David Tennant is often remembered as the best Doctor, and he is certainly my favourite incarnation, partly because I grew up with his Doctor. However, I think fans often underestimate and misremember why David Tennant was so beloved as the Doctor. I think a large part of his appeal is the amount he got to do in the part and the amount of range he got to show in his acting ability, which is unmatched across all other Doctors. The Waters of Mars marks the culmination of the Tenth Doctor's character arc, taking him to new places as it feels like the kind of story you can only do once. Today I’d like to explore what makes it so successful.
The Waters of Mars was written by Phil Ford and Russell T Davies. It follows the story of Captain Adelaide Brook and her team on Bowie Base 1. The Doctor finds himself at a fixed point in history where he can’t interfere with some kind of Mars disaster which inspires Adelaide’s granddaughter, triggering humanity’s journey out into the stars. With the infection of the water, the alien Flood takes hold of the crew and uses them as hosts as disaster ensues. The Doctor for the first time is so tired of letting good people die that he steps into a forbidden part of history and fixed point and battles against time itself to strong consequence.
I think what works about the Waters of Mars is it’s incredibly grounded and believable, and there is a very relatable feel to the whole thing. This is because it is set in 2059, which is still within our lifetime and therefore within the near future, and there’s a strong and tangible grasp to the story with a time period like this. Scientists have talked about the idea of living on Mars for years, but we haven't accomplished it yet. The nature of this future though feels rooted enough in science, that it feels credible that this could be a future for humanity in our journey out to the stars. It’s far enough into our future to feel like by that point we might have what it takes to go to Mars.
Russell T Davies and Phil Ford expertly capture the NASA-like atmosphere, which adds to the realism of the episode. The story has put a lot of thought and attention into the technology of space travel in 2059, and what we could conceivably achieve. It conveys a vivid future by touching on the current climate, ozone layer, and oil apocalypse issues, which I find interesting as it defines believable motivations for going to Mars. Yet time is focused on how these people live on Mars, as it is fittingly sterilised and very practical and compact, which makes sense for the limited technology of the near future. Yet you have them growing veg on Mars, wanting a proper Christmas Dinner which feels truthful of humanity and something we would do.
I think what’s clever in what Russell T Davies and Phil Ford do in this story though, is what it does with the fixed point in time. We’ve seen many times in history the Doctor cannot change before but it’s always been historical events we are familiar with like Pompeii. Using this Mars disaster in 2059 as a fixed point shows that fixed points apply to the past and the future. It soundly presents the Doctor’s view of all of time and history and how he views the universe. Yet an event we are unfamiliar with is in some ways more interesting because we do not know the outcome of the Mars disaster or what happens. Therefore, discovering what happens and what makes the Mars disaster a fixed point that cannot be changed through the Doctor is intriguing and rewarding.
I think Russell T Davies and Phil Ford also do a solid job of demonstrating to the audience why this moment cannot be changed. They show how Adelaide’s death inspires her granddaughter and triggers humanity’s journey into the universe, and is integral to history. It greatly demonstrates how changing this one moment would unravel and tear apart the entire timeline of history and you understand why it needs to happen despite the harrowing nature of the event. The only thing I don’t like is the idea of a Dalek deciding not to kill Adelaide because of her importance to history. Given a Dalek’s mindset and view of the universe then I simply don’t think they would care about Adelaide’s importance.
The Flood are also just a brilliant creation and one of the best parts of the story. They are certainly one of the best standalone Doctor Who enemies in the modern series and possibly the entire show as they have a simply terrifying impact. The inspiration for the Waters of Mars came when scientists first discovered water on the planet in late 2006, which is an ideal setup for a Doctor Who monster that I just love the idea of. It’s in the nature of Doctor Who to use real scientific truths and then exploit and take advantage of the familiar to create something scary. Using the developing knowledge of humanity through a news story as a source of inspiration enhances an unknown danger and paranoia in the audience’s mind expertly. It creates something very relatable and tangible.
Water is a part of our everyday lives; our bodies rely upon it to survive and we are largely made up of it. Therefore, the idea of water turning against us is a simply terrifying and horrifying idea. There is something horribly grave about water as a threat, given it’s essential nature. It creates real fear once you have switched off the television.
I think the image of the cracked mouth with the water dripping from it has a terrific look to it. The transformation as the water infects and takes over the person with the shaking of the body is horrific, and fits perfectly with the scares, horror, and genuine suspense that is played throughout the story. They’re some of the scariest ever Doctor Who moments.
I think what works about the Flood is how genuinely inhuman they are. The performances flip and change almost instantly, becoming controlled by an alien life form. The way they move their bodies, the way they use their eyes, and the way they tilt their heads has a fantastic, sinister, and alien feel to it. All humanity and individuality has been torn away, which is a fittingly horrible idea and prospect. There is a tremendous malevolent cruelty to the nature of the alien threat. The way the Flood overcomes all obstacles is a fine demonstration of both their menace and their cruelty. They destroy everything in their way and overcome all attempts to try to escape them, which makes them a fantastically unstoppable threat and danger. The prospect of “just one drop” also has a thrilling peril to it, knowing that once infected you have the power to spread this horrifying menace to the rest of humanity. They want the Earth, and their patient and relentless nature helps drive the story. The Waters of Mars helps make water an unstoppable and deadly threat.
You have David Tennant playing the role of the Tenth Doctor in this story who is simply terrific and is arguably his best performance as the character. You can see a fitting appreciation of Captain Adelaide Brook and her heroic efforts; a love, and admiration at the efforts of humanity and their great achievements and drive. I enjoy the love and joy the Doctor finds and the wonderful thrill of seeing humanity at their best. Yet the Tenth Doctor is also incredibly protective of history and believes he must guard it and make sure it remains untampered with. This makes a good deal of sense with the Doctor being the last of the Time Lords, he is the only one remaining to uphold their legacy and to do the hard work of watching over time. I love the gravity with which the Doctor regards the responsibility and the importance of his role. Yet what’s interesting is that it comes with moral compromises, it comes with a firm amount of guilt and wrongdoing with the Doctor having to let good people die which he understandably struggles with. It clearly tears the Doctor apart and you feel for him after all his efforts to try to save and help people whilst people continue to suffer and die around him, and you crushingly see him bear the responsibility and guilt of that. The struggle in Tennant’s performance and his decision is enthralling as he must deal with doing something very morally questionable, which poses complex questions on what the right thing to do truly is.
Yet the moment David Tennant comes alive and we see him on a whole different level, is when he snaps and becomes the Time Lord Victorious. It fits and makes total sense, and feels like the ultimate culmination of his character arc. The Doctor starts revelling in his power as a Time Lord and extending the limits of that power in a truly dangerous way, which is thrilling to see. It’s enthralling seeing the arrogance of the Tenth Doctor come to its natural climax with the descent into villainy, with a Doctor who believes history is his to decide and is amazingly unhinged with a powerful emotional variety. David Tennant is so captivating and you don't know what to expect from him and his deranged and unpredictable nature. He's on the same journey of power as the Master and no one knows where it will lead. It’s a story you can only tell once and seeing the Doctor become the villain is a satisfying story to tell with so much meat in it. David Tennant makes the most out of the opportunity of stretching the character to his limit and relishes the chance to expand the Doctor beyond his ordinary role. It’s not just Tennant’s best performance but one of the best performances from an actor playing the Doctor.
You have Captain Adelaide Brook, who is the essential secondary lead of the story played by Lindsay Duncan. Yet I don’t think she plays the typical companion role of the story; this is because she has too much of a dominant authority and control over the situation. This isn’t a bad thing; in fact, I would consider it a positive. Usually, the Doctor just comes in and takes command and therefore it’s thrilling and refreshing to not have her authority be undermined and have Adelaide Brook remain in charge throughout the story.
