With Russell T Davies at the helm, classic British series Doctor Who saw one of the most successful revivals in entertainment history. Primarily aided by the thoroughly excellent David Tennant as the tenth incarnation of The Doctor, the executive producer and writer elevated the series from sci-fi staple to excellent human drama worthy of its growing global fanbase.
Now, both men are exiting the show, leaving Steven Moffat and eleventh Doctor Matt Smith to fill their shoes. In what can be called an extended send-off, Davies fashioned a series of specials this past year, concluding with a two-hour epic Christmas finale titled The End of Time. It was one of the most anticipated bits of programming of the year, as fans desperately waited to see how Davies would end Tennant’s extremely popular journey. After the gripping Torchwood special earlier this year, people were expecting something so emotional and so grand in scale that they would be presumably wrecked for weeks onward.
So, did Davies deliver?
Yes, with a little mixture of no.
The End of Time was as much of an emotional wallop as he’s ever given us. We saw the Doctor at his darkest and most destitute, contemplating his imminent demise and the wreckage he left behind. We saw the Master struggle with his descent into madness and death. We even saw the Time Lords (led by the towering Timothy Dalton as Lord President Rassilon) desperately fight for survival, even if they destroyed the “whole of creation” in their efforts. Yet, with all of this high-octane character development, the story was lacking in something important; it lacked a high-octane plot.
The return of the Time Lords and Gallifrey through the unsuspecting Master was so racked with genius that it deserved a lot more than 135 minutes to handle it. In fact, it boggles the mind that Davies didn’t tell the story over the four specials, especially considering the outrageous disappointment that was Planet of the Dead. Instead, we watched this potential-rich plot played out in the slug-paced Part 1 and the very-rushed Part 2. Things didn’t really kick into high gear until halfway through the second episode, which meant about 70 minutes of very extraneous material (just in case you’re questioning the math, there was 20 minutes that was really excellent).
Even though it was compacted, it was still an important plot to show, as it finally allowed us a glimpse of the torment the Doctor felt all of this time. Instead of just being a survivor, he was responsible for the demise of the Time Lords, as he explained to the Master upon their arrival. Yet, it added more to understanding the Doctor than it did the episode.
What truly made the episode was everything else but the story. The acting in this episode was excellent all around, but the performances of David Tennant and Bernard Cribbins were downright revelations. Cribbins, playing Wilfred, did most of his acting through those soulful, hopeful, weary eyes. When activated, they could inspire even the hardest of people to prick up tears. He was the subtlest of the Doctor’s companions, but easily one of the best because of it. John Simm, while quite ridiculous in Part 1, pulled it together in the second part to allow us to sympathize with his tormented villain. Timothy Dalton was as epic as he needed to be in such a regrettably short appearance.
And then there’s Tennant. The man is a walking, talking, acting masterclass. He was effortless in this episode, conveying the Doctor’s joy and pain with such painstaking realism. While Davies allowed him room to go all out, the quiet scenes he shared with Cribbins and John Simm that were the most affecting. The moment in the coffee shop in Part 1 was one of the best scenes I’ve seen all year. No offense to Matt Smith, but the BBC is stupid for not trying harder to get him to stay.
The special effects for the episodes were stunning, as always. The scene where Gallifrey appeared in the sky above Earth was a jaw dropper. Doctor Who has always been about cinematic CGI, and they held up that standard. Another guaranteed part of the special was the guest appearances from all of his past companions. The most shocking: the Doctor saving a married Mickey and Martha from the Centaurian assassin. The most enjoyable to watch: the Doctor hooking Jack up with Alonso from the Kylie Minogue Christmas special. The most head scratching (and speculative): the Doctor meeting the great-granddaughter of the nurse from The Family of Blood. The most touching: the Doctor seeing a 2005 Rose for the last time.
The last 20 minutes of the series was dedicated to the Doctor’s “reward”, as he called it. Was it a bit self-indulgent? Sure, but it was thoroughly enjoyable, as was the devastating moments leading to the regeneration. The choking-up officially began when Ood Sigma appeared and dropped this heartbreaker of a line: “the universe will sing you to your sleep”. The floodgates exploded when, in his last line as a 906-year old Time Lord, Tennant tortuously said with tears in his eyes, “I don’t wanna go” and began to glow. The mood was abruptly changed when a jubilant Matt Smith popped up in his place. While they could’ve shortened that scene a bit, it does set the tone for the new regime, which I hate to admit is kind of hopeful.
The End of Time is not the best episode Davies has ever done. Yet, it was a more than moving tribute to a very successful era in the Doctor Who canon, one that saw a more human, more appealing Time Lord presented to the masses. There is no doubt that Russell T Davies is excellent at what he does, and while this special didn’t necessarily embody it, there was more than enough to remind us of his and Tennant’s pure brilliance. It may not be the end of time, but it is the end of an era.
RATING: B
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