Doomsday

The season finale for David Tennant's first season as the Doctor ends with a bang - or rather, quite a lot of bangs. Russell T. Davies and his production team did the impossible and created a season finale even more thrilling than 'The Parting of the Ways'. And not only thrilling, but emotionally satisfying as well.

Waiting a week for 'Doomsday' to air seemed like a century after the revelation of the final scenes from 'Army of Ghosts'. Davies took a big chance bringing the Daleks back again for another season finale, and it paid off with interest as far as I'm concerned. I'm sure my mouth was hanging open when the voidsphere revealed its cargo, and I had to lift my jaw off the floor when the Genesis Ark opened up and revealed its contents.

There's not much more that a Doctor Who fan could want from the series than to see two of the Doctor's greatest nemeses in battle with each other. But to top that off we also have the departure of a companion from the series - a companion who's forged a deeper bond of attachment with the Doctor than any companion we've seen before. This episode will no doubt be one of the most memorable farewells in the series history. It was done tastefully and effectively, for all practical purposes killing off the character, which is much more satisfying than seeing her suddenly decide to go home or remain on some alien world, and much less shocking than actually letting her die. Kudos to Davies for coming up with such a clever resolution.

I was particularly impressed with how well the script balanced the action plot with the quieter emotional moments. Taking several minutes out of the story to reunite Jackie and Pete was risky, as it could have interrupted the flow of the action and cut the suspense, but it didn't. I loved Jackie's dialogue, revealing her as a genuine person with all the flaws and weaknesses that entails. The dialogue throughout the episode felt very geniune from all the characters. In such an action-oriented story with a big finish, it would have been easy for Jackie and Mickey to get lost in the shuffle, but their parts were carefully managed to give them special moments without taking anything away from the rest of the plot.

The best emotional scenes, of course, were the scenes between the Doctor and Rose, first grieving over their parting and then struggling to find the right words to say goodbye. The dialogue was again excellent and very real, particularly the Doctor misunderstanding Rose when she tells him the name of the Norwegian beach she's standing on. David Tennant and Billie Piper have already impressed me with their acting talent, and I was fascinated by David Tennant's performance as he revealed a range of emotions, often just through his eyes.

Graeme Harper's direction is superb in this story, from terrific scenes of masses of Daleks swooping over London to the intimate shots of the Doctor and Rose on either side of the impenetrable wall between universes. The lighting and cinematography perfectly complement his style. It was particularly effective how simple lighting changes and set dressing were used to differentiate between Pete's Earth and 'our' Earth. And if I were Billie Piper I'd keep a still of that shot of Rose on the beach (from the opening recap) in my resume' portfolio.

The music, too, was a highlight for this story. The theme that plays while Rose and the Doctor stand forlornly with their cheeks pressed against a wall is caught in my brain now and won't get out. It was an interesting combination of musical elements that created a very appealing tune and emphasized the emotion of the scene very effectively. I hope the BBC will release a soundtrack CD soon if they haven't already.

I've now viewed this episode on 3 occasions, and while I don't feel that any single episode can be considered 'the best episode ever' this one certainly ranks in my Top Ten list. I may not watch it as often as I watch some of my other favorites, however, because it's just too painful to experience those wrenching emotions repeatedly. But any programme that can make me laugh, scream, and cry all in one episode is something I'll always appreciate.