Adelaide Brook is one of my favourite guest characters of the modern series and you have a very fleshed-out character for Lindsay Duncan to play. I love the military control and discipline that she has over her crew. Adelaide has a natural sternness and ruthlessness to her character and is not naturally nice, which I like because it makes her a more complicated character of layers. Adelaide’s firmness and her strict and stubborn nature are very key to her as a character, and I like that she does not take any nonsense. Yet I enjoy that there is a compassion and sense of care that drives her; underneath the harsh exterior is deep empathy as she values her team and will do what it takes to protect them, and I like that sense of emotion. Adelaide is simply practical and focused in the way she reacts, but she is led through her emotion and sense of care. I also like that Adelaide is a very driven woman who takes great pride and brilliant joy in what she has experienced on Mars and what she has discovered. Her motivation from the Dalek speaks volumes about her dedication to the mission. The scene where she confronts the Doctor’s power as she takes command of history herself is an interesting one to watch as she has an authority to be able to challenge the Doctor.
You have an enjoyable crew and set of guest characters who slowly get picked off one by one in a solid base under-siege story. Peter O’Brien plays Edward Gold as the second in command and I like his difficulty with authority coming into conflict with Adelaide. There is a history and rocky relationship that is apparent, but I like that the details are left unclear. The line of: “You never could forgive me” before he dies makes little sense to the audience, but I like that. It establishes a history, but the details are left out of context, which only makes him as a character more intriguing.
Mikhail Yerenski's portrayal of Yuri adds a wonderful sense of humour and light-heartedness to the story. His relationship with his brother gives him a human touch. Mia is played by Gemma Chan, who is not given a heavy role and a little underdeveloped and generic, but she has a relatable vulnerability and sense of fear to her. The romantic relationship between Mia and Yuri was originally an explicit part of the story, but in the finished version, you only have the implication. You can still see it in the performances through the closeness between the two, and the implication I think works slightly better in enhancing the character relationships by leaving things uncertain. It works well to leave the audience slightly out of the loop with the characters giving more to their lives than we know about, which makes them feel real.
Cosima Shaw portrays Steffi's character very well, as a stern personality with a lot of authority and control, who is focused and practical. Steffi has a minimal role, but works effectively. Her death is quite frankly horrifying and a greatly memorable moment, and her fear and vulnerability in that scene brings out another layer in her character. Seeing Steffi watch a video of her children as she dies is heartbreaking. Michael Goldsmith brings Roman to life with a likeable intelligence, cheekiness and humour and his tragic end fits him. I especially like the addition of Gadget, who is knowingly flimsy and rubbish, but somehow loveable and very useful to the Doctor by the end of the story.
Graeme Harper directs the story, and you couldn't have entrusted it to better hands considering his legacy. The way Mars is filmed and framed, with the camera panning across the rocks and cutting to a close-up of the Doctor is impressive. Graeme Harper brings his signature style effectively and I love the focus on Maggie going about her business as Andy is being taken over out of focus in the background. It has an underplayed suspense to it that really works. During Maggie’s transformation, I like the blend between the focus on Yuri’s reaction and the close-in on Maggie that feels very sinister and well-judged. The transformation scenes and the horror are if anything underplayed in the direction, which makes them more effective. However, the shots of the Doctor consumed by fire as he contemplates and then decides to save the Bowie Base 1 crew, are handled in a dramatically superb way and visually stick in your head.
So overall, how do I feel about the Waters of Mars? I think it’s simply a terrific story and one of the Tenth Doctors’ very best adventures. The base under siege setup is my favourite out of any Doctor Who story formula that I immediately gravitate towards, and this does the job very well. You have a brilliant menace and idea with the Flood which preys upon something very familiar with some frightening moments. You also have a well-built version of the future with a suitable set of characters, and Lindsay Duncan is excellent as Captain Adelaide Brook. It is David Tennant and his performance as the Tenth Doctor that truly makes this story what it is, by taking the Doctor to new limits with a greatly emotionally unhinged performance that realises the character’s potential. It tells a story that can only really be told once superbly, and David Tennant surpasses expectations.
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