Partners in Crime

Dear Gary—

New Who has gone for pure spectacle several times; now it is going for pure fun, and it succeeds delightfully. Partners in Crime isn’t in the same echelon as those comic Classics The Romans and City of Death; holding it back somewhat is the lightweight plot—a tradeoff, I suspect, for the shorter format. Even still, as a comedy Partners In Crime can hold its head high.

“The fat just walks away.”

Doctor Who is shedding the heavy weight of doomed romance and unrequited love in favor of a more buoyant relationship in the person of Donna Noble; and the humorous nature of the serial is just the right tone for the reintroduction of this TARDIS companion.

The early scenes of the Doctor and Donna near-missing each other are rollicking good fun, and the pantomime upon finding each other is hilarious. New Who tends to telegraph its intentions when it comes to spectacle, and it does nothing less when it comes to farce. The character of journalist Penny Carter makes the proclamation for Partners in Crime; anytime someone runs down a street having to hold up the chair she is tied to and asserting, “You’re just mad. Do you hear me? Mad! And I’m going to report you for . . . madness,” you know there is nothing serious going on. And if there is any room for doubt, Matron Cofelia’s Wile E. Coyote moment quashes it.

To top it off, what better way to bring a smile to one’s face than to watch the tiny globules of baby fat waddling about in all their adorable cuteness?

“I’m waving at fat.”

Goodbye Rose and Martha; hello Donna.

Like any good comedy, Partners in Crime has some underlying heart, the bulk of which is provided by Donna and Wilf. Their scene together on the hill is beautifully done, and Donna’s tribute to her grandfather at the end is moving. With all of time and space before her, Donna chooses “two and a half miles that way.” She has found the man she has been searching for, the man with the blue box, and she wants Wilf to share in her moment.

However, it is Donna’s relationship with the Doctor that is critical. Comedy aside; the Doctor is in serious need of some uncomplicated companionship. Donna is just what the doctor ordered.

As the Doctor discusses Martha with Donna he cavalierly says, “She fancied me,” to which Donna replies, “Mad Martha, that one. Blind Martha. Charity Martha.” No more unconditional devotion; Donna is ready to call out the Doctor when he is being a jerk.

But she is also steadfast at his side when he needs a friend. “Doctor, tell me,” she says when he starts panicking at high speed; a million people about to die and he is at a complete loss. “What do you need?” She steadies him; she calms him; she provides that slap in the face of hysteria. The fact that she happens to have the exact capsule he requires in order to “boost the override” is incidental (or coincidental if you will).

Donna is a counter balance between the Classic Who view of the Doctor as a sci fi adventurer/traveler and the New Who view of the Doctor as some sort of cosmically fated super hero/savior of the universe.

Donna comes prepared for the adventurous travels; she has packed for the occasion. (“You’ve got a . . . a hatbox.”) She isn’t after any deep ‘new way of living your life’ or all-consuming romance. (“You’re not mating with me, Sunshine.”) She simply wants to see the wonders of the universe.

Back in The Runaway Bride Donna had rejected the Doctor’s offer; she had been witness to the uglier side of his life and wanted no part of it. However he had expanded her world view and she tried in the intervening months to capitalize on this only to discover, “it’s all bus trips and guide books and ‘don’t drink the water,’ and two weeks later you’re back home.” Not one to give up, Donna has gone in active search of the Doctor and lucky for her, him, and us she has succeeded.

However the entertaining and somewhat trivial plot as dictated by the return of Donna is weighted down by ominous foreshadowing. Coming from Donna and the Matron the hints and clues can be thrown away as fun facts—the bees disappearing; whole planets gone. But one cannot ignore the heavy anchor of Rose; the joy and enthusiasm of Donna counteracted by the doom and gloom of Rose.

I am looking forward to the season at hand, despite knowing the dire turn this road will take. Like Donna, I am ready for some adventurous travels with that man in his flying blue box. “He goes anywhere,” or at least he did once upon a time; once upon a time when he was not tethered to the Earth. Like Donna, I look forward to exploring new life amongst the stars. I know I am bound to be disappointed by this constrained New Who universe, but I am still prepared, Gary, and geared up for all kinds of climates.