The End of Time (pts 1&2): Final DT episodes

[Rothgar]

re: The End of Time (pts 1&2): Final DT episodes

I have to give RTD a little credit for this, Dave. This regeneration was so completely unlike any other - in this, he was slowly dying, the death was an inevitability, not and instantaneous thing. And was containing an immense amount of radiated energy that had to be released first. So for the first time there was an opportunity to be both boring (revisiting all his old friends) and dramatic (zapping the Tardis).

That's a good way to look at it. But like Dave said, I also had a problem with him jumping out of the ship and the fall not killing him. That tile floor he landed on would be pretty unforgiving. I never cared for the way Tom Baker's Doctor went out, it was a rather weak transition.

 

[Ursa major]

re: The End of Time (pts 1&2): Final DT episodes

And was containing an immense amount of radiated energy that had to be released first. So for the first time there was an opportunity to be both boring (revisiting all his old friends) and dramatic (zapping the Tardis).

Yes: what better way to release all that deadliness from one's body than do it while visiting (some of) one's old friends.



At least Capt. Jack will survive the irradiation, being immortal and all that (although, oddly enough, The Doctor stayed quite a way away from him).

 

[Rothgar]

re: The End of Time (pts 1&2): Final DT episodes

At least Capt. Jack will survive the irradiation, being immortal and all that (although, oddly enough, The Doctor stayed quite a way away from him).

I got the impression Ursa that he was staying away from them all because he is terrible at saying goodbye, especially to his friends.

 

[Interference]

re: The End of Time (pts 1&2): Final DT episodes

oddly enough, The Doctor stayed quite a way away from him).

Can't blame him for that

 

[Harry Kilmer]

re: The End of Time (pts 1&2): Final DT episodes

Hmm, that Cactus Lady played Georges girlf in Being Human. I wonder if she's spikey everywhere.

 

[PTeppic]

re: The End of Time (pts 1&2): Final DT episodes

Hmm, that Cactus Lady played Georges girlf in Being Human. I wonder if she's spikey everywhere.

And Ensign Alonso seems to play someone else...?

 

[Ursa major]

re: The End of Time (pts 1&2): Final DT episodes

I'd forgotten about those appalling cactus make-up jobs.


Were they RTD's nod towards some of the more ludicrous "aliens" from earlier decades of the show? (I'd give names, buit those brain cells of mine that held that information have self-destructed.)

 

[PTeppic]

re: The End of Time (pts 1&2): Final DT episodes

I have to give RTD a little credit for this, Dave. This regeneration was so completely unlike any other - in this, he was slowly dying, the death was an inevitability, not and instantaneous thing. And was containing an immense amount of radiated energy that had to be released first. So for the first time there was an opportunity to be both boring (revisiting all his old friends) and dramatic (zapping the Tardis).

I think/assume it's fairly obvious the real reason is that it's a clear-out of staff. The senior producers and writing team are shuffling off, so they've decided to give not only the Doctor (physically) and the writing team a face-lift, but the TARDIS as well. And this is as good a method as any. Let's face it, a) he didn't produce this much mess after absorbing the whole of the time vortex (from Rose) and, b) how easy was it for him to fix the TARDIS after the crash in Voyage of the Damned. So this is something deliberate. New man, new look. And, of course, to create a new look requires a reason... simplest way, something to do with the regeneration or the reason for it.

 

[Interference]

re: The End of Time (pts 1&2): Final DT episodes

agreed ... and Happt New Year, Pteppic ... this seems to be the only place I bump into you so sorry I didn't say it sooner

 

[Harry Kilmer]

re: The End of Time (pts 1&2): Final DT episodes

And Ensign Alonso seems to play someone else...?

Ah, already spotted him. Those ears are a bit hard to miss. Not a patch on Ecclestones of course, but still damned impressive.

 

[Dave]

re: The End of Time (pts 1&2): Final DT episodes

I didn't realise Russell Tovey had been a possible replacement for David Tennant before it was decided on Matt Smith. I'm not sure where I have seen him before as I don't watch 'Being Human' and have only watched a couple of 'Gavin and Stacey'.

 

[Harry Kilmer]

re: The End of Time (pts 1&2): Final DT episodes

He was in Ultimate Force. The human Weetabix shot him.

