It has taken me some time to review this final episode of the first series (or is that season?). This could be due to sudden depression setting in that thatВ’s no Dr Who until (Christmas excluded) March next year. I prefer to think though that the main reason for not reviewing earlier is that I had a lot of inner turmoil just deciding how to observe it. Should it be a single episode in its own right, part of a two-part story with В“Bad WolfВ” or as a season finale? I have had to watch it a number of times before I could be objective.

As I mentioned in my review of В“Bad WolfВ” I still look at these two episodes as separate entities. Although there were references to the Daleks involvement early in that episode it was still only the big reveal of the last ten minutes that set up the final part. There are elements that moved over to the final instalment like the Ann-Droid, Satellite 5 and a number of characters but it still remained in my mind a separate entity. However, these two stories are better linked than the previously mentioned В“Frontier in Space/Planet of the DaleksВ”.

The pre-episode countdown was brilliant, as has been the whole advertising campaign (including the countdown to the Christmas Invasion) and IВ’m going to make a final nod to the terrific theme music (has anyone complained about it ? В– I havenВ’t heard). Will someone please get this released. I canВ’t even get a downloaded version off the web.

After watching the episode many times and finally being attentive. (The first time I saw it was late in the morning coming back from Brighton В– to see the exhibition [as it turned out I just missed the new Emperor Dalek exhibit being opened] В– and other things.) I sat down last week and watched it properly in the day, wide awake, comfortable in a chair and sober. It just blew me away

The special effects were incredible. The reveal of the Emperor Dalek, although expected was impressive if a little inanimate (Did В“hisВ” Dalek minions around him move at all?) I was hoping for a bit more movement but then the previous emperors did no more than move an eye stalk or move on then offstage. The spacecraft although reminiscent of Mars attacks were menacing as was the deployment of the Dalek fleet.

All the set-pieces aboard Satellite 5 were well directed by Joe Ahearne and performed by all cast members with many deaths being meaningful. I might have to contradict myself now and say this is mainly due to all the characters being so well set up in the previous episode. It goes a long way to show RTDВ’s talent that he has still mixed fear, menace, humour, compassion and loss all in a 45 minute episode. I felt the story lost its way a bit when it returned Rose to Earth and I was eager to get back to the Invasion by the Daleks. RoseВ’s plight however was quite moving.

John Barrowman, in the nick of time, justifies his place in the series becoming the soldier that RTD envisioned. ItВ’s a shame again that as with the DoctorВ’s fate and that of RoseВ’s, his death is spoilt by the knowledge that he is likely to be back next season. However his В“deathВ” was shocking and again, as with Rose I didnВ’t work out the В“get-outВ” clause. His acting has been excellent throughout his tenure but his character seemed wanting during В“Boom TownВ” and В“Bad WolfВ”. IВ’m still not convinced that there should be so many sexual orientation references even if he IS hot property. He does however get a last minute reprieve.

The additional cast all performed well but I feel MickeyВ’s character seems to be going in circles. Rose puts him down in nearly every episode but he comes back in good spirits for the next.

Billie Piper was outstanding. Even if I found the whole В“Heart of the TARDISВ” plot development a little hard to swallow, her ability to rise above the techno babble shows how important it is that she survives the transition of Doctors. It has been said before but this series has been as much about RoseВ’s journey as the discovery of who the Doctor is (for new viewers).

Everything seems to have been said about Christopher Eccleston already. IВ’m not sure I can add to it. His interactions with Billie Piper when he left her in the TARDIS and also at the end were quite moving. His final speech was perfectly suited and quite apt to his overall performance.

As a mark of respect to the Ninth Doctor I will leave thoughts of his successor until next season. Time will tell if Eccleston becomes someoneВ’s favourite Doctor. I thought, the occasional gurning aside, he has portrayed every emotion going. He was, as is the whole series FanВ…В…. Oh everyone uses that word now. How about В“Wicked!!!!!В”?

Finally I should conclude with a final running of my favourite episodes, which no doubt will change upon repeat viewing. Even the last listed are still a brilliant pieces of writing and television. They are : - Bad Wolf/The Parting of the Ways, The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances , Boom Town, The Unquiet Dead, FatherВ’s Day, Dalek, The Long Game, Rose, Aliens/WWIII and The End of........

