posted
With any luck, now that Davies is gone, someone will write a line where the Doctor admits he's been lying about his age, just to fix all that.
So, Rassilon... stopped being dead... at some point... somehow? I guess we don't get to know what that was about? Or who that lady was? Or what the other dissenter even looked like?
Oh, but we get fifteen minutes of the Doctor flying around visiting every major character from the past five years of the show, while his regeneration lets its engine warm up, I guess? Great.
Registered: Mar 1999
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posted
Someone's pointed out that it's similar to humans dying of radiation poisoning - called the walking ghost phase, where people can look and act normally for days while their insides turn to mush. He knew what was going on, and used the beginnings of the manifesting regeneration energy to keep himself looking presentable while he went off to get his "reward".
And really, this has already happened to the Doctor, when he got a fatal dose of radiation on Metebelis Three in his third incarnation's final story "Planet of the Spiders". He was alright enough until he got from the caves to the TARDIS, but by the time he arrived back on earth (however long THAT took, relatively speaking - he said he got lost in the time vortex) he was visibly weakened and collapsed right after opening the door.
Next up, Rassilon - I don't think this needs much explanation. He wouldn't be the first Time Lord resurrected for their war, since they brought the Master back too, and Rassilon's spirit (or something) has been active in the Death Zone on Gallifrey, along with with his preserved body, for eons. Given what we've seen of the nigh-mystical Gallifreyan technology and natural ability, I see no reason why Rassilon could not be reanimated and given his old job back. He was known through the original series to have been a particularly nasty guy, so at some point it was decided that his skills could be useful in winning the war. That, or the nature of the war itself could have somehow brought him back in the first place, since it was affecting the time lines of every world and race involved.
Finally, the identities of the two "weeping angel" posed people was apparently a deliberate mystery left open for subsequent stories. No clue whatsoever is given as to the identity of the male figure, but fandom analysis of Russell Davies' writing style and frequent mashing up of similar themes between characters strongly suggests that this woman is to the Doctor what Donna is to Wilf and Sylvia - his daughter or granddaughter, meaning that it could have been Susan. The other alternative would be Romana (again for emotional or thematic similarities), which would make a certain amount of sense too, but I personally wouldn't want to accept Romana regenerating into someone who wasn't hot.
And could the Time Lords have survived the war after this? Sure, there's a ton of ways out. I for one can easily imagine a bunch of dissenting Time Lords hopping into their TARDISes and buggering off while Rassilon was spitting away at the Doctor and Master, before Gallifrey went back to its fate. We'll see if this (or whatever else) happens any time soon, though I strongly doubt we will.
As for the rest, I loved it overall. A grand and fitting end to the Tenth Doctor's years and overall story. I'd previously written on Flare over four years ago (yikes!) that the dark and moody Ninth Doctor's incarnation was a consequence of his actions in the Time War, and that the Tenth was his way of letting go of the horrible things he did and getting on with his life. Here, we see that while this may have been true, the events that have been haunting him have truly come full circle. We see that the Time Lords under Rassilon had evolved to become genuine tyrants willing to sacrifice all of time and space to survive, and that as such the Doctor was tragically justified in committing multiple genocides to keep that from happening.
So once more he regenerates, but THIS time it isn't to save the universe or to atone for what he did in the past - it's to save one man who had unknowingly put himself in harm's way by saving someone else. And at its core, THIS is what the Doctor will always do: he will go out of his way to HELP PEOPLE who deserve it.
But by doing so, he isn't being a blind slave to prophecy as the Ood and various mad old women have been saying for two years now. He makes a choice to exchange Wilf's life in exchange for his own. He's done it before (saving Peri's life in "The Caves of Androzani") and he'd do it again. This is the Doctor we know, and as much as this particular incarnation comes to dread his ultimate fate, he knows it's his choice and accepts it. That's what makes the whole thing beautiful for me.
The story itself? Way over the top, stakes way too high, and with another buildup to an epic battle for the universe which lasts less than ten minutes when it happens. This is old hat to Davies, and it really just shows that his writing time on the show is done. As such, it really comes down to the character and emotional beats, which are dead on. I laughed, I railed, and I got misty eyed with this story, which means that it's a job well done IMO. The acting was incredible, with a wonderful guest cast seeing the Tenth Doctor through his final story, and cameos aplenty from past companions and alien races to keep fans giddy and talking for months.
It's a grand, fitting end to an era which includes a tremendous actor for the role in a show brought back from the dead, for a modern audience by a production team led by a man with a clear vision for a contemporary SF show. It worked, and Tennant, Davies and his team get credit up the wazoo for it. Now it's up to a new actor (young, but with the blood and talent for it) and another proven producer (I loved Jekyll and Coupling plus his stories for Doctor Who so far - he'll do fine) to continue a tradition of excellent British sci-fi. The bar has been set VERY high, and I fully expect it to be cleared.
Mark
PS - Seen the next series TRAILER yet? Freakin' awesome!!
WizArtist II
"How can you have a yellow alert in Spacedock? "
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posted
WOOHOO! I called it on Rassilon. Now where did the Master go? AND....does he STILL have that drum beat in his head?
