"The Lazarus Experiment"

"The Lazarus Experiment" starts off looking like the origin story for a comic-book supervillain, with the unlikely performance of a pioneering scientific experiment in front of an audience in black tie and the less than subtle naming of the villain in question. There are subtler allusions to T S Eliot (as there were in Spider-Man II). However, the rest of the story is strongly reminiscent of The Quatermass Experiment- the man who becomes a monster that meets its end in a London cathedral. Stephen Greenhorn’s script tells its tale well and, unlike Helen Raynor’s Dalek story, the pseudo-science follows its own rules and the lashings of real science are well integrated. The story does seem to lack some depth, with characters being a bit more stereotypical than usual. The morality of what Lazarus has done is also insufficiently explored. However there are flashes of something deeper- Lazarus’s quest for immortality being rooted in his childhood experiences of the Blitz, Southwark Cathedral being an instinctive place of safety. The writing for the regulars also shines- it is clear that the Doctor has become genuinely fond of Martha, but Martha is mature enough to insist on a definition of their ‘relationship’ before they continue on their travels.

Richard Clark directs well enough, considering the straightforwardness of the story. The climax in the cathedral is very atmospheric, helped, of course, by the excellent cinematography. The Lazarus mutant is an impressive beast, but it doesn’t quite make the premier league of Doctor Who monsters. Clark manages to get some great performances from the cast. This is the second outing for Martha’s family and, although she not as well written for as Jackie, Adjoa Andoh is skilful enough to fill in the gaps. Gugu Mbatha-Raw is delightful as Tish and I’m sure that many were hoping for her to join the Doctor and Martha at the end. However, the key guest role is Mark Gatiss as Lazarus. It is due to his performance that Lazarus is as compelling as it is, with Gatiss giving an unsilly, yet entertaining performance that has no sign of seeming like a League of Gentlemen character. The regulars are awesome as usual. Scriptwise, David Tennant is not as well catered for as usual, but Tennant is not to be deterred by this. Freema effectively shows Martha’s maturity and sense of fun. Interestingly, one thing Greenhorn does effectively is make their interaction a tad more flirtatious- I love the bit where the Doctor picks up Martha’s knickers (and not for the reason you’re thinking!)

"The Lazarus Experiment" is a perfectly respectable story, if a bit unremarkable. However, there are definite consequences for the future- it seems the oft-mentioned ‘Mr Saxon’ knows of the Doctor and does not think too kindly of him…

NEXT: "42"