Reaction Post: Doctor Who 4.13 - Journey’s End
The is the Reaction Post for the final episode of Doctor Who series four - Journey’s End. Before I finish this write up, I’ll probably have to go watch it again. This may explain why this post was a bit delayed. Before you ask, though, I loved this episode. And I did cry.
Now, for my very scattered views on this episode come on past the spoiler barrier.
Well…there you go. With a bow, even. Containing everyone but Elvis.
And having already seen the pictures from the Christmas Special 2008, I was pretty sure that David Tennant wasn’t leaving. (And that’s why I’ve been using the pictures for the news posts. I suppose that the bookmakers are just going to have to keep making those odds. tee hee.) I am so glad that the folks at 451 Press HQ managed to get the server up and running before this episode. *whew*
It took sixty-five minutes, but they managed to cover just about everything, yeah? They didn’t explain the whole Bad Wolf all over the place in Turn Left and it meaning the end of the Universe specifically, but I suppose that could be one of the last acts of the Bad Wolf herself. Also, I wonder how many realities Rose walked across before she found the correct one. Oh! And no one enlightened Rose about Jack being immortal. Perhaps it’s better that way.
Did the Doctor lose a regeneration there? I mean…is the fellow left in the other Universe the 11th Doctor? Doctor 10.5? Add a bit of human to the mix and The Doctor does what he did before? So, Rose ends up with someone who is basically 9 in 10’s body, more or less? Oh, dear.
Some things I would like to mention (sorry about the format. Lots to say.):
* The Doctor and Rose recognizing Gwen Cooper and asking if she was a member of an old Cardiff family. (Yes. All the way back to the 1800s.)
* Tosh having been brilliant enough, given the equipment they had, to create a Time Bubble for Torchwood defense.
* TARDISes are meant to be flown by SIX Time Lords, eh? No wonder The Doctor has such trouble flying her.
* This is why River gave Donna that sorrowful look and that member of the Shadow Proclamation gave Donna her condolences. Poor Donna. *sniffle* Let’s hope that she can manage to live a normal life without someone mentioning any of this. So nice of her Grandfather to truly understand the situation. Poor Doctor. All alone again. All of his Earth-bound family have someone else, according to him.
* Personally, I adored this mega cross-over between the three shows. They are in the same Universe (or is that Whoniverse?) after all. Yay for the K-9 cameo!
* Rose actually confronts The Doctor(s) about the end of his sentence from the last time at Bad Wolf Bay. 10 doesn’t want to say the words, wanting her to just know. 10.5 whispers in her ear, and that prompts a good snog. Poor Rose. It’s going to be like last time, having to get used to a new version of The Doctor. And this time he’s got one heart, can age, and will be stuck on the slow path with her. Do you think he’ll get a job at alt-Torchwood?
* I loved Martha’s reaction to Rose’s name. Also loved that Rose thought that Martha was good. …And that Martha can speak German…and so do the Daleks. Now we know how to say exterminate in German.
* So…do you think that Martha and Mickey will end up working for Torchwood? They have two jobs open, and Martha and Mickey have the skills. What do you think? Also, where are the rest of the folks in Martha’s family?
* I’ve heard a rumour that The Doctor will appear in the next series of The Sarah Jane Adventures. It’s only a rumour, but…wouldn’t that be cool? He could meet Luke. Just imagine the conversations they would have.
* Mickey’s alternate Gran has apparently passed on naturally after living out her remaining years in a mansion.
* Sarah Jane and Davros recognize each other after all of this time. Quite the closing of the circle.
* The hand is now officially gone. At least we don’t have to worry about it anymore.
* I loved that Dalek Caan completely lost it and decided to help The Doctor.
* Just think of the fanfiction that this human Doctor will generate.
* Jackie with a big gun! Love it!
* “I can’t tell you what I’m thinking right now.” *snicker*
* Davros names (or rather re-names, since I think he’s had this name before) the Doctor the “Destroyer of Worlds.” Which, if you think about it, is a name of his that was sort of hidden in the Medusa Cascade.
