sci-fi calendar items

For my own reference, as well as yours:

• Oct 27^th: Battlestar Galactica: The Plan is released on DVD, Blu-Ray, digital download. Premeires on the Sci Fi Channel (no, I'm not using that other name) sometime in November.
  
• Nov 3^rd: V premeires on ABC.
  
• No word on air dates for Sarah Jane Adventures S3 (with Judoon kickoff and later ep w/David Tennant), other than "Autumn".
  
• Similarly vague about final Tennant episodes Waters of Mars (November) and 2-part finale The End of Time (Xmas).
  
• Also! We have an unoffical report that BBC has picked up a 4^th series of Torchwood. "How?" is another question - as a sendoff, it would've been the best in TV's history (at least as far as I know). But to continue? I'm not opposed, but I do wonder how they can just "go back" to the old format...

Tags: doctor who, sci-fi
Mood: nerdy

Collected Sci-Fi Notes

1. Saw District 9 last weekend. I was going to do a full review, but for a couple of reasons I won't. I'll just say that it was very very good...for a movie. Near-perfect CG, interesting storyline, a good characterization of the aliens, etc. But, as it was a movie, it had some "movie"-like aspects that I try to avoid. I tried to explain a bit when I reviewed the Star Trek movie. Suffice it to say I prefer the (modern!) TV format for a sci-fi fix. Nonetheless, it was money was well spent.

2. When there's been time, I've been watching the commentaries on BSG S 4.5, and have covered nearly all of the material in the first 3 (out of 4) discs. What's been learned:

• Sometimes a Great Notion was written before the writer's strike, which could explain why it's still got some of the old BSG "pow" from before.
  
• From the RDM podcasts, it sounds like the writers were in fact (as I suspected) overextended between BSG and The Plan and Caprica. It was admitted that they in fact made Adama throw one or two too many temper tantrums, but it was because they were so distracted that every time seemed like the first.
  
• Islanded in a Stream of Stars makes a hell of a lot more sense in its extended version, both on its own and for developments in the finale.
  
• Edward James Olmos is a man of few words. Unfortunately, this made his director's cut commentary for Islanded very boring indeed.

3. I am going to give Defying Gravity a try this week, as there's only 5 eps to spin up on. If I like it, I'll start reviewing it.

4. I've joked about it, but it's actually true: what I really want to go as for Halloween is The 456. But aside from the fact that its construction may lie a bit outside of my time and abilities, I don't think the organizers of the events I would be attending would appreciate my costume vomiting blood and mucus on the walls of their establishment.

Still, a girl can dream.

Tags: sci-fi
Mood: calm

Torchwood: Children of Earth

The Torchwood: Children of Earth miniseries was what the BBC put up in place of a full season 3 - all five episodes airing daily (M-F) of this past week. Although this format was a pain in the ass as far as my schedule was concerned (meaning I had to hole myself up to watch TV when I'd normally be enjoying the summertime), I must admit that for the story told it was appropriate -each installment corresponds to one 24 hour period of the plot.

Initially I wasn't sure how well Torchwood would perform forced into a miniseries format - I envisioned something that probably would be pretty good, but would lose some of its "chemistry" in the process of trying to spin a longer epic, sort of the way The X-files movie turned out. Instead, I (and as far as I can tell, every other fan or critic) got blown away by one of the best sci-fi productions put out in recent years.

The most remarkable thing about the miniseries was its pace and intensity. By the end of each installment a little bit more of the mystery had been revealed to the audience, while simultaneously we are set with up new mysteriess. This formula ensured that the pressure was "on" nearly the entire time. By the end of #1, the Torchwood hub had blown up from a bomb planted in Jack's stomach. In #2 the team is running from assassains from their own government. By the end of 4, we discover the horrible deal the British government is willing to make to bargain for the human race's survival, and we witness the loss of yet another Torchwood member.

If the pace slows anywhere, it's in episode 5, where all plot threads must be resolved. Always a tricky business, closing the deal. But Davies et al still did better than BSG in that regard - the inconsistencies and open questions are relatively minor, and is easily ignored because our attention is diverted to Jack's terrible choice in saving humanity by destroying his own grandson.

