who knew?

Though that’s not what the episode is about really. It was never going to be a big monster chase-y time adventure, oh no! It is about distilling distrust of The Doctor in Martha’s family. This comes mostly her mother who’s been speaking with a man from the government. Oddly another one of those men from the government that knows something, something only very few people would know about The Doctor. It is almost as if there was a larger story arc that was being played out right in front of your eyes, all to lay the seeds for a possible triple-bill episode to close out the third series. Nah, that would never happen.

I think the problem I have with the episode is the lack of morals other than a vague glance at T.S Eliot quotes. For an episode that could have spent 38-minutes questioning what it is to be human, there is very little other than straight-faced quotes like “Humans need to die,” “death is natural,” and “when you get older, you are going to die.” There just seems to be a lot left on the table that could have been done other than abhorrent 2007 TV VFX, a couple of chase scenes, and a lot of innuendoes. Questioning the morality of human life is what sci-fi is great at, but this was more of an action-adventure across a square mile of London.

If I didn’t already know how much I dislike “The Doctor’s Daughter,” I’d say I could possibly enjoy more of Stephen Greenhorn’s work. Though he’s only listed as working on three episodes, and the third is just a listing for creating the Hath to be featured in “The Magician’s Apprentice.” The only good thing I can remember about that one was Jemma Redgrave as Kate, Michelle Gomez being the saucy minx that is Missy, and the hope that is the episode Clara died in. Though I don’t think it is. Ah well, this was just a fine episode lacking anything impactful other than a big VFX monster that looks a bit crap.

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Doctor Who "The Lazarus Experiment"

5

Score

5.0/10

Pros

• Once again, Martha is a smart companion.
• Vote Saxon!

Cons

• Awful VFX for the monster.
• Story lacking some interesting points.