The Next Doctor 6 out of 10
Planet of the Dead 7 out of 10
The Waters of Mars 7.5 out of 10
The End of Time: Part One 6 out of 10
The End of Time: Part Two 7.5 out of 10
The Next Doctor started off brilliantly and had a real sense of freshness about it at the start. It was fantastically festive and reasonably witty- but wit was something RTD could sometimes deliver very well. However after the iconic cemetery scene which I could praise infinitely, things went downhill. The plot became a bit run-of-the-mill- which was fine, and the revelation that 'The Doctor' was in fact Jackson Lake was also most effective with all the flashbacks of the real Doctor. It was when the plot got too big for its boots and had a giant robot emerge out of the Thames- not every episode of the show has to be done on a large/global scale- The Next Doctor had been like The Unicorn and the Wasp by keeping everything quite small, so when the metal monstrosity emerged it felt very out of place and for me ruined the episode. Sad really, as praise should really go to David Morrissey, Dervla Kerwan and the woman who played Rosita- they were all brill.
Planet of the Dead is the only Doctor Who episode I have never watched (since 2005) on original broadcast. I instead opted to watch Primeval as I knew it would get less viewers due to the scheduling clash and am a loyal fan of both shows. That said, I was surprised to find Primeval being better than Doctor Who. The premise for Planet of the Dead was brilliant, and Michelle Ryan was a brilliant choice of assistant for the outing. The supporting cast were one of the better ones in the shows history (Lee Evans was great), and the exotic setting was good too. That said, the Plasmavores were a little bit of a wasted opportunity, the plot was slightly similar to the then recent Midnight so too many parallels were drawn and RTD made the same mistake as he had done with the previous episode (though I know two writers penned this one) by making it a large scale event at the end- albeit not as much as The Next Doctor but a bus flying over London was a bit 'big for its boots'. The prophecy at the end was awesome though and I feel the episode suffers a lot more hate than it deserves (like the recent ViotD)
The Waters of Mars was probably the best of the specials, though is often overrated in my opinion. The cast were fantastic again- it seems the cast was something the producers nailed in 2009. On the opposing side, the threat of the water was not put across very well- some scenes were genuinely chilling, such as in the Veg Growth Dome near the start, and also when the crew were becoming infected. But the 'Zombies' (for want of a better word) looked rather daft running down those corridors at the best of times, and it added an unecessary hint of humour where none was needed. We reach the infamous 'last 10 minutes' of the episode and faith was restored. The writers were not scared to kill off the leading lady for once, the Doctor had become a bit naughty and we had a nice set up for the 'epic' ending that was on its way.
The End of Time: P1 was my least favourite of the bunch. I think the main problem it suffered was having to please too wide an audience. Christmas specials are more likely to attract the casual viewer, so it must appeal to them. On the other hand, it was the beginning of the end for what many consider to be 'the best Doctor'. EoTP1 ended up being a massive letdown as the ring (of the Master) mystery was unconvincingly solved and wedged between other useless nonsense and the Masters return was like something out of a Fanfic writers nightmare. I usually love Doctor Who, and am not usually picky but I felt this was done all wrong. It began so promising with the Ood seeing the bleeding of time, but we end up with everyone becoming part of the Master race- a little too comical for the last story of the era in my opinion, and the least appealing cliffhanger I have encountered. That said, the cafe scene with Wilf was brilliant and moving, and RTD managed to wheel in the brill Silver Cloak who were not involved in the greater scheme of things, but should have been the limit of the fanciful humour the episode had.
The End of Time Part 2 was an improvement on Part 1, taking the situation far more seriously. The White Point Star nonsense felt like it had fallen out of the Part 1 nonsense, but nothing can down Timothy Dalton emerging as a Timelord on the Earth. Donna started off okay, but became a bit wasted and unused in the episode. There was far too long spent on the Vinvocci Spaceship when more time was needed to see this hell descending on Earth. I wanted to see something satanic appear in the sky, like a giant beast- The Nightmare Child perhaps. And although we didnt get ny of that, I have to say that I didnt actually mind Part 2- even the sentimental send off. I liked seeing their faces one last time as it brought real closure to the story and the era. The regeneration was awesome in every aspect apart from the final words which came across as whiney for the 'ultimate hero of time and space'- Eccleston went out in an epic and rightfully smug style.
Longest post ever???? Certainly mine.
