My reaction to "End of Time, part one"

[dbskyler]

Oh, Russell, Russell, Russell. How you play with me. I suppose it's my own fault, really. I mean, I knew that you and I did not have a good thing going when it came to the big blow-out episodes. I hated "Voyage of the Damned." I did like some things in "Runaway Bride," but overall I didn't care for it. "Planet of the Dead" was meh. "Last of the Time Lords" was embarrassingly horrible.

When "Waters of Mars" came along and I knew it was this big "oooh, the Doctor has terrible things happen to him" episode, I went into it braced for the worst. And what did you give me? Something absolutely wonderful, something that was not only big and epic, but delivered as promised on the truly shattering, and accomplished those things in such a skillful way, it has become one of my favorite episodes of New Who.

Oh, the joy of it, you can't imagine. I went into "End of Time" filled with that joy, and with hope, and with optimism, and then . . . well, let's just say that it makes "Last of the Time Lords" look good, and that is quite a feat, let me tell you.

Ugh.

There was only one scene in the whole thing that I care to ever see again, and that was the scene between the Doctor and Wilf in the cafe. It was interesting to see the Doctor talk about regeneration, and I liked what was said -- first, that regeneration is not guaranteed (nice Classic Who continuity, there), and also, the acknowledgment that regeneration is a big deal, that it is a type of death. I know some people weren't happy with that part because it apparently goes against the concept of the regenerated Doctor still being the Doctor, but I was thrilled that the show made that point, because if regeneration is not a big deal to the Doctor -- if it's the same as Jack dying and immediately coming back, just with a new-model body -- then that cheapens the whole thing. Regeneration is a big deal to us in the audience, and it should be a big deal to the Doctor, and it makes perfect sense to me that although the Doctor always is the same man fundamentally, the unique personality of this incarnation does die. I like the chance this scene gives us to grieve for that a little.

So yes, that scene was good. But the rest of the episode? The Master is resurrected with magic potions by a mysterious cult of people whose only function is to resurrect him and get killed for it. Where did they come from? Why, what, who . . . I mean, I expected the Master coming back to be a deus ex machina -- it always is -- but this was beyond bizarre. And don't get me started on the DNA-on-the-lips thing. Then his resurrection is disrupted by another magic potion that Lucy conveniently has been able to make and has about her person while locked up in jail all this time. Then the Master's disrupted resurrection inexplicably gives him superpowers. He uses his superpowers to fly to various junkyard locations, but doesn't go anywhere nice or, you know, try to take over the world or anything (because apparently having madman screaming fits and eating a lot is much more in character). Then he's kidnapped by yet another mysterious group of people with no backstory or function other than to conveniently have a magic gate lying around. Which the Master then uses to turn everyone in the world into carbon copies of himself.

You may have noticed that my summation of the plot didn't mention the Doctor at all. I was wondering about that, too. I mean, isn't this a show about him? It shouldn't be possible to sum up a Doctor Who plot without mentioning the Doctor, but, well, there we are. In fact, if the Doctor did a damn thing other than run around ineffectually, someone point it out to me, because I completely missed it.

The Time Lords. The Time Lords are back. Hmmm. Well, that does have potential, but I am seriously afraid now that part two is going to be a complete train wreck. Or, given that room the Time Lords were in, a crossover with "Phantom Menace." At least the Time Lords are still wearing those silly outfits with the high collars. Okay, that's two things in the episode that I liked.

Sigh. I really, really, really hope that part two is better. David Tennant deserves a good story to go out on, but at this rate, I think I'll be wishing they had gone for the brick.

Comments

[persiflage-1.livejournal.com]

Even the cafe scene was marred for me by the revelation that Donna's engaged again (because NO woman in New Who is allowed to be happily single! *rolls eyes*), and the fact that she's still not doing much with her life and her new fella's only earning a minimum wage. YOU BASTARD RTD!!!!!

Don't even get me started on all the rest of it!

[dbskyler.livejournal.com]

Yes, that part is really pretty bothersome when you look at it -- "He's a nice guy, but he only earns minimum wage, take her away from him, Doctor, please!" And I too would like to see more happily single women. I still like to think Sarah Jane qualifies, even though she has now had a fiance.

[persiflage-1.livejournal.com]

Well SJ escapes because she's not been a full time New Who companion, otherwise I'm sure Rusty WOULD have married her off as well!