Spoilers: The Disappointment of David Tennant's Doctor Who Farewell

I'm fairly certain that it was one of the wise and greatly missed Conrad Russell's maxims that you should read something three times before you react to it. Having acknowledged the wisdom of such a course of action, I am now going to completely disobey it by writing about my initial reaction to last night's Doctor Who, which I've only seen once and have yet to view rationally, without the emotion of the occasion. It'll be a long time before I'm able to do that, though, so you're stuck with my initial thoughts.

I was never going to like the instrument which deprived us of David Tennant, to be fair, but even in that light, last night's episode was a in many ways a disappointment.

To go to all the trouble of bringing back the Time Lords for little more than a cameo role just doesn't seem to do it justice. Maybe that's because the plot already had more holes than a string vest, but I'd have liked to have seen a bit more from Mr Dalton. I'm afraid I still don't get how, if the Doctor sealed the entire Time War, including the people he knew were plotting the End Of Time, how on earth were they there for the Master to make contact with? At least the Doctor remained true to himself and in the moment of maximum pressure, when it looked like he had to choose between killing the Master and killing the Time Lords that he found the third option.

The Time Lord's plot, to bring about the end of time and then ascend to another plane of consciousness, without mortal (although less mortal than most) bodies, is having a real go at religious extremists who do or get others to do terrible things on the hope of reward in the afterlife.

I don't pretend to remember every detail of every episode, but surely to goodness there's no way that the said sexily voiced Mr Dalton could be Rassilon. I mean, not the Rassilon. It's one thing Rusty getting it wrong, perhaps to wind up the purists in Fandom, but not putting the words in the Doctor's mouth. He, surely, should know better. If I've got this bit of Who history wrong, please feel free to correct me, but it just didn't feel right.

I still have no idea how on earth Wilf remained immune to changing into the Master along with everyone else bar Donna. Donna I can get because the Doctor had interfered with her mind, but Wilf? I don't care that much, because the amazing Bernard Cribbens made the episode in so many ways.
Maybe the explanation lies with the mysterious woman. We never got to konw who she was. I suppose she had her place in making sure Wilf gave the Doctor the gun because without it he wouldn't have been able to break the link, but who was she and how did she manage to do what she did? Maybe she also protected Wilf from the Master's actions.

Having said all of that, there were moments of genius. The less than smooth attempts by the Vincocci to get the Doctor and Wilf out of the Master's clutches was very funny. In Confidential afterwards, Rusty said that there was a bit of him trying to cause David Tennant as much pain as possible in his last story. Certainly strapping him to a wheeled chair and bumping him down stairs was easily going to achieve that end and certainly it deserved the Doctor's comment that it was the "worst rescue ever".

We saw a glimpse of the proper David Tennant Doctor on the Vinvocci ship as he turned a lumbering alien hulk into a fighting machine capable of defeating every nuclear missile on earth.

Once the Time Lords and the Master were out of the way, there was a beautifully crafted scene which started with a close up on the Doctor as he comes too and realises that he's still alive and starts to hope. Then you hear the four knocks and the camera pans out to Wilf who's got himself trapped in a room with a nuclear reactor about to go critical. You feel the Doctor's despair and anger as he realises how he will meet his death. Even if you had no idea that David Tennant was leaving, if you watched that, you'd know that there's no way the Doctor would leave Wilf to die.

I suppose I have to pay a bit of a tribute for the way he scripted the tenth Doctor's final seconds. My first reaction last night was one of overwhelming sadness when the Doctor said "I don't want to go." I would have been happier if he'd become reconciled to his death, if his visits to his companions and the song of the Ood had given him peace and he'd accepted his fate. That's it, though. I would have been happier, but it would have been completely unrealistic if he'd just stood there and uttered something inane like "Allons-y." Few approach death willingly and painlessly. In Confidential afterwards, they showed the four takes of that scene, the fourth being one where the Doctor was in much more distress. They decided against that because they felt it was too much for the audience to bear. I guess that was a reasonable balance.

On the subject of inane, though, I'll give the writers a bit of credit given the fact that the Eleventh Doctor had just regenerated, but I do hope his first words are not a sign of things to come. He sounded way too much like David Tennant, the "allons-y" equivalent appears to be "Geronimo" and if he continues to say that in that annoying tone, it's going to be highly irritating. It's too late to change anything for his first series, but right now, I don't like it.

Here, though, is the preview of what's to come. Snogging, weeping angels and vampires as well as the Doctor taking an axe to a very old fashioned looking Dalek.



One of my New Year's Resolutions is to give Matt Smith a fair chance which will mean at least 2 seasons. Having said that, though, even if he was completely rubbish, I wouldn't stop watching. The thing about the Doctor is that there's always hope.

As I write this, it's almost exactly a year to the day since we found out that he was going to play the Doctor. Here's what I said then.

Farewell to David Tennant's Doctor

In just over an hour, the event I've been stockpiling all the tissues for takes place - the end of David Tennant's tenure as the Doctor. Actually, who knew I'd need the tissues to deal with a stinking cold and the rather painful consequences of poking myself in the eye with the Radio Times last night? Who knew listings magazines could be so lethal?

If you've come in here looking for a serious review, I have to disappoint. Time and my current state of one-eyedness doesn't lend itself to long spells at the laptop. Instead, I can only direct you to people who do it far better than I ever could, anyway, the lovely elephant and Jennie.. In fact, if Jennnie's theory isn't the outcome tonight, I'll be disappointed.

Like Millennium and Jennie, I felt that last week's opener didn't quite do it for me. There were some lovely moments but the story itself seemed to be lacking something. A bit like Earl Grey without the milk, for me.

It was great to see June Whitfield reach the pinnacle of her long and succeessful career by getting to squeeze David Tennant's backside. Had that been me, I think we'd still be filming as I made sure I got the scene absolutely right.

Bernard Cribbens has been absolutely awesome, playing the comedic and dramatic scenes perfectly. The scene in the cafe where the doctor confides about his impending death was heartbreaking.

I've loved David Tennant's portrayal of the Doctor for all sorts of reasons - he's brought comedy, pathos, grit and wonder to the role - but the biggest is that he's my daughter's doctor, the one who made her fall in love with the series like Tom Baker was for me. I expect some tears from her tonight.

And a final word about Russell T Davies. I know he comes in for some stick from some quarters in the Doctor Who Fandom world but I can't help but adore a man who's brought back my favourite tv programme, and my favourite character in Sarah Jane Smith and given her a whole new lease of life, and made it hugely popular must see stuff for a whole new generation. I can see why people question at the way the female roles are given out - but look again what he's done with Sarah Jane. I think the Grand Moff will be fine and I'll try my best not to hold against Matt Smith the fact that he isn't David Tenanant, because that sort of attitude rather did for my connection to Peter Davison's Doctor, but, for me, at least, Rusty in the main has been brilliant.

David - you've been fantastic. We'll really miss you, and good luck in America.

Now, on to serve up dinner before the big event........