Review of Doctor Who (2008, S04E01)

The previews of "Partners in Crime" had me worried but they were wrong, a great fun episode to launch the new series. My biggest concern, Catherine Tate, turns out to be a pleasant surprise and I think she'll fit in well.

The plot is one of the more straightforward ones. Both The Doctor and Donna Noble are investigating a suspicious weight-loss company called Adipose. The CEO is played wonderfully by Sarah Lancashire who has come a long way from Corrie.

This strange company promises incredible dieting results, all from taking just one pill. We go through a very amusing sequence of scenes where the two investigators keep missing each other by split seconds. She has realised that saying no to The Doctor in the Christmas Special was a mistake and she is seeking out trouble since she figures he'll be close by.

Eventually we find out that the weight loss occurs due to the fact the the fat turns into little creatures that detach themselves from you at night and are collected by the company. Even worse, the CEO is basically a wet nurse who is breeding all of these creatures under contract. This of course breaks "Galactic Law" and is seen as a bad thing.

Why do all Sci-Fi series have this mad notion of laws that spread across the Universe? We can't even agree a common side of the road to drive on and yet they think billions of aliens will agree to a set of laws!

There isn't much tension in this episode as it is mainly played for laughs. They baddies partially get their comeuppance and of course The Doctor gets himself a new assistant. The only mysterious bit was the sudden appearance and disappearance of Rose right at the end.

Whilst I enjoy these romps, it's the really scary ones that get me going (who could forget the statues?). All in all though, a decent start and I'm gagging for more.