Dr Who Series Final

Author: jawapro
Date: Tue 01/07/2008 09:12 PM




 

One word - WOW.

Or as the Doctor might be more likely to say - Fantastic!

I just watched the first part of the Series 4 final. (thanks to the Internet - the series has only just started down here)

When I say series 4, I am only counting since the Reboot of Dr Who. It's actually series 30 or something otherwise I think.

Anyway - it blew me away.

Some episodes are just sheer brilliance - and would impress anyone. This one might not be quite like that - but for a geeky fan-boy, this was brilliant.

How much could you shove into an episode of Dr Who?

Rose Tyler is back. I got really sick of her - but it serves the story to have her back.

Martha Jones is back.

Captain Jack is back - along with Gwen and Ianto from Torchwood (who have never met the Doctor or been on Dr Who before.

That would be big - but it doesnt end there.

Sarah Jane Smith is back - along with her 'son' from the Sarah Jane Smith spin-off show.

The Daleks are back (which isnt much of a suprise) but so far at last seem to actually show some of the menace that made them scary originally.

Unfourtuantly they'll probably die too easily in the next part - that's the sort of way the Daleks have been used lately. Lots of them show up, look threatening, and then all get wiped out pretty easily.

Yet more familar faces turn up, and we also get to find out more about the Time War and the Shadow Proclaimation.

A big bad guy returns (you wont have to guess long to work out who) and if I'm not mistaken - we also hear some drums at one point. Maybe someone else is returning next episode....

Something rather massive and important appears to be happening at the end of the episode - but wether it will actually happen or not remains to be seen.

So from a long time Dr Who fan's perspective - this was an awesome episode. For a casual viewer, it will probably just be strange and confusing.

All that would have improved it would be four things:

1: The sound of drums eventuating.
2: K-9 returning
3: The Return of the Time Lords.
4: Someone else had written it.

The final was written by Russel T. Davis - who revived the series (and is respected for that) but wrote some lousy episodes (and few or none of the best ones) and has a special talent for creating these great situations for series finals, and then failing to pull them off.

We have one more episode to go - so perhaps the first 3 points will still happen - and RTD will actually pen a series final that lives up to it's promise for once.

Roll on the weekend and the 2nd half!


Comments: 7

 

Comment: 1

Author: LadyJane
Date: Wed 02/07/2008 02:54 PM




Did you have to go and do that? You know we do not watch Dr Who on the web and now, now I am going to have to wait and wait to see it. Bother. thanks for the heads up though. Like we could not guess you-know-who would not be coming back! We just saw the Christmas special (the Titanic one) and yes, Russell T. Davies writing is soooo emo! The Doctor cried sooo many times. Blech! And he kissed Kylie far too many times too. Oh well. Maybe some better writers soon. Series 5 won't start production until 2010, as David Tennant is off performing Shakespeare with Captain Picard. :(

 

Comment: 2

Author: turkeybrain
Date: Thu 03/07/2008 10:22 AM




You'll actually find this is a trilogy, starting with the episode with the thing on the back. Anyone who has seen it will know what I mean, but nobody else will know...

Anyway, I'm just looking forward to the finale, and I'm a bit annoyed it won't be on until Saturday night (or Sunday morning for us). That means I have to wait until Monday to watch it. That's just way too long. And I'm still interested to know how they're going to deal with the pretty yellow colours occuring at the end of the episode. Yes, I speak in code as to not blow it for others... They're contractually obliged not to let that happen!

Anyway, you reckon the drums will really come back?

 

Comment: 3

Author: jawapro
Date: Thu 03/07/2008 10:31 AM




I dont know the details of contracts and things - but if they get around that, maybe that will also solve the problem mentioned above.

Deliberatly not looking at any sites to find anything out this week. I havent spoilt anything that you dont find out in the 'next week' of the previous episode - as I know a lot of people don't watch it as early as we do.

I dont know about the drums - but Donna was talking at one stage, and there was a rather familiar beat to the music. And if it does mean something - will it be someone we already know? Is it Donna? That would be a twist and a half!

 

Comment: 4

Author: turkeybrain
Date: Thu 03/07/2008 11:31 PM




As the Doctor said at the end of the last episode, they do seem to keep bumping into one another... (abbreviated for safety's sake). I actually didn't notice the drums, but they might well be there... I'd be interested to know if that will happen or not. But anyway.

I also wonder what the loss will be, they all seem to know, except the person and us... Roll on Monday when I can watch it!

 

Comment: 5

Author: mlipsy
Date: Mon 07/07/2008 02:43 PM




SPOILER ALERT (in case you have not had a chance to see it yet)

 

Comment: 6

Author: turkeybrain
Date: Mon 07/07/2008 06:52 PM




*More plot spoilers contained*

Technically speaking, the Doctor did kill the Daleks, but that's kind of beside the point.

I still don't think they've explained what the loss would be because of the bug on Donna's back. Even at the Shadow Proclaimation (in the previous episode), they were saying how sorry they were for her coming loss. Surely this isn't the result of the bug on her back!

Speaking of plot holes, I did like the way the Doctor stayed as one. And why on earth hasn't he done it before? Seriously, all the Doctors (we are at the 10th now) could have done the same thing, surely.

But that's a bit of a rant. It was still a good episode, and was worth watching.

But yes, Blink is brilliant.

Whatever you do, don't blink.

 

Comment: 7

Author: jawapro
Date: Thu 10/07/2008 12:17 PM




Sorry for the lack of replies - Emma has been staying at my place, and between her and Neptune, I've been a little pre-occupied.

It was definatly worth watching - but still was disapointing after the first half. That's normally the way it is with RTD finals.

The first one (Bad Wolf / Parting of the Ways) had an absolutely excelent next-week that made it look like the best episode ever, and then failed to be that good. Uber-Rose, Daleks being half human, all daleks dying etc - disapointing!

Next - Cybermen vs Daleks. Had some great moments - but once again, disapointing. Lots of Daleks, then none again. At least it showed some surviving this time. And Rose left - so it wasn't all bad.

Then the Sound of Drums/Last of the Timelords. The Master was fantastic. Sam Tyler makes and absolutely awesome Master. But his story was pretty weak and lame. It all felt rather contrived and last-minute. Oh, we need a story - forgot to write that, give me half an hour....
The Master was Brilliant. Martha Jones was great (as Martha normally was). The end was just lame. So lame I can't remember half of it. Positive thoughts revived the Doctor or some such nonsense. The whole Gollumn-Doctor idea was pretty lame too.

And then this one. After so much being made of the bees - it was almost an afterthought to use it in this story. And Donna's loss had been a big theme - and it was pretty pathetic, as mentioned already.
The Daleks were good. They were true Daleks - not half human or trying to be human etc. Yet once again they seem to have been wiped out.

And what about the Doctor's most faithful compaion dying? Who died? K-9 didnt even die - and he would probably fit that description. He could have died and been rebuilt - again.

The best thing about this final - RTD is retiring. In his place we get Steven Moffet - who wrote most of the really great episodes so far. If he could make all episodes half as good as his, we'd be in for a fantastic 5th season.