Rate And Discuss 3.11: Utopia

[Pip Madeley]

It’s a strange day, no colours or shapes, the sound of drums in my head, I forget who I am...



Those of you aren't at the meet tonight, you can start posting at 7.55pm - no spoilers till then.

[Andrew Curnow]

Or even better, don't start posting until 8:00 when the episode's finished!!!

(I'm after this year's SmartArse award... )

[Milky Tears]

I'm more excited about the two new BBC One idents. Rumours that they might premiere tonight before Doctor Who and Jekyll.

Enchanted Forest

Space

I wonder which one they'll show before 'Utopia'?

[Larry]

this is probably the first episode of series 3 that I have really been looking forward to as I just can't wait for Jack to return.

[Ralph]

Yay! John Simm! Things are looking up

I didn't see all of tonight's episode but I was delighted at the regeneration!

[Matthew T]

Holy shit!

[Pip Madeley]

OHMEGOD!!!

That's all I can say at the moment, I'm still in shock/delight - THAT KICKED ASS!!!

[Paul Hayes]

I've never really liked the Master much. But even I have to admit that was quite an exciting conclusion to the episode. Very good indeed.

8 out of 10.

[Paul Clement]

I've given this episode an 8/10, and that obviously suggests I liked it. I do think that this is the first story that I've seen where I'm sure that it will probably be marked down on subsequent viewing though.
The story doesn't have much in the way of plot, instead it's a vehicle to reintroduce the Master. It works well on first viewing because you're interested in finding out just how it all pans out, but most of the story relies to heavily on the shock/surprise tactic, and when that's no longer there, there isn't all that much left. As far as Master's go, Jacobi was quite good. I loved a couple of his later bits of diaogue, but I'm not quite sure about John Simm in the role yet though.

[Paul Clement]

I'm sure I heard a snatch of Roger Delgado!

Wasn't if from Daemons?

[WhiteCrow]

It was exciting and wonderful to see the Master returned.

However it got 7/10 from me because apart from that the rest of the episode seemed just padding.

[Ralph]

It was exciting and wonderful to see the Master returned.

However it got 7/10 from me because apart from that the rest of the episode seemed just padding.

If I'm honest I had it on in the background and then when John Simm turned up my fading interest in the show was revived I'm quite keen to see how this shapes up next week!

I think I'll hold onto to my avatar for a bit longer!

[Paul Hayes]

Now we have to bloody work out if our future episode guides list it as a three-parter or not, too. Curses!

[Alex]

I liked this a lot, but it was all about Jacobi and Jack wasn't it! I was really glad to see that there was an explanation as to why the Doctor had never come back for CJ, and the interplay between the two characters whilst Jack was in the radiation chamber was superb.

It was really lovely to have Jack back to being Jack, rather than the over serious version we saw in Torchwood. For me John Barrowman's performance was a little dodgy at times in that, but here it felt exactly right. I was glad to see the slightly crap looking future human's didn't have that big a role in the story, and that RTD really put a lot in to the script which I thought was really well written. Some of his one off's have been a bit flimsy for me, but he's getting quite good at the 'big' episodes now!

I got incredibly excited when Jacobi took out his watch, and Martha's reaction to it, and of course the regeneration was superb. Simm's played either downbeat or slightly dour roles for too long, it's been ages since I've seen him have fun with a role (Human Traffic was the last time he really seemed to be enjoying himself) so it was fantastic to see him really dig his teeth in to it.

It gets an 8/10 from me, and I can't wait for next week's episode now...and the wait for the one after's going to be even harder!

[Matthew T]

It really REALLY was astonishing! Started off normal, but as The Professor began to get his flashbacks it got more and more exciting! I'm sure I heard a snatch of Roger Delgado! The bit "I am The Master!" before electrocuting that insect woman has gotta be up there with the all time classic moments! And one of, if not THE best cliffhanger ever!

[Pip Madeley]

I LOVED the way the watch from Human Nature came into play, and the sound of drums, even the sound clip of Delgado's Master (yes Matt, I heard it too!)... all beautiful little touches. That whole bit was the most exciting ten minutes of Doctor Who I've watched for years, even my sister's jaw was on the floor when he regenerated.

[Andy Frankham]

That was fab! Jack and the Master! Oh yeah! FAB FAB FAB!

[Dirk Gently]

I've given this 7/10.

Don't get me wrong, I liked it but the story (although good) was very thin & I doubt that it will stand up to repeated viewings.
Derek Jacobi was superb & I wish he could have stayed for more than one episode. The interaction between him & the Doctor was excellent & felt so right. The echo's of memory that plagued the Professor was brilliant & there was both Roger Delgado & Anthony Ainley there as well.
Chan-Tho (spl?) was really well played & was like a companion for the Professor like the Doctor has in Martha.
Loved all the "I'm Jack Harkness" flirting & the Doctor's reprimands.

But, 'to be continued'? I thought this was a stand alone episode?

Who'll be the first to say that the writer has been watching Full Circle too much?

[Milky Tears]

Jacobi was the finest Master of them all.

Simmsssssssss is too camp already!

[Matthew T]

At this early stage I'd have preferred Jacobi to be The Master over John Simm, but that could never have happened I suppose!

[Wayne]

The show has been so good for the last 3 weeks that i found this a bit of a comedown. I was on was almost on the point of boredom, despite Jack's return. But then when the professor opened the watch, it got really exciting!
This makes the story difficult to rate. For me, it was basically the weakest episode so far, with the best last 10 minutes so far! I think i'll go for 7/10, on balance.

I'd have preferred Jacobi to be The Master over John Simm,

Definitely so in my case. I thought he was brilliant! I'm sure this Simm bloke will be good, but for my money Jacobi acted everyone off the screen. I loved his delivery of the line 'I - am - the - Master!'. It sent a shiver up my spine. Delgado would've been proud.

[Captain Tancredi]

I loved his delivery of the line 'I - am - the - Master!'. It sent a shiver up my spine.

I was sitting there willing him to say it!

Otherwise, the Futurekind probably owed as much to the Reavers from 'Firefly' as anything else and a similar plot with a rocket which may or may not work but is used to keep hope alive is a strand in the PDA 'City at World's End'. But you can't fault Derek Jacobi for a second- absolutely what the part needed. And I'm not always Jack's biggest fan, but he's just so much more fun in Who.

[Martin Penny]

Probably rate this one lower when I'm not quite as excited, but I really enjoyed it! In a way it's a shame this story had to be the return of the Master one, since it was a pretty good story without him, and oo, alien planet at last!

I thought Derek Jacobi was excellent, both as the Proffessor and The Master, and I too was willing him to say 'I am the Master!' and maybe an 'You will obey me!'. Loved the Ainley laugh and Delgado line in there too.
Wasn't sure what to make of John Simm at first, but I think he'll make a great Master, I liked he seemed very insane, with his 'TOUGH!' and 'Bye Bye!'.

Trailer for next week looks great too! U.N.I.T!

[Darren]

Hello- Oh, a new voice! Helllooo!

Superb! It was basically an episode to reintroduce the Master, so the refugee story was implemented as a back story like the Autons in Rose. The last ten minutes were probably the most exciting in new Who for a long time. And Graeme Harper's terrific direction was in evidence.

9 out of 10

[Zbigniev Hamson]

Hmm. Loved Mr Jacobi as the Master, but then he regenerated into a David Tennant impersonator and became less threatening than Anthony Ainley. Come to think of it I didn't really like Mr Jacobi as professor whats-his-face either, so the character was only any good for about 2 minutes. And the actual story was a bit rubbish too - a bunch of humans in a quarry hide from some other humans with pointy teeth and tattoos and piercings. "What are they?" asks Martha. Erm, they're people with tattoos and piercings. Then they all get on a big rocket that the Doctor fixes by being brilliant. Apart from 3 minutes of tantalising foreplay it was a bit crap really, 5/10 for me (just for the teasing).

Oh and that "chan" "tho" thing couldn't have been more annoying if it had tried. Why not just have a character that goes "weeeeeeeeee!" after every sentence?