I have followed some reviewers religiously throughout my time as a critic and just out of interest would appreciate any constructive feedback on my reviews (content or style). Please contact me via pwilc1967

So here it was. At Last. Episode 13.

Worth the wait?

You bet your last Gallifreyan Dollar is was!

A joy to watch, an episode with its pitfalls but with enough of everything else to mask them, unless you want to be picky.

What - you want me to be picky? OK.

The Bad Wolf - are we going to Faction Paradox territory or what? Probably the most blatant Temporal Paradox in the history of the show, Rose turns out to be the Bad Wolf, having sent the words back through history to act as a message to herself that she could get back to Satellite 5. The fact that she then couldn't get to the station until she figured it out, and thus send the words back to tell herself she could do it, was ignored. Okay, I could understand it, as I'm sure all Who fans could, but a number of people I know have come up to me and said 'what was all that about then?'. They didn't get it, and some weren't too sure once I'd explained it - and these are not stupid people! I've been left with the feeling that a lot of the new viewing public were confused about the ending.

Next - the TARDIS. I'm quite prepared to accept the 'it's alive' element of the TARDIS, that's nothing new. What I can have a problem with is this sudden ability to grant Godlike powers to Rose to bring about a conclusion. Could the TARDIS not thus have done that IN NEARLY EVERY STORY??????

Are we to assume that Jack is such a technical wiz that he was able to modify and reprogram the Anne Droid in mere minutes? Why would the droid shoot her own Masters? Why use a 'death ray' that we know was only a transporter? I suppose it would have sent the Daleks back to their ship and out of the way, but that hardly warrants the over-effusive yell of 'Yes!' from Jack!

It doesn't really sound as if I enjoyed it , does it? But I did, there were many great moments that cover up these slight cracks.

No one seems to have mentioned the funniest scene in the show - perhaps because it wasn't meant to be. Both my son and myself were in stiches as the flying Daleks floated up outside the window to the observation room where Lynda was and then the lights of the lead Dalek flashed in what was so obviously a cry of 'EX-TER-MIN-ATE!' that we couldn't hear. Of course, it went completely over the wife's head ' 'what's up with you two?' Never mind, dear!

The sheer number of Daleks was, as meant to be, mind-boggling. This is what we have wanted for years - to see the true Power of the Daleks (where have I heard that before?). I would like to know how many Daleks were real and how many were CGI. In the scene where the Doctor has just finshed the Delta Wave and is surrounded by the critters, how many were really there?

The use of the Emperor was a nice touch, and certainly better than Davros (unless it is him!). The new design was a joy to see, and the now almost obligatory floating Daleks on guard were a nice touch as well. I hope that this Emperor was NOT Davros, as I would like to see the old lunatic at some stage. Perhaps he is still somewhere in the universe, creating a new Dalek race and that is how they return once more........

Onto the regeneration, and what a beauty! A neat touch having the hair grow I thought. The use of the explanation to Rose was a brilliant idea, letting the new, younger audience aware of what was going to happen and why. It is perhaps all too easy for us to accept regeneration and not see it as the huge risk that it can be. I know of one young fan who has cried since the regen, saying 'I don't like his face' about Tennant. Let us hope that the new audience can accept a change of actor as readily as we all have.

However, even here I have a gripe! Did the Doctor not seem to, well, I suppose the word is.....well... after he regenerated? Are we to suppose he is now finally used to it and will no longer suffer the ill effects he traditionally has? Does the fact that the debut story is 60 minutes as opposed to the traditional 90 mean there is no room for all that sort of thing?

All in all, though, an enjoyable end to an enjoyable series. And although not always a Doctor that I liked, he was 'fantastic!'

It's now two whole days since the screening of this final installment in the Ninth Doctor's all-too-brief tenure, and I'm still feeling a real tearing inside that he has gone. So many moments replay themselves in my mind, pieces of music, great lines, great expressions. And a new Doctor with new teeth....

It seems almost churlish to criticise the one or two elements I wasn't so impressed by, in comparison to so much wonderful stuff. RTD in this final two-parter got it right, to the extent that I remembered previous contributions such as the first two episodes rather than the wretched Slitheen. I can understand slightly why one or two people have suggested that this was a George Lucas-style take on Dr Who at its conclusion - it shared the same sense of too many big moments crammed in a la Revenge of the Sith - but aside from this, Lucas cannot write dialogue with anything approaching this kind of punch.

