Doctor Who Thread V: "Brave heart, Thread." [SPOILERS]

[CurlyKitGirl]

'The End of Time' (1/2) (Year of Specials 4/5)

Spoiler

Show

For the purposes of an abbreviated Who I will allot no more than than half an hour over the episode's length, and preferably less. The minute I hit that deadline I stop and go onto the next. Chances of follow-up material are unknown.

Writer: RTD and Moffatt (final scene only)

Script Editor: Gary Russelll

Director: Euros Lyn

Producer: Tracie Simpson

I'm not sure how much Executive Producers get involved with in each episode but they're RTD and Julie Gardner; and the Music is, of course, by Murray Gold. Also, RTD wrote this.

Narrator: "It is said that in the final days of planet Earth, everyone had bad dreams. To the west of the north of that world, the human race did gather, in the celebration of a pagan rite to banish the cold and the dark. Each and every one of those people had dreamt of the terrible things to come. But they forgot, because they must. They forgot their nightmares of fire and war and insanity. They forgot. Except for one." Um. It's Christmas (complete with the Salvos) and the typical British late night shopping. And I don't think Wilf was the one who didn't forget the Year That Never Was.

(oh tiding of gladness and joy, gladness and joy)

And then a children's choir impels Wilf into a Catholic Church. I hate childish sopranos. Mostly I hate higher sporanos anyway. TARDIS in stained glass what.

'The Legend of the Blue Box' apparently. And a Lady in White. "It's said a demon fell from the sky, then a man appeared. The man in a blue box. They called him the Sainted Physician. He smote the demon and then disappeared. [...] Who knows perhaps he's coming back?"

With Wilf as the Companion? Please! Also, shots of the Master laughing maniacally (does he laugh any other way?) and then Scream in!

And it's 'And Bernard Cribbins' in the credits! BOOGIE ON DOWN. WILF!COMPANION FORVER.

Whut. After last episode the Doctor's wearing a lei and a cowboy hat. He was summoned but "I didn't come straight here", he went on holiday. And got married to Queen Elizabeth I. QEI is going to be in the anniversary special. Le sigh.

Ood: "You should not have been delayed." Oh. It's still Ood Sigma. And yeah, the Doctor's not eager to 'die', but still. And apparently it's a bad thing that the Ood have rebuilt so much of their civilisation because it means "something's been accelerating your species way beyond normal" (D).

Whatever this thing it, is also gives the Ood bad dreams. Why should the Ood care about what happens to humanity in the past? In the Ood's past they were lobotomised and enslaved for centuries by humans, they should be laughing!

Ood monk (I'm not making this up): "Returning, returning, returning, it is slowly returning through the dark and the fire and the blood. Always returning, returning to this world. It is returning, and he is returning, and they are returning, but too late. Too late. Far too late. He has come [...] He comes to us every night. I think all the peoples of the universe dream of him now." This isn't creepy at all. Not the Master laughing, but the Ood being creepy.

And why is it scary? The Master coming back I mean? It's only, well, yeah, it's the Master, but it's just another Time Lord.

And Wilf is scared, why are we hearing the blackbird rhyme? And then . . . pseudo!Obama's. Then there's the Master's wife in prison. What is this? Exposition time? Yeah. It's exposition time. Hey? Question: if he reversed everything the Master died (knock knock knock knock) how did Mrs. Master remember and why is she in prison?

And then there's a woman who took his Gallifreyan ring? Because cult? OM: "But something more is happening, Doctor. The Master is part of a greater design, because a shadow is falling over creation. Something vast is stirring in the dark. The Ood have gained this power to see through time, because time is bleeding. Shapes of things once lost are moving through the veil, and these events from years ago threaten to destroy this future, and the present, and the past.

[...]

"The darkness heralds only one thing: the end of Time itself." Did I mention I don't like cryptic mystics?

Looks like Mrs. Master's going to be executed. Yeah, yeah, it's a cult and all made of women. Head: "Your trial was held in secret with no jury." How did anyone remember? And why is his cult all women? Blah blah, four knocks.

Wilf is still scared, the Lady in White is on the telly (if this turns out to be Rose I will murder someone) - The Secret Books of Saxon?! What?

And somehow, even years later Mrs. Master still bