Doctor Who 4.17 The End Of Time Part One

If you read Doctor Who forums you'll find there is a significant minority of Whovians who hate this episode. I, for once, am not one of them. The episode see's the return of the Master, Wilf, Donna and... THE TIME LORDS! I think anything could be forgiven for those last two minutes where they are revealed. Awesome! But the rest of the episode has it's good points too. John Simm plays the Master extremely well, showing us his obvious insanity in grim/hilarious detail. Wilf and the Doctor are both great as they play melancholy characters and the Doctor crying as he tells Wilf he is going to die is EXCELLENT. Seeing Donna again is always good and I hope we see more of her next episode.

The plot... well the plot was the sort of thing you'd find in Marvel Comics in the early 80s. Silly, weird but ultimately alright.

The episode reminded me a lot of Survival (the last story of the original run) with it's grim reality of a down and out London where it's hard to find a smile or a job. It was far more realistic than the end of series 4 trilogy that was just pants. I hope that the follow up episode is as dramatic, exciting and funny as it needs to be in order to give the Tenth Doctor a good send off. It'll be sad to see David Tennant go but if they do it right it won't be all that bad!

This blogger works for nothing but the joy of writing but always appreciates things bought from his wishlist

Doctor Who 4.16 The Waters Of Mars

The Waters Of Mars is the penultimate story (if not episode) for the Tenth Doctor, and is even more foreboding and dark than the end of the Fourth Doctor.

The Doctor lands on Mars, a year after humanities first Martian colony has been established. In order for humanity to thrive, the Martian colony must be destroyed which leaves the Doctor in the awkward situation of being his ever nosey self whilst understanding he must allow the colonists to meet their fate. When the Doctor finally does interfere in a fit of megalomania, he manages to save three of the colonists but still loses his battle with time.

The Doctor is at his very worst in this episode, depressed and morose at the start and pompous and unduly confident near the end. These emotions have always been the flipside of the bubbly, enthusiastic Tenth Doctor and are appropriate, if depressing, for one of his final adventures.

The acting was great, the storyline slick, and the ending deeply moving. And, as a Doctor Who fan, the ringing of the Cloister Bell as the Doctor screams defiance at his end was electrifying.

I'll be sad to see the Tenth Doctor go, but all good things must come to an end... roll on Christmas!



This blogger works for nothing but the joy of writing but always appreciates things bought from his wishlist