The End of Time: Part Two

On the one hand I think this is a hugely underrated, very high quality story but on the other hand I do not think this was quite as amazing a finale as the 10th Doctor deserved or Russell T. Davies era deserved.

This incredible era was, for MY taste, the most consistently high quality era since the Hinchcliffe & Holmes era with Tom Baker in classic Seasons 12 to 14. My ratings for the 10th Doctor's era edge ahead of any other Doctor's era, even the hugely consistent 3rd Doctor era. So it is slightly unfortunate this era comes to an end with a story that is not one of the very best.

Having treated us with stories like Midnight, Turn Left, The Stolen Earth and The Waters of Mars in his recent writing efforts, RTD seemed to slightly over extend his ideas in this story in my opinion. However, I still think it gets very overly harshly judged by some fans because I think it is actually very good.

The downsides in my view are:

A few aspects of the plot which are a bit overblown.

The Vinvocci aliens are a little bit cheesy and silly imo.

Naismith, his whole entourage and his plans are all a bit underwhelming.

The Master turning into a superpowered, super hungry monster and then turning all humans into him are entertaining but a bit over the top.

Loads in this story is of top standard though:

It is exciting, fun and emotionally strong.

It features the Doctor's great nemesis the Master and has brilliant scenes between him and the Doctor.

It has powerful aspects about the return of the Time Lords.

It has superb acting from Tennant, John Simm, Timothy Dalton and the wonderful Bernard Cribbins.

It has a mysterious cameo from Claire Bloom and a small, touching return for Catherine Tate as the great companion Donna.

It is very well produced with effects, music, direction etc all at top level.

It has some amazing dialogue, particularly between Tennant and Cribbins which are extremely moving right up to the tear-jerking regeneration scene.

All of this deserves huge praise and it shows off Davies' writing skills and Tennant's immense acting prowess.

Overall this is very high quality in most respects. While I think it falls slightly short of reaching the greatness it deserved, it is still a very strong finale.

David Tennant was, for me, one of the best Doctors with his awesome acting and emotional range. He was a joy to have as our hero.

Russell T. Davies deserves huge thanks and praise for all his excellent work in bringing the show back, making it so successful and creating so many incredible new stories for us to enjoy.

Thanks David & Russell, your era was one of the best ever.

My ratings:

Part One - 8/10 Part Two - 9/10 Overall - 8.5/10.

After seeing the fantastic first part of 'The End of Time', I couldn't wait for Part Two. Now after seeing part two, I know that my waiting is rewarded.

The episode itself is written fantastic, it starts great, in the middle there's one or two minutes that are a bit less interesting, but that doesn't matter anymore after seeing the FANTASTIC ending, I'll not spoil it for you, but RTD did an awesome job here, it couldn't be better.

I hope RTD will continue with Torchwood, after finishing writing for Doctor Who, and maybe write once in a while another DW episode.

I recommend this special to everyone!

Spectacular close to the 2 parter. A lot of highs but can we all agree that Wilfred Mott is one of the best characters in the series!? Love the character and role he had in these episodes.

Laughed, cried, and cheered.

Everyone who loves The Doctor has an actor who endeared this character to them. I could never get on board with The Doctor as a kid due to the poor production value but once I heard it was coming back with today's technology I couldn't wait. We can argue back and forth about Who's the best (pun intended) but it will always be a subjective battle of personal experience and opinion. My first was and will always be David Tennant. Christopher was great, no question, but David took us with him... It pains me to know he is now in Hollywood among the average and over-rated. I wish you luck there (as you deserve more than waiting rooms and screen tests) and hope your past will help you through the cold reality of Los Angeles and its executives who still think Who was your characters last name... At the very least, you'll be able to afford to learn to surf in your spare time! David, to me, you were, and always will be the actor who brought The Doctor to life for me, job well done sir....

As soon as the final episode was over I took a breath, a short leak, and started watching it again. Thank you Mr. Davies, you have made my imagination find whole new worlds and given me the most amazing television escape of my life to date...I know this sounds a little over-board and over zealous but in my opinion you and your staff have done the stories proud...

For all the haters out there, I challenge you to equal the journey that these men carried us over the past few years. Sure, there were lows, but we live in a time where more people know Paris Hilton than where Paris, France is so kudos to you for staying the course and keeping the fire burning...

Now if only I had kids so that I could make it through Seasons Two and Three of Sarah Jane to fill in the story gaps of my mind...

The Master has literally become everyone, and Donna is in mortal danger, having been the only person, apart from the Doctor, Wilf and the two Vinvocci not to change. On a devastated Gallifrey The Lord President talks to the high council, the Visionary sees their imminent destruction, but in defiance The Lord President refuses to give up and seeks a return, and uses a device through the Master. The Doctor, Wilf and Vinvocci escape into deep space, and the Master links up to hear the the sound the Timelords had sent him and the link. The Doctor returns in the ship and breaks into The Naismith House where the Master is based, but the Master has started to bring Gallifrey through, and a desperate battle begins.

The Visionary was awful, like that silly woman back in The Ribos Operation, otherwise the return of Gallifrey was very good.

Timothy Dalton was very strong as The Lord President, such a commanding performance, hugely charismatic.

Catherine Tate is not given enough screen time, although the ending is a satisfying one for her, it was also nice to see the forth Doctor's crew get a final moment.

Bernard Cribbins is utterly glorious once again, Wilf has been such a lovable character, it's great we learn so much more about his character, what a cruel twist of fate..

The first part was a bit hit and miss, this was much better. I was delighted to see the return of Gallifrey and the time lords, they were particularly well realised. John Simm has had a much better script, way better in Part 2. Tennant is truly magical, he has given one of the best ever performances, from the scenes with Wilf at the start to the devastating ending. The ending itself is truly phenomenal, talk about epic and heartbreaking, THE moment made me go cold, and what of the Master? it's no surprise Missy was a bit miffed! 9/10

One unanswered question, was the woman in white the Doctor's mother or a weeping Angel? Or both, how he looked at Sylvia and Donna, a clue?