Ah, another Doctor Who series finale. Like many of the previous finales, this one is something of a mixed bag for me. As in the third series finale, there is a semi-nonsensical world takeover plot line that brings forth many heroics from our protagonist and his friends, leading to some less than stellar plot threads amid scenes of sheer brilliance.
The Osterhagen Key, anyone? Both "The Stolen Earth" and "Journey's End" are cluttered with every possible Doctor Who character from the last four series. While it's nice to see some of them again, some feel shoehorned in with no particularly good reason for being there (such as Jackie Tyler, who is a great character...but why would she leave Tony and go chasing after Rose in an alternate dimension?). I got the feeling while watching it that Russel T. Davies wanted to play with all of his characters again before he put them away for good, which is the only good explanation for the presence of Gwen and Ianto from Torchwood, who do absolutely nothing except look at a screen and comment on the Doctor's attractiveness. (Also, did anyone notice that they automatically knew who the Doctor was, and yet to our knowledge, Jack has never told them about him?) That said, a reunion between Rose and the Doctor is a nice way to wrap up David Tennant's four seasons playing the titular character. The scene where they rush toward each other down a London street is very touching, even though it's cut short by the Doctor getting blasted by a dalek ray gun. I also love the pathos of the end of Donna's run as the Doctor's companion, depressing though it is. RTD didn't just end her character's run, he sealed her away forever.
Similarly, Rose is sealed away forever, although I felt her acceptance of the Doctor's human clone was a little too fast and too tidy. Part of what made Rose such a lasting character in the minds of fans was the all too tragic way she left the series. Giving her a happy ending was all well and good, but it almost cancels out the beauty of that last scene on the beach at Bad Wolf Bay in Doomsday, something I find rather unforgivable.
And Martha... Why is Martha tasked with administering a world-wide suicide pill? That seems like a job for the Americans.
Yet, for all my complaints, I can't give this episode any less than an eight. It's still Doctor Who, which means that even with all the flaws, it's one of the best hours of entertainment on television. There are quite a few nice character moments, and the scene where the Doctor drags the earth back into its proper orbit is perhaps overdone, but still lovely.
It would take a lot more than some plot silliness to rob me of my love for Doctor Who, and I think most fans probably feel the same.
The Osterhagen Key, anyone? Both "The Stolen Earth" and "Journey's End" are cluttered with every possible Doctor Who character from the last four series. While it's nice to see some of them again, some feel shoehorned in with no particularly good reason for being there (such as Jackie Tyler, who is a great character...but why would she leave Tony and go chasing after Rose in an alternate dimension?). I got the feeling while watching it that Russel T. Davies wanted to play with all of his characters again before he put them away for good, which is the only good explanation for the presence of Gwen and Ianto from Torchwood, who do absolutely nothing except look at a screen and comment on the Doctor's attractiveness. (Also, did anyone notice that they automatically knew who the Doctor was, and yet to our knowledge, Jack has never told them about him?) That said, a reunion between Rose and the Doctor is a nice way to wrap up David Tennant's four seasons playing the titular character. The scene where they rush toward each other down a London street is very touching, even though it's cut short by the Doctor getting blasted by a dalek ray gun. I also love the pathos of the end of Donna's run as the Doctor's companion, depressing though it is. RTD didn't just end her character's run, he sealed her away forever.
Similarly, Rose is sealed away forever, although I felt her acceptance of the Doctor's human clone was a little too fast and too tidy. Part of what made Rose such a lasting character in the minds of fans was the all too tragic way she left the series. Giving her a happy ending was all well and good, but it almost cancels out the beauty of that last scene on the beach at Bad Wolf Bay in Doomsday, something I find rather unforgivable.
And Martha... Why is Martha tasked with administering a world-wide suicide pill? That seems like a job for the Americans.
Yet, for all my complaints, I can't give this episode any less than an eight. It's still Doctor Who, which means that even with all the flaws, it's one of the best hours of entertainment on television. There are quite a few nice character moments, and the scene where the Doctor drags the earth back into its proper orbit is perhaps overdone, but still lovely.
It would take a lot more than some plot silliness to rob me of my love for Doctor Who, and I think most fans probably feel the same.