A Man. And His Blog.

Season 2, Episode 13 (27)
Date of airing: Feb 19, 2007 (BBC)
Watched for review: Jan 4, 2012
Number of review in January/2012: 34/34

As expected, it wasn’t much of a season finale. Too much of an end-of-the-world story without a story, not too much drama during the first half of the episode, and the Cybermen vs. Daleks conflict was laughable. They talk to each other for like five minutes in awkward computer voices, while the other characters don’t even do anything. I would have imagined for the Doctor (David Tennant) shitting out a great plan to defeat the two animatronic enemies, yet he was just listening to it at his phone, even though the broadcast by the Cyberman was still running (that made the Doctor on the phone hilariously useless. In addition, the Daleks saw something in Rose (Billie Piper), yet they didn’t use her. She obviously knew about the Time War and the Daleks, which explains why she wasn’t killed, but when any human could have touched the Ark, then why didn’t the Daleks just kill everybody but one?

Well, enough with all those question. I try to figure out while Torchwood came too short here. Maybe it was because Yvonne (Tracy-Ann Oberman) was a Cyberman now and Davies didn’t have a character, who stood by Torchwood anymore. Maybe it was because the idea of a parallel Torchwood, with Pete (Shaun Dingwall) as their leader, was more interesting, which is why Davies decided to kill of Yvonne (which is a shame btw., she was quite charming in the last episode). Anyway, Torchwood came too short here – you prepare for the big event in the season finale, where you could tease that the Doctor and Rose need all the help they can get, but at the end it’s all the Doctor who does the saving of the planet. And a bit of Rose, but only because it was coincidental. Pretty idiotic in my opinion. You have two superior races running around, killing people, but at the end the Doctor doesn’t sweat a drop. Just some tears after Rose’s death.

And here was the biggest laughter. “This is the story of how I died”. Are you fucking kidding me? If you don’t have the balls to kill off your charming, lovable female lead, then better don’t tease her death. The ending made the whole voiceover ridiculous (which they were before, but since they were written in, it had to mean something – now they don’t mean anything), despite all the emotions and drama, when the Doctor closed the void again. Unfortunately that was the only great scene of the episode, since I saw some great acting here. Probably the only great acting in this two-parter for me. Billie was actually emotional on the wall, while I saw something like love in the Doctor’s face. Good that the ending took a while and there was a goodbye scene, though stretched a bit too long for my taste.

The “reunion” between Pete and Jackie (Camille Coduri) was okay. It was a necessity, since they were all beamed back to the parallel Earth, living together. That Rose would get back her family was just too bittersweet for me. It wouldn’t have hurt for somebody to die here. Better Pete, since he was just a super minor character so far, and it could have brought some last-minute story moments for both Jackie and Rose. That Jackie would be pregnant… well, let’s take this as the final information Davies is giving, before he “kills off” Rose and his family.

At the end, the finale was weak for me. I’m sad though about Rose’s disappearance, and I’m not thrilled that the Doctor has to get a new companion. After the cast change from Eccleston to Tennant, the first couple of episodes had to build on a new chemistry between titular character and his companion. And now all of it is gone again. Let’s see how I will like the next one. And let’s see whether I will start the third season this year or not. 5.5/10

Emotions over there...

Confusion over here...

Season 2, Episode 12 (26)
Date of airing: Feb 12, 2007 9BBC)
Watched for review: Jan 4, 2012
Number of review in January/2012: 31/31

Wow. This whole episode was an exposition. This whole episode was a complete first act with an outcome only at the end. In a literal sense, only the last five-or-so minutes were actually important, while you could have written the other 38 minutes into just one act and shorten this thing to 8 minutes or so. So, why this waste of time?

Probably because Davies tried everything to keep the Cybermen out of the story and the revelation of the Daleks kept secret until the last second. I have only two seasons worth of DOCTOR WHO in my head, and even I know that Davies would have never done it without the Daleks in the season finale. So, I was basically waiting for them to get out of hiding, which is why I expected for them to be in the sphere. In Davies’ point of view, it is only logical when the Daleks are behind all the shit happening to this world. And I never believed that the Cybermen would be able to invade the world like this. After all, they were basically pretty stupid back in their double episode. At least this episode didn’t take much time in revealing the Cybermen themselves – though the rest of the story could have been a bit faster.

I mean, a whole act is wasted in the Doctor (David Tennant) being introduced to Torchwood. Obviously Davies was writing the backdoor pilot to TORCHWOOD right here – which I didn’t need by the way. The information “What is alien, is ours” by Yvonne (Tracy-Ann Oberman) was anything I needed. I didn’t need the whole tour; I also didn’t need everybody wondering what the sphere is all about. And sorry, I don’t really get the sphere here. I understand it can travel between dimensions and therefore brought the Cybermen from the alternative world mid-season to this world in the season finale. That also means that a device was written into the plot, which makes it possible to travel between dimensions. Also, Daleks have built that device, which makes them even more dangerous than they already are. But I so not believe the way Davies has written the Daleks here in his subconscious. I just don’t believe that the Daleks would be so intelligent to travel between dimensions (after all, the Doctor said it’s impossible), but so dumb in seeing life in other dimensions. It’s literally just a plot device, written in to explain the appearance of the Daleks (and to explain the title-giving army of ghosts). Pretty lame, considering that a way between the dimensions is pretty interesting for a writer, who understands something about science-fiction.

The teaser was ice-cold to me. Rose (Billie Piper) talking about her death. But only in the teaser, because the rest of the episode was shallow, when it came to her story. Absolutely lame. Just written in for the shock value, because it was clear Billie Piper would leave the show. When last episode’s teaser tells you Rose will tell her last story, then better write the episode like she tells it. Writing an apocalyptic storyline from a human’s point of view, fighting side by side with the Doctor and Torchwood. Definitely more interesting that the way it was handled here.

I don’t really expect much from the finale now. Mickey’s (Noel Clarke) return is nice and all, and that Cybermen and Daleks are hopefully gonna battle it out by each other could be an interesting firework of generic WHO effects, but other than that, Davies has it to completely kill all my interests for the season finales, when he needs the penultimate episode for exposition. 5.5/10

Hiding in the police box is the best thing to do right now

The Doctor previews the 3D revolution

Season 2, Episode 11 (25)
Date of airing: Feb 5, 2008 (BBC)
Rewatched for review: Jan 2, 2012
Number of review in January/2012: 27/27

Hm, this episode looks like the result of Russell Davies’ happiness for London getting the Summer Olympics. The torch running through that street of awkwardness and fear; the torch scenes on the TV; and the whole unused theme of the Olympics in the episode. I have the feeling Davies used the theme just to suck out a whole stadium of people, just for the creepiness of the story.

The story was, what actually saved the episode though. An alien, completely alone, looking for his siblings, terrified of this world. Well, basically. The alien story wasn’t much connected with the mythology of sucking children (and other subjects) into drawings, and it was probably just used for the teaser, and for Chloe’s father to be the main villain at the end. Since the episode didn’t have a villain from the start. Which is another thing annoying me with this show: It needs to have a villain the Doctor (David Tennant) (or in this case, Rose [Billie Piper]) can fight, otherwise this show doesn’t come off as fairytale-ish as Davies wants it to be. But please, have all the stories connected properly, and don’t just write them, because it sounds cool. No wonder why the writing looks shitty int he first two seasons.

Anyway, Chloe (Abisola Agbaje) could have been more of an “awkward” girl. For the first half of the episode, I wasn’t believing she would do anything to not be alone. Instead of playing with the other kids outside, she snatched them into their drawings (why?). Instead of being alone, she did everything and more to be even more alone. As if aliens are stupid every time, and don’t know what they are doing. But I better don’t blame an alien child, who just wants to be loved. But using the torch run background oft he London Olympics to show love and warm and fire? Pretty lame in my eyes. The only interesting thing about the episode was the little thing called father here – the villain. It could have been murder suspenseful, when we would have actually seen the father, trying to “do his thing”. But nothing happened again. Just a little bit of singing, and the father is gone. Does that mean you could sing to the returning kids also, and they would disappear too?

In addition, Trish (Nina Sosanya) could have been written a bit more believable. No way she’s not gonna think all the time that something is wrong with her daughter. She actually doubted that something is wrong with her daughter (in fact, during the first half I believed that she just wondered what’s wrong with her, why she is drawing away the whole rain forest), but then again the scene with Chloe saying “You don’t want me to draw you. Mom?” was not creepy enough to make believe Trish is scared of her daughter. If this show wouldn’t be family entertainment, every writer would have used some goosebumps effect right there. What a shame that the British TV can’t do something like that before the start of the primetime. It would make the story a whole lot interesting.

Anyway, the Doctor was snatched in too late. Rose should have fought and investigated on her own for the whole episode for one, especially with this season being her last. That the Doctor would even help her in the drawing he is was just silly though. Same goes with her cheers, after the spaceship started into the fire. And even more silly was the Doctors appearance as torch runner. That was the most ridiculous moment of the episode. 6/10

British are stuck on paper - what a shame

There's a bordello in the wardrobe

Season 2, Episode 10 (24)
Date of airing: Jan 22, 2007 (BBC)
Rewatched for review: Jan 2, 2012
Number of review in January/2012: 20/20

Pretty interesting to make an episode without the two major characters involved in the story. This episode was basically all just a fairytale-kinda story, with a fairytale love story, with a fairytale villain, and also with a fairytale-typical story. Not one I much liked, but figuring that Russell Davies wanted to do something else (maybe it was a dream of his to make such an episode from the beginning), it was alright.

But I noticed some inconsistencies, especially with David Tennant being the “new” Doctor this season: He seems to be in the world history already, even though he’s the Doctor for ten episodes and one Christmas special – also, not even oe year. I can’t imagine that he would have had his share of history after two handfuls of episodes. At least Davies could have gone back to Ecclestone in a couple of photos, or maybe let the characters mentioned the Doctor just changed recently. Again. Why he decided not to bring this little story information in… lame.

So, Elton’s (Marc Warren) development was okay. His back story could have been more interesting, considering that he was talking about his first encounter with the Doctor all the time, and hearing the sound of the ship. I liked that Elton went undercover with Jackie (Camille Coduri), giving her more screentime. If Davies would have just chosen to not make her look like a cougar, who doesn’t have a love life, and desperately needs one and chose Elton for her next session of hot and steamy sex. But I was laughing when he was standing there and she just said “I was being stupid”, even after I realized Elton “fell in love” for Jackie, and at the same time realized he had a crush on Ursula (Shirley Henderson). I mean, all of a sudden two love crushes were developed, and Davies didn’t find the chance to go deeper into that? He started the story, but he never finished it. At least not with Jackie.

Which brings me to Elton and Ursula, the tragic romance of a fairytale. The ending was shitty. Come on, I hate those flatface effects, and when the soul of a human being is trapped in a piece of brick. And I totally hated that the Doctor saved Ursula-in-a-brick for Elton, and a relationship between the “two” started. Completely ridiculous, and not even funny. These are the moment,s when I truly hate DOCTOR WHO and for its silly ideas. Same goes with Mr. Kennedy (Peter Kay). A completely shitty character,and he doesn’t even have a motive for sucking in all the people. I mean, he didn’t even say he did it to still his hunger. He just did. I don’t know if this shows for Davies’ writing. 5/10

Kind of a love story

Kind of a fat guy

Satan is much bigger than the Doctor - an unfair advantage

A little reminder to me: Not every second part of Doctor Who two-parter are bad. This one was actually really good and didn’t even rely on a big fight between the surviving humans and the Doctor against the Satan and his Ood. This episode was more like an emotional rollercoaster for our two heroes, as well as some of the guest characters. And even though the episode was heavily predictable, I liked the emotional moments.
So, and here we are: Rose and the Doctor possibly encountered some devil, probably THE devil. They beat it, which is good enough for the Doctor, but I still remember the facts I’ve read on Torchwood sites, so maybe the thing with the devil isn’t over yet. But let’s see what’s to come.
On a happy side note: This was probably the best two-parter in Doctor Who so far. And this for obvious reasons: The Doctor and Rose were on a planet without civilization, we only had a handful of characters, and the writers finally decided to give less background information and screentime for the actual evil of the story. That made the episode less apocalyptic, more realistic and more of an emotional ride of who’s to die and who’s to live.

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A dead woman in space and a black hole behind her - that's a first-timer

A Toyota commercial once said that nothing is impossible. Science says that nothing is impossible. Barack Obama always said “Yes, we can”, and even Greece managed to win the European championship back in 2004. The world is full of possibilities, and the borders are always open for new discoveries. The Doctor doesn’t seem to know that, since he landed on the titular impossible planet in an orbit of an impossible, which is not very interested in sucking in the whole universe. It is just hungry, in a manner of speaking.
The first part of the second two-parter in this season was interesting, but again I am awaiting a much more shittier second part, since “The Impossible Planet” was too much of a preparation of what’s to come. Sometimes the “beast” was mentioned, and it looks like Rose and the Doctor are witnessing, how an imprisoned monster just breaks out of his prison – it promises an interesting second part, but I already know the Doctor Who writers. They won’t give me an interesting second part.

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Oh my god, the TV speaks to Rose. A dream comes true

Two things you’ll learn from this episode. Number one: television is bad. Hereby a shout out to all mothers in this world, who are reading this: get your kids in front of the telly and let them watch this episode of Doctor Who, and they won’t ever turn on the TV again, until they find the internet (and porn). Number two: If you wish you can talk with your television, watch Lost and tell Jack during the series premiere that the mysterious “dinosaur” in the jungle is only Jacob’s brother – doesn’t make sense for him at that time, but maybe the final season would have been more interesting after that little revelation.
The episode was alright, but plot holes prevent me from having fun with this episode. Finally I’ve had some hope that Rose is investigating on her own, but then she was to be sucked into the telly – literally. At least the Doctor saved London. Again.

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Welcome to the parallel reality. Don't kill yourself!

Some cop-outs, some rather uninteresting twist, and a final goodbye which wasn’t really that emotional as the writers want me to have it. And the episode even is a sequel.
Somehow it couldn’t work, sometimes it worked, but most of the times I was bored again. Like during “Rise of the Cybermen”. And the reason is very simple: Why the writers were about to prepare this episode during the last episode and needed all the time, this episode was just the typical “end of the world”, with a bit of “a small group goes out to save the universe”, which is already such a cliché in science fiction stories. This episode was way too much Exodus and too little character moments. Only to have the final scene delivering some real character moments for the bored actors to play is just lame in my eyes.
Which doesn’t mean that the episode was bad. Just boring and blah. I’ve seen it before, so move on.

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A note to Rose: Undercover work has to be FUN!

Usually I am surprised, when the episode I am seeing is just the first part of a two-parter, especially when I don’t know that it is a two-parter (it barely happens anyway), but this episode of Doctor Who was just too much of an introduction of what’s to come. If the episode title tells me that the rise of the Cybermen are happening and the episode needs 44 minutes to finally give me a Cybermen in full metal and steel, than it took too long and I was bored during some of the minutes. The writers could have cut this episode into a 30-minute format, giving the viewers some real treats during the last ten, fifteen minutes. But instead they already need the last ten minutes to prepare the (not so shocking and thrilling, because predictable) episode cliffhanger to go over to the age of steel. At least 25 percent of the episode were a waste of time, but at least it is not the original London, which gets invaded…

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How about a spinoff series with Reinette waiting for the Doctor? I would definitely watch that.

An episode written by Steven Moffat, so I can basically see what to expect during the fifth season. Because this episode was awesome and easily the best episode so far in the re-imagining of the series. The story was simple, yet I was feeling with the characters; the love between the Doctor and Reinette was just a one-episode thing, but still heart-wrenching and somewhat believable; and I wouldn’t have believed that Mickey wasn’t that annoying as a second companion.
And the cherry on top is Sophia Myles. I am a fan of her since Moonlight, and sadly she didn’t do much since then, so I was more than happy to see her face in this episode, which makes the episode even more better. Now I am hoping that she will star in a new TV show very soon.

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