The mood in this miniseries is dark and unflinching. There is a running theme of the burdens of command, in both Jack and Frobisher, and our unnamed military commando (the mid-forties woman in heavy makeup). Peter Capaldi does a brilliant portrayal of the tortured (and utimately tragic) John Frobisher. Jack is similarly tortured, but in a slightly otherworldly way - after all, he's not really on the same plane as everyone else. I also enjoyed the more subtle story of Bridget Spears, and also the complicated relationship between Jack and his daughter. The role of Clement McDonald could've easily slipped into the realm of "stereotypical mental patient", but the actor (Paul Copley) managed to create an original (and charming) character.

A few characters were less well developed. The Prime Minister, for one - he was mostly portrayed as the out-for-himself politician, which wasn't quite as interesting. Lois Habiba, while I rooted for her, she didn't venture much outside of being "plucky" or "scared" (and what the heck happened to her in the end? Did they never let her out of jail?). I also never really figured out Mr. Dekker (the guy who looked like Robert Culp). Sometimes he seemed like a man with a secret, sometimes he seemed like a bit player.

There was also quite a bit of backstory on Ianto - not surprising given that Children of Earth was his swansong. More focus is given to his relationship with Jack, and in particular its asymmetrical nature. Also in the miniseries, Ianto's sister and brother-in-law figure prominently in the action, not merely functioning as "texture". Probably the funniest part of the whole miniseries was when Ianto's car is stolen and his brother-in-law runs outside to pelt the thieves with bricks on their "lap of honor". Humour is not absent from CoE, but it does not distract from the serious aspects - it's more like a welcome relief, a "laugh so you don't cry" moment. For example, not too long afterwards, same brother-in-law is warning the neighborhood about the military coming to take the children, and going head-to-head with them to give the children a few more minutes to flee.

In short, the miniseries is dark, intense, and not something where ethical dilemnas are neatly wrapped up at the end of the day. But it's a heck of a ride.

So the question that everyone surely is asking is: Where can this series possibly go next? The hub is destroyed, Jack beamed off to space, Ianto's dead (preceded by Tosh & Owen at the end of S2), and Gwen is preggers. Were they really planning on reconstituting things, or was this "season 4" talk just a ruse by RTD to throw us off the trail of the developments in Children of Earth?

I can't see how, honestly. But then again, I didn't think RTD had in him the stamina and caliber of writing for something like Children of Earth. If they do try, I wish them well and hope for more good things.

Tags: doctor who
Mood: satisfied

Heads up on Torchwood: Children of Earth

Just a quick reminder that Torchwood: Children of Earth is currently being broadcast in the UK this week (6-10 July) and will hit BBC America 20-24 July. For whatever reason, this is it for Torchwood Season 3: they're showing 5 episodes over 5 days. Seems it would be more fun (not to mention easier on the schedule) to have them shown over 5 weeks, but there you have it.

I'll post a review when I get time, likely for the whole miniseries rather than comment on each segment.

Tags: sci-fi
Mood: cheerful

Since dj_vlad wanted to know, others might too

FYI, The Sarah Jane Adventures Season 1 is available for pre-order now, to be release in Oct.

Torchwood S2, as well (for Sept), but I think I posted that one before.

Tags: doctor who
Mood: cheerful

Torchwood Season 2, Episode 13

Wow, what a depressing finale to Season 2. Owen and Tosh both bite it, never even having gone out on their "date". I guess they could resurrect Owen in some kind of spider-man-esque radiation rejuventation, but unless Captain John rewrites the whole timeline, I can't think how they could bring Tosh back. And if he did that, I'd have to think it would've been in this story.

So all the buildup around Captain John tormenting the team was a red herring. The real baddie was Jack's long lost brother Gray, who has become embittered from his childhood experience of being kidnapped by inexplicably sadistic aliens. The casting of Gray was what, in my mind, made a potentially great finale settle as just good. The nemesis role has got to have more to it than a fresh young face. This actor fell short, IMO. James Marsters did a fine job first as the perceived baddie, then as the notalgic/honor-bound redeemer. But the perfomance of the Gray character was not compelling at all - he seemed more like a surly teen than a damaged, deranged mastermind.

