With Billy Piper leaving at the end of the season, I was set to wondering who I’d like to see filling the companion slot on the TARDIS. In all truth, I’d quite like to see the return of Captain Jack, those his involvement in the Torchwood project might make that problematic. I’m reasonably certain we need another woman – or perhaps we can go for a double companion solution.

I know the last several regnerations have managed with a single companion, but there was something quite engaging about Peter Davison’s Doctor – managing with three companions at a time, just as the original Doctor had three – Susan, Barbara and Ian. It opens up greater scope for variable reactions and makes companions a little more vulnerable. Sometimes they can bring their specialty to bear, while at other times they’re appropriately useless as simple villain-fodder.

Whatever they do, I don’t want to see a companion who’s too young… While the show aims at a younger audience, I’m not certain a younger companion would garner enough interest or respect… and almost certainly couldn’t stand up to the pressures of the role.

No… give me Captain Jack anytime, and I’ll be happy with that. Or, better yet, why not go companionless for a while. Or, bring back Sarah Jane!

I’m caught between loving and loathing this latest episode. Love & Loathing hardly features the Doctor and Rose at all… but, at the same time this didn’t really detract from the story. I have the general feeling for the season – how The Doctor impacts on those around him… whether they come into contact with him for a moment or years. He changes everything around him… he changes lives; he changes events; he changes people’s perceptions. From old compansion like Sarah Jane; to Mikey and his sense of loss for his grandmother; to Elton and his half-forgotten meeting with the Timelord. The Doctor makes a difference… but, as noted in this episode, it might be good or bad. Or somewhere inbetween.

I think my biggest problem lay with the Abzorbaloff. I appreciate it was created from a winning competition entry on Blue Peter… I like the involvement of the viewing public. Just… well, somehow… it didn’t quite work. Too much like the Slitheen, perhaps (yes… I know he was supposed to be… being from the twin planet of Raxacoricofallapatorian… caled… um… Klom). Big, green, obnoxious. And I hate Peter Kay. I just don’t find him funny.

Nope… still not working for me. Sorry. I can thoroughly recommend that you get a hold of a copy of Big Finish‘s excellent Spare Parts. The Fifth Doctor and Nyssa find themselves on a world living in fear of a police state, where people scrape a meagre living and a dark traders making worryingly good business in second-hand body parts. Its make for far more harrowing and entertaining viewing that Age of Steel, which somehow seemed robbed of any real substance. The Doctor’s discovery of the Cybermen’s weakness makes me long for the return of a little gold dust and a poorly protected chest vent.