The Sontaran Stratagem (TV story)

Synopsis
With the mysterious ATMOS devices spreading across the world, Donna discovers that even her own family is not safe from the alien threat – but is it too late to save them? And what will she make of Martha Jones?

Martha Jones and UNIT discover the terrible secrets of the gases that the ATMOS company is spreading across the world and Martha realises that the Doctor is the only person who can help.

But with time running out before the sontaran invasion force arrives will Martha, Donna, UNIT and the Doctor be able to defeat them or will the world suffer under the threat of ATMOS?

Plot
A young genius called Luke Rattigan is working with the Sontarans by using their technology to devise a device called Atmos, which makes a car carbon-free and functions as a Sat Nav. However, 52 deaths across the world occur simultaneously when Atmos takes control of several cars.

The Doctor receives a call from UNIT employee and former companion Martha Jones, who is now engaged to Tom Milligan. The Time Lord and Donna head to Earth and meet Colonel Mace, who is spearheading a raid on an Atmos factory. Two UNIT soldiers find an underground chamber but are captured and hypnotized by the Sontaran General Staal, then used to trap Martha so that she can be duplicated.

Donna heads home to visit her family while The Doctor visits Rattigan with a soldier called Ross. The Doctor discovers a teleport device and momentarily finds himself on board the Sontaran ship before beaming back. General Staal follows him down to Earth, though The Doctor manages to hit a squash ball onto his vulnerable probic vent and briefly incapacitate him and escape. The Doctor and Ross then manage to fend off an attempt to kill them using the Atmos in their UNIT jeep.

The Doctor calls Martha and tells her to inform UNIT about the Sontarans and put them on Code Red, but the clone doesn't comply. Around the world, a poisonous gas emits from millions of Atmos devices after the Sontarans activate them. Wilf is trapped inside his car, choking, and The Doctor battles to free him.

Cast

 * The Doctor - David Tennant
 * Donna Noble - Catherine Tate
 * Martha Jones - Freema Agyeman
 * Wilfred Mott - Bernard Cribbins
 * Sylvia Noble - Jacqueline King
 * General Staal - Christopher Ryan
 * Commander Skorr - Dan Starkey
 * Colonel Mace - Rupert Holliday Evans
 * Captain Price -
 * Luke Rattigan - Ryan Sampson
 * Ross Jenkins - Christian Cooke
 * Jo Nakashima - Elenor Matsuura
 * Private Gray - Wesley Theobald
 * Private Harris - Clive Standen

Production crew
To be added

Story notes

 * This episode marks the first television appearance of the Sontarans in 23 years. Their last appearance was in The Two Doctors, however the last time they were refered to was in 2007s' "The Sarah Jane Adventures".
 * Helen Raynor wrote this episode. Her Series 3 episodes Daleks in Manhattan and Evolution of the Daleks both occupied fourth and fith episode in the series. This two part episode also occupies episode four and five.
 * This two-parter is Douglas Mackinnon's first story as director.
 * Mobile phone company O2 is releasing an Atmos SatNav phone, possibly based on the devices used in this episode.

Ratings
To be added

Myths
to be added

Rumours

 * Sontar may be missing along with Pyrovillia and the Adipose Breeding Planet. This was proved false but Sontar was mentioned.
 * The Adipose could have been the Child versions of the Sontarans, they are clones and Sontarans could be the grown version of the Adipose.
 * General Staal has a beard. He has a goatee.
 * The BBC's Doctor Who website's fear forecast for this episode indicates that the Autons or Rutan may make a brief cameo. This was proved false.
 * The Sontarans may have a weakness to bees, thus their disappearance. Their weakness was proven to be the probic vent at the back of their neck.

Filming locations
To be added

Continuity

 * Martha Jones was last seen in the in the episode Last of the Time Lords. She was also last seen in the Torchwood episode A Day in the Death.
 * This show is made during the 35th anniversary of the Sontarans.
 * This episode confirms it was the Doctor who got Martha her job with UNIT.
 * The Sontarans made their first appearance in 1973 in the serial The Time Warrior by Robert Holmes. They appeared through the old series and the way they reproduce is through cloning.
 * This episode contains references to Last of the Time Lords and flashbacks of Partners in Crime, The Fires of Pompeii and Planet of the Ood.
 * In this episode Martha is engaged to Tom Milligan.
 * When Donna states she is leaving, the Doctor says he was looking forward to taking her to many places, including one of the moons of the Medusa Cascade. This could be a refernces to a possible story later in the series.
 * The Sontaran's ship has a ring of hemispheres that bear a remarkable resemblance to "Dalek Bumps"

Discontinuity, Plot Holes, Errors

 * Luke asks how the Sontarans how they can tell Staal and Skorr apart but it is easy to distinguish who is who as they look different. Though he might have been refering to the typical Sontaran grunt, who are almost always wearing identical helmets.

DVD and other releases

 * It will be released on the Series 4 boxset DVD in November 2008.


 * It will be released as part of Series 4 volume 2 on June 2nd 2008