That's the only complaint (other than my frustration at still not knowing what the weevils are, and why they wear those silly identical jumpsuits). I'm sad that Owen and Tosh didn't get to ever make traction on their feelings, but perhaps when/if S3 comes about, all will be made clear. *crossing fingers*

Tags: doctor who
Mood: sad

Torchwood Season 2, episode 12

Season two's penultimate story was a series of flashbacks embedded in a setup for the finale. The Torchwood team (except for Gwen, who overslept, and because we already know her story) goes to an abandoned warehouse to investigate alien activity and find instead explosive devices from the needy Captain John ("I'm blowing your team up because you won't spend time with me"). While buried under the rubble awaiting rescue, they all recall what brought them to Torchwood in the first place.

For Jack, it apparently was something to do to pass the time. For Tosh, it was to get out of a UNIT cell (when did UNIT get so gestapo??). Owen it was to escape grief and to assuage his survivor guilt. Ianto basically pestered his way in.

They were entertaining little stories, and it was nice to fill in some of the gaps. I'm not sure however, either now or in the long run, if these stories add/will add anything to the TW/DW universe. Seemed they were just independent side-trips of memory, for reference only.

Tags: doctor who
Mood: blah

Torchwood Season 2, Episode 11

Reminder everyone who's following along: Torchwood moves to Fridays starting tonight. The good news is there's virtually no wait for a new TW. The bad news: I wonder how the ratings will be now that, in the course of a 13-episode season, they've changed the night and moved the first-aired channel to BBC3. I say this because although S3 is in pre-production, it still is contigent on S2's ratings. Hope BBC isn't "pulling a Farscape" on them...

Onto the review: "Adrift" is the first of the Chibnall-authored, 3-story runup to the season finale. I haven't always trumpeted his work, but this story was way better than the stinker in the last installment, "from out of the rain".

This was a mostly engaging story about Gwen trying to reclaim her lost identity as a "caring" person. Personally, I've never liked Gwen as a character, I think she's ethically unstable and not terribly genuine. However, I did enjoy the episode. Gwen chases after some missing people that her old beat partner is investigating. Turns out there's tons of people going missing in Cardiff, and it's the "rift" that's to blame, sucking them out of time & space like a Hoover.

But Jack tells her to lay off the investigation, but since discipline doesn't exactly reign supreme at Torchwood (must be all those naked hide-and-seek games), Gwen ignores him. Turns out Jack has his hand involved in it somehow. She gets a tip from bitch-boy Ianto and worms her way into a decrepit facility on an island that is housing many of the missing people. Turns out Jack is overseeing the care of the people that the rift returns again, many of whom are seriously fucked up by their experiences (I thought that guy's head was going to explode when he started screaming).

Only a few quibbles, although they are kind of glaring:
1. Gwen and her partner discover this "surge" in missing persons in Cardiff. What, do the police not run crime statistics? No one else had been paying attention up to this point?
2. Um, why does Jack house up all these people in the most depressing, run down facility ever? Is that supposed to contribute to their care?
3. The mom of the missing teenager has been told by Gwen that her son was injured and that he had aged 40 years. Why did she flip out and need convincing? Then later she natters on about how she wishes she didn't know, blah blah. She doesn't seem like a very good mother - she could be using her knowledge to do something to help, at the very least lend emotional support to her son in his "good" hours. But she spends all that time going on about how it impacts her. I don't think that's a very realistic portrayal of a parent.

All and all, a much better episode. Or maybe they throw in these crap stories to make us grateful for the main writing crew. ;)

Oh, and Gwen accidentally barging in on naked Ianto/Jack, and then being asked to join in - seriously hot, people...

Oh, PS - in this ep it's totally obvious (well, if you look hard) that the actor playing Tosh is pregnant. Not big-belly preggers, but she's definitely got that with-child bloating going on...

Tags: doctor who
Mood: optimistic

Torchwood Season 2, Episode 10

Well, this week's Torchwood can't really even be called "Science Fiction", as there was no hint of science (or any type of rational explanation) anywhere in it. Just sort of a derivitive PG-rated mishmash of themes and styles. It was solely meant to scare, but its lack of grounding in anything substantive made it impossible to take seriously. Better luck next time.

It should be no suprise, the guy who wrote this episode also did the "Faery" episode from S1 that flopped so spectacularly.

Tags: doctor who
Mood: disappointed

Torchwood Season 2, Episode 9

So it's the Torchwood wedding episode, and as in all teevee weddings, outrageous hijinks ensue. This time in the form of a shapeshifting alien inseminating Gwen with a 24-hour gestation of their demon spawn (Ow, the stretch marks!) the day before the wedding. Gwen insists on hobbling down the aisle on her Big Day, in opposition to Jack and other saner heads ("Rhys may forgive you for walking down the aisle with a baby that isn't his, but he won't if you deliver a shapeshifting alien that eats half his family").

