Doctor Who: 10 Brilliant But Overlooked Moments In NuWho
6. Martha’s Family Are Arrested - The Sound Of Drums
The Joneses are frequently overshadowed by the Tylers and Nobles, yet they’re at the heart of some gripping scenes. Throughout series 3, we see glimpses of Francine Jones’ collusion with Harold Saxon’s people. This strand of the story arc culminates in a brilliantly executed moment that sees Martha’s flat blown up and her family arrested.
From the discovery of the bomb, this moment has an electrifying pace, carried through Colin Teague’s directing and Murray Gold’s intense All the Strange Creatures.
There is a sense that the Master’s net is closing in as Martha races to help her parents. Doctor Who rarely features car action and this feels like the show is pushing its parameters. Behind the wheel, Freema Agyeman’s performance captures the desperation of a woman whose family is under attack, and Martha’s accusation that “it’s all [the Doctor’s] fault” emphasises how her world is falling apart.
The highlight of this sequence is when Martha is faced with the horrific sight of her parents being forced into a police van. The action pauses and, for a second, every Whovian hair stands on end. Then we watch as, for once, the TARDIS trio have to accept defeat and reverse, ducking as bullets blast the rear windscreen.
With explosions, shattering glass, characters at gunpoint and tyres screeching, this moment is arguably the best action sequence in all of Doctor Who.