...and there, as I'm sure you're all aware, goes David Tennant, sauntering off from a ridiculously well-received tenure as The Doctor. What a relief as well to see Russell T. Davies actually pull off his final episode with the gravitas he deserved.
Yes, I'm choosing to largely ignore part 1; while it was all good fun (mostly because, y'know, it was Doctor Who), but it was now clearly an hour of build-up for the proper showdown. They just didn't know how to tackle Donna, a character who was very boldly given a tragic end (to experience brilliance, only to be cast into ignorance). I understand that by bringing Wilfred back, whose character's importance was so utterly justified in the finale, that Donna would have to be tackled, but she only ever stood as a burden to the rest of the script. Oh well.
Absolutely loved Timothy Dalton's Rassilon - every bit as intimidating as the character's legend from the old series deserved (Rassilon was effectively one of the first time lords, having invented Time Travel, and viciously sought immortality). The Master too, OOF, unutterably good.
Showdowns. Phwoar. First off, there's the six-shooter stand-off; very western, yes, but also kinda steampunk, which the new series of Doctor Who has always lavished itself in, and I can't get enough of it. Facing up to what are effectively two opposing races of timelords with nothing but a six-shooter, aw yeah. And for the record, I adored the insane plan of jumping out of a spaceship with the gun in hand. Yippee kay ay motherfuckers.
I did kinda bore of the goodbye montage at the end, but to a greater more indulgent extent, I lapped it up. The visit to see Rose; oh, very Buffy/ Angel romance brooding. And getting Jack his hole - priceless.
How would the death of Doctor No. 10 have looked if he didn't hang about for a lengthy goodbye though? Well, the moment we hear Wilfred tapping away on the door, it was inevitable his death was going to be damned emotional. "Waiting for me all this time", he scolds Wildred. Exactly what this incarnation of the Doctor has been searching for from the beginning. I reckon I'd have been very happy if The Doctor had died in that little glass box, regenerated from that indignant crippled pile. But then that would be dark as fuck, and pretty harsh. Nah, I was happy with the path they took, despite it sometimes collapsing with the weight of duty (they really needn't have bothered visiting Sarah Jane, Martha, and Donna (again), but I see why they did). Crawling from his meeting with Rose back into the Tardis was lavishly indulgent poetry.
"I don't want to go". Famous last words, and they finally tie up Davies' 'Lonely God' arc to a triumphant close. And now for Matt Smith; I can't fucking wait!
7 years ago
1 comment:
I agree for the most part - seen as a one hour build up to this mostly fantastic finale the first episode sucks a little less than it did otherwise. I, however, cannot reconcile myself with the totally lame goodbye endings they gave the second episode though. I get that Doctor Who is meant to be a kiddy show and all, but it would have been SO much cooler if he'd died there and then, curled up and wretched. Dark as fuck maybe, but I'll take that anyday over the sacharine bullshit of watching Tennant stare and nod meaningfully at a bunch of characters I no longer care about for a good 10 mins. Totally spoilt the otherwise shocking and brilliant end to the 10th Doctor for me. It would have been ok if they'd just done Rose, but do I honestly care that Martha and what's his face are married now... the answer is no by the way.
Still, that's Doctor Who - excellent fun but also a bit shit. I must say I'm a little concerned by Smith's first appearance - didn't warm to him at all, and his reaction to regeneration just seemed like a cheap knock off of Tennants brilliant 'Oooh, new teeth!' I shall of course remain open minded for the new series though, as my initial bad reaction might have more to do with my dissapointment at the episodes conclusion than any flaw in Smith's brief performance.
And yes, as far as final words are concerned 'I don't want to go.' perfectly sums up Tennants tenure as the time travelling numpty. Also really liked his tantrum at realising that this was how he was going to die. I just wished they'd cut out the long goodbyes...
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