In Series One of the new Doctor Who, Russell T Davies's scripts, quite correctly in my view, came in for a lot of criticism. I think it has taken him a while to find his feet writing Science Fiction, but this series (apart from New Earth, which was a bit lacklustre) his scripts have been daring, exciting, courageous and bold. This was no more evident than in the finale of Series 2, Doomsday.

The first 35 minutes of the episode were classic Doctor Who, with the twist that so much money had been spent on it, it looked incredible. Daleks and Cybermen looked just superb and it was almost impossible to imagine how they were going to get out of the situation when millions of daleks started to pour out of their Time Lord prison, the Genesis Ark. Perhaps there wasn't quite enough Dalek vs Cybermen action, but what there was made the hairs stand up on my neck, and I was on the edge of my seat for most of the episode.

I'd also like to say here that I loved the Dalek vs Cybermen bitch fight. Russell T Davies managed to breathe some new life into the Daleks when he reintroduced them last year, so that they ceased to become one-dimensional tinpot dictators, but actual characters. He continued that this year, and the result was hilarious and entertaining. I want to see more of these bitchy daleks in the future, and as the chief bitch Black Dalek managed to escape, let's hope there'll be more soon...

The death of Tracy Ann Oberman's character (or, as Russell calls her, Tracy Ann Cyberman) was amazingly noble, and an emotional moment. She acted beautifully in this episode, and you almost wanted more of her. Luckily her sacrifice gave Jackie Tyler a few moments grace, enabling her escape down a stairwell and an emotional (and well-played-out) runion with Alt-Pete. What could have been a mawkish, sentimental moment was beautifully written, beautifullly acted and shot. Russell's brilliant blend of humour and pathos worked amazingly well here and gave us a much needed breather from all the chaos and shooting going on above ground between Daleks and Cybermen.

But if Alt-Pete and Jackie's reunion was emotional, Russell had something much bigger up his sleeve for Rose Tyler's departure. OK if I want to be critical, the way to destroy the Daleks and Cyberman was a bit deus ex machina but that's nearly always a problem with Russell's scripts, but Russell doesn't care about that anyway. He wants to get to the emotional heart of the story: how you get there is less important to him. And so what really worked, so fantastically well, was Rose being almost sucked in to the void and rescued by her Dad (what a beautiful way to end that particular story arc) and then trapped in another dimension unable to ever travel in the TARDIS again. Their final meeting, at Norway's Bad Wolf Bay, was touching, desperately sad, and beautifully written. But even better than that the acting was the sort of acting that you would never expect to see in a TV science fiction show. David Tennant proved what a superb Doctor he is, and Billie Piper played her despair and grief in such a way that I couldn't hold back the tears. I didn't realise just how much I had come to care about these two characters over the last two years, and once the tears came they didn't stop. It was beautiful writing and wonderful acting. And when the camera returned to the TARDIS, with tears streaming down The Doctor's face, I wondered if I'd ever recover! He'd never looked so lonely in that enormous TARDIS as he did at that moment. Yes, if you want to be picky, this 'trapped in another world' thing was a bit "His Dark Materials", but in story-telling there is no such thing as a new idea really, and it worked brilliantly for these two characters. And anyway, have we really seen the last of Rose? I'm not convinced.

But how could the programme end there? Luckily we had the arrival of the brilliant Catherine Tate as The Bride, which ended the episode on a real moment of humour. Tate's eponymous comedy show on BBC2 has received numerous awards and divided the nation. You either love her or hate her (I happen to think she's brilliant) but, like Love and Monsters, I think her appearance will divided Doctor Who fans, until we see the Christmas special. Nevertheless the look of shock on the Doctor's face was absolutely brilliant, and it's a great set-up for the Christmas episode. I can't wait (only 170 days to go!) and before then, I'm getting married, so life is going to be eventful, to say the least.

Now the rumours abound that Russell T might leave the show at the end of next series. I really hope not as he's really come into his own this year with his brilliant scripts. They're more daring (Love and Monsters was a bold, brave and brilliant attempt to try something different with the show's format) and much more rounded and, let's face it, if it wasn't for him, Doctor Who wouldn't have been back in the first place. And so, next from the Whoniverse we get to see Torchwood. Once I've recovered from the emotional trauma of Rose's departure, I'll be ready for more Russel T. Bring it on!