Anyway, I’m both happy and sad about how Bad Wolf Bay ended. Rose didn’t just get a tin dog. She got a version of the Doctor that she can grow old with. Which leaves the original Doctor without Rose. I’m just devastated about Donna. It would have been easier if she’d actually died. Instead, she’s still alive all unknowing. And sort of a time-bomb. If she manages to avoid the knowledge she can just go on with a normal life. If something happens and she figures it out, she’ll burn up and die. Donna was a fabulous companion. I guess that you have to be created with Human/Time Lord DNA to be stable. It can’t just be added on to a human later.
Ah well. That’s the last episode until the Christmas Special. What did you lot think of series 4?
Image Source: The Official BBC Doctor Who Site
Reaction Post, Doctor Who, Journey’s End
July 6th, 2008 at 3:56 am
I liked the episode, but definitely felt like poor Donna had been cheated. I disliked her originally but she grew on me during this series and I really liked what she became. Hopefully Sylvia and Wilf are up to the task of protecting her and also helping her become what she already achieved with the Doctor.
July 6th, 2008 at 4:35 am
Donna’s ending was bull shit.
July 6th, 2008 at 5:23 am
well all I can say is I am glad russle T Davis is actually going. I am not at all impressed with how he did the finally. I really got to like Donna she had changed and then went back to her old loud obnoxious self so that was sad. I liked her and I thought the dr was a little arrogant with taking away her memories he could have done something else I think. I want a companion to last a longer time than the ones so far. I actually liked donna and who she was becoming she was actually cool. I am glad that the series was revived but I am sick of the daleks and the cyber men please I want new aliens or ones who are evil then become good or something. the Christmas special is going to have cyber men. and jack why couldn’t he let him have his time watch thing still working he didn’t have to interfere. I am happy I saw it just the last episode was a little flat
July 6th, 2008 at 6:31 am
‘Twas a horrid ending. It was sort of like one of those “It was all a dream” endings. Like nothing in this season actually happened! Sorry, I just don’t like it when everything is resolved by undoing everything that happened. And of course, it makes absolutely no sense that DoctorDonna can completely disable an entire Dalek fleet with the flip of a switch. The Doctor clone was horrendous, as was dumping him on Rose to keep her out of the picture. Wiping Donna’s mind was also stupid. Not a tear to be shed over it, because it’s just too blah. Oh, and the Doctor’s regeneration cop-out was bad - I knew they’d cop out, just I was hoping for something more earth-shattering to live up to the climax of the previous episode. No such luck though. Some likes: The Doctor’s children as war-hungry killers for the Doctor to see - now that’s something that really could break the Doctor’s hearts; Caan, after realizing everything the Daleks were from entering time, sets them up to be destroyed (though, not sure why he saved Davros then?); all the companions together, and having them fly the Tardis together would have been amazing, if Donna wasn’t some freak Doctor hybrid, and a clone Doctor wasn’t bumbling around, and the Daleks weren’t so easily disposed of - all of it really took me out of what should have been a classic moment. And I do believe Martha and Mickey will join Torchwood - and I’m very happy about that. All in all, a very lackluster finale. Mostly sizzle, very little steak. Can’t wait to get RTD out of here now. I was so impressed with the previous episode, and of course was totally let down by the conclusion.
July 6th, 2008 at 5:25 pm
I’m really surprised that you liked it as well as you did, but I’m glad someone enjoyed it! Unfortunately, I thought it was laughably bad. The Doctor regenerating a second Doctor from his hand was predictable and not at all entertaining. All of the progress Donna made throughout the series was undone in one sad plot device (a plot device that was cheap when it was used on Zoe and Jamie at the end of the Second Doctor’s tenure and has only gotten cheaper with time). And the Earth was somehow towed by the TARDIS? And didn’t disrupt the gravity of the planets it flew near? And the moon was still waiting for it back home like a lost puppy? And we’re supposed to think that Rose got a happy ending because she got stuck with a genocidal clone of The Doctor? Ick. Thank goodness Russell is leaving. The man can write great cliffhangers, but he has no idea how to logically and satisfactorily resolve those cliffhangers. Technobabble and nonsensical plot devices do not satisfying TV make.
Doctor What
http://www.doctorwhatus.blogspot.com
July 6th, 2008 at 5:54 pm
I see that the commenters here agree with my opinion of the conclusion.
Donna was a great companion. To have her wiped out because she had “too much knowledge” is insulting, especially considering that the genocidal Doctor clone managed somehow. He also had a human body.
Bringing back Rose was pointless, considering that the Doctor has had two more likeable companions since then. Hopefully she won’t be dragged back again.
July 6th, 2008 at 9:58 pm
I thought it was a bit weak. I laughed. I cried. I yelled “Bullshit!” at my computer screen. Its this handwavy shit that they pull that bugs me. But I guess that’s a legacy of it being a kids show.
Thoughts.
I loved Donna from the very beginning. Here was a companion who was smart, fast, funny and wasn’t going to fall for him. She saw through his crap and didn’t hesitate to call him on it. I am extremely pissed off at what they did to her. Not fair.
I knew something was wonky about that new Doctor when he came out of the TARDIS brandishing a Gun! (and isn’t it nice to know that Tennant has hair on his chest? Tee!)
So Rose ends up with a Doctor…but now the Doctor is out in the cold? Alone again? WTF?
Mickey and Martha at Torchwood? Totally cool!
I’d like to see a companion last a bit longer than a season or so.
All in all. Very much a bit of a let down and very unsatisfying conclusion to the season.
July 7th, 2008 at 8:02 am
Maybe they should cancel the show entirely if this is the best that they can come up with.
July 8th, 2008 at 10:54 am
I have very mixed feelings about this episode. Some of it was very good (ex. all of them flying the TARDIS, german daleks, jackie with a big gun), but I felt it could have been better. I agree that Donna’s memory loss was a cop out and thank you to Doctor What for pointing out the Jamie and Zoe connection, I loved them and I loved Donna. Losing your memory is a bad plot device and not a worthy ending for such great characters. Also am not very happy with dumping rose and alternate ten at bad wolf bay–and where was the explanation for the numerous “bad wolf” sightings in turn left? and why weren’t Jack and Rose surprised to see each other?
side notes:
1)I do hope martha and mickey join Torchwood
2)I am sooo glad that this site is up and running again!!!
July 9th, 2008 at 12:21 pm
Hi. Hope you can help, I have 16 questions about this season ender and
hope you can help answer them here:
http://youwillbeforever.blogspot.com/2008/07/doctor-who-journeys-end-finale-loose.html
Thanks!
Jomar
July 9th, 2008 at 8:44 pm
I also have mixed feelings about this episode. While some things were quite well done - nice writing on letting the Doctor see all his ‘children’ ready and willing to use violence - the episode should have been longer and some things should have been handled differently.
The Rose and Doctor off in the sunset could have been handled better. It looked a bit awkward and felt a bit awkward. I know they were giving a lot of viewers what they wanted, but I don’t think a lot of RoseDoctor hardcore enthusiasts will be completely satisfied with that ending. (Bring on the Fanfiction, eh?)
While the Donna mind-wipe was sad (Flowers for Algernon anyone?), I’m not mad over it at all. It’s a loose plot line, if you ask me, if they want to pick it back up again. After watching, my husband said, “I wonder what kind of dreams she’ll have.” Bam! I instantly realized that they can pick that back up if they really want to and bring her back in.
All in all, not bad, but could have been written better.
July 10th, 2008 at 8:39 am
Ben, you’re astoundingly literate! — Have you considered applying to BBC Wales? Darn, if they’d encountered you, grammar and all, before hiring RTD, I’d sure he’d still be a tea boy …
July 11th, 2008 at 1:14 pm
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eBGIQ7ZuuiU&feature=related
cut of season 5 5 5
July 13th, 2008 at 8:20 pm
Lots of really strong feelings about this one, I see. Quite right, too.
And thanks, Emilee! I’m glad it’s back up, too.