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The Poison Sky (TV story): Difference between revisions
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Martha's clone subtly gives orders to the [[Hypnosis|hypnotised]] [[UNIT]] soldiers [[Carl Harris|Harris]] and [[Steve Gray|Gray]] to put teleport relays on the TARDIS for the Sontarans to beam it up. Donna feels a shake from the teleport as the ship is transported to the Sontaran war room, and General [[Staal]] gloats over his capture of the TARDIS. The Doctor and Martha's clone arrive to find the TARDIS gone. Realising he is trapped on Earth, the Doctor returns to UNIT headquarters and establishing visual contact with the Sontarans, trying to goad them into revealing their plan. Staal does not fall prey to this ploy, but he orders the TARDIS moved out of the main war room when the Doctor threatens to summon it via remote control on his sonic screwdriver, placing Donna in a position to help. | Martha's clone subtly gives orders to the [[Hypnosis|hypnotised]] [[UNIT]] soldiers [[Carl Harris|Harris]] and [[Steve Gray|Gray]] to put teleport relays on the TARDIS for the Sontarans to beam it up. Donna feels a shake from the teleport as the ship is transported to the Sontaran war room, and General [[Staal]] gloats over his capture of the TARDIS. The Doctor and Martha's clone arrive to find the TARDIS gone. Realising he is trapped on Earth, the Doctor returns to UNIT headquarters and establishing visual contact with the Sontarans, trying to goad them into revealing their plan. Staal does not fall prey to this ploy, but he orders the TARDIS moved out of the main war room when the Doctor threatens to summon it via remote control on his sonic screwdriver, placing Donna in a position to help. | ||
Against the Doctor's advice, UNIT decides to use [[nuclear weapon]]s against the Sontarans; however, Martha's clone has covertly copied the NATO launch codes and stops every attempt made by Captain [[Marion Price]] to fire the weapons. Led by Commander [[Skorr]], the Sontarans mobilise troops to retrieve and protect the clone. With the Sontarans' ability to jam most conventional [[firearm]]s by expanding the [[copper]]-lined [[bullet]]s with their cordolaine signal, the UNIT troops are quickly slaughtered and the factory is secured, with privates Jenkins, Harris and Gray among the dead. | Against the Doctor's advice, UNIT decides to use [[nuclear weapon]]s against the Sontarans; however, Martha's clone has covertly copied the NATO launch codes and stops every attempt made by Captain [[Marion Price]] to fire the weapons. Led by Commander [[Skorr]], the Sontarans mobilise troops to retrieve and protect the clone. With the Sontarans' ability to jam most conventional [[firearm]]s by expanding the [[copper]]-lined [[bullet]]s with their cordolaine signal, the UNIT troops are quickly slaughtered and the factory is secured, with privates Jenkins, Harris and Gray among the dead. | ||
[[Luke Rattigan|Rattigan]] leaves the Sontaran flagship to gather his students at the Rattigan Academy, planning to take them to another planet, [[Castor 36]], and begin the [[human]] race anew; everything they were building was the foundation of said new world. The incredulous students laugh him off, and Rattigan attempts to keep them from leaving by brandishing a gun. However, when he shows no initiative to use it, they desert him en masse. Rattigan dejectedly returns to the ship to report his failure, only to then learn from the Sontarans that he was only needed to install ATMOS and that they had no further plans for him and his students beyond using them for target practice. Rattigan [[Teleportation|teleports]] back to his [[Rattigan Academy|mansion]] before they can kill him, and the Sontarans lock the [[teleport pod]]s, isolating him on Earth. | [[Luke Rattigan|Rattigan]] leaves the Sontaran flagship to gather his students at the Rattigan Academy, planning to take them to another planet, [[Castor 36]], and begin the [[human]] race anew; everything they were building was the foundation of said new world. The incredulous students laugh him off, and Rattigan attempts to keep them from leaving by brandishing a gun. However, when he shows no initiative to use it, they desert him en masse. Rattigan dejectedly returns to the ship to report his failure, only to then learn from the Sontarans that he was only needed to install ATMOS and that they had no further plans for him and his students beyond using them for target practice. Rattigan [[Teleportation|teleports]] back to his [[Rattigan Academy|mansion]] before they can kill him, and the Sontarans lock the [[teleport pod]]s, isolating him on Earth. | ||
[[File:The Poison Sky Tenth Gas Mask Mommy.JPG|thumb|left|"Are you my mummy?"]] | [[File:The Poison Sky Tenth Gas Mask Mommy.JPG|thumb|left|"Are you my mummy?"]] | ||