The season finale for David Tennant's first season as the Doctor ends with a bang - or rather, quite a lot of bangs. Russell T. Davies and his production team did the impossible and created a season finale even more thrilling than 'The Parting of the Ways'. And not only thrilling, but emotionally satisfying as well.

Waiting a week for 'Doomsday' to air seemed like a century after the revelation of the final scenes from 'Army of Ghosts'. Davies took a big chance bringing the Daleks back again for another season finale, and it paid off with interest as far as I'm concerned. I'm sure my mouth was hanging open when the voidsphere revealed its cargo, and I had to lift my jaw off the floor when the Genesis Ark opened up and revealed its contents.

There's not much more that a Doctor Who fan could want from the series than to see two of the Doctor's greatest nemeses in battle with each other. But to top that off we also have the departure of a companion from the series - a companion who's forged a deeper bond of attachment with the Doctor than any companion we've seen before. This episode will no doubt be one of the most memorable farewells in the series history. It was done tastefully and effectively, for all practical purposes killing off the character, which is much more satisfying than seeing her suddenly decide to go home or remain on some alien world, and much less shocking than actually letting her die. Kudos to Davies for coming up with such a clever resolution.

I was particularly impressed with how well the script balanced the action plot with the quieter emotional moments. Taking several minutes out of the story to reunite Jackie and Pete was risky, as it could have interrupted the flow of the action and cut the suspense, but it didn't. I loved Jackie's dialogue, revealing her as a genuine person with all the flaws and weaknesses that entails. The dialogue throughout the episode felt very geniune from all the characters. In such an action-oriented story with a big finish, it would have been easy for Jackie and Mickey to get lost in the shuffle, but their parts were carefully managed to give them special moments without taking anything away from the rest of the plot.

The best emotional scenes, of course, were the scenes between the Doctor and Rose, first grieving over their parting and then struggling to find the right words to say goodbye. The dialogue was again excellent and very real, particularly the Doctor misunderstanding Rose when she tells him the name of the Norwegian beach she's standing on. David Tennant and Billie Piper have already impressed me with their acting talent, and I was fascinated by David Tennant's performance as he revealed a range of emotions, often just through his eyes.

Graeme Harper's direction is superb in this story, from terrific scenes of masses of Daleks swooping over London to the intimate shots of the Doctor and Rose on either side of the impenetrable wall between universes. The lighting and cinematography perfectly complement his style. It was particularly effective how simple lighting changes and set dressing were used to differentiate between Pete's Earth and 'our' Earth. And if I were Billie Piper I'd keep a still of that shot of Rose on the beach (from the opening recap) in my resume' portfolio.

The music, too, was a highlight for this story. The theme that plays while Rose and the Doctor stand forlornly with their cheeks pressed against a wall is caught in my brain now and won't get out. It was an interesting combination of musical elements that created a very appealing tune and emphasized the emotion of the scene very effectively. I hope the BBC will release a soundtrack CD soon if they haven't already.

I've now viewed this episode on 3 occasions, and while I don't feel that any single episode can be considered 'the best episode ever' this one certainly ranks in my Top Ten list. I may not watch it as often as I watch some of my other favorites, however, because it's just too painful to experience those wrenching emotions repeatedly. But any programme that can make me laugh, scream, and cry all in one episode is something I'll always appreciate.

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?

I have never written a review before, and only do so now because I feel that many of the excellent reviews already written on В‘DoomsdayВ’ have failed to fully explore the last few minutes of the episode. I also read that some contributors have now seen this episode many times. I have only seen it once but it is a piece of television drama that will remain clearly in my mind for a very long time indeed.

We all knew, following BillieВ’s decision not to continue in the series, that the Doctor and Rose would have to be pulled apart violently and finally, with RoseВ’s death an ominous possibility. That inevitable separation happened as Rose was caught by her father moments before being sucked into the void and carried by him to the other dimension. The drama was as intense as it could get, In the moments that followed, the tears were flowing, both on screen and on sofas throughout the land.

So why the scenes on the beach? Were they just to provide closure on the characters, or do they give us something more? RTD has sometimes been criticised on these pages for his poor science, but never for his characterisations and human drama. Under his guidance, BillieВ’s portrayal of Rose is so detailed that we can make some predictions about RoseВ’s future in that other world with confidence.

