The Waters of Mars (TV story)

The Waters of Mars was the second of the 2009 Specials leading up to the end of the David Tennant era. It aired on 15th November 2009 on BBC One.

Synopsis
Mars, 2059, Bowie Base One. Last recorded message: "Don't drink the water. Don't even touch it. Not one drop."

Plot
The TARDIS arrives on Mars and the Doctor steps out in his spacesuit, seemingly just to relax and enjoy the landscape. Stumbling across a base inhabited by a team from Earth, the Doctor is detained by a remote-controlled robot called "GADGET" and brought inside. The base commander, Adelaide Brooke, is at first suspicious of the Doctor, but after a tense interrogation, decides to trust him. The Doctor learns that the date is 21st November 2059, and that this is in fact Bowie Base One, the first human outpost on Mars. History has it that on this date, the base was destroyed in a mysterious explosion and Brooke and her crew were all killed. Unwilling to break the laws of time and interfere with a "fixed point" in history, the Doctor decides to leave. However, at the very same moment a crisis is developing: a crewmember, Andy Stone, has been infected by a mysterious life form which takes over his body and causes him to gush copious amounts of water. Maggie Cain, another crew member in his viscinity, screams as Andy growls and attacks her, leaving her unconcious in the biodome corridor. Adelaide confiscates the Doctor's spacesuit, reasoning that he could be responsible for the infection in some way, and orders him to come with her and another crewmember, Tarak Ital, to investigate.

Tarak is the first to find Andy, who swings round onto him and infects him the virus by pouring water over his head, causing Tarak to mutate into a Flood creature. Adelaide and the Doctor, after failing to establish contact with him over the colink, run back through the dome in time to see Tarak transform. Andy and Tarak then chase Adelaide and the Doctor back through the dome to the door, whose seals are set at maximum just as Andy fires a thick stream of viral water from his hand onto the door. Not a single drop gets inside, but Andy and Tarak then attack the door by firing water from their mouths into the sides, fusing the systems and causing the tortured door to open. The Doctor sonics Gadget, making him able to move considerably faster, and he and Adelaide hitch a ride on the robot, which causes agony to Roman Groom, the robot's operator.

Andy and Tarak, still infected, chase the Doctor, Adelaide and Gadget back to the central dome, but are unable to pursue them any further due to the hardinger seals in the central dome airlocks and are contained in the base's "bio-sphere" section while Maggie is secured in the medical wing. In a conversation with colleague Yuri Kerenski, Maggie mutates and the organism occupying her body reveals its desire to reach Earth, a planet rich in water. The crew plan to evacuate in an escape shuttle, and the Doctor breaks the news to Adelaide that they could be carrying the infection, as they discovered, from Maggie's mutation, that the infection could hide in a human and mutate it at any moment. As the Doctor and Adelaide go to inspect the glacier from which the virus came from, Maggie breaks out of confinement and alerts Andy and Tarak in the biodome corridor to the humans' plans by emitting an alien scream, who slowly walk away.

In the dome containing the glacier, the Doctor hypothesises that the virus may have been preserved and imprisoned in the glacier by the Ice Warriors to prevent its spread. He and Adelaide work out, through a last message from Andy, that the water was fine to drink until the filter broke and the virus could get into the water supplies. The crew plan to evacuate in an escape shuttle, and the Doctor breaks the news to Adelaide that she must die today, on Mars, if events are to unfold as they should. Adelaide begs him to help but the Doctor insists he cannot interfere. so Adelaide allows him to leave, saying two last words, 'Damn you.'

Obeying Maggie's scream, Andy and Tarak mount the roof of the control centre and exude more water, which pours into the room and claims GADGET's operator, Roman Groom, and Steffi Ehrlich. As Ed prepares the shuttle for take-off, Maggie infiltrates the shuttle and blasts water up the shaft into the pilot room, which cascades over Ed's arm, infecting him with the virus. However, just as the infection consumes him, and his eyes turn blue, Ed bids Adelaide, Yuri and Mia a final farewell and triggers the shuttle's self-destruct system, which traps the Flood on Mars but leaves the rest of the crew stranded with no means of escape. The Doctor, who narrowly avoids being caught in the blast, is inspired to fight back against Time and returns to the base.

Finding the base falling apart, the Doctor rallies Adelaide, Mia and Yuri and tries to assess the situation. Adelaide insists that the Flood cannot be stopped and the Doctor should save himself, but the Doctor tells of the prophecy regarding his death and states "It doesn't mean right here, right now, cos I don't hear anyone knocking!". In response, the infected Andy slams his fist against the door three times; the Doctor hatefully shouts back "Three knocks is all you're getting!" and electrifies the door, causing Andy to howl with pain as the water he was exuding mixed badly with electricity, and let go of the door. The Doctor realises that, coming from Mars, the Flood creatures would be very sensitive to Heat, reasoning that If it worked against the ice warriors, it works against the flood!'. Adelaide reminds him of his assertion that they must die to ensure history unfolds correctly, but the Doctor replies that as the last of the Time Lords, "the laws of Time are mine, and they will obey' me!"