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With Martha's clone in tow, the Doctor tracks a signal on his sonic screwdriver and makes his way down to the cloning room where the unconscious Martha is being held. Having figured out long before the clone wasn't the genuine article from her lack of concern for her family and bad non-human smell, he severs its connection to Martha, leaving it to die. Wrapped in the Doctor's coat, Martha convinces her clone to betray the Sontarans in its last moments. The clone reveals that the poison gas is actually "[[clone feed]]" for Sontaran clones: they are converting the planet into a giant breeding world. As her clone dies, Martha reclaims her engagement ring. With Donna's help, the Doctor reactivates the teleport pods, rescues her from the Sontaran ship, steals back the TARDIS, and teleports into Rattigan's mansion. | With Martha's clone in tow, the Doctor tracks a signal on his sonic screwdriver and makes his way down to the cloning room where the unconscious Martha is being held. Having figured out long before the clone wasn't the genuine article from her lack of concern for her family and bad non-human smell, he severs its connection to Martha, leaving it to die. Wrapped in the Doctor's coat, Martha convinces her clone to betray the Sontarans in its last moments. The clone reveals that the poison gas is actually "[[clone feed]]" for Sontaran clones: they are converting the planet into a giant breeding world. As her clone dies, Martha reclaims her engagement ring. With Donna's help, the Doctor reactivates the teleport pods, rescues her from the Sontaran ship, steals back the TARDIS, and teleports into Rattigan's mansion. | ||
Using Rattigan's equipment, the Doctor builds an [[atmospheric converter]], igniting the Earth's [[atmosphere]] to clear out the poison gas, much to the delight of UNIT and the rest of humanity; Wilf and Sylvia come out of their house to cheer along with their neighbours, while Captain Marion Price kisses Colonel Mace as the UNIT soldiers celebrate their victory, although she quickly composes herself. However, the Doctor knows the Sontarans won't accept defeat so easily — they are beginning their standard invasion stratagem to wipe out the human race in retaliation. | Using Rattigan's equipment, the Doctor builds an [[atmospheric converter]], igniting the Earth's [[atmosphere]] to clear out the poison gas, much to the delight of UNIT and the rest of humanity; Wilf and Sylvia come out of their house to cheer along with their neighbours, while Captain Marion Price kisses Colonel Mace as the UNIT soldiers celebrate their victory, although she quickly composes herself. However, the Doctor knows the Sontarans won't accept defeat so easily — they are beginning their standard invasion stratagem to wipe out the human race in retaliation. | ||
Recalibrating the atmospheric converter to Sontaran air, the Doctor tells Donna and Martha to lead good lives, asks Rattigan to go on and do something clever with his life, and teleports to the Sontaran ship with the intention of giving them the choice between retreat and death. The Sontarans choose the latter, as a countdown begins to deploy their weapons upon the Earth. Unafraid of death, Staal remains defiant in the face of the Doctor's threats and leads his warriors in another "Sontar-ha!" war chant. However, with a few seconds left, Rattigan acts on the Doctor's advice and rewires the teleport pod to transport himself to the Sontaran ship in the Doctor's stead, mocking the Sontarans' chant with a sarcastic "Sontar? Ha!" before he triggers the device. The ensuing explosion blows out the windows of the bridge, killing Staal and Rattigan, before consuming the entire Sontaran ship; the resulting shockwave destroys most of the Sontaran space pods launching from the main vessel. | Recalibrating the atmospheric converter to Sontaran air, the Doctor tells Donna and Martha to lead good lives, asks Rattigan to go on and do something clever with his life, and teleports to the Sontaran ship with the intention of giving them the choice between retreat and death. The Sontarans choose the latter, as a countdown begins to deploy their weapons upon the Earth. Unafraid of death, Staal remains defiant in the face of the Doctor's threats and leads his warriors in another "Sontar-ha!" war chant. However, with a few seconds left, Rattigan acts on the Doctor's advice and rewires the teleport pod to transport himself to the Sontaran ship in the Doctor's stead, mocking the Sontarans' chant with a sarcastic "Sontar? Ha!" before he triggers the device. The ensuing explosion blows out the windows of the bridge, killing Staal and Rattigan, before consuming the entire Sontaran ship; the resulting shockwave destroys most of the Sontaran space pods launching from the main vessel. | ||
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}} | }} | ||
== | == Worldbuilding == | ||
* The Doctor mentions the [[Rutan Host|Rutans]] and the [[Rutan-Sontaran War]]. | * The Doctor mentions the [[Rutan Host|Rutans]] and the [[Rutan-Sontaran War]]. | ||