Lets look at what we know from the last few minutes of the episode: there is at least a three month gap В– realistically more like six - between the В‘wailing wallВ’ scenes and the В‘I Had a dreamВ’ sequence. During this time, Rose did not know if the love of her life was alive or dead. Suddenly she gets the confirmation she so desperately seeks В– he is alive, and is prepared to burn up a star just to see her; she knows he loves her, and also has the chance to confirm her feelings towards him (like he didnВ’t know...)

So where could this lead? Would Rose accept that she could not see the Doctor again, or would she carry on the search? We all know the answer to that: Rose would tear the universe down to get back to her man. With her new В‘family connectionsВ’, her vast experiences of things alien and her knowledge of life beyond earth, she would rapidly become an important part of the other Torchwood. This would give her the resources to carry on her quest. Would anyone in her family be able to stop her? No. They never have before, and, anyway, what father could ever refuse his daughter at such times and in such circumstances?

After the beach parting, I think Rose would wear her Tardis key on a chain around her neck. This would not only be a symbol of her love (and I donВ’t think any man would be able to dislodge it, most certainly not the hapless Mickey, with all the comparisons and memories that would bring) but this key would be the thing most likely to react to any sign of the Tardis. It would become RoseВ’s most treasured possession and an important talisman in the time to come.

This surely leaves the way open for В‘hints of RoseВ’ in virtually any future episode of the series as she, from her universe, tries methods of contact from her dimension that fail - but maybe not totally. That such hints exist could be useful in establishing the relationship between the Doctor and his new companion. Personally I do not look forward to the idea of a Rose 2, and think that such a character would lessen the series. I hope to see a different relationship between the Doctor and Martha.

It also leaves the way clear for Rose to rejoin the Doctor at some time in the future. Consider how the other Torchwood would react when faced with a danger they could not overcome and which threatens their very existence. The quest to reach the Doctor would become infinitely more urgent, even desperate. Who says they would not succeed?

So, back to the final five minutes of Doomsday. RTD may have closed the door on the Tylers, but he has definitely opened a small window. A window that allows writers of forthcoming episodes to involve Rose in a variety of ways should they so wish (without, necessarily, Billie until such time as she wants to). IВ’ll close with two thoughts: first, God help any other woman in the Tardis when Rose gets back to her Doctor and, second, what would RoseВ’s first words be to the Doctor on being reunited, especially should the scenario envisaged in the paragraph above occur? I think we all know this one too - В‘Where the hell have you been?В’

Doomsday was and is a stand alone episode В– an epic of the highest proportions and boy did it deliverВ…..

IВ’ve took ages to get round to writing this review for the plain simple fact I wanted to savour the memory of it before I get the DVD!!!! & that I deliberately did not tape it for that same reason.

The first half was above average for this season of Doctor Who however it was the latter half that absolutely made this a corker and a blockbuster in its own right. Visually stunning, emotionally draining & yes the DalekВ’s, Cybermen etc were only the back story.

It was Rose and the TylerВ’s who really made this episode what it was. The humour mixed with the absolute emotion that ran right through this episode and that it never stopped delivering from the opening shot, I was awe struck by the performances and heart of the actors & finely David Tennant & Billie Piper really did get the lines they really deserved for the whole season, not just this one episode.

However it was how it all rolled into one - the words that we almost hear the Doctor speak right at the pinnacle moment of this episode and that we all know what those words wereВ….

The chemistry between Rose and The Doctor and that in the end the 10th doctor really did need Rose in everyway possible and the heart wrenching end on the beach and the lead up to it said everything for what there relationship is and was...

It also proved one major factor over and above as well that Doctor Who can stand alone and above all those, American franchiseВ’s that every other channel seems determined to deliver to us.

The whole cast and crew delivered something magical here and that it will stand the test of time well. For it was one of those episodes that really was worth the wait and the hype! Special effects for a TV show budget were amazing and worthy of an Oscar!

Added to that even though I have not seen the first season both Mickey and Rose have come full circle and through the doctor - especially this one became whole something that the Christmas Invasion highlighted all those months before and the growth and shear confidence of Mickey was something to behold in its own right here and then there is Rose and the Doctor.



The just like В‘old timesВ’ summed it up and that David TennantВ’s 10th doctor let Rose become something more here and the ache when he said that in his earth she was dead and reported as being missing brought a lump to my throat & for the first time in a long time. A TV show nearly had me in tears which really sayВ’s something.

