Part 2 of End of Time was touching and disappointing at the same time.  Spoiler alert of course. David and Bernard gave some strong performances, especially in those quiet scenes without actions!  Those are the meat of the episode!  I also loved that final moment the Master and the Doctor worked together to send the Time Lords back, it was this complex frienemy relationship that make these two character interesting! I also like how the two silly aliens that were pretty much a comic relief in Part 1 is actually incredible useful because they are the only other non-human on Earth! That was a clever plot device! And who would have thought that “he would knock four times” happened like that??  At first I thought it was anti-climatic that the death of the tenth Doctor is any big battle or anything but just to save one person’s life, then I thought more about it, I think it is quite appropriated because that is what the Doctor would do.

My problem with the episode are the holes that Davies don’t even bother to explain.  From the acceleration development of the Ood, to the mysterious woman, to Wilfred’s exemption from the Master’s transformation plan.  Not to mention the silliness of the Time Lord can just throw a diamond across the universe, yeah, just forget about the whole time lock thing! Even if I think the hook of using the Master’s noise in the head to be the link was brilliant, I still think the plot this time around is pretty weak.  Another weakness in the script was how they explains Donna’s condition.  I mean, the writer write themselves into a corner with “if she remembers she would die” plotline, so the only way they can do it is for the Doctor saying that “You think I would leave my best friend defenseless?” and leave her in a sleep state?  It was such a complete waste!

Don’t even get me started with the last 20 minutes of the episode after the Doctor absorbed the lethal dose of radiation and die a really slow dead by traveling across time to pay visits to those he loved!  I love goodbyes and cameos from all the former companions, but we just did that in Journey’s End a year ago!!! Yes I think Donna’s wedding do make sense because that’s how Donna’s character was introduced, remember she was the “runaway bride?”  So it is fitting to see her in a wedding in the end with a surely winning ticket of lottery from the Doctor as a wedding gift.  It also made sense to travel back before 2005 to meet Rose before everything started because Rose is the closest to this Doctor’s true love.  He can’t go to the parallel universe to see the real current Rose because she’s living happily ever after with the human hybrid Doctor, so I am glad with this little exchange.  It was also nice to see the Doctor pay a visit to the grand daughter of his human lover when he was human in Human Nature/Family of Blood storyline.  However, I have huge problem with the bit about Martha and Mickey! So you are telling me Martha completely forgot about her engagement with a real human doctor and just married Mickey in less than a year’s time?  Not to mention she got married and didn’t invite the Doctor or Captain Jack?  And speaking of Captain Jack… so the Doctor is pimping out midshipman Alonso from the “Voyage of the Damned” to Jack so that he could forget that his lover Ianto was killed, he has to kill his own grandson to save humanity? Seriously?

Let’s not forget how the Doctor fall from the sky to a marble floor and didn’t die and his regeneration completely trashed the TARDIS! wow, it’s like we never seen him regenerate before! how on earth does this time be so different that it utterly broke the interior of the TARDIS??  I know I am being harsh, and despite the many shortcomings, David’s tenth Doctor was fantastic! I can’t stress that enough!! I really don’t know how that young dude with big chin can fill his shoes!  Hopefully with a very capable new showrunner Steven Moffat, this Matt Smith can be as spectacular!  the trailer for next new season do suggest some awesome storyline from the weeping Angel to Professor River Song!  I can’t wait but at the same time will surely missed David Tennant’s tenth Doctor!!  Long live the Doctor!!

Related posts:

1. Doctor Who Finale Part 2
2. The Eleventh Doctor at the Eleventh Hour
3. Doctor Who End of Time Part 1
4. Big Bang Doctor
5. Blink

Tagged: Doctor Who · Television