So much they got right. NOT bringing back the Master or Davros for one. The savage twist of the new Daleks being grown from the remains of humans. Recurring and new musical themes (if Murray Gold hasn't got it right, why do so many bits keep going round my head?) The change in Mickey causing him to urge Rose to keep trying. The magnificent scene where the Doctor tricks Rose in order to save her and keep his promise to her Mum. The look of pain on Eccleston's face as he hears Lynda-with-a-y's death scream. Rose's beautifully understated "my head is killing me". Jack's courage and the sweet little kiss he gives the Doctor. Outraged of Surbiton? Get over it.

But nothing has stuck in my head so much as the final scene, which but for a stupid press leak, could have been more devastating still, with the Ninth Doctor seemingly having saved the day and survived, then his moment of realisation as he noticed the glowing light under the skin of his hand. The final speech, trying to warn Rose of what is about to happen, encapsulated almost all of what has made Eccleston's portrayal so absorbing and involving; trying to lighten the mood, the love, the loneliness, the sadness and strangely tragic egotism in that great last line. David Tennant made an intriguing first impression, but it was all about Chris. I am torn between delight that the series will continue and this strangely deep sense of loss over our Ninth Doctor. Great acting, and probably the deepest, most conflicted and emotionally involving Doctor I can remember. Perfect? No. But then none of his predecessors were either. Fantastic? Absolutely.

I will miss him.

I am someone who didn't live during the time of the old Doctor Who and therefore know almost nothng about the previous Doctors or even the Daleks for that matter. I have to say I think Russell T Davies and his team of writers have done a fantastic job in resurrecting Dr Who for a whole new generation. The 'Parting of the Ways' was similarly a mostly excellent finale and closing episode for Christopher Eccleston as the Doctor. It was kind of saddening to watch Eccleston and Piper's final episode as a duo and it certainly feels as though they have been together for years and not just 13 weeks.



The surprise re-entrance of the Daleks did not surprise me at the end of 'Bad Wolf'; I already knew that the first series of 'Doctor Who' would see the return of the Doctor's arch-enemy and the invasion of Earth. On the latter front, I have to say I was disappointed that Davies chose to set the action in orbit of Earth of the future again and as a sequel to the earlier episode. The idea that thousands of years into the future the human race would be completely hooked on reality television which featured completely robotic versions of earlier celebrities was either just very cynical or very lazy. The promised invasion of Earth was little more than a picture of the Dalek lasers zapping the continents until they changed shape. If Davies did want to return to a previous time-period, why not experiment with returning to the Victorian era or something else? While the invasion and massacre of the Gamestation was well-done, it did seem a bit sad that the producers saw fit to recycle an old premise.

Still, the idea explained by the Emperor of the Daleks that they had been harvesting humans to create more of the floating pepperpots was a truly creepy one. So too was the premise of the new, religious Daleks with the Emperor as a god. We felt sorry for the creatures for a brief second when the Doctor calls them 'driven mad by their own flesh'. I also liked the moment where one Dalek skittered away from the Doctor, supoosedly because it was scared of him.

The sense of desperation was built up well in the episode from the Doctor pretending to have a flash of inspiration only for him to send Rose home, to the death of everyone on the station until only the Doctor was left standing. I was genuinely surprised when Captain Jack snuffed it and equally surprised when he was resurrected thanks to Bad Wolf Rose.

Speaking of Captain Jack, I cringed when he appeared in his WW2 guise in 'The Empty Child' but have since come to like him. In this episode, he becomes a full hero and a worthy time-travelling companion for the Doctor. It was sad that he got left behind and it will be interesting to see if he returns and how?

Billie Piper carried this episode with her performance of Rose. First of all as a desperate bystander to events as she tried desperately to understand the workings of the TARDIS and secondly as the triumphant assistant who solves the Bad Wolf riddle and saves the day in a role reversal of every other week.

The final resolution was very touching and yet somehow annoying at the same time. On the 'touching' side of things, it was wonderful to see Rose come through for the man she called 'my doctor' although I wasn't completely sure if this was Rose talking or the being inside the TARDIS. The moment when he kissed he to remove the pain it was causing her was the culminatin of the trust, frienship and strange love that had been building between the two characters since the beginning.