It was an epic and the punches of wit and humour and shear gut wrenching emotion puts this in the super league. I also like many am going to dearly miss the TylerВ’s Jackie for her one linerВ’s, RoseВ’s father for just being who he was & of course Mickey how on earth do you find a way to reinvent this lot?

Let alone that there will never be another Rose Tyler to touch the Doctor in the way Billie Pipers character did. At least they left an opening for her to hopefully find a way back and that it was still a cliff-hanger for the plain simple reason that both characters and this 10th Doctor has unfinished business with Rose!!!!

The words said as much but it really was a cracker of an episode and come November my Birthday month there is one DVD collection IВ’m not going to hesitate in buying for the second season of Doctor Who and the unusual episodes (School Reunions, Love and Monsters etc) were the real gems.

Plus this last episode and that thanks to Billie, David Tennant surpassed all expectations and made the doctor his own this season and now like Chris. Eccl. His Doctor now has baggage in the form of Rose and that you really felt for him at the end of this episode.

His performance in the closing sceneВ’s were torture to watch and his disbelief at the bride (not the only one) and one further note it was the TylerВ’s and Rose who made those first two seasons so heart felt and real.

Plus after how far David Tennant has come since the Christmas Invasion and how much he gives as an actor IВ’m a bit worried for him this season coming. For the whole show will need to re-invent and get over Rose in the same way the Doctor will.

I have not doubt that Russell T Davis will rise to the occasion but even now I have my doubts for I felt the chemistry, the closeness of the TylerВ’s, Mickey and Rose to the Doctor and what got me absolutely hooked at the Christmas Invasion is now gone В– The play off between Bille and David.

My only two other reasons left for watching now is that I like good sci-fi drama and Doctor Who certainly delivered that in spades during season 2 and that David Tennant has absolutely nailed this Doctor. Doomsday proved that В– for his character is now even more vulnerable and for a small amount of time alone.

The effects are going to be catastrophic on this 10th Doctor but if the last 2 minutes are anything to go by I donВ’t like the set up for the runaway bride.

Anyway enough of the lows В– Doomsday was superb and left you gasping for more well done folks and both David and Billie deserve every success in the future they are hugely talented actors and I would love to see a follow up between them from DoomsdayВ….

Plus its shear British class drama at its best & I love it! & David Tennant made a swell doctor long may his rain continue (for one more season at least)!

So here we have it В– the long anticipated finale to Season Two of Doctor Who 2.1, the episode where half of us long to see Piper fragged and where the other half long to see her walk away with life; the episode where we get to see the ultimate battle between Cybermen and Daleks (if we ever wanted that); the episode where we hope to see David Tennant at his best and the episode where we wait to see what caliber of drama Russell T Davies can bring us.

Result: *long sigh* I donВ’t know.

Let me get some biases out of the way first by saying that I was never a fan of Rose Tyler. I found her smug, irritating, hypocritical, and, ultimately, much to the failure of DaviesВ’ original promise, little more than cannon-fodder. In 2005, we were promised a new relationship of teamwork, a new challenging dynamic from a companion, and something utterly modern. We didnВ’t really ever get that. Rose saved the day a couple of times, but mostly just ended up being sucked up by television aliens, getting chased by zombies, and sitting around watching the Doctor babble about things she never understood. Worse, the decision for a romantic leaning really just gave Tennant and Piper an opportunity to act asinine now and again when the script said В“now frolic like teenagers in denialВ”. I wanted to see her die; I wanted to see her go down in a blaze of gloryВ… and when Davies promised us this at the end of Fear Her, I knew immediately that IВ’d never get it. Here comes the end of PiperВ’s tenure as companion and it was little more than Star Trek conventionality. She ends up in a parallel universe, nothing is sacrificed, and the big gaping potential to open up that door again stays possible. How cheap. It cheapens the relationship between she and the Doctor and it cheapens the risk-taking of the production staff. Smells a bit overdone to me.

Now that that is out of the way, letВ’s get to the episode.

