Doctor Who: The End of Time "Part Two" Review

It's finally come to this, the end of David Tennant's fantastic run as The Tenth Doctor. Sure, Christopher Eccleston is responsible for being The Doctor that the show returned with, and I generally really liked his one season, but when David Tennant stepped into the role it was as if all of the previous version of The Doctor disappeared. It'd be an understatement to say that I and many other Doctor Who fans are sad to see him stepping down.

Special: The End of Time "Part Two"

But lets not get sad yet, we still have 75 minutes to cover here! The End of Time "Part Two" brings us back to the mysteriously reemerged Time Lords of Gallifrey, who were supposedly all killed in the Time War that The Doctor has dared not speak of after all this time. But, that's quite a bit of hefty information. In fact, I honestly think that Russell T. Davies put way too much into this episode for its own good.

While the first nearly 50 minutes of the special deals with the return of the Time Lords, the back story of the Master's insanity, and tons of more information to break your head with. It's not until the final moments of the episode that The Doctor final takes his plunge. And personally, I figured out why the show works so well in its 45 minute standard episodes, because 75 minutes is just too long (not to mention the plus 60 minutes from "Part One"); everything seems to drag on for more than it should, and in the end a lot of what was shown seemed unnecessary.

And that's really the shame of this episode, since there are really a ton of great, sad moments between The Doctor and Wilfred, just as there was the one in "Part One" that brought both of them to tears. It's like, The Doctor and Wilfred were great, but everyone else... no thanks. The Master's craziest grew old quick, the Time Lords (while an old-school Who-gasm) were boring, and the cactus aliens had no need to be there. And the ending... just cameo after cameo of those character important to The Doctor throughout the last four series, while some of them made me chuckle, and were nice nods to fans, they were also unneeded. When The Doctor left these characters, he let them go, it seemed strange to suddenly just show up in these people's lives again only to leave again.

As for the awaited regeneration, well, spoilers aside, it's certainly got me thinking about the next series. Much like the transition from Eccleston to Tennant, this regeneration leaves the new Doctor in somewhat of a predicament that will certainly lead off into the new series. And yes, the ending finally brings some sense to all of those upcoming changes for the next series that you may have seen already. To say the least, after witnessing Matt Smith as The Doctor for a brief moment, I'm curious to see where the show will go, especially since the ending seems to point out the actor's age as a new flaw. Spring can't come soon enough!

Overall Score: 8/10

I know, at the end of "Part One" I said that I really wanted to give the special a VFH Seal of Approval. But after "Part Two," I can't say my feelings are the same. It would've been one thing had it been say, a two-part, 45 minutes each story; but the time wasted on a 60 minute and 75 minute story just dragged The End of Time out more than it should have, especially when any fan could've predicted where the show was going. I mean, you know he's going to regenerate at some point, just cut to the chase.

It's a shame, yes, because David Tennant is just so damn good in this, but all of the information and characters that Russell T. Davies stuffed into this second part just killed it. I think the 8/10 is actually quite generous to be honest; I really wanted to like this special, and for the most part I did. But I can't get over some of the stuff that filled the rest of the episode. I just hope that Matt Smith and new show-runner Steven Moffat can blow me away when the new series starts later this year, because right now I'm a little indifferent.

Lastly, regarding the continuation of This Week in Doctor Who, I can't say until I get news of when the new series actually airs in the UK, and how long the gap will be before it airs in America. If the gap is over a year (which is highly unlikely) I'd have to say this feature is over; if the gap is between a month and three months, I'll consider it; and if it's a week to one day gap like it was with these last two specials, then bet your ass I'll keep doing this!

Doctor Who: The End of Time "Part One" Review

It's Christmas time, and you know what that means... a new Doctor Who special (and a new This Week In review...)! (I don't know what you were thinking, but I can't think of anything else...) But this Christmas' special isn't like anything before it, as it's the first part of David Tennant's final story as The Doctor.

Special: The End of Time "Part One"

The End of Time "Part One" opens with Wilfred Mott, Donna Noble's grandfather, walking about at Christmas time, before going into a church, and being reminded of his experience with The Doctor, and finding himself somewhat distraught. But we're soon reintroduced to everyone's favorite Time Lord, who arrives on the Ood's home planet, noticing a weird shift in time, and soon learns that The Master is still very much alive despite his supposed death back in the Series 3 finale, "Last of the Time Lords".