The best part is, dumb ol' Gwen decides to lie to her parents and tell them the baby is Rhys', not realising until afterwards that when they get rid of the alien menace in her belly, she'll have to tell them she lost the baby. Nice thinkin' there, dumb-ass...

Then much chaos ensues, as one of the groomsmen gets killed by the alien and Tosh & Jack fire into the wedding crowd. The day is saved by "a bigger gun", and Jack drugs all of the wedding guests with amnesia pills. Um, okay, maybe that works with random days out of one's life, but don't you think their families will find it odd that none of them remember the wedding? Or that one of the groomsmen is never seen again?

I think the amnesia pill is getting to be in Torchwood what the Sonic Screwdriver has been to Doctor Who.

Oh, and Owen's still dead.

Tags: doctor who

Torchwood Season 2, Episode 8

Oooo-kay, so Owen is now a zombie, with no signs of going back to "living". The story didn't have much by way of action, it mainly revolved around Zombie Owen, and how he's taking things. He cheers up a suicidal woman in the end, but I'm not sure what the audience is supposed to take away from it. That he's accepted his fate? That he's going to try to help others? That he's dead (no pun intended) inside? It wasn't clear.

Martha figured into this story in only a minor way, which kind of made her departure anti-climactic. With all that's going on with Zombie Owen, it was kind of hard for Martha to have her moment in the sun. Maybe she left because she felt ignored. Or maybe she went shopping for a better wardrobe (I don't think "Professional Attire" Martha has quite as much style).

OK, so there was nothing ridiculous (bad CG monster, glaring plot holes, etc) about this, but also nothing compelling. Churn churn churn. No more Tregenna-written eps this season, so who knows if the quality will improve.

Next week is a doubled-up TW again, I can only guess they're doing this so the season's over when Who begins...or maybe they could've started the season earlier to accomplish the same goal?

Tags: doctor who
Mood: blah

Torchwood Season 2, Episode 7

Dead Man Walking basically just confused the hell out of me. I'm not sure it was in a good, The Empty Child sort of way either, but whatever. Maybe it'll make more sense the 2^nd viewing.

Tags: doctor who
Mood: confused

Torchwood Season 2, Episode 6

For some reason, last week they doubled up on the TW eps, although I didn't get to the 2^nd until Sunday, and haven't reviewed until today. The good news is, one more day 'til another story!

So this was the much anticipated entrance of Martha onto the series. Turns out she's actually working for UNIT, which explains all the buildup around that (I was hoping they'd bring back the Brig for a cameo).

Martha came to help the TW team to investigate a pharmaceutical company who's testing a miracle panacea drug that also involves injecting the test subjects with an alien parasite (which then kills them). The company is working on getting the "cure" without getting the "kill" at the end, but with no luck. So they assasinate their own test subjects to avoid detection by the authorities.

The company also apparently believes in skipping over animal testing and going straight to human subjects to work the bugs (ha) out of their product. *sigh*

Ignoring this glaring plot hole, the story seemed a little rushed. Trying to get Martha in, build the story, resolve it, and bridge into the next few episodes with Owen getting shot was just too much. Also, the doctor shouting "you've ruined my life's work", pulling a gun, and shooting Owen seemed rather tacked-on. Erm...and CLICHE.

I enjoyed the 2 eps prior to this, but they were written by someone else (from now on, I'm going to keep an eye out for "Tregenna" as writer). Hopefully the next two storylines with Martha (she leaves at the end of 8, it seems) will find the right pace.

Tags: doctor who
Mood: sneezy

Torchwood Season 2, Episode 5

"Adam" might turn out to be my favorite Torchwood story yet. The writer, Catherine Tregenna, may be Torchwood's answer to Dr. Who's Stephen Moffat, having also written S1 eps "Out of Time" and "Captain Jack Harkness".