 

[Brian G Turner]

re: The End of Time (pts 1&2): Final DT episodes

I think/assume it's fairly obvious the real reason is that it's a clear-out of staff. The senior producers and writing team are shuffling off, so they've decided to give not only the Doctor (physically) and the writing team a face-lift, but the TARDIS as well. And this is as good a method as any. Let's face it, a) he didn't produce this much mess after absorbing the whole of the time vortex (from Rose) and, b) how easy was it for him to fix the TARDIS after the crash in Voyage of the Damned. So this is something deliberate. New man, new look. And, of course, to create a new look requires a reason... simplest way, something to do with the regeneration or the reason for it.

Indeed - and the last episode came across like that rather than a big story line ending (and what happened to the Doctor changing fixed points in time - was there no fall out from that?).

Despite initial and normal trepidation, the new writer is the one responsible not only for Blink in Season 3, but also for the Silence in the Library two-parter in Season 4, probably the best Doctor Who episodes to date. Certainly new doctor or not, there's reason to be optimistic for Season 5.

 

[Lenny]

re: The End of Time (pts 1&2): Final DT episodes

Don't forget Season 1's "Are you my mummy?" two-parter, The Girl in the Fireplace and, of course, Doctor Who and the Curse of the Fatal Death.

Something that I've just found which should give us even more hope:

Davies revealed in an interview that he often edits scripts for the series but "doesn't touch a word" of Moffat's episodes.

Profile: Steven Moffat | Media | guardian.co.uk

 

[Harry Kilmer]

re: The End of Time (pts 1&2): Final DT episodes

I was unsure about David Tennant, but he made the Doctor his own, just as Ecclestone did. Popular as Tennant was, the new bloke deserves a chance.

 

[Teresa Edgerton]

re: The End of Time (pts 1&2): Final DT episodes

I didn't see anything wrong with the new Doctor in his one little scene. He was freaking out quite naturally under the circumstances, I thought. And, as far as it went, Smith displayed a more energetic personality than he did in the interview.

(As if there weren't already enough Smith and Jones characters in the stories, now we've got a Smith in the cast. Since they are producing the show in Cardiff, can a Jones be far behind?)


I am sure I have seen that Alonso kid somewhere quite recently, but I can't place him, and I haven't been watching much in the way of British imports lately. So I've been going crazy trying to figure out where I did see him and what part he was playing.

 

[PTeppic]

re: The End of Time (pts 1&2): Final DT episodes

One thought that did strike me about actors, whose reputations are being stymied by the public on minimal evidence (and largely before a proper outing) when being cast into popular, existing characters. Two words: Daniel Craig.

 

[PTeppic]

re: The End of Time (pts 1&2): Final DT episodes

Despite initial and normal trepidation, the new writer is the one responsible not only for Blink in Season 3, but also for the Silence in the Library two-parter in Season 4, probably the best Doctor Who episodes to date. Certainly new doctor or not, there's reason to be optimistic for Season 5.

And, it seems, has brought back his leading characters from both. Perhaps to help smooth the way for nervous viewers from DT to MS? Certainly whilst there's a lot of arc left for River, the natural outcome for the angels would be as a single-episode one-time foe; bringing them back seems more like a familiarity exercise than obvious need to continue their storyline.

 

[Mary Hoffman]

re: The End of Time (pts 1&2): Final DT episodes

I am sure I have seen that Alonso kid somewhere quite recently, but I can't place him, and I haven't been watching much in the way of British imports lately. So I've been going crazy trying to figure out where I did see him and what part he was playing.

Russell Tovey was in Little Dorrit as John Chivery and in The History Boys (theatre and film) as Rudge. And he was Midshipman Alonso Frame in the 2007 Voyage of the Damned.

I've just watched Part 2 of the Finale and can now join in the fun!

Am I the only one who won't be sad to see Tennant go? I thought he became far too self-regarding as the Doctor and preferred Eccleston (and I am old enough to have seen the first episode with William Hartnell!).

But I haven't followed it all these years regularly (my favourite Doctor was David Troughton). In particular, I didn't see any of the last series because I can't stand Catherine Tate. I thought this last two-parter was pretty average tosh. My eyes were totally dry.

I will watch Matt Smith just to see what he can do He was given a rubbish bit of script to come in on. Why didn't he check he had two hearts while he was about it? I suppose we should be glad he stopped the inventory where he did! And what would be wrong with being a woman or ginger? RTD would never have let him look at his hands and say "still White" would he?

Mary (artificial redhead and woman!)

 

[thaddeus6th]

re: The End of Time (pts 1&2): Final DT episodes

PTeppic, is Sally Sparrow coming back?