The much of episode is mainly divided between the seriousness and strangeness of The Master's resurrection and the goofiness of Wilfred and his child-like antics while looking for The Doctor; but it is Christmas, can't be all gloom and doom now, right? But after the Doctor makes pretty emotional speech about death and the consequences of his actions, Donna Noble is reintroduced, and narration comes in from a familiar voice (for James Bond fans at least), as Timothy Dalton's character gets his first moment of screen-time as well. But as that passes the halfway mark of this 60-minute special, I'll cut off for spoiler's sake; leaving the follow up for next week's review of "Part Two".

What to say about this special? There's a lot actually; much of the scenes with newly psychotic Master are some of the freakiest scenes this show has produced, and John Simm is eerily delightful in all of them. As for Mr. Tennant, he is fantastic as usual, even when showing an extremely an emotional side that's never been seen before. But Simm literally steals the show this time around (I'd love to say more, but you'd have to watch to understand); even when two new unnecessary alien characters are introduced by the end of the episode and kind of break the mood. Regardless, this is by far one of the series' best episodes ever, and next week's finale looks to be even more promising!

Overall Score: 9/10

I really want to give this episode a VFH Seal of Approval, like, I'm fighting it in my head. But the preview for next week just looks too epic for me to give The End of Time "Part One" the award as it is... perhaps, if "Part Two" is as epic as it seems, I could give both parts one Seal? Considering they are the parts of the same episode (technically speaking), would anyone object to that?

Doctor Who: "The Waters of Mars" review

Welcome to the latest This Week In feature, This Week in Doctor Who. Because of the nature of Doctor Who specials, these reviews will be more like movie reviews than the typical television show reviews since the specials run for 60 minutes plus, as opposed to the standard 45 minute run time. It won't be until the start of the show's 5th series that this feature will resemble the standard TWi reviews. Let's get to it!

Special: "The Waters of Mars"

We may have waited an extra month to see it in America, but the latest Doctor Who special is finally here. Before I get into this episode though, I'd like to just share my thoughts about the previous two specials, "The Next Doctor" and "Planet of the Dead," while I think they were decent episodes, the show has certainly scene better days. If anything, I appreciated the way "The Next Doctor" incorporated footage of all the previous Doctors for the very first time, other than that.... ho hum. So, after watching tonight's new special, I must say I was gladly pleased to see that "The Waters of Mars" rank up with some of David Tennant's best episodes.

"The Waters of Mars" brings The Doctor to the titular planet, visit what will be the world's first human colony on Mars, Bowie Base One (a reference to space infatuated singer David Bowie perhaps?). But having previously learned in "Planet of the Dead" that his "time is up" and "he will knock four times" this special reveals a new version of Tennant's Doctor that we haven't seen before. This time around, The Doctor isn't his normal eccentric self, he acts very much like a death-fearing mortal, and upon realizing that the date he has arrived at, November 21st, 2059, is the date Bowie Base One is to have exploded, he learns that he may actually be powerless against the forces of time.

But what's Doctor Who without it's signature villains? This episode reveals a new enemy, which is actually in the form of a bacteria the Bowie Base One's water supply, but when the bacteria mixes with a clean water supply and is ingested by humans, well, it's pretty gross. The infected constantly drip (and even spray!) water, they lose color in their eyes, and their mouths become black and chapped like a dry desert; it's actually hard to look at for an extended period. And, even the slightest touch of the infected water will turn you into one of them, so The Doctor insist that the crew must die, and well, obviously that won't bode well.

I hate being vague, but I don't want to spoil anything for those who've yet to watch it (that's next week's job). What I can say, is that this was certainly a new side of The Doctor, and a side we probably won't see again due to Tennant's upcoming departure. But surely the effects of "The Waters of Mars" will carry into the appropriately named two-part special, The End of Time; which I'm both excited and saddened to watch.

Overall Score: 8.8/10

Next week will be a joyous event, not because it's the start of David Tennant's final storyline (that's actually pretty sad), but because next week marks the quickest time a Doctor Who episode will air between its UK and US airings: just one day apart! So be sure to look here next Saturday night for my review of the first part of Doctor Who: The End of Time.

This Week in Doctor Who

Welcome to yet another new This Week In feature. Unlike all previous This Week In featured shows, Doctor Who does not originally premiere in the United States, where we are located; so the feature wholly relies on when the episodes premiere on BBC America. A minor set back, but recently the time-gap between UK and US airings has become ever slimmer. Read the full announcement here.

For those who have not seen Series 1-4 of the new Doctor Who series, there will be spoilers throughout this feature!

This post will be updated as the episodes premiere.