The central concepts are memory and identity, as an alien calling himself Adam violates, rearranges, and generally fucks with the Torchwood team's memories, his powers transferred through touch. But this rearrangement of their engrams is believably sloppy (i.e., organic), and side effects emerge as clues that something is amiss. Gwen forgets who her fiance is, Jack's buried memories bubble up, and above all, Adam does not have the opportunity to get to all the paper and electronic records that would've shown he hadn't existed in their lives until 2 days ago (instead of the 3 years lie he implants in their memories). Apparently (this is the part I'm fuzzy on), he needs to be in memories to survive, and in the end the Torchwood crew takes amnesia pills to kill him. But he also thinks he's doing some sort of positive service, in that his memory alterations took out some undesirable traits in the process (Owen's cynicism, Tosh's insecurity). But to me it seemed like a tradeoff of one demon for another (Owen becomes a mousy doormat, Tosh becomes a bit of a snot).

But ultimately any claims of altruism on Adam's part is false - when the going gets tough, he threatens, torments, and manipulates.

Don't have any nits to pick with this episode - was too busy enjoying myself. Here's to hoping for more stories like this, and that Ms. Tregenna gets drafted for another before season's end.

Tags: doctor who
Mood: pleased

Torchwood Season 2, Episode 4

This one took a bit of a different tone, as it departed from the usual Torchwood mission of fighting off alien menaces. This time, (an) alien was the victim, a whale-like creature had fallen through the rift and was captured by a gaggle of unethical meat packers. They harvested the creature's body as it was still alive, and sold it. Although there probably would've been a dozen more lucrative money-making schemes involving a captured alien, the writers had them going with the absolutely most heartless option. Gwen's fiance's company happens to be meat distributors, and he gets pulled into it all.

Then, argue, shouting, Rhys is jealous of Jack and tells him off, and Jack is predictably (but hillariously) turned on by all of that. Jack also suddenly becomes super-compassionate and weepy over the beast, probably so that he'll stack up well in Gwen's eyes (although let me remind you - he's still boffing Ianto). The animal has to be killed in the end which is for the best, because of the feeding bills and BBC's paltry CGI budget.

Other notes involve unfocused "development" of the Tosh/Owen buildup. This episode seems like it should've been aired before "To the last man", because Tosh is back to being doe-eyed at Owen, who proceeds to not know she exists. Erm, isn't Tosh supposed to be "damaged" now, from the business with Tommy? And Owen, suffering his own comparable loss last season, should find commonality with her, that would presumably lead to a romance later? That would've been far more compelling. But I do notice a touch of ADD with Gardner and Davies with respect to consistency, so I'm not terribly surprised that this arc isn't as smooth as it should be.

In the end, Jack orders Gwen to amnesia-drug Rhys, but having the shared experience about being able to talk to someone close about all the aliens proves to be too valuable to her. She calls his bluff and says she won't do it, even upon consequence of firing ===> her own amnesia. Jack backs off because he's got a hard-on for her (critical mistake! never show weakness!) and now he'll be figuring in more prominently.

Next up: Something about "Grey", who seems to not be Jack's son, but his brother. And soon, Martha....

Tags: doctor who
Mood: geeky

Torchwood Season 2, Episode 3

This was a historical/time-travel episode where the Torchwood team are tasked (from an earlier Torchwood incarnation) to seal up some kind of temporal rift with the year 1918. For some reason, this involves feezing and then periodically waking a young soldier from WWI. In the interval, Tosh falls for the (rather) young man, but they eventually must make the hard decision to send him back to seal up the rift and save humanity. Even though it will result in the young man's death. The guy, understandably, doesn't want to go, but eventually does because Tosh talks him into it.

The explanation of the time travel business didn't make sense to me in the first go-round (why his presence is so critical), but whatever. I've noticed several of the Who-related plots get lazy with justification and also resort to near-"magic" devices, such as that temporal "key" the young man was given to seal the rift. I mean, it's ok, I can suspend my disbelief, but it feels so much better when the writer takes the trouble to come up with an explanation that jibes. Too slim on real science and the genre slips to...fantasy.

Otherwise, we're seeing here Tosh get seriously hurt by having to say goodbye forever to someone she (presumably) loves. And Owen, who went through that same scenario last season, is there to lend the shoulder to cry on. Of course we all know that they will get together by season's end. But it's a fun (IMO) buildup.

Otherwise, there was weird but sexy dialogue/kissing between Ianto and Jack. And the previews for next time (Reese gets caught up in an alien smuggling ring?) looked intriguing. Good thing I only have a couple days to wait.