On the annoying side of the things. did the all-seeing all-knowing Tardis being just resurrect Jack or all the human race aswell? And surely the Daleks can't all be gone? I understand that they all turned to Dust. but have the producers backed themselves into a rather tight corner by doing this? Also, I found myself wanting to cuddle the Dalek Emperor when he said 'I cannot di-i-i-ie'

And finally, to talk about Christopher Eccleston - the ninth Doctor. To me, he is the first as Tom Baker and Jon Pertwee are just legends. I enjoyed his combination of a cheeky-chappy Northern Doctor who puts a middle finger up at the jaws of death and a lonely time traveler who carries the weight of the universe on his shoulders. He showed both qualities in this episode. He also presented us with a quality previously unseen in the Doctor - cowardice. Despite his grim promises, the Doctor cannot end his own life to take the Daleks with him and he seemed a tad pathetic when Rose arrived to save him.

Eccleston reconciles both sides of the Doctor in his final speech. He wistfully talks of all the places he was going to take her and raves about the wonders he would show her. Yet, the laws of time and space means he cannot stay and that his time with her is cut short. His own assertion that he was excellent is both a great final bow for Eccleston and the reminder that the Doctor will be back in another form.

And so we were introduced to Doctor Number Ten - David Tennant. I honestly didn't guess he would appear in the last few seconds, as I thought that would be saved for the Christmas special. I liked his first lines of dialouge 'Oh yeah that's right...Barcelona' and get the impression that Tennant may play the Doctor as some kind of eccentric, Cockney wide-boy. The shocked expression of Rose suggests she is going to have serious trouble accepting that this is essentially the same man she went through life and death with. I could hedge a guess and say that this will be part of the reason Billie Piper is written out in series two.

The catchy reworking of the theme tune closed the series along with the promise that 'the countdown to the Christmas invasion has begun.'



Just some closing thoughts...



- What exactly is a 'Time War' and how does one differentiate between this and a 'Time Scuffle'?

- The Time Vortex Being said she 'scattered the words' to remind herself to look open the heart of the Tardis into the phrase 'bad wolf' So what were the words originally? The only anagram that springs to mind is 'Dab Flow...or Flob Daw.

- The Doctor said he could not go back in time to escape because he would become part of events. So what has he spent the last 13 weeks doing? The man in the first episode showed him at the assassination of JFK and at the launch of the Titanic. Isn't that becoming a part of events?

And some plot predictions for next series.

Likely - that Rose will leave beacuse she can't accept that the new Doctor is the same man.

Possible - that the Daleks will have infiltrated the world of L'Oreal adverts - Ex-foli-ate

Unlikely - Captain Jack will use the Dalek dust to create himself a scary new pet.

Hope To God It Doesn't Happen - David Dickinson will be the eleventh Doctor.

The Theme of Series Two - After the success of the mystery of Bad Wolf, Davies will try 'Placid Goldfish'

Frankly I was disappointed. I've generally enjoyed the series, and my debates with my dad about the merits of this doctor with all of his previous incarnations, but this ending left me feeling strangely unfulfilled. There were just so many points that didn't seem to stack up. I have to admit that some may say I'm not a true who fan as I haven't seen Evil of the Daleks, which other reviewers have referred to, but I have been watching since the Tom Baker days and have watched most of the Pertwee stories, so I think I'm allowed to pass my comments. These comments are:

The opening of the Tardis with the truck - surely RTD could have found a better way to handle this - it just seemed so out of place with what else was going on. Also how come no-one approached Rose etc to ask them what they were doing - they were on a busy housing estate after all.

The materialisation of the Tardis over Rose and the Dalek - being able to do this would have been very useful in previous episodes. In the same scene what about the firing of the gun in the consol room to kill the Dalek - I may be wrong here, but I'm sure in a previous incarnation the Doctor says that guns will be useless in the Tardis as they are prevented from firing.

I feel that Rose being Bad Wolf is badly handled and not properly explained; just how did she leave all those messages for herself and why did she suddenly realise it was her? Having cleverly developed a theme throughout the series, which I admit I had missed until it was mentioned by the Doctor, I think RTD let us down badly on this one.

As for things not being properly explained I am still not sure I understand how the Daleks survived - how did a crippled Emperor Dalek managed to get the technology to initially take the refugees etc to his ship and then take over the space station?