* The Doctor addresses the Sontarans "under [[Jurisdiction Two]] of the [[Intergalactic rules of engagement]]" which is very similar to the [[Shadow Proclamation]]. | * The Doctor addresses the Sontarans "under [[Jurisdiction Two]] of the [[Intergalactic rules of engagement]]" which is very similar to the [[Shadow Proclamation]]. | ||
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== Story notes == | == Story notes == | ||
* [[Helen Raynor]] wrote this episode. Her [[Series 3 (Doctor Who)|series 3]] episodes ''[[Daleks in Manhattan (TV story)|Daleks in Manhattan]]'' and ''[[Evolution of the Daleks (TV story)|Evolution of the Daleks]]'' both occupied fourth and fifth episode in the series. This two-part story also occupies episode four and five. | * [[Helen Raynor]] wrote this episode. Her [[Series 3 (Doctor Who)|series 3]] episodes ''[[Daleks in Manhattan (TV story)|Daleks in Manhattan]]'' and ''[[Evolution of the Daleks (TV story)|Evolution of the Daleks]]'' both occupied fourth and fifth episode in the series. This two-part story also occupies episode four and five. | ||
*Helen Raynor was originally reluctant to write this story, having read online comments about her previous Dalek two-parter and come away "physically shaking" at the level of vitriol. [[Russell T Davies]] convinced her not to take the comments too seriously and to write this story. ([[REF]]: ''[[The Writer's Tale]]'') | * Helen Raynor was originally reluctant to write this story, having read online comments about her previous Dalek two-parter and come away "physically shaking" at the level of vitriol. [[Russell T Davies]] convinced her not to take the comments too seriously and to write this story. ([[REF]]: ''[[The Writer's Tale]]'') | ||
* This is the second part of a story which began with ''[[The Sontaran Stratagem (TV story)|The Sontaran Stratagem]]''. | * This is the second part of a story which began with ''[[The Sontaran Stratagem (TV story)|The Sontaran Stratagem]]''. | ||
* This episode and ''[[The Sontaran Stratagem (TV story)|The Sontaran Stratagem]]'' are [[Douglas Mackinnon]]'s directorial debut. | * This episode and ''[[The Sontaran Stratagem (TV story)|The Sontaran Stratagem]]'' are [[Douglas Mackinnon]]'s directorial debut. | ||
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* The Doctor says to the clone Martha, "Avanti", which means "Let's go" in Italian. This is probably to confirm his suspicion of her clone nature. The real Martha would know that the Doctor usually says "Allons-y", the French equivalent. | * The Doctor says to the clone Martha, "Avanti", which means "Let's go" in Italian. This is probably to confirm his suspicion of her clone nature. The real Martha would know that the Doctor usually says "Allons-y", the French equivalent. | ||
* The [[Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart|Brigadier]] is said to be stranded in [[Peru]]. He has been knighted as Colonel [[Alan Mace|Mace]] refers to him as "Sir Alistair". This is the first reference to the character in ''Doctor Who'' since the 1989 story ''[[Battlefield (TV story)|Battlefield]]'', although several references occurred in the first season of ''[[The Sarah Jane Adventures]]'', broadcast in 2007. The Brigadier was knighted in the book ''[[The Dying Days (novel)|The Dying Days]]'' and called "Sir Alastair" in [[Big Finish Productions]]' audio dramas. The Doctor wishes he was there. | * The [[Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart|Brigadier]] is said to be stranded in [[Peru]]. He has been knighted as Colonel [[Alan Mace|Mace]] refers to him as "Sir Alistair". This is the first reference to the character in ''Doctor Who'' since the 1989 story ''[[Battlefield (TV story)|Battlefield]]'', although several references occurred in the first season of ''[[The Sarah Jane Adventures]]'', broadcast in 2007. The Brigadier was knighted in the book ''[[The Dying Days (novel)|The Dying Days]]'' and called "Sir Alastair" in [[Big Finish Productions]]' audio dramas. The Doctor wishes he was there. | ||
*During production, Douglas Mackinnon intended to have the episode's climactic scene in the TARDIS show the moveable column in the centre console move up and down much more rapidly than normal. However, when attempting to accomplish this, Mackinnon ended up breaking the prop, which took thirty minutes to repair. | * During production, Douglas Mackinnon intended to have the episode's climactic scene in the TARDIS show the moveable column in the centre console move up and down much more rapidly than normal. However, when attempting to accomplish this, Mackinnon ended up breaking the prop, which took thirty minutes to repair. | ||
*When interviewed on ''Friday Night with Jonathan Ross'', Catherine Tate stated that she had been filming alongside ten actors playing Sontarans for two weeks before she realised that there were actors inside the Sontaran costumes. She had assumed the Sontarans "ran on electricity". It was not until an actor removed his helmet to reveal his real face that she realised her mistake. She stated she was "freaked out" by this and said she "nearly died". | * When interviewed on ''Friday Night with Jonathan Ross'', Catherine Tate stated that she had been filming alongside ten actors playing Sontarans for two weeks before she realised that there were actors inside the Sontaran costumes. She had assumed the Sontarans "ran on electricity". It was not until an actor removed his helmet to reveal his real face that she realised her mistake. She stated she was "freaked out" by this and said she "nearly died". | ||