It wasnВ’t terrible, but for a season finale, it was pretty mediocre. The potential for these two villains meeting was always a tempting idea and dangerous one because on one hand, Daleks and Cybermen together become twice the threat (both responsible in one way or another for taking an incarnation). However, it also opens the door for some terrible fanwank opportunities and some very lazy scripting. Unfortunately, Davies took Door C and not only gave us painful scripting, but embarrassed the recurring villain from the season. The Daleks meeting the Cybermen quite simply sucked sour frogВ’s assВ… it didnВ’t have to, but it did. They met, they didnВ’t like each other, and then the Daleks just slaughtered Cybermen until the Doctor saved the day. Davies wrote it so that the Cybermen looked like the Junior Physically-Challenged Gun Squad against the entire Stalin Regime. There were more Cybermen in this episode than there are spyrochaetes in Syphilis victims and they couldnВ’t deal with four Daleks. After failing to kill a single one with a weapon, why not just march in, pick one up, and suplex it until it gets disoriented? Why not grab it by its armor and rip out the ugly blob that lives within it? Nope. Better stand there and get slaughtered. They lost all respect as a true Class A villain because Davies thinks Daleks are immortal. Instead we got witty banter about pest control and whoВ’s better at dying. I could imagine all kinds of fans grinning as if watching what would happen if ET met Predator in a fight to the death, actually believing that something great was occurring. Where is the suspense in that? Why cheapen one or the other? The worst part is that is what the episode became about: two aggressive aliens ignoring the protagonists while every recurring character makes an appearance. We got В‘em all: Jackie, Mickey, Pete, Jake, Daleks, Cybermen, Time Lord technology, more Daleks. I was waiting for the Face of Boe to show up with Captain Jack, Jo Grant, The Master, Adric, Paul McGann, and a pack full of Bandrils. Davies just seemed to lose control over himself and created an episode where the intelligent subtlety so often used lost out to mindless action.

Saying that, it was pretty good mindless action with lots of running, lots of near misses, some clichГ© reunions, followed by more running and frenetic pacing. Every one of those recurring characters could have been at risk, any one of them a potential target. Rose was certainly one candidate and that kept us on the edge of our seatВ… which was all the more deflating when it seems that every major character (barring the Doctor once every few seasons) is pretty much immune to the horror going on around him or her. I wonВ’t fault this decision because Davies has said that the show should inspire optimism, but I think the border can be pushed too far when no one is really at risk. It just loses its impact when you know everyone is safe.

In that same sense of things being safe, the fact that the Daleks just keep growing in numbers haunts my dreams sometimes. It was made so vital that the Doctor destroyed his people to finally deal with the Daleks and there just seems to be more and more of them. First one, then the Emperor with an army, then four more, then millions! Just like Jason Voorhees, these beings of evil just keep finding a way back, almost as if the producers just donВ’t have the heart to let them rest for a season or two.

The Doctor finds a way to save the day, turns the magic key, sucks up millions of foes, and finally loses Rose to the alternate universe. ItВ’s all very quaint, albeit not very original. So thatВ’s why we had an alternate universeВ… it was a cheap plot device; so thatВ’s why Jackie Tyler of the alternate universe diedВ… it was a convenient way of reuniting our version with a Pete. I donВ’t know. Smells a little lazy to me.

The acting was top-notch at least. Piper brought intensity to her final moments that were impossible not to respect; TennantВ’s blood-curdling scream as Rose helplessly flies towards the Void and inability to requite his love fully brought out a cold severity in the character that really foregrounds the tragedy in his past and future, one that we have gotten glimpses of in between the giggling and frolicking that pervaded us so often. We got to see a teary-eyed Doctor in the final moments and whether some like it or not, it is an added dimension to the Doctor promised in the resurrection of the series. In that respect, the actors keep an otherwise garbled clichГ© of a mess somewhat stable.

Still, the fact remains that if we didnВ’t have the final ten minutes to say goodbyes, what we got was a pretty shabby attempt at forcing two villains together in a way that turns out to be a bit of a fiasco and a lot of unneeded fanwankery that sort of compromises the very careful first season with a season of lulls and a finale that doesnВ’t deliver much more than one-liners and running.

And then Tate comes in to the picture. I guess the good Doctor canВ’t stay sad for too longВ… which undermines the entire final ten minutes by not allowing the viewer the respect to just sit and wonder for a few months how Rose and the Doctor are fairing without each other for the first time since the new series began. The emotional potential of the teary-eyed farewell goes out the window because itВ’s more important to let us know that we have a runaway bride on our hands. I donВ’t knowВ… this just seemed like a bad decision to me.

Davies should sit down, have a pint, take a deep breath, and try to get his bearings for a third season that is bound to be the most decisive season so far in regards to whether Doctor Who is here to stay or just another fleeting series that grows tired far sooner than it need to.