Tags: doctor who
Mood: okay

Torchwood Season 2, Episode 2

Seems I'm getting later and later with the Torchwood reviews, despite viewing them the night they aired. Ah well, that's work/life...

This story surrounds a seemingly ordinary woman, Beth, who turns out to be an alien masquerading as humans as part of a pre-invasion sleeper cell. The members are unaware of their alien identity and are subconsciously sending back information to [insert evil alien race].

But this fact is only discovered because Beth and her (human) husband's home is broken into, and the alien persona comes out of the subconscious for a brief time, and dispatches the burglars. Then it recedes, and Beth has no memory of the incident and no idea she is not human. Well, until the Torchwood team practically waterboard it out of her (apparently suspected alien invaders have no legal rights here). Then Beth has to come to terms with the fact that she is actually a very dangerous creature who will, against her currently "human" will, work against the interests of every human being on earth.

This is a "humanity" episode, and Beth makes for a sympathetic character, with her overriding love for her husband (who the alien persona eventually kills, to her horror), and her general "WTF" fear. It's designed to make the viewer think about how they would react/feel in such a situation. I do wonder however, How Beth manages to straddle the human/alien sides, whereas her other cell members activate fully, intent on causing chaos. I assumed it was something Tosh did (they took her "off the network"), but after 2 views, it's still not 100% clear.

But other than the human aspect, and the team needing to stop the other cell members, there's not much else to say. No subplots or sexual intigue or whatnot. Oh, and the infamous "let's all have sex" line from the previews manifested in this episode, but it was so weak and non sequitur that it was rather a disappointment. For one thing, it came out of nowhere, and Owen previously showed no signs of bisexuality (or even horniness) in this ep. I personally kind of was expecting a lot more buildup to delivering a line like that. Ah well.

Next story (a historical one) will also be late being reviewed, as I won't get a chance to watch it until next Sunday at the earliest...

Tags: doctor who
Mood: doin' taxes

Torchwood, Season 2, Episode 1

Being as I first viewed it Wednesday, it's taken forever to post a review of the Torchwood kickoff, but it's been a crazy week.

So, Jack is back, after having abandoned the Torchwood team for "his Doctor". The plot was a little thin on this one, but that's probably to be expected with all the recapping and foreshadowing. Mainly though, this episode was steeped in sex. Not that I'm objecting, mind you, but this first dose was a little like eating an entire bowl of frosting (bear in mind I've done this recently) - the sugar rush gives way to getting slightly ill. But it was all highly amusing nonetheless.

What little sci-fi plot/action there is basically revolves around "Captain John", one of Jack's peers from his old scam front, the "Time Agency". John is like Jack but waaaaay more so. More of a drunk, more of a sex fiend (he checks out a poodle) and more of a liar and a manipulator. This last point is what is going to make him this series' Master (arch-villain of comparable abilities as the lead). James Marsters is a good choice, I can buy it. He seduces, lies, begs, threatens, or sleeps his way out of any situation, and I think the only one he didn't flirt with is Owen (what a liability his heterosexuality is proving to be!). As a villain, I'll take this guy over bad-CG horned beast any day.

So the rest of the episode was just about sex. Ianto pining for Jack, Tosh and Owen hinting around about getting together, Gwen getting engaged to Reese/Rhys (?) because "no one else would have" her. Aw, ain't love grand? I can't imagine too many people would want someone who's a cheater and treats them basically as a stand-in until someone better comes along.

With Gwen, we get to the one major point that didn't make sense: When did Gwen get the special amnesia pill where she now thinks everything that happened between her & Owen was with Jack instead?? Um, ok, maybe there was a bit of an awestruck crush on her part in S1, but she had major issues with Owen and their affair, and somehow this all got transferred onto Jack. As if the audience is supposed to forget which male she was cheating with. But no, Jack is too honorable to be doing that, so they put in the more morally dubious Owen. But now they're all exchanging looks and making veiled assertions about how they feel about each other, and I'm just like, WTF??

Oh, BTW, loved the fish guy in the beginning - if I were better at costuming, my Judoon concept for Halloween '08 would have competition.

The rest of the season looks like it's sex, sex, Martha, Sex, Martha, and, apparently, orgy. I have got to wonder if no-funny-business Martha will be engaging in this debauchery, or if she will fulfil the role of the bemused/disgusted observer.

Should be interesting.

Tags: doctor who
Mood: busy