Suddenly, an explosion rocks the base, destroying the base's environmental controls. The Doctor states he will reactivate them from outside, only to find his spacesuit destroyed. Refusing to admit defeat, the Doctor plans to get a spacesuit from the storage section of Bowie Base, only to find the entire section flooded. At the same time, Maggie heads to the glacier and lets out a defeaning shriek that begins to crack the very ice. As the glacier cracks under Maggie's continuous ultrasonic howls, the base's stability begins to collapse; sensing that it is inevitable history will follow its course, Adelaide activates 'Action 5'; a nuclear weapon placed at the heart of the base, that destroy the flood, but kill everyone else, infected or not.

The Doctor, realising they have one chance, uses GADGET who drives across the mars landscape and brings the TARDIS to the base.As time runs out, Maggie continues to wail at the glacier, causing even more ice to crack, and the other infected personnel: Andy, Tarak, Roman and Steffi begin to scream as well, adding their efforts to the Flood's release.

The TARDIS materialises outside Adelaide's house on Earth. Mia and Yuri are shocked by their experiences on Mars and by the Doctor's power and depart, bewildered. In a conversation with Adelaide, the Doctor reflects on why he ultimately decided to save her and the others. He argues that the rules of the Time Lords were only valid while their civilisation existed, and that since he is the last of his race he has total authority over time. He proudly declares himself the "Time Lord Victorious" and remarks that with this power he will now be able to save influential figures such as Adelaide as well as "little people" the likes of Yuri and Mia. Scolding the Doctor for his new found arrogance, Adelaide returns home and commits suicide, reverting the changes that the Doctor has made to the timeline.

Only now understanding the full impact of his actions, the Doctor is overcome with horror and realises that there will be a price to pay for his interference. Ood Sigma inexplicably appears in the street, prompting the Doctor to ask him whether he has finally gone too far — whether the time has come for him to die. Unresponsive, Sigma vanishes, and the Doctor staggers back into the TARDIS to the ominous sound of the Cloister Bell. With a defiant "No!", he begins to work the machine's controls.

Cast

 * The Doctor - David Tennant
 * Adelaide Brooke - Lindsay Duncan
 * Ed Gold - Peter O'Brien
 * Tarak Ital - Chook Sibtain
 * Andy Stone - Alan Ruscoe
 * Maggie Cain - Sharon Duncan-Brewster
 * Mia Bennett - Gemma Chan
 * Yuri Kerenski - Aleksander Mikic
 * Steffi Ehrlich - Cosima Shaw
 * Roman Groom - Michael Goldsmith
 * Emily Brooke - Lily Bevan
 * Mikhail Kerenski - Max Bollinger
 * Ulrika Ehrlich - Anouska Strahnz
 * Lisette Ehrlich - Zofia Strahnz
 * Adelaide's Father - Charlie De'Ath
 * Σ|Ood Sigma - Paul Kasey
 * Young Adelaide - Rachel Fewell
 * Susie Fontana Brooke - Alice Southwood

Earth history

 * Adelaide Brooke says that the last forty years on Earth have been chaos, with massive climate change, ozone degradation, and "the oil apocalypse"; humanity "almost reached extinction" during this period. Andy's obituary mentions "appalling storm conditions" in 2040, and climate change affecting agriculture in 2045.
 * Maggie believes the Doctor may be a Filipino or Spanish astronaut, as the Philippines are rumoured to be building a Mars rocket and Spain have a "space link" that they managed to keep secret. Andy Stone's sister worked for the Spanish space programme. Ed Gold believes the Doctor is from a non-state independent group, referring to the "Branson Inheritance", likely a reference to Richard Branson, a British industrialist who uses his vast wealth to fund commercial space flight.
 * Various lunar missions have been carried out, including ten German missions and Project Pit Stop, establishing a refueling station on the moon. Mars was landed on in 2041, with Adelaide Brooke as part of the crew. Thirty years after 2059, Brooke's granddaughter Susan will pilot the first lightspeed ship.
 * At least one of the webpages (the one showing Brooke's granddaughter) dates from the 2080s or later, suggesting the Internet still exists in some form in the late 21st century.
 * In 2059 flares emanating from the Solar System's Sun are preventing clear communications between Earth and Mars.
 * Although its name is not given in dialogue, one of the webpages shown on screen indicates that the name of the spacecraft that brought Brooke's crew to Mars and that of the vessel Ed Gold is forced to destroy, is Apollo 34.

Locations

 * Bowie Base One is Earth's first off world colony.
 * "Bowie Base One" is a reference to the David Bowie song "Life on Mars", which was also the name of a BBC TV series set in 1973 which starred John Simm, who currently plays the Master, who apeared in the next episode.


 * Bowie Base One is located on Mars in the Gusev Crater.
 * The colony's plantation grows, according to the Doctor, the first vegetation seen on Mars for 10,000 years.

