The Parting of the Ways

So, as the BBC said just before the episode began, "Times Up!". After thirteen weeks the first new adventures since the TV movie drew to an end. Did we find out the secret behind Bad Wolf? Did Captain Jack make it? Did we find out how the Daleks survived the Time War? Did the Doctor and Rose reveal their feelings for each other? Did the Doctor regenerate? Well, yes all these questions were answered.

The episode was spectacluar and managed to weave together many plot points that had been raised over the course of the series. I was also pleased to see the continued improvement in Russell T Davies writing. I am a big fan of his, but had felt that his episodes had been the weaker ones of the series. He seemed to forget to focus on character, relying on toilet humor and almost making the Doctor ineffectual. However, since Boom Town, something seemed to click and the quality of the episodes began to improve until his last couple of episodes began to equal episodes like The Unquiet Dead, Dalek and The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances.

Actually, this episode was the ying to The Doctor Dances' yang, as rather than "This once everybody gets to live" everybody got to die. The main theme of the episode was self-sacrifice for a greater good or those we love. The small band of volunteers that Jack convinces to defend the station all die, Jack dies buying the Doctor a precious few more seconds to complete his work, Jackie and Mickey sacrifice both what they want to help Rose, Rose is willing to sacrifice herself to save the Doctor and the Doctor sacrifices his ninth form to save Rose. However the sacrifice that touched me the most was Lynda's (with a Y). Having been given assurances by all those around her that she was safe behind meteor proof doors, she is trapped with no option to make an escape. In a nasty twist, the Daleks, space-bourne, come up behind her and blast through the observation window. The look on the Doctor's face as he listens to her dying screams displayed a sadness that possibly shows a mixture of regret over the death of such a 'sweet' girl and relief that it wasn't Rose, for whom Lynda seemed to be replacing.

However, despite such doom ladened precedings, the ultimate feeling of the episode is one of completion and joie de vie, which again manages to show the success of the series and RTD's improved writing, in that he manages to mix two such complex feelings without making it feel contrived. The Time War is finally won, with the Daleks reduced to dust by the Time Vortex empowered Rose, who also with one final act of her power revives the dead Jack. The Doctor finally free of the survivor's guilt he has displayed through the series realises his love for Rose and without any cheap sentimentality performs an act that combines a realisation of their feelings for each other, saves her life and ultimately completes their story. I didn't find the kiss between them shocking or, as with the Paul McGann kiss, forced. It was a display of pure love. In many respects it reminded me of a inverted Doyle and Cordie kiss from the Angel episode, with the themes of admisson of feelings and heroic self sacrifice.

The feeling of completion of the Doctor's and Rose's story arc comes from the set up to the regeneration, as the Doctor in his speach to Rose basically says that he will be someone different, so the feeling I got was that their 'love affair' was now consumated and closed, but only time and the next series will tell.

With regard to my few quibbles, they are purely personal and so not a reflection on the story. First of all, I have to admit to not being to partial to the Daleks. I never found them terrifying or that interesting. However, with Rob Shearman's 'Dalek' for the first time in 30 years of being a fan, I actually found them interesting as it focussed on one Dalek, so developed it as character. This episode though returned them to being just a bunch on anonymous mass murdering pepper pots! I know I am in the minority on this one. Ironically, my favourite villians were the Cybermen, who are Daleks with Legs. Guess how excited I am about the next series!

The only other quibble I have is the treatment of Jack at the end of the episode. Originally I was uncertain about his character, but after his development from selfish con-man to self-sacrifing hero I began to warm to him. I just loved his final cocky words of defiance to the Daleks before his extermination. He also become one of the more format challenging assistants. Whilst some may say Rose was, she to me was an amalgation of many previous assistants, ranging from Jo Grant to even Dr Grace. The best example of how different Jack is to the previous assistants was his final scene with Rose and the Doctor...yup the kiss! The scene wasn't done in a sensationalist way, but was very touching and caring way. It also the first time someone has kissed the Doctor, rather than the other way round. I be interested to see what the reaction of the public will be to this, but should be an interesting gauge of how far we have come as a society of acceptance. Anyway, after all that he simply gets left behind all alone on the station. I understand that there may be dramatic reasons for this, for example to allow focus on the re-establishment of the relationship between the Doctor and the Rose, but it did seem a little callous on the Doctor's part. Again, only time will tell if this is the last we will see of the good Captain. Hopefully, he will return....there is still those missing two years of his life to explore!

Overall the episode managed to to evoke in me the feelings sadness, fatalism, joy and excitment for the future. There was the sadness of this being the closure of the series and the end of Chris Eccleston's tenure in the TARDIS. I have loved his interpretation of the character (yup, even the gurning, which I know annoyed a couple of my friends) and I found his goodbye speach touching and sad. At points during the episode I couldn't see how they were going to get out of it (even though I know there are at least 2 Christmas Specials and 2 further series to come) and my joy and excitment at the end as David Tennant uttered his first words. Nope there is no Scotish accent and he strangely sounded like a young Bill Nighy, but we did only get a couple of lines, so again will have to wait and see. I also liked the almost Bondian "Doctor Who will return in THE CHRISTMAS INVASION" as the credits rolled.

Now I have to find something else do with my early Saturday night evenings until Christmas. All I can say is that this episode and the last 13 weeks were an absolute joy and I leave the last word to Chris Eccleston...."FANTASTIC"