Oh, and for not minding the first half of the Dalek story, Rob, does that mean I get put under house arrest? With an ankle monitor?

It's for your own good.

I'm one of those people by whom Anna Waits is flabbergasted. Using my formula of which episodes I would willing watch again, I find I can re-watch nearly all of the episodes in Episode Three with great pleasure. The exceptions are the second half of the Dalek story, 42, and The Last of the Time Lords (and actually the only thing I can't bear about TLOTTL is the Martha-the-Baptist followed by the cringingly awful resurrection scene: "Doctor...Doctor...Doctor..." [We do believe in fairies! We do! We do!] Oh yeah, and Jack's being the Face of Boe which was just so sloppy and throwaway and doesn't fit with Utopia.)

All others I have watched and watched again, especially the stunning Human Nature/Family of Blood which I think is up there in my Top Ten of the best things I've ever seen on television.

Sorry, guys, but I liked Martha. She was a grown-up (grown-ups can be subject to unrequited love too), which was a nice change after Rose, who wasn't meant to be a grown-up. I thought Freema Agyeman's performance was convincing, although in the episodes I wouldn't willing re-watch, I think she was given some rather silly stuff to say.

Yep, best Nu-Who series so far, in my book. Oh, and for not minding the first half of the Dalek story, Rob, does that mean I get put under house arrest? With an ankle monitor?

Once they'd turned her into a 'not-Rose-but-still-lusting-after-the-Doctor' character she was doomed...

I think that was the thing they did to Martha which was really unfair. Is it Freema's fault she couldn't turn her into something more dynamic? Or was the character so wet, she didn't feel she had anything to go on (I think on that basis, Marie was quite right to say Freema should ditch Martha pronto and prove what she can do, if indeed she can). I felt that in Journey's End Rose ended up being like Martha and having too little to do, so then she did look appallingly needy and pathetic, whereas in Turn Left and The Stolen Planet she was magnificent. But just to say at the end she did all that jumping around between dimensions just for a snog was a bit crap in my book. And for once I disagree with Mr Moffat about the Doc leaving behind a slightly needy girlfriend, after all he treated Martha appallingly because of Rose, and THEN spent most of series 4 telling Donna how much he missed her...

The Dalek episodes are NONSENSE but as has been noted, kiddies love 'em so are we best placed to comment. Whilst the second half out-does the first (clearly) there is an overall even-ness - Daleks aside - to the year as a whole. However, personally I'm beginning to lean to seeing s4 as improving since Donna is so far above what Martha could manage to do in s3. Like you say, she was trying but bless her, Freema just couldn't quite manage it with the poor direction and general 'meh' of using her character effectively. Once they'd turned her into a 'not-Rose-but-still-lusting-after-the-Doctor' character she was doomed...

"The first half of the series is nearly unwatchable."

I still like Gridlock and Shakespeare Code, although the latter is very silly. But it has Christina Cole, Kev from Shameless and Super Hans.

For me, it's just the two very, very, very bad Daleks episodes that drag the first half of the series down. Even by 'first two-parter is always rubbish' rules, they're awful.

"even if you can buy Stu_N's master plan explanation..."

Oh, the deus ex is still disappointing. Making the hero into Jesus is a terrible end for any story. But I stand by the master plan, and I still think it was a fantastically cold and shitty thing for the Doctor to do to Martha.

Not sure I'd agree that the first half is nearly unwatchable, though I do agree completely about the Daleks in Manhattan episodes, though those are still favourites with the sprogs (which maybe we grown ups don't like them, they're too kiddie for us?)

I have watched the Shakespeare one several times and apart from getting dead irritated with Martha for mooning about I really love it. I also liked The Lazarus Experiment and 42.

The second half definitely IS better, Human Nature/Children of Blood is fantastic, especially the ending, Blink is just brilliant - who cares about the holes?, and I really loved the Master stuff, but was disappointed with the last episode which felt rather flat to me. But then it is difficult when its been so hyped up. I have watched it again, though, and I still hate David Tennant looking like a bald squashed eagle, and I hate it even more when he does his floating about thing. But the Master dying... that's still good, and I DO like it at the end when the Doctor realises what he's done to Martha.

I preferred Series 4, but I don't hate Series 3, but I'm easily pleased, me....

Bang on the money.

"The first half of the series is nearly unwatchable."

Exactly! This is why I was flabbergasted when people said they thought it was the best of the new-Who series.