Doctor Who: The End of Time

David Jimerson

David Jimerson

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For once, we didn't have to wait very long to see it here (though it sure would be nice if BBC America were actually HD as advertised . . . )

Wow, that was a lot to take in all at once. Will probably have to review. Wasn't so keen on another "Master takes over Earth" storyline, but at least they wrapped it up with plenty of time left for an unhurried passing of the torch.

Timothy Dalton was a pretty imposing figure. Who knew?
 
Just watched the first half. I wasn't too excited about another Master ep either, esp since this one started out seeming much less ominous and much goofier than his last one.

But by the end of this first half, when they raised it up a notch to something new...yeah.

Will watch the rest tomorrow.
 
I'm one of the three people who like Dalton as Bond, so I knew. :) The two-parter was certainly full of Shakespearean goodness, what with Dalton (RSC alum) and Claire Bloom (from Olivier's Richard III and the BBC's Hamlet with Jacobi and Stewart). Not to mention David Tennant...

I don't know if I'm just projecting my sadness at Tennant's departure, but all of these specials have, IMO, lacked something. "Planet of the Dead" felt oddly like a stand-alone episode rather than a full 25% of Tennant's swan song; the only thing I really saw it contributing to the arc was to remind the audience (and perhaps the Doctor himself) that he stole the TARDIS back in the day. "Waters of Mars" was better, but (SPOILER WARNING) I can't help but feel that Captain Bloom's quick change from "Please save us!" to "We shouldn't be alive!"--not to mention her act to correct the latter--just doesn't quite add up.

As for "End of Time..." I feel like it's an odd combination of going too far in places and not far enough in others. I never much cared for the idea of the drums from the Master's last appearance as the reason he "went bad," and the idea that it was caused by the Time Lords doesn't improve it for me at all--quite the opposite, in fact. And at least give us some hint of who Claire Bloom's character was.

Still, issues like that aside, "End of Time" does work as a farewell to Tennant and to the Russell Davies era of Doctor Who. There's a preview of the Matt Smith/Stephen Moffatt era up at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UnPUF8an-XE&feature=player_embedded, and it looks like we're in for some changes... :)
 
I like Dalton's Bond, too; I think it's true to the character in the books, and The Living Daylights is one of the best Bond films. He just seemed . . . short.

Yes, this "reimagining" of the Master is annoying; he was never a lunatic before. He also never had all that much interest in Earth before.

"Planet of the Dead" wasn't really supposed to be anything other than a stand-alone episode, I don't think. I agree it that it's weaker episode. By comparison, "The Waters of Mars" was better.

With the new crew, though, hopefully they'll get away from some of the things Davies kept coming back to, like the Ood, or New^14 York, or tying him so closely to a particular time or place.
 
I tried to watch Doctor Who several years back but couldn't get into it. I somehow miss the appeal. :undecided
 
David Jimerson said:
Well, whatever. :) As Bond, he never seemed all that physically imposing.
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I was just teasing but he is taller than you think. Definitely not short.

Funny, I had the same discussion with my father in-law recently. Yet when you see Dalton in other movies you can tell how tall he is.

Maybe they threw too many large thugs at him as Bond. :)

Mike
 
I watched but was underwhelmed. The script was rubbish. The whole two episodes could have been condensed down to a single episode, and the long goodbye at the end was self indulgent by Russell T Davies.

I prefered Christopher Ecclestone as the Dr before Tennant to be honest, but Tnnant has been very popular as the Dr here in the UK.

The problem with it all is the script writing, and the short comings of Russell T Davies. However, he has now gone along with Tennant, and the guy who is taking over, Stephen Moffat, has written some of the best episodes in recent Dr Who history, namely The Empty Child (" Are you my mummy?"), which was as creepy as hell and scared the crap out of young kids, as well as myself.

If you haven't seen this episode, you check it out. Bloody brilliant.

As a foot note, Bernard Cribbins, the old guy in the show, was the Dr Who assistant in one of the 1960's Dr Who films starring Peter Cushing as Dr Who. Made by Hammer Films it featured the good old Daleks. "Daleks - Invasion Earth 2150 AD". Cribbins has been around in show business for about 60 years. He had two hit singles in the early 1960's, which can easily be found on Youtube. one is called Hole in the Ground, and the other Right Said Fred. Both funny and worth a listen to.
 
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Oh, wow -- I haven't seen those Peter Cushing movies since the mid-80s; would not have made the connection.
 
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