I got to sleep in an extra hour this morning, so that was nice. Then I had to watch The Lazarus Experiment, which wasn't nearly so nice. So let's talk about that.

The Lazarus Experiment

(TARDIS Data Core recap)

From a story standpoint this episode isn't entirely terrible (although it isn't especially good either). But holy crap the special effects are awful. I would much prefer the rubber monsters of the classic era over a CGI effect that is so mind-numbingly terrible. It's like the special effects team watched this, and thought, "Yes! Definitely like that!!":

And so they cranked up the Video Toaster software on their old Amigas and created this:

It looks much less realistic when it is moving

If it was only a few quick shots at the climax that would be one thing, but this monster gets constant screen time in order to showcase its full awfulness.

As for the story itself, basically the Doctor is about to dump Martha off and wish her a happy life when he overhears that Martha's sister works for a septuagenarian mad scientist. So it's into a tux and off to the Mad Science Exhibit, where they meet up with Martha's truly awful mom, her clueless brother, and her less-clueless sister. When the old and wrinkly Dr. Lazarus makes a pass at Martha's sister she is all creeped out, but only a few minutes later once he has de-aged himself using his MadScienceWhatever Device, the sister is totally DTF him even though he is in no way less creepy. I mean, if he had turned into Neville Longbottom that would be one thing, but he has only turned into Mark Gatiss, so.... ick.

A+ in Transfiguration

I mean... maybe a C-? I guess?

So Martha's Sister is all into YoungDoctorLazarus up until the point he spouts a scorpion tail and starts draining the life force out of people. At which point there is a bunch of running and screaming and the occasional explosion, until the Doctor does a Very Clever Thing with a pipe organ in a cathedral. Then it's all, "Actually, Martha, you can keep traveling with me because I have decided I am totally over the Sainted Rose now."

And that's it, the worst of the best is behind me and tomorrow morning I can dive into the strongest run of episodes in NuWho history. Seriously, scanning ahead there is not a clunker to be found for the remainder of Ten's run. I survived stupid Daleks and bad GGI, and now I will be rewarded with the Family of Blood and Weeping Angels (back when they were still scary). Woo hoo!

STATS:

Doctor(s): Tenth
Companion(s): Martha Jones
Episode(s): The Lazarus Experiment
Steps Walked: 7,664 today, 2,794,062 total
Distance Walked: 4.18 miles today, 1,456.69 miles total
Push-ups Completed: 0 today, 1,414 total
Sit-ups Completed: 0 today, 111 total
Is the Doctor So, So Sorry?: Nope. But he should be embarrassed for the awful CGI.
Weight: 249.32 lbs (five day moving average), net change -57.98 lbs