The Poison Sky

Martha Jones is a Sontaran clone, infiltrating is why she was grown, but she's only candid, with those making a bid, for the end of the world as it's known.

The reason for the Sontaran's presence in the sky becomes clear after they initiate the Atmos devices fitted to millions of cars. It's a race against time to stop their unearthly damage and also to prevent the top brass of UNIT launching their nukes, but with the Martha clone double agent the odds look stacked in the alien invaders favour.

The second part of the story is better. Watching it from a 2022 rewatch, it's actually amazing how much this episode predicted. A petulant man-child using "emissions" to pretend he cares about anything but his ego. And of course everyone having to seal themselves in their homes because it's deadly outside.

While it's not the best in season 4, it was fun to come back to earth to see Donna's family. The conversation around collateral damage is a good one to keep having, and it presents a good before and after between Martha and Donna. I think it's also a good contrast between the two, and shows how the shoe benefits without the sexual tension or crush. When the companion is simply a companion, the doctor is at his best.

Sylvia comes to the rescue with an axe, but would the Doctor have been so dim??

Toxic gas is pouring out of the cars, and the (small) Sontarans are preparing for war. The Doctor accuses them of cowardliness and learns their ongoing war with the Rutans is going badly. Martha's double is proving a thorn in the side. The Sontarans invade the base (at last,) but UNIT retaliates. The Doctor discovers what the gas is and sets about putting it right.

The Sontaran ship is a fantastic design, I liked the Sontaran invasion, the music was good. I loved the brig mention too.

I wasn't overwhelmed with Part 1, but it did have a few small redeeming features, The Poison Sky doesn't have too many, the performances are great in general, but the script is dreadful.

Are we due an episode with the Rutans? would be good to have a re imagining of them.

I will forever remember 'back of the neck,' loved Donna clubbing the Sontaran.

Is it a total disaster? not quite, there are some nice bits, the battle scenes are well played out, some of the effects are great, I quite like the Sontarans, they are well realised, other then that it's lacking on so many levels, all really due to the bad script, the actors gave their best, but poor 4/10

Like in most television episodes, this one is let down by the abysmal writing. Just before they die, b ad guys have a complete turn of heart, as though the ideas they cling to are able to be flipped thanks to a moment of compassion.

The not-so-subtle anti-technological undertones are apparent in the script as evil capitalist cars are used to kill the planet, with the atypical big bad military taking a nice big hit as well.

Thankfully, the script editor seems to have reoriented Ms. Raynor back towards actually writing a Doctor Who episode and so Tennant and a big crew manage to make some excellent entertainment.

But why, oh why, do the linguists always have to suck...

No worse either, and yes for a guest star Bernard Cribbins is killing it in his role as Donna's Granddad, so that was good to see. Another problem is I see this episode as a way of putting Donna and Martha together to "compete" you know the same way they already did in season 2 with Sarah Jane Smith and Rose