*Donna was originally meant to use a shoe to knock out the Sontarans but because Catherine Tate only wears trainers they didn't want it to be a trainer, or they thought a trainer would be too soft and just bounce off the back of the neck. She got to use a mallet instead. | * Donna was originally meant to use a shoe to knock out the Sontarans but because Catherine Tate only wears trainers they didn't want it to be a trainer, or they thought a trainer would be too soft and just bounce off the back of the neck. She got to use a mallet instead. | ||
*When preparing for the nuclear strike, all countries with known nuclear capabilities check in, except for Russia. The very last to check in is North Korea, of which it is disputed they have nuclear weapons, at which point the Colonel looks very surprised. | * When preparing for the nuclear strike, all countries with known nuclear capabilities check in, except for Russia. The very last to check in is North Korea, of which it is disputed they have nuclear weapons, at which point the Colonel looks very surprised. | ||
*[[Susie Liggat]] produced this episode in order to give [[Phil Collinson]] time off. | * [[Susie Liggat]] produced this episode in order to give [[Phil Collinson]] time off. | ||
=== Ratings === | === Ratings === | ||
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* Gas was released over [[London]] previously in [[PROSE]]: ''[[Amorality Tale (novel)|Amorality Tale]]''. | * Gas was released over [[London]] previously in [[PROSE]]: ''[[Amorality Tale (novel)|Amorality Tale]]''. | ||
* The Doctor gave clues to Donna about what action to take via a visual link, but the Sontarans didn't know it was happening. The Doctor did a similar thing when he gave clues to [[Mickey Smith|Mickey]] about how to stop the [[Cyberman (Pete's World)|Cybermen created by Cybus Industries]]. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Age of Steel (TV story)|The Age of Steel]]'') | * The Doctor gave clues to Donna about what action to take via a visual link, but the Sontarans didn't know it was happening. The Doctor did a similar thing when he gave clues to [[Mickey Smith|Mickey]] about how to stop the [[Cyberman (Pete's World)|Cybermen created by Cybus Industries]]. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Age of Steel (TV story)|The Age of Steel]]'') | ||
*The Sontarans show their tendacy to break promises and betray 'allies'. ([[TV]]: [[The Time Warrior (TV story)|The Time Warrior]], [[The Sontaran Experiment (TV story)|The Sontaran Experiment]], [[The Two Doctors (TV story)|The Two Doctors]]; [[HOMEVID]]: [[Shakedown: Return of the Sontarans (home video)|Shakedown: Return of the Sontarans]]) | * The Sontarans show their tendacy to break promises and betray 'allies'. ([[TV]]: [[The Time Warrior (TV story)|The Time Warrior]], [[The Sontaran Experiment (TV story)|The Sontaran Experiment]], [[The Two Doctors (TV story)|The Two Doctors]]; [[HOMEVID]]: [[Shakedown: Return of the Sontarans (home video)|Shakedown: Return of the Sontarans]]) | ||
* The Doctor is able to tell when a companion is not themselves. He previously identified when [[Cassandra O'Brien.Δ17|Cassandra]] had taken over [[Rose Tyler|Rose]]'s body. ([[TV]]: ''[[New Earth (TV story)|New Earth]]'') The Eleventh Doctor would later recognise [[Amy Pond]] as a [[Ganger]]. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Almost People (TV story)|The Almost People]]'') | * The Doctor is able to tell when a companion is not themselves. He previously identified when [[Cassandra O'Brien.Δ17|Cassandra]] had taken over [[Rose Tyler|Rose]]'s body. ([[TV]]: ''[[New Earth (TV story)|New Earth]]'') The Eleventh Doctor would later recognise [[Amy Pond]] as a [[Ganger]]. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Almost People (TV story)|The Almost People]]'') | ||
* In a [[Donna's World|parallel world]], the Sontaran invasion was stopped by [[Torchwood Three]]. The atmosphere was reverted to its previous state and the Sontaran flagship exploded by [[Gwen Cooper]] and [[Ianto Jones]], who were killed in the process. [[Jack Harkness]] was taken to [[Sontar|the Sontaran home planet]]. ([[TV]]: ''[[Turn Left (TV story)|Turn Left]]'') | * In a [[Donna's World|parallel world]], the Sontaran invasion was stopped by [[Torchwood Three]]. The atmosphere was reverted to its previous state and the Sontaran flagship exploded by [[Gwen Cooper]] and [[Ianto Jones]], who were killed in the process. [[Jack Harkness]] was taken to [[Sontar|the Sontaran home planet]]. ([[TV]]: ''[[Turn Left (TV story)|Turn Left]]'') | ||
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