The Parting of the Ways

Daleks, people killed, Doctor Who's first gay kiss, more Daleks millions of them all waiting to pounce on earth which has gone Reality TV crazy this episode had it all! 'Parting of the ways' is an enjoyable enough episode which see's the final departure of Christopher Eccleston and the apperance of David Tennant to play the new Doctor.

In this armageddon or final showdown between the Doctor and his mortal enemy the Daleks we see the Doctor, Rose and the annoying Captain Jack band together on a satellite televison space station to try to stop the Daleks from invading earth. Well worth watching if only to see Captain Jack 'Exterminated!' by one of the Daleks.

Rose manages to save the day by returning back to the Doctor now surrounded by Daleks after being packed off back to her own time in the Tardis by the Doctor who realises his only chance of destroying the Darlek fleet is to take the human race and himself with them after releasing a deadly delta wave from the station. Rose suddenly realises that she can help the Doctor if she can return to him in the Tardis.

But how does she get it to work? In steps gullable Mickey and Rose's mum with a breakdown truck a length of steel chain to rip one of the panels away from the control part of the Tardis so that Rose can communicate with the Tardis through thought. After doing this she returns to the Doctor to turn the invading Darek fleet to dust after looking into the Time Vortex, but this power is to strong for her and the Doctor must give his own life to save hers and by kissing her transfers this power to himself which he then sends back into the Tardis.

Frankly I was dissappointed in the regeneration scenes special effects at the end although I have to say writer Russell T Davis did manage to pull off that sense of loss feeling that you get after growing to like an actor playing the Doctor and feeling comfortable with his little quirks and actions.

Suprisingly I found myself strangly moved at the end of Parting of the ways as I was as a child back in 1981 at the end of Logopolis when Tom Baker regenerated into Peter Davidson with the aid of The Watcher as though an era had come to end, albiet a brief one in Christopher Ecclestons case. Maybe this in a way teaches children about death that there is a finality to everything?

Visually this has to be one of the most dissappointing regeneration scenes to date with Christopher Eccleston telling Rose what's going to happen then throwing his head back and an orange glow appearing around him, all we get to see is the Doctors hair grow longer and hey presto we have David Tennant who utters the words 'Hello, Now where was I yes Barcelona.....' continuing his conversation with Rose where Christopher left off. A shame really after all the amazing special effects Russells team have pulled off over this series probably the most eagerly awaited one left me thinking of the poor regeneration scene Sylvester McCoy had to endure when he first became the Doctor after Colin Baker.

Goofs I believe somewhere that the Tardis could only be operated by the Doctor this was if memory serves correct explained in an episode when the Doctor faced the Master. The reason the Timelords did this was to stop the technology falling into the wrong hands.

The hilarious scene where Mickey and Rose try to hotwire the Tardis with the aid of a Mini Cooper (Whathappened to his yellow Volkswaggen Beetle seen in the first episode The Autons?) in the middle of a built up estate then enters Roses Mum with a breakdown truck, Neighbourhood Watch anyone?