(S03E13) It almost seems inevitable that a series finale doesn't quite live up to everyone's expectations, with a few minor exceptions (such as the recent series finale of Lost).I eagerly anticipated the series finale of Heroes, and while I was significantly entertained enough to have enjoyed myself, I felt kind of cheated when it was revealed that Syler was probably not dead after all.
I felt the same way with this last part of the current Doctor Who series; it was great to watch, but the inevitable cop-out at the end left me feeling a little bit like I'd been pick-pocketed.
Warning: Spoilers after the jump.
Don't let me give you the wrong idea; it wasn't bad -- in fact, it was rather good.
Top marks go out to Russell T. Davies for an inspired re-imagining of The Master in the shape of John Simm.
Similarly, it was great to see John Barrowman return with an above-the-credits return-to-form as Captain Jack -- and, for once, one of The Doctor's assistants played more than a peripheral role in the conclusion to a mammoth story (Rose Tyler at the end of series one aside).
Much of what everyone expected turned out to be true, and it was a reasonable enough conclusion to a complex story; The Toclafane were indeed the humans sent out from the edge of the Universe to find Utopia (kept in place by the paradox machine made out of the TARDIS) and Martha was set up as a major recurring character both in Torchwood and the next season of Doctor Who itself.
The d'enouement wasn't as bad as some might suggest; The Doctor used The Master's technology and telepathic methods against him when he returned from his ultra-advanced state of enhanced age (the considerably-aged Doctor almost seemed like he would never return to normal).
However, it was the contradictory ending which made me feel cheated, when The Master refused to regenerate after taking a vengeful bullet from his wife, despite the begging pleas from The Doctor, who did not wish to be truly left alone in the Universe.
But his death wasn't where the audience was robbed; it was the ultimate finale when a female hand lifted The Master's ring from the burning embers of his funeral pyre, setting us up for the return of the last of The Doctor's main villains in season four; The Rani.
Of course Mr Davies denies this connection, and if he leaves The Rani out of the next season, it's almost certain we'll see her at some point in the future (or the past).
However, there were a few consolations in the news over the past few days; Kylie Minogue is set to appear in the Christmas Special (entitled "Voyage of the Damned"), which will pick up from the very end of this finale, where the TARDIS crashes in to the Titanic; Martha will return in at least three episodes towards the end of season four (in addition to a feature role in Torchwood), and The Doctor will pick up a new assistant, in the shape of Donna (played brilliantly by comediene Catherine Tate in last year's Christmas special "The Runaway Bride", which I shamefully neglected to review).
And, of course, we'll get more Torchwood with Captain Jack in the autumn.
As for this episode, it wasn't a classic like "Blink", but it rounded things off nicely.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
7-04-2007 @ 9:22PM
David said...
SEASON fianle of Lost and Hero's, nothing is ending. In America it's called SEASON so if you are talknig about American shows say SEASON not series.
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7-05-2007 @ 3:00AM
Tele-Toby said...
Martin, it's never too late to review "The Runaway Bride". In fact, for the American audience (and in keeping with a show about time travel), it's a few days early. We'll finally be getting it broadcast here Friday night, so anytime after that would be just fine for us!
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7-05-2007 @ 3:01AM
Mike Harris said...
Just to clarify the point a little less jingoistically than #2, in US English, "series" refers not to an individual year's worth of an episode but instead to the entirety of the show's run. Thus, referring to a "series finale" in US English means you are referring to the very final episode ever to be aired of the episode, as opposed to the last episode to be aired until the following year.
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7-05-2007 @ 3:01AM
Jack Sparks said...
I think in the commentary to the episode RTD said that the ring scene at the end in only there so that "a future production team" could bring back The Master and that was it. I think I believe him here. Bringing back The Rani makes no sense since they've mined the Last of the Time Lords arc with The Master. Bringing back another Time Lord would be redundant.
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7-05-2007 @ 3:02AM
Joe Siegler said...
I take exception with your calling the Rani a "major villain" from the show's past. In 29 years of material, the Rani was only ever in two stories, and a total of 6 episodes. This does not make her a MAJOR character. If you're referring to the fact that an obviously female hand picked up the ring from the ground, you should have noted that it was the Master's wife. Same red nail polish.
This is now the second Dr Who review that has been botched on this site with a major error like this.
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7-05-2007 @ 3:02AM
LordPaul said...
You're in a minority if you're happy about Cathering Tate joining the cast. She was absolutely horrid in the Christmas Invasion (which was a pretty crap episode altogether) and it didn't show her to be much more than her semi dimensional 'comedy' characters.
And where was the mention of the CGI doctor in your review??? It's like you missed out the whole of the story to concentrate on speculation
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7-05-2007 @ 3:44AM
Akbar Fazil said...
David, technically these reviews ARE NOT of an american show. They are of the UK airings of Doctor Who. These episodes have not even aired in the US yet.
Lose the ignorance and realize that not everything in this world is U.S. Centric.
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7-05-2007 @ 4:07AM
Martin Conaghan said...
Comments #1 and #3: Wikipedia refers to Doctor Who as having "series", not "seasons". It's a British show, I'm British, it airs in the UK before anywhere else - and we call it a "series", not a "season".
Comment #5: The Rani is considered by most fans as a major Doctor Who villain, and was created in an attempt to develop an ongoing Doctor Who villain. It was only due to the show going off-air in 1989 that the character did not return. There's a difference between a "recurring" character, and a "major character". Having watched the episodes featuring The Rani as a kid, I'd call her major, seeing as how she's a renegade Time Lord and she basically killed the sixth Doctor.
Comment #5: Nothing indicated that the hand picking up the ring was The Master's wife, despite the red fingernails. Most reviews (including my own) have said it was possibly The Rani, although, as I mentioned, Russell T. Davies has denied this.