I also like how this whole thing was tied to the four beats and that just happens to be the Doctor Who theme. Kind of clever write in of what has existed for years.
-------------------- There are 10 types of people in the world...those that understand Binary and those that don't.
Registered: Nov 2004
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posted
I agree with Mark. The story was the same old big end of world nonsense we usually get, but that wasn't the point. The point of the whole thing started with Wilf's knocking on the door, and then the Doctor's rant against the universe before he gives up his own life to save the life of someone "not remotely important". That mad me cry. A little. In a manly way.
The other explanation for the two dissenting Time Lords is that they were his parents. I'd prefer it to be Susan or Romana, but I can take it being a mystery. And as for Rassilon... it doesn't have to be him. It could just be someone with the same name.
How spitty was everyone in this, BTW? James Bond was spitting everywhere. The Tenth Doctor was spitting during his rant, and then the Eleventh Doctor got in a good gob just after regenerating.
Tennant's face is just so sad before he starts to regenerate, I want to give him a hug. Poor guy.
-------------------- Yes, you're despicable, and... and picable... and... and you're definitely, definitely despicable. How a person can get so despicable in one lifetime is beyond me. It isn't as though I haven't met a lot of people. Goodness knows it isn't that. It isn't just that... it isn't... it's... it's despicable.
Registered: Mar 1999
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posted
How many seasons (series) have there been in the new era now? I really need to get the DVDs. I've felt like I've been missing out for years now.
Registered: Oct 1999
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posted
The fifth season starts in April-ish. It's really weird how the BBC announces the actual start date of a given series only a few weeks before it actually airs, whereas on this continent we know months in advance when to schedule ourselves around the TV. Oddly, many are saying that the "fifth" season is going to be marketted as the "first season of the new Doctor Who series", whatever that means. I'm just glad it wasn't a total reboot of the series as some were suspecting.
There have been four full seasons of this show, plus a Christmas special every year and this year's partial season of four special episodes (which for the BBC does not count as a full season). In terms of R1 DVD releases, there are four so far and in February we'll get a box of the 2009 specials plus the 2008 Christmas story.
And the spitting? Dalton spits because he's REALLY OLD. Tennant spits because he's acting REALLY HARD. And Smith was spitting, according to the commentary, because one of the explosions on the set during the take accidentally filled his mouth with TARDIS debris. Instead of cutting the take, the actor just spat the stuff out and kept going. What a guy.
posted
It's quite possible that the Time Lords used their technology to resurrect Rassilon, but isn't it also possible that the Doctor was just using the name as an insult, to liken this warlike and bloodthirsty President to one of the shadier figures of Gallifrey's past? A bit like calling someone Hitler?
For the record I prefer the resurrection angle but my first impression was that the Doctor was hurling the name at him like an insult.
As for the regeneration itself, any thoughts on why it was so violent and did such damage to the TARDIS? After all, three other regenerations have taken place in the console room in the new series and none of them did any damage whatsoever. Was it a result of the radiation absorbed at the mansion, or was it so violent because the Doctor had been holding back the process and fighting it for a while? At first I thought it was just bad luck that his arms happened to be pointing at the doors and the console, but the aborted regeneration in "Journey's End" fired directly at something and didn't harm it.
-------------------- Quidquid latine dictum sit altum viditur
Registered: Nov 2004
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quote:It's quite possible that the Time Lords used their technology to resurrect Rassilon, but isn't it also possible that the Doctor was just using the name as an insult, to liken this warlike and bloodthirsty President to one of the shadier figures of Gallifrey's past? A bit like calling someone Hitler?
Not a bad idea, though I'm fairly certain Dalton was credited as Rassilon. As others have said, given there sheer level of power the Time Lords had and the utter mess the timeline was probably in by the end of the war, I don't see much of a problem with that being him.
One thing that was a little unclear; was there any particular significance to that gauntlet he was wearing? I'm not really familiar with the majority of Dr. Who canon, aside from the "modern era" I've only seen a smattering of episodes, most of which being Tom Baker's.
posted
I'd go for the "holding out for so long" angle. Compared to the 9th-10th regeneration, his face takes longer to change and in fact the whole process seems much more drawn out. I like the "walking dead" part explaining why he seemed fine, but he was definitely fighting it since at least the point where he saw Rose. The 9th Doctor only seemed to hold it off for long enough to say his (fantastic) goodbye to Rose, whereas the 10th said at least that one goodbye, then crawled to the Tardis, set it flight, and has a wander around before giving in. For what it's worth, the not always terribly well written Doctor Who wiki seems to be fluctuating back and forth on the "radiation build up" and "holding the process back" reasonings. I'd suggest that the radiation he absorbed should probably be less than that found in the Time Vortex, but hey, each to his own.
I loved how they showed in great detail on Doctor Who Confidential the difficulty in filming the collapsing Tardis, especially as they had their star stood with his arms akimbo while things collapsed around him. Mainly because in the final show his face was completely obscured by regeneration energy. I could have stood there and you wouldn't have noticed.
-------------------- Yes, you're despicable, and... and picable... and... and you're definitely, definitely despicable. How a person can get so despicable in one lifetime is beyond me. It isn't as though I haven't met a lot of people. Goodness knows it isn't that. It isn't just that... it isn't... it's... it's despicable.
Registered: Mar 1999
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posted
Dalton is just credited as "Lord President" on part 2, not Rassilon. I agree that resurrection is still the likeliest explanation of the name though - if the Time Lords were desperate enough to consider ending creation itself to win the war, bringing back Rassilon probably wouldn't cause them too much grief. Bit hard on Borusa though, stuck in a paving slab in the Death Zone, watching the guy who stuck him there wander off in a new body.
One point of interest about the war - the Doctor mentions some of the participants in the last phase (was one of them the Scar of Degradations, or the Skaro Degradations?) and namechecks the Nightmare Child. Last time he/she/it was mentioned, the Doctor said it swallowed Davros' command ship, which would seem to point to it not being on the Dalek side. Granted, the point could be that the war unleashed forces that killed either side, but it was interesting to hear it mentioned again.
Regarding an earlier point about Time Lords taking advantage of Gallifrey's brief re-emergence to hop it in some TARDISes, that might well be the case. A Blue Peter competition closed in November, which asked entrants to design a TARDIS console for the new series...so at one point, another TARDIS can be expected to appear with another Time Lord aboard.
Registered: Nov 2004
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posted
Consider yourslef lucky. Had *I* been the one standing there, they'd be wondering why the Doctor suddenly got shorter and more stocky.
I think the general explanation for the TARDIS falling apart is the massive amounts of radiation he sucked in. The Doctor mentioned that it was in the amount of 500,000 rads. By comparison, the Chernobyl disaster that laid waste to the whole area around its reactor was 10,000 rads per hour at its worst - so the doctor got fifty times Chernobyl in the space of a few seconds. Releasing it into the console room in addition to the regeneration energy is probably not that safe for its organic superstructure!
Also, the commentary said it was Rassilon. So there. The gauntlet has no precedent in Gallifreyan backstory, though most of Rassilon's stuff had some power to it: the Crown of Rassilon, the Sash of Rassilon, the Staff of Rassilon, the Tomb of Rassilon, the Game of Rassilon, etc. One wonders what the Boxers of Rassilon can do...
Mark
[ January 03, 2010, 01:16 PM: Message edited by: Mark Nguyen ]
posted
^I'm sure they pale next to the awesome power of the trouser press or the tea & coffee making facilities of Rassilon.
I liked how there was an acknowledgement of the lasting significance of the Family of Blood/John Smith story. With all the cameos at the end, I did wonder if Sally Sparrow or River Song would get a look-in, then I realised that they're not RTD's creations and that Moffat may have something in mind there. From the preview at least, it looks like the weeping angels (which I think Rassilon mentioned) are defiantly back.
Speaking of which, my guess for the identity of the old woman/rebel Time Lord appearing to Wilfred would also be Susan, however I suppose it could be any similarly related person. His mother for example, or his daughter (Susan's mother), his wife (Susan's grand-mother) etc.
posted
The fandom notes a casting call for "The Doctor's Mother" last year, which is apparently this part. So while only credited as "The Woman" in the actual show, the part was apparently cast as mum. It'll remain open to interpretation for a long time,
I'm sure. Likewise, I'm sure it was "the Skaro Degredations". I highly doubt we'll ever know what that was for sure, but I'm willing to bet the Daleks of the time were willing to make concessions on using non-Dalek troops on the way to their goal of ultimate racial purity. They once used the Ogrons, after all.
And River Song *is* back. She appears several times in the preview, and there are pictures of her filming her episode(s) on the interweb. Here's one of my favorite Who spoiler sites, by the way:
posted
I expect that we won't see the Master (or more to the point, John Simm as the Master) again.
Given RTD has stated the he's effectivly "wiped the slate clean" and the ending essentially wrapped up the stories for all of RTDs creations I'm not sure that we'll see the Time Lords again either.
But, does that mean the end of the Daleks as well, for good? I mean, it was nice to see them the first time and then as the main antagonists at the end of the first series (all though at the time I thought it would have been nice to see Davros). It was also very clever to not see them again until the end of season 2. But we were kind of expecting them by season 3 and then in 'The Stolen Earth' I was so fed up of RTD raising the stakes AGAIN that their appearence was just marred by the episode. But in 'Journeys End' all seemed lost and Davros was destroyed! And now this! Is it the end for the Daleks?
Well, no it seems, as they appear in the new seasons trailer. RTD did like the whole "MORE CRISIS, WE NEED MORE CRISIS, RAISE THE STAKES TO LUDICROUS AND TURN UP THE EMOTION TO ELEVEN" a bit too much I think. Still, witout him there'd be even less to talk about on Flare so I'd say he's still winning.
-------------------- I have plenty of experience in biology. I bought a Tamagotchi in 1998... And... it's still alive.
Registered: Apr 2005
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