2009 - 10 Specials
12/19/09: "The Waters of Mars"
12/26/09: The End of Time "Part One"
1/2/10: The End of Time "Part Two"

Series 5
4/17/10: Episode 1 - " The Eleventh Hour"
4/24/10: Episode 2 - "The Beast Below"
5/1/10: Episode 3 - "Victory of the Daleks"
5/8/10: Episode 4 - "The Time of Angels"
5/15/10: Episode 5 - "Flesh and Stone"
5/22/10: Episode 6 - "Vampires in Venice"
6/5/10: Episode 7 - "Amy's Choice"
6/12/10: Episode 8 - "The Hungry Earth"
6/19/10: Episode 9 - "Cold Blood"
6/26/10: Episode 10 - "Vincent and the Doctor"
7/3/10: Episode 11 - "The Lodger"
7/10/10: Episode 12 - "The Pandorica Opens"
7/24/10: Episode 13 - "The Big Bang"

Series 6
12/25/10: Christmas Special - "A Christmas Carol"
3/18/11: Red Nose Day Special - "Time" and "Space"
4/23/11: Episode 1 - "The Impossible Astronaut"
4/30/11: Episode 2 - "Day of the Moon"
5/7/11: Episode 3 - "The Curse of the Black Spot"
5/14/11: Episode 4 - "The Doctor's Wife"
5/21/11: Episode 5 - "The Rebel Flesh"
5/28/11: Episode 6 - "The Almost People"
6/4/11: Episode 7 - "A Good Man Goes to War"

Finally! This Week in Doctor Who

After all this time, the feature I've wanted to do for the longest time finally comes to fruition! Though, if you actually checked the This Week In hub post within the last two weeks, you may have noticed that a little spot for This Week in Doctor Who was already added.

What's taken so long? Quite simply, air date delays. It seemed kind of pointless to review the previous two Doctor Who specials, "The Next Doctor" and "Planet of the Dead," because their air dates from the UK premieres to when they arrived on BBC America were so widespread that by the time they actually got here, you pretty much knew everything already.

And while this Saturday's special, "The Waters of Mars," aired in the UK a month ago, I will still review it, because the next two following Saturdays will also have brand new specials, which air just one day after their UK premieres. So, for now, this will just be a special, three week This Week In feature. But, if we're getting both of "The End of Time" parts one day after the UK, then I'm hoping that Matt Smith's Series 5 episodes will also have a short gap come this summer, so that I may continue the feature in a timely fashion.

The End of Time

While the latest Doctor Who special, The Waters of Mars, has yet to air in America (still 16 days away), BBC America has already released the air dates for David Tennant's two-part finale as The Doctor. And, as the ninth Doctor would say, the news is FANTASTIC!

Forget months of waiting like we've done before, oh no, this time around American viewers only have to wait ONE DAY after the specials air in the UK! Part one of Doctor Who: The End of Time will air on BBC America on December 26th at 9 PM EST. While the second and final part of The End of Time, will air on January 2nd, also at 9.

Seriously, I'm really excited to hear this, especially after I thought waiting just a month was good news. One can only hope that the wait time is just as short when Matt Smith's start as The Doctor in Series 5 comes around in the summer.

The Waters of Mars coming December 19th

Well consider this to be awesome news for Doctor Who fans living in America, instead of waiting a whole year to catch the upcoming Doctor Who special, "The Waters of Mars," we only have to wait a month! Yes, it's still a decent wait but, it's not the seven month gap between the UK and US airing "The Next Doctor" and the four month gap for "Planet of the Dead". This next special will be premiering on BBC America on December 19th at 9 PM ET/PT, just over a month after it plays on November 15th on BBC One in the UK .

The release from BBC America also goes on to say that David Tennant's two-part finale as The Doctor, "The End of Time," will be airing during the Holiday season, with airdates being released in early December. This two-part special will notably be what ushers in new-comer Matt Smith as the eleventh incarnation of The Doctor, with his episodes (Series 5 of the current Doctor Who series) airing sometime later in 2010.

Lastly, BBC America mentioned the DVD and Blu-ray releases of the specials, all set for release on Tuesday, February 2, 2010.

- Doctor Who: "The Waters of Mars" - DVD/Blu-ray
- Doctor Who: "The End of Time" (2-disc release) - DVD/Blu-ray
- Doctor Who: Specials Collection (5-disc release) – DVD/Blu-ray - contains "The Next Doctor," "Planet of the Dead," "Waters of Mars" and "The End of Time"

No prices were given, but if I was to go by current BBC America DVD collections pricing, I'd say they're going to be damn expensive... But the Specials Collection seems like the best buy if you already own the previous Doctor Who series' DVDs, as the specials pretty much make up their own Series 4.5.

I think it's time to start getting excited Doctor Who fans!

via BBC America on Facebook