I also think that the destruction of the Dalek fleet by Rose was a major cop out - its THE DOCTOR who should be saving the world, not his assistants, not matter how difficult the situation he is in. Afterall if she can get into the Tardis that easily why hasn't he done so in the past - it only used up one regeneration.

Talking of the regeneration I think this could have been handled a lot better - why did the power of the Vortex 'kill' the Doctor so quickly when Rose had managed to stay alive for as long as she did? Also what happened to the normal confusion/quirkiness/anger of the Doctor after regeneration, the best of which in my opinion is the Baker/Davison regeneration.

I think it would have been far better for the Doctor to have killed the Daleks (and himself) with his Delta Wave, and then been forced to regenerate because of this, afterall as he said there are colonies, and all the humans on earth had been killed by the Daleks anyway so what was the point in him not using his weapon? He didn't know that Rose would come along and save the day. (Or did he?)

I have enjoyed seeing Jack in the series - he has added a new element and I hope he returns in series 2, although I think the way of bringing him back to life was very disappointing - I'm think a better way would have been not to have killed him for some reason in the first place.

I would agree with many that unfortunately RTD has written the poorest stories of the series - my favourites have been The Unquiet Dead and The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances, but the continuity of the Bad Wolf references suggested that he had an idea of what he wanted the series to achieve, its just a shame that as I have stated above he handled the ending of it so badly.

Finally I think Christopher Ecclestone has done a good job as Dr Who, but is not a match in my opinion for the god who is Tom Baker (worship him, worship him!!). My brother has raved about David Tennant as an actor, so I'm willing to see how he goes, but hope that overall there is an improvement in the writing of the series, and a return to more cliff-hanger episodes.

Well, It's been quite a ride.

Before this season, I couldn't bribe my nine-year-old step-daughter Jessica into watching Doctor Who. And just as I had written off any chance of her fandom, came ROSE. She started slowly, just peering over my shoulder as Autons blasted through the shopping malls of London. By the end of the episode she was asking to see more.

We went through Dickens and farting aliens (though neither of us were terribly amused by the farting), The Jagrafas and "Are you my Mummy?" with delight.

She also came to learn three important Doctor Who rules:

1) Don't get attached to side characters ("Oh, I like her. That Tree Lady is beautiful. Hey, wait...is she...?")

2) Anything is scary ( She's terrified of The Daleks, of course, but The Gelth and The Empty Child sent her behind the sofa, as it were.)

and, of course....

3) Just because The Doctor says the Daleks are finished doesn't make it so.

After last episode's fantastic cliffhanger ( After hiding behind me during all the "Exterminates!", she asked "Why do you LIKE them so much?"), We jump headfirst into the Action. Jessica practically bit her nails during the first ten minutes while I stayed right at the edge of my seat. I couldn't believe my eyes! Dalek missles! Dalek in the TARDIS! The Dalek fleet! She nearly jumped out of her skin at the sound of this episode's surprise guest star, The Dalek Emperor. I was less surprised thanks to recognizing his voice in the trailer (After all, he's appeared in plenty of Big Finish audios), but his extreme makeover was a joy to behold.

As the episode went on, Jessica became less scared of the Dalek voices and became engrossed in the story. I don't blame her. How can I convay how thrilling it is to see all the things DOCTOR WHO couldn't show before in it's history. No more invasions by three Daleks in the grass, no sir! Now it's HALF A BLOODY MILLION DALEKS!

Squeeel....

During his hopeless mission , The Doctor says goodbye to Captain Jack (After Jack kisses him goodbye, Jessica looks at me slack-jawed. "Is he gay?!?" Funny how much innuendo flew over her head in the last four episodes..) and tricks Rose into taking the TARDIS home ("whhat's he doing? He tricked her!")

We were very happy to see Mickey and Jackie again.

(note to RTD, they are a BIG hit in my household. Bring them back often next year..)

After opening the "heart of the TARDIS", Rose becomes Super-Rose and saves the day. This pleases Jessica no end, as she's quite fond of Rose Tyler and sees her as a hero on par with The Doctor.

Then comes the end.

Jessica is heartbroken to see her hero die. I don't blame her one bit. In thirteen episodes, Christopher Eccleston has tied with Tom Baker as my favorite Doctor. Besides, Jessica tells me that he's "cute".

Truthfully, she doesn't want to watch anymore.

She's lost "her" Doctor.

I would be concerned ,except I know from experience what happens next.

It starts with peering over my shoulder....