New Who Season Four Report Card

See David’s S4 Report Card and Tansy’s S4 Report Card through the clickies! (See our Season One Report Cards here, our Season Two Report Cards here, and our Season Three Report Cards here)

SEASON FOUR REPORT CARD – Tehani

The Doctor: David Tennant

I think Tennant really hits his straps in this season – he’s bonkers mad but with that controlled undercurrent of complete awesome. Being tempered by Donna’s compassion for others (human or alien) really did seem to make a difference to his characterisation, and I think this is probably my favourite season of Tennant.

The Companions:

Donna Noble: Catherine Tate

I LOVE DONNA! Sometimes Tate may have taken Donna a bit over the top, but generally, I just adored the character. Worst treatment of a companion in her ending, but gosh, she was awesome.

Recurring Characters:

Martha Jones: Freema Agyeman

I really liked that Martha got a chance to be the companion she should have been last season, without all the annoying mooning after the Doctor. Great to see her back and powerful.

Rose Tyler: Billie Piper

Can’t say the same for Rose to the same extent, because she’s still being an annoying teenager with a crush about the Doctor, but at least she’s being the hero of her own adventure as well. She annoyed me far less in her appearances this seasons than in her own, so yay!

The boys are back in town: Jack Harkness (John Barrowman) & Mickey Smith (Noel Clarke)

Both Mickey and Jack are completely likeable and brilliant in this, and it’s really great to see them both “all grown up”, as it were! I had watched (erm, devoured) all of Torchwood before coming to the season rewatch, so Jack was a completely different character to me than he had been first time around, which may have helped!

Sarah Jane Smith: Elisabeth Sladen

*sniff* Elisabeth Sladen died when Swancon 2011 was in progress, and there was a big segment of the attending members in mourning then. But I hadn’t yet found my Doctor Who love by then, so while I understood, to a point, because I remembered Sarah Jane, it didn’t have currency. Now, having seen these, and some Sarah Jane Adventures too, this becomes even more poignant. I wish she’d had the chance to do more.

Donna’s family – Wilfred Mott (Bernard Cribbins) & Sylvia Noble (Jacqueline King)

Wilf is just the best ever family member of a companion – supportive, caring and enthusiastic. Love him! Sylvia’s characterisation was a bit patchy for me, swinging from nagging, nasty mum to pretty darn awesome minor-hero, but overall, I did enjoy her.

What is your favourite episode of this season?

That’s actually really hard, because I love a lot of them! Probably have to come down on the side of “Silence in the Library/Forest of the Dead”, but only because, well, LIBRARY!

Least favourite episode?

You know what? I’m going to go with “Journey’s End”, just because of the horrible ending for Donna. Yes, I’m still cross.

Favourite guest performance?

You mean, other than all the returning companions, right? Even putting them aside, there are so many to choose from! I think I’ll have to go with Lesley Sharp as Sky Silvestry in “Midnight” though, simply on the strength of that amazing dialogue!