The Parting of the Ways

Urgh. What a mess.

I enjoyed this episode at the time I was watching it, it provided several rather excellent set-pieces that got the blood singing through my veins (backed up as ever by beefy, clichГ©d, OTT music from Murray Gold) В– notably RoseВ’s communion with the heart of the TARDIS and the shots of the predatory Dalek saucers circling the ruined Earth В– but as soon as I started thinking about it afterwards it became clear what a self-indulgent, morally incoherent failure this episode was, and I began to hate myself for reacting to it just how they wanted me to.

First of all, I loved the Emperor Dalek, a remarkably faithful homage to the insane colossus from В‘Evil of the DaleksВ’ (still, for my money, the best Dalek story). Second, I loved Billie Piper as Rose, and I am so, so glad that this remarkable actress is staying with us for all of Season 2 (and maybe afterВ…?) Thirdly, I loved LyndaВ’s death, as the Daleks appeared outside the window (В‘SensoritesВ’ homage, anyone? If youВ’ve got to copy, copy the bestВ…) and the extermination of the people who chose not to fight В– dying as they had lived, like worthless cattle, in what I interpret as a ringing condemnation of the moral decay of contemporary society.

ThatВ’s it though, all that stands up. Christopher EcclestonВ’s performance has obviously grown on me whilst I wasnВ’t looking, because I found myself rather impressed with him for the fifth week running, but the Doctor in this episode returns to the finest RTD tradition, a useless twВ…erp who gets a load of people killed and then gives up at the end anyway and has to let Rose do everything. What were they thinking? Who let this rubbish reach the screen? Were we supposed to cheer and agree with the Doctor at the end when he said В“YouВ’ve been fantasticВ… you know what? SoВ’ve I!В” В– a smug tribute to the success of the incarnation, and surely of RTD himself В– after what we had just seen?

The Doctor is weak, fundamentally weak, at the end of В‘The Parting of the WaysВ’, and lets himself and, by his own implication, the peoples of the universe, down utterly. I liked the soundbite, В“Coward [rather than killer] any dayВ”, until I realised just what it meant, just what his cowardice stands for. The Doctor knows the EarthВ’s continents have been laid waste by the Daleks. There is nothing, no one left to fight for, all his plans and desperate, last-gasp improvisations have cost the lives of everyone on the Station, but they are at last ready. He can win. He thinks he knows that no help is coming. The Daleks have survived, when they should have died В– now, unchecked, they can destroy everything that is good. Only the Doctor is left, on the frontline of the battle between good and evil. The DoctorВ’s hands are on the lever that will put an end to them forever. Just as it should be. Then he stops, and surrenders himself to them. He decides В– oops, no, he will lose after all, just for the hell of it.

Why doesnВ’t he do it? Because it would make him a killer? Of Daleks? Again, after the Time War? So bloody what?

This series has been notable for its characterisation of an impotent, morally detestable Doctor. If that was the characterisation of the Ninth Doctor, I for one am damn glad to be rid of him, whether or not EcclestonВ’s performance would have got better and better (as, unfortunately, all evidence shows would have been the case). We must be very clear on this В– THIS IS NOT THE DOCTOR. Not as we know him anyway. The hero of old, the mighty champion of justice, fearful of nothing, always ready to make that final sacrifice, to pull the rabbit out of the hat, is dead (despite appearances to the contrary in В‘The Doctor DancesВ’), killed in a post-modern, pseudo-liberal revision of the basic values of heroism, justice, what it means to have responsibility, to act and do what is right, no matter what it costs you. The story, the series, is an icon for the 2000s В– empty, vacuous, aesthetic, pretentious, immoral, devoid of wonder or sympathy В– full of sound and fury, signifying nothing. And that is so sad I just want to cry.

Jesus, Russell. Why have you done this to us?