A couple of years ago Big FinishВ’s audio adventure Zagreus was, somewhat unjustly, criticised, largely on the basis that it was not being the epic multi Doctor conclusion to a terrific story arc people expected. This was in no small part due to the fact the hype surrounding it had resulted in fans coming up with increasingly grander anticipations of what it would be about. В‘The Parting of the WaysВ’ was always going to be one of the most eagerly awaited in Doctor WhoВ’s history, and after last weekВ’s ending few fans were not speculating on its content. Given this there was a real danger it could be a disappointment if it did not live up to the adventure people had been writing in their heads over the past week based on speculation, conjecture, internet rumours and wishful thinking. As this adventured turned out to have none the predicted appearances from Davros, the Eighth Doctor, the Watcher or any other of a number of weird suggestions I had heard, I suspect some fans will be disappointed. Personally I thought this was generally a good episode with nice twists and surprises, good action sequences and moving moments.

Brilliantly, the episode shows the Daleks at their most powerful and ruthless; massacring humanity on and off screen without a care. We also see people we have grown close to like Lynda and Jack die at their hands, although the latter is resurrected and doubtless will return. The scenes of the Daleks attacking the satellite are brilliantly realised, as are the scenes on the Dalek ship. The Emperor is a brilliant design and is well voiced by Nicholas Briggs who gives him and all the Daleks a real menace. It would be a waste if they really were all dead and personally I think RoseВ’s amnesia will be used as an excuse to disguise the fact some survived (possibl;y one of the smaller ships that headed for Earth. Even if I am wrong in this guess as this show is about time travel the Doctor can easily encounter them again in the past, although to avoid overuse I think their return should wait until series three (Season 29 if you are pedantic) ideally in a cliff-hanger ending.

To get back to this episode I also liked the fact the Doctor sent Rose home and her determination to come back for him which shows the importance of their relationship. It also illustrates that after travelling with the Doctor Rose can never go home, as she would not be able to go back to an ordinary life. This is character development to a degree that Doctor Who has not seen for a long long time, and the kiss, which some fans will hate, is a logical pat of that development.

The solution to Bad Wolf and RoseВ’s return trip to the future is also clever using information from earlier episodes. Furthermore there is no cheating as all the clues were there. The Bad Wolf had to be someone Rose had seen before the Unquiet Dead and it was - the baby Rose saw her future self in 1987. It is also good that В‘Boomtown!В’ (and to a lesser extent the 1996 T.V Movie) foreshadowed the use of the power of the TARDIS and JackieВ’s helping Rose was because of events in В‘Fathers DayВ’. Clearly this series as whole was very tightly plotted by Russell T. Davies and this is allows this episode to work.

That said there are elements of the script which are slightly disappointing. The Doctor is able to walk into the Dalek mothership and rescue Rose far too easily in my opinion and the use of Rose as some kind of super-being to wipe out the Daleks is a bit too convenient and caught up in technobable. Most annoyingly of all it is not clear why the Doctor dies and Rose lives for she was infected by the vortex for a far longer period. Admittedly this could be explained away by saying the energy became more deadly the longer it was away from the vortex or if it was the act of expelling it back to the TARDIS/vortex that caused the DoctorВ’s cellular decay. Or is this a hint that there is something special about Rose yet to be revealedВ….

This brings me on to the regeneration which was, in my opinion, very well handled with the Doctor explaining to Rose, and by extension to new viewers what was about to happen. ItВ’s a moving scene with the Doctor trying to assure Rose that everything will be fine and make light of what is happening, but at the same time he realises that he is genuinely upset that his Ninth personality is about to die. Although the Doctor will still be around he knows apart of him is dying for ever and this is his goodbye to Rose, and on another level Charistopher EcclestonВ’s goodbye to the audience. Eccleston pulls this off brilliantly and itВ’s a real shame itВ’s the end of this incarnation already. When he was cast I was not sure that he could ever be the Doctor in the way his eight predecessors had been, but over the past thirteen episodes heВ’s proven my doubts wrong. Goodbye Doctor number nine - you were indeed В‘fantasticВ’.

Yet as the Doctor once said В‘ItВ’s the end, but the moment has been prepared forВ’. Although only on screen for a couple of minutes David TennantВ’s performance gives me great hope for the future as does the reassuring James Bond-style caption at the end В‘Doctor Who will return in the Christmas InvasionВ’. Thankfully we now know Rose will be back too which on the evidence of Billie PiperВ’s performance in this episode, and across the series as a whole, is good news indeed. I also hope Joe Ahearne will return to the series one day as this is another example of a well acted, visually impressive production that has clearly benefited from having a good director.

All in all, like the 2005 series as a whole, despite a few niggles this episode was a thoroughly enjoyable piece of television which deserves to be called classic Doctor Who. As the Ninth Doctor would have said В‘fantasticВ’.

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"

So here we have it, the epoch of Christopher Eccleston’s Doctor. The final tie up of this very contained season. After thirteen episodes, after a year of production titbits, after nine long years of wait, after sixteen years since the last full series...

Was it all worth it?

Damn right it was.

