#vinder

Day 42: Last day on Observation Outpost Rose

War of the Sontarans (1855)

This is the first episode I’ve watched where the ‘main’ time period is a bit ambiguous, but enough of the main plot occurs in 1855 (as opposed to 2021) that it made the most sense to order it like this.

It’s amazing how many plot points in this episode rely on the assumption that sontarans don’t guard their ships. Dan is able to easily board the ones in Liverpool, despite everyone else who tried having been shot as a traitor. The Doctor and Mary Seacole board while all the sontarans are away in battle, apparently they didn’t think to leave a couple behind to guard. And at the end they sneak around the shipyard again to cut off their supplies, meaning the sontarans didn’t think to stagger when they replenish their resources. I know sontarans are individually not very bright… but come on. They are still meant to be one of the greatest military forces in the history of the Universe. And they don’t guard their things? You can head canon they were just being arrogant or something but I really don’t think that tracks for such supposedly dangerous soldiers - especially once they know the Doctor is around. We also see in this episode, sontarans not being able to aim several times, sontarans hesitating unnecessarily long before shooting several times, and sontarans being easily tricked several times.

Also, what an absolute waste of Mary Seacole, an absolutely fascinating historical figure who perfectly encapsulates many of the themes of the show as a whole. She is relegated to being a side character in part of a single episode, and for a large chunk of it, just watched the sontarans so that she can tell the Doctor something she already knew. Why was she not concerned about just abandoning her patients for this? It’s worth mentioning though that while she is on screen, Sara Powell does a fantastic job at playing the character, and I love the dynamic between her and the Doctor.

Dan’s involvement here feels quite contrived. What do you mean you’ve had experience dealing with aliens? You just got abducted and rescued, that doesn’t mean you’ll be able to break into alien spaceships? And then why does the Doctor ask him to come with her to find Yaz? Why does he agree? None of it makes sense, his motivations are not at all fleshed out, and it’s clear all these decisions are being made for no reason other than that he is meant to fill to role of ‘companion’.

Despite all these problems, the episode manages to be kinda fun. The new sontaran design is fantastic, Dan and his parents are hilarious, and Jodie Whittaker really stands out with a fantastic performance as she romps around the Crimea, telling off British generals.