Doomsday

So that's what all the parallel universe business was about back in episodes 5 and 6.

It speaks volumes that Russell T Davies should build such a large part of the season around finding a way for Rose to leave.

In 'Doomsday' we had a very different finale from last year's 'Parting of the Ways'. Where that was about saying goodbye to the Ninth Doctor, this year's end was all about Rose.

Indeed, the actual meat of the episode served as a mere appetiser. The war council between the Daleks and Cybermen was delicious and the shots of the two races in battle were thrilling, if a little thin, but there wasn't a great deal of mass invasion action going on. It's a pity we were so locked down to Torchwood Tower. The story didn't quite live up to the expectations built by last week's excellent precursor, but it was clear very quickly that the escalating war was merely a way to get us to the Doctor and Rose truly parting. As soon as the Doctor started to talk about 'void stuff' (the most amusing story conceit since anti-plastic) I could see where things were going.

Have to admit, though, my heart was in mouth as Rose was dragged towards the void. He can't! I thought. Davies can't do that! That's worse than just killing her! But, of course, he didn't. From this point, Piper and Tennant give their best performances of the year - the Doctor's anguished scream as he watches Rose sucked to her death is agonising. And even if Davies stole the two-people-separated-by-worlds idea from Philip Pullman, and the 'two minutes' notion from Joss Whedon, the couple's goodbye is genuinely heartbreaking. Inevitable, also, that the Doctor never gets to say 'I love you.'

As for the cliffhanger, well, Catherine Tate in a wedding dress fills me with dread (Peter Kay-itis playing up) but I'll wait until Christmas to see.

Season 2 overall has been a mixed year. I have definitely felt a gap at times where year one's darker side used to be. 'The Christmas Invasion' started things very promisingly and still features one of David Tennant's best performances. The opening of the season proper was probably its strongest point - 'New Earth' might be a little dull, but it has a colour and vividness that some later stories lack. The lack of payoff for the Face of Boe plot is hugely frustrating, though. If it's a season 3 setup, sticking it in the first episode of season 2 seems insane.

The run from episodes 2-4 was as good as anything Doctor Who has ever had and 'The Satan Pit' two-parter is my favourite story of the relaunched series by a mile. It's just a shame that in the mix we also had a rather muted 'Rise of the Cybermen', a banal 'The Idiot's Lantern' and the misstep that was 'Love and Monsters'. Too many episodes set in London locations in quick sucession, too, lead to a samey quality in the second half of the season and detracted from the otherwise-enjoyable 'Fear Her'(it's pretty bad planning that only 'The Satan Pit' two-parter breaks this pattern in a run of 9 episodes from 5-13).

Overall, though, still great television and things are really nicely set-up for season 3. The Doctor is alone again, heartbroken, and hopefully will be wary of letting anyone else in too soon. Let's just hope that Davies avoids the temptation to use 'The Runaway Bride' as a way to get the Doctor over Rose quickly so he and Martha can have merry japes across the universe. Let's see some more darkness (just look at how wonderful Tennant is when he's given more than 'wacky/angry' to play with), let's sow a denser arc (like Bad Wolf but with a nicer payoff) and let's have The Master, please. Played by Tony Head, preferably.

Now what the hell am I going to do over summer?