Races and species

 * The Doctor mentions the Ice Warriors and suggests that they may have frozen the Flood. The Ice Warriors' present apparent absence from Mars goes unexplained.

Robots

 * The Doctor said that he hates "funny robots" but notes that he'd be okay with a robot dog.
 * Gadget was built by Roman Groom using parts from the drones that constructed Bowie Base One.

Story notes

 * This story was initially envisaged as a Christmas special, several festive references remain, such as the crew on Mars preparing for Christmas dinner, and it snowing when the Doctor arrives back on Earth as he exclaims how he likes snow.
 * This story was originally entitled; Red Christmas.
 * Lindsay Duncan becomes the oldest actress, and briefly the oldest individual, to be cast in the companion role (although like several before her, her official status as a companion will remain debatable). As Bernard Cribbins took on the companion role in DW: The End of Time, he will become the elder male actor and elder individual in this role.
 * The episode ends with a dedication to Barry Letts. The former Doctor Who producer and writer had died several weeks before the broadcast.
 * Phil Ford's original draft was called "A Midwinter's Tale", and was a sword and sorcery tale about an alien princess coming to Earth to be married. It ended with a long chase sequence in secret tunnels beneath Buckingham Palace.
 * When initially sketching out the story, Davies considered Helen Mirren as a potential actress to play the character that eventually became Adelaide. In an early draft, the character that became Adelaide was Russian, but this was changed when, still thinking of Mirren as a potential guest star, Davies felt it would have been too close to the character played by Mirren in the film 2010: The Year We Make Contact. (REF: Doctor Who: The Writer's Tale - The Final Chapter)
 * In a deleted scene, the Doctor suggested that the Ice Warriors were unable to fully defeat the Flood and fled the planet as a result, explaning their absence.

Ratings

 * 15th November 2009 - 10.32 Milion
 * 33.9% of TV share

Filming locations

 * Victoria Place, Newport
 * National Botanic Gardens of Wales, Carmarthenshire
 * Taff's Well quarry, Cardiff, Wales

Production errors

 * The first of the web pages brought up in the episode claims that Adelaide had a seven-strong crew with her, though there were 9 people on-site not counting the Doctor.
 * In Yuri Kerenski's profile near the beginning of the episode, Tarak Ital's name is incorrectly spelt as "Tarek".
 * When it is revealed that Maggie is one of the creatures, the outer shot shows her hair back while in the closer shot, it is around her face.
 * When the Doctor opens Adelaide's door, the door unlocks and is opened till it is ajar. When Adelaide approaches the door however, it is closed over.
 * Adelaide, when talking to the Doctor, tells of the time during the events of The Stolen Earth/Journey's End when she was conforted by a Dalek. The Dalek did not kill her for it foresaw that she was needed alive for at some point in the future, as her actions would in some way affect the Daleks. This makes sense, however in that episode Adelaide would have been killed by Davros' Reality Bomb anyway, making this plot point completely pointless.
 * At one point in the episode the robot GADGET, being controlled by the Doctor, races across the surface of Mars at such a speed that it leaves trails of fire behind. This would have been impossible as there is no oxygen on the surface of Mars to allow the fire to burn.

Continuity

 * The Doctor speaks partially to the events of DW: The Fires of Pompeii.
 * There is a flashback to an event that occurred during the timeframe of DW: The Stolen Earth / Journey's End, which includes a cameo appearance by a Dalek.
 * The spacesuit the Doctor wore was the same suit from DW: The Impossible Planet / The Satan Pit and similar to the one he wore in 42.
 * Mars appears not to have much of an atmosphere, however NA: The Dying Days suggests otherwise.
 * Carmen's prophecy "he will knock four times" is mentioned from DW: Planet of the Dead.
 * Sound clips of the Doctor talking about the Time Lords and The Time War are used from DW: Rise of the Cybermen, Doomsday, Gridlock, Utopia / The Sound of Drums / Last of the Time Lords.
 * The Doctor says that heat worked against the Ice Warriors, a reference to DW: The Seeds of Death and DW: The Monster of Peladon.

Timeline

 * This story takes place after SJA: The Wedding of Sarah Jane Smith
 * This story takes place before DW: Dreamland

International Broadcasts

 * Prime - New Zealand: 29th November 2009
 * ABC1 - Australia: 6th December 2009
 * BBC America: 19th December 2009
 * Space - Canada: 19th December 2009 ; rebroadcasts on 20th December 2009 and 2nd January 2010.
 * Virtually no major edits were made to The Waters on Mars for any of its broadcasts on Space on 19th and 20th December, except that the preview for The End of Time was omitted (the dedication to Barry Letts, however, remained intact).

Home video releases

 * The four specials along with The Next Doctor were released in North America on both DVD and Blu-Ray in a box set on 2nd February 2010.
 * The Waters of Mars were released with The End of Time in a 'Winter Specials' DVD and Blu-Ray Box Set.