Comment #6: Most reviews of 'The Runaway Bride' said Catherine Tate put in a good performance as Donna Noble and would make a good companion. In fact, the Christmas special she appeared in was the third highest rated episode since the show returned, in audience terms, at the time (only "Rose" and "The Christmas Invasion" had previously scored higher). As for the CGI Doctor, in my review, I mentioned The Doctor's "ultra-advanced state of enhanced age" and "the considerable aged Doctor". I neglected to mention the actual CGI, because I felt it wasn't important to the story, other than as a visual gimmick -- much in the way most CGI is. I felt it didn't further the story much, although, I did mention that it "almost seemed like he would never return to normal".
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7-05-2007 @ 5:08AM
Mcadoodle said...
The episode/finale suffered as most of RTD's stories by the far too convenient solution. For someone who's noted as placing Dr Who in an atheist universe, he certainly likes to use a whole load of "mumbo jumbo" or the sonic screwdriver to resolve his set ups, and this episode was no differant, great until 10 minutes to go. (although the final emotional bits are pretty good ie goodbye to Rose and not wanting to let the Master die).
Maybe it's time for the writers to collaborate as RTD can't write final acts.
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7-05-2007 @ 5:09AM
Preach said...
No mention that the ring scene is an exact carbon copy of the end of the "Flash Gordon" movie from 1980? Hell, they even included the laughter...
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7-05-2007 @ 5:15AM
Blackgem said...
I felt LoTTL was good, but with certain elements that could have been done so much better, so increadibly easily (less of the Jesus-Doctor please, use of the telepathic link to say remove the Master's mind control or some such could have been just as effective and more in keeping with the series).
I have to say, my money is on the Master's wife retrieving the ring, probably due to some back-up programming the Master put in place, just in case (surviving but making everyone think he was dead is one of his skills after all).
As for Catherine Tate, I'm willing to see how it goes, I did actually like her in the Runaway Bride and it will be nice to have a companion who doesn't fall in love with the Doctor and will give him a slap when he needs it. But they will need to tone her down somewhat to make her bearable for a whole series, of course this can easily be achievable organically by the gradual maturation of her character (already seen towards the end of the Christmas special)
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7-05-2007 @ 10:01AM
mugsy said...
Why can't the Doctor have a hottie as a companion? Catherine Tate? I hope she doest play the same self-entitled character that she did in the "Run away Bride"; that could get really annoying really quick. Why not the girl from "blink"? I would get to the couch extra early to see her.
Overall, I thought this was a good episode. I did roll my eyes when people all over the world thought the word "Doctor" and transformed him back to his normal state. But other than that I thought it was a pretty solid episode.
The Captain Jack/ Face of Boa comment was also a shocker and could add a nice twist next season. see some screenshots here: http://tvtanline.blogspot.com/search/label/Doctor%20Who
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7-05-2007 @ 10:10AM
Eric J. said...
Put me in as another vote for Lucy picking up the ring, not The Rani. She's hardly a fan-favorite villain or likely candidate for resurrection.
I'm not sure about Catherine Tate. If they can make her less over the top than she was in Runaway Bride, I may be able to get on board, but my fear is we're about to see the second coming of Teegan Jovanka.
And I'm hoping that the only reason the new companion isn't Sally Sparrow is because she's going to get her own show.
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7-05-2007 @ 10:11AM
Josh said...
How could you review this episode without mentioning that Captain Jack revealed that he was actually the Face of Boe?! That was the shocker of this episode! The best part is that it completely makes sense!
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7-05-2007 @ 11:03AM
David said...
That's nice Martin, but did you even read what we said? No of course not, why would you do that.
In AMERICA, it's called SEASON finale. If you read what we said than you would know we were talknig about the fact you said SERIES finale for both Lost and Heros, those are American shows.
Read what we say before you reply.
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7-05-2007 @ 11:11AM
maritn said...
Don't you mean 'Heroes', not 'Heros'?
How's that for pointless, childish, pedantic nitpicking?
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7-05-2007 @ 12:32PM
lori427 said...
Ladies and Gentlemen,
British English isn't American English (isn't Canadian English, isn't Australian English, etc.) and some of the differences are too many, varied, and slight for your average Joe (or Martin) to keep track. Let the British reviewer type in his own language, and translate it to yours. Everybody knows whether Lost, Heroes, and DW are returning next year. Adjust in your head accordingly. Thank you.
As a DW and Torchwood fangeek, all I can say is that most of the online fandom that has seen Last of the Time Lords was all WTF? and that they're having a lot of fun at RTD's expense (especially the macro-making communities.) That episode ripped-off half-a-dozen other sci-fi / fantasy mainstays, and I think the fandom wished for a little more originality.
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7-05-2007 @ 3:08PM
Dawn said...
I agree on the language thing, in the US it's called a season and we call it a series. It means exactly the same thing so can we all shut up about it. I personally use whichever word comes to mind first.
I'm dubious about Catherine Tate, but think she could be ok and NOBODY could possibly be as bad as Tegan, not even Peri or Mel. Jack is NOT the face of Boe. He/she/it would have been a well known character in Jack's time so it seems likely that his friends just nicknamed him after a celebrity which happens often.
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7-05-2007 @ 5:06PM
Motr3k said...
Comment#18 I agree about that... although I loved Catherine Tate in the Runway Bride. She was so not the average companion. Yes I agree please do not bring Tegan back!
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7-05-2007 @ 6:26PM
William said...
Last Christmas I remember my friends (who know what a Doctor Who fan I am) saying "She (Catherine Tate) isn't coming back is she?" and me responding "Thank God no!". why don't they just bring back Mel and Adric and be done with it! But I enjoyed the Master story.
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