![\"sound.jpg\"](\"http:\/\/www.zeusblog.tetrap.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/07\/sound.jpg\")
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Guest reviewer: David Ronayne<\/strong><\/span><\/em>The Sound of Drums really is a guilty pleasure.\u00a0 <\/span>I watch, and on some critical level I\u2019m sucking air through my teeth thinking \u201cooh, this really is a bit sloppy and pandering to the fans\u201d, but on another, more basic one, I\u2019m going \u201cyeee-haa!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/em><\/p>\n From the almost casual dismissal of the previous episode\u2019s cliff-hanger to the fanhappy shots of Gallifrey (new CGI, old costumes) the episode does suffer from Empire Strikes Back<\/em> syndrome.\u00a0 <\/span>Quickly clearing the decks, and exposing Saxon \u2013 all \u00a0<\/span>before the opening credits, followed by a quick run-around to set up McGuffins (TARDIS keys, Jack\u2019s teleporter) and the cliff-hanger for next time. It doesn\u2019t really stand as a story in its own right, but it does it all in such a classy fan-tastic way.\u00a0 <\/span>I say classy, because while I was grunting and smirking at the screen my wife loved it, but didn\u2019t any of the references.\u00a0 <\/span>I\u2019m not sure I could handle this every week, but just for once it is nice to see them \u201clet the docs out.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n RTD takes his usual swipe against American politics and populist spin (looks nice but no actual policy) with blasts from the past all along the way; Little Britain<\/em>; Out of the Unknown<\/em>; \u201cfalling from the skies\u201d \u2013 a possible Wormwood reference; \u00a0<\/span>jelly babies and chips; the Master\u2019s \u201chypnotic voice\u201d; the Teletubbies\/Clangers; the Sea Devils; a faithful human companion (name checking the old \u201cDoctor\u2019s wife\u201d joke from the JNT era, just like the \u201csecret brother\u201d story); the TARDIS keys emit a Douglas Adams SEP field; nice big red Warner style sticks of dynamite; the Doctor previous dealings with PMs (Cabinet rebuilt, Harriet Jones) as well as mention of every present day invasion since the series rebooted; the \u201cyou did this \u2013 you voted Saxon\u201d reminiscent of the speech in V for Vendetta; numerous plugs for Torchwood<\/em>; the Valliant confirming Jack\u2019s place as the new Captain Scarlet<\/em>, with the TARDIS hidden behind the door with the big Thuderbird 4 logo; the End of the World (again) and for once it\u2019s not the Doctor telling everyone to \u201cRun!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Even the Master\u2019s laser screwdriver looks good \u2013 who\u2019d have sonic? (Although the point of the Lazarus system was that it was based on sonic technology, oh well.) <\/span><\/p>\n All this, and tantalising hints of a past we haven\u2019t seen \u2013 what did the Master do for Lucy\u2019s father; and what happened to his other blonde from the security service; the Time War, the Dalek Emperor at the Cruciform. \u00a0<\/span>I worked out who the spheres were fairly late into the piece \u2013 the irritating child\u2019s voice of one of them being a little too reminiscent of the cute kid last week, especially with the talk of the impending darkness.<\/span><\/p>\n Ultimately a good setup with some nice character pieces.\u00a0 <\/span>Jack\u2019s \u201cyou too, huh\u201d line continues the trend of adding more to his character in throwaway scenes that was ever revealed in his own series, though the Doctor\u2019s line about fancying someone a little too aware.\u00a0 <\/span>Again Martha shows great gumption, but John Simm steals the show with the perfect balance of brilliance, evil and craziness (and lets be honest, the best lines, and nifty red lined jacket).\u00a0 <\/span>All that\u2019s missing is someone to make a joke about the Master\u2019s \u201cballs of steel\u201d\u2026 well, maybe not.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n DR<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n Reprinted with kind permission from Reverse The Polarity!<\/a> issue 25<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Guest reviewer: David RonayneThe Sound of Drums really is a guilty pleasure.\u00a0 I watch, and on some critical level I\u2019m sucking air through my teeth thinking \u201cooh, this really is a bit sloppy and pandering to the fans\u201d, but on … Continue reading