Russell T Davies once again proves his mastership of both story and series. His role as lord overseer and as lowly storyteller has to be commended. Not only does he create the most fantastic episode, but also a fantastic end to the series.

Through "Parting Of The Ways", the tale of the Ninth Doctor all falls into place. The journey of all the main characters has a final and fitting resolution, regardless of how they return later this year. The background season arc, the Time War, is neatly finalised without cutting into the character plots or the impact of this stories main villain: The Daleks.

With all these elements considered; the Time War, character resolutions, Daleks and a certain regeneration sequence, it's amazing how evenly paced this episode seems. It never stutters or staggers, but moves in one fluid motion from start to end.

Most importantly, it embodies all the elements pertinent to Doctor Who. Through Rose we see the importance of the individual, that through the Doctor, we learn to become better and more determined people; to care when no one else will. Through Jack we see a mercenary has learned to be a true hero. Then we have the Daleks, doing what all Daleks should do: kill mercilessly. The dark nature of the show is never more prominent than here with Daleks killing established minor characters left right and centre.

On top of these more traditional elements of Who ethos, we see the show moving forward. The repercussions of the Doctors actions still taking centre stage, his stronger relationship with his companions, the evolution of the Daleks into something even more frightening all just adds to the experience. This isn't a show that's just trying to capture its roots; it's taking them and planting them in a new field of ideas and concepts.

However, the writing is the episodes highlight. From the grand plan down to the small scenes, we have some wonderful misdirection on the small scale in one scene with a Dalek door cutter breaking into one human compartment on the space station, only to see the actual kill come from outside the station itself. The writer draws the audience attention to one outcome while introducing another variable to alter it. The old red herring device at it's best.

On a larger scale we see the final revelation on "Bad Wolf" being not the Master, or Davros, or even the Doctor himself. “Bad Wolf” is simply two words created to utterly mislead the audience. Again, a great piece of writing that makes sense within the story and doesn’t leave the audience feeling dissatisfied. Indeed the issue of "Bad Wolf" is tied up perfectly.

On the production side, we have a great visual experience. Not always perfect, the Dalek mother ship design was impressive, but the CG to actor overlay wasn't always consistent. Nevertheless, the Emperor Dalek was a firm piece of design and the visuals never betrayed the requirements of the story.

The music was well utilized with many elements echoing sounds from earlier this season and several reoccurring motifs evolving into new melodies. The music for the shows final scenes was truly moving.

Which brings us to the final scenes. It's nice to see that Davies manages to make the Doctor and Rose's most kiss intimate but not overtly romantic. Whether you feel there was a sexual chemistry or a deeper bond, this final kiss is a gentle and non-specific answer. It also gives some sort of conclusion to the "will they, won't they" angle. I am certain that the relationship with Rose and the Doctor next season will differ. I think it's vital to do so, not just to keep diversity in the character mix, but to give the Ninth Doctor's relationship with Rose a more special element. I get the feeling this is Davies intent and as such the kiss is as much a final goodbye as a plot resolution.

As for the regeneration scene, I wasn't expecting regeneration, so this came as a surprise. On a repeat viewing, this is even more moving. Again, we see the idea of the finite persona being played out here; that every Doctor "dies" at the end of his tenure. This makes the death even more moving, particularly as the Doctor tries to put on a brave face. This is Eccleston and Davies at their best as both move to culminate all those elements of Eccleston's Doctor in one final scene. We see the forced humour, the admiration for his companion and that deeper hurt which he has constantly tried to bury. He comes across with that mix of excitement and fear that I think will trademark Eccleston's era.

Which leaves me to the final main character yet unmentioned: Captain Jack. I strongly urge them to bring him back as his role in this story and his dynamic as part of the team has been a late highlight of this season. So much so, it makes rewatching the earlier episodes feel like they are missing something. I never thought he would work as well as he has and that's another testament to writing and actor. I think they need that third TARDIS crewman in Doctor Who - providing he or she offers something different to the other two. Jack does so in abundance and I think there will be a call for Jack's return, he truly is the surprise of this season and his last minute revival was a very wise move.

And with high hopes of Jack's full time return, a confirmed two further seasons and a brand new Doctor, this episode leaves Doctor Who's brief hiatus in good standing. David Tennant's brief cameo was a welcome one that really filled me with hope. He so far seems perfect. His manner, looks and body language utterly different to Eccleston, He really has that Baker twinkle in his eye too!

Parting Of The Ways is a perfect gel of solid writing, strong production and a cast who feel confident and proud of their work. With Tennant showing so much potential in a meagre thirty seconds, I am confident he will bring in a new era of Doctor Who without diminishing what I'm sure will be seen as one of the Doctor's most consistent seasons.

I've been sitting in front of my computer for 15 minutes trying to figure out what to write for this episode. To be honest I was actually very disappointed in it, RTD continues his trend of poor writing.

Coming off Bad Wolf I kind of thought that there this episode might actually be really good, and a great send off for the 9th Doctor. But I was really disappointed. Bringing back the Daleks was a great idea but I don't think they were used very well. I mean why is it that the Daleks have to get within 1 metre in front of someone before they shoot them? When they went down to the floor where all the human survivors where the could've and should've started firing staright away, but instead they came within a metre and when the firing started the scene changed.

Oh yes, and we finally find out who the Bad Wolf is, yeah it's Rose, and I gotta see that the whole Bad Wolf idea was actually quite pathetic. I liked the idea that some people thought that Bad Wolf was something to do with the Doctor's life being manipulated by someone, and instead we find out that Rose left herself clues around the galaxy to make sure that she was there to save the Doctor or something. Sorry to say it, but what a load of crap! The regeneration scene was also quite pathetic. Not only did the Doctor regenerate instantly which has never happened, usually he is dead for atleast 10-15 seconds (except the 96 movie) before he regenerates, and I think that would've worked better. It would've been better if the Doctor died, and Rose was crying over him without the knowledge that he was going to regenerate, the all of a sudden David Tennant appears. He should've never explained regeneration to Rose at all, I think it ruined it completely. Also this would be probably the first regeneration where the Doctor just walks around afterwards as if nothing happened, not even the originals where like that! Who could forget Patrick Troughton being little light headed, Jon Pertwee being completely out of it, Tom Baker being completely nuts, Peter Davidson being weak and drained, Colin Baker being violent, emotional, suicidal, Sylvester McCoy being forgetful, and Paul McGann being very forgetful. These are the sorts of things that should be done. However I do admit that we haven't seen enough of the new Doctor, so I could be wrong about this.

Now the Daleks enter Earth's atmosphere and start bombing the hell out of it, I mean we see continents being completely mangled on a screen, but we don't actually get to see anything!!! This was so disappointing, I would've loved to have seen the surface of Earth being destroyed by the Dalek ships.

Oh, now I forgot to mention the Daleks, how the were magically brought back to life from the human dead. That was ok, I didn't mind that, as it kind of relates to Davros' experiments from Revelation of the Daleks, however I thought we should've seen Davros rather than the Emperor Dalek. Also how did the Dalek's manage to get those ships? They practically had nothing and all of a sudden they have these ships which look brand new. Realistically they should've had ships which were put together out of anything they could find, but instead they have brand new ships straight out from the factory, which doesn't make sense at all.

Ok now Rose absorbs the time vortex or something which I didn't quite understand because it sounded very made up, and using that power she restored everything and destroyed the Daleks. I wasn't impressed with this ending at all, thought it was just to simple and supernatural. And I wasn't happy with the Doctor kissing Rose, RTD says that he sucked out the lifeforce that was in her, but it didn't look like sucking to me, could swear that I was a tongue slip in. And bringing everyone back to life was to much of a happy ending, everyone should've just stayed dead, ESPECIALLY CAPTAIN JACK! Speaking of which I'm starting to think Jack is a homosexual (not that there is anything wrong with that) after he kissed the Doctor on the lips, and all that stuff in the Tardis about him taking to Doctor out and that, just ruins the story completely.

There was only one shot that I liked in this episode and that was when the Dalek's appeared from outside the observation window, you couldn't hear them but you saw their lights flash as the said 'exterminate' and then shattered the glass, thought that was really great. As was the shot when the Dalek's leave their ships and board the station.

In conclusion, RTD should be banned from writing Doctor Who episodes for good. I am very disappointed in the finale for the series, it was just very badly written and seem to mainly concentrate on the development on Rose's and the Doctor's relationship rather than that and the story. Another thing is the addition of the Dalek's force field, which has now practically made them indestructible, thought they would've been better without. And considering the Dalek's are trying to invade Earth you don't seem much of it, you would think that they would bomb the hell out of Earth rather the focus on trying to take over space station. Overall would give it a 3/10.

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?

"It's the end, but the moment has been prepared for...." ....and how!!!!

Tom Baker into Peter Davison at the end of Logopolis has long held, IMHO, the position of best regeneration FX-wise, with Davison's poignant self-sacrifice in Caves of Androzani taking the dramatic title.

Well, PARTING OF THE WAYS has unified the title, and is the undisputed Best Regeneration in the world....EVER!

Coming as it did at the end of the most exhilirating, and epic dalek tale ever (and weren't we all relieved that the Emperor didn't turn out to be Davros!?), David Tennant's introduction had a comic, yet moving turn to it. Already, I feel the embodiment of the Time Lord in the 10th Doctor. But I'm getting ahead of myself....

PARTING picks up the plot of Bad Wolf from the off, and gives us every classic bit of Who tension in one glorious hit. The potential death of a companion, TARDIS destruction, the Doctor apparently helpless at the hands (plungers?) of his arch-enemies, and innocent bystanders happy to lay down their lives to help him. Finally, the plucky female companion risks all to give the Doctor the strength to defeat the Daleks.

This, more than any other story in the run, was Doctor Who at its glorious, exciting best - exactly how you thought you remembered it before the BBC dragged you back to reality with VHS and DVD releases.

The danger for RTD and the team is matching Season one, let alone beating it. In Tennant, I feel we have an actor more suited to the comedic elements of the show, where Eccleston seemed uncomfortable with that aspect. Having seen DT in Casanova and Quatermass, I feel he is capable of making the 10th Doctor the best yet.

Dr Who is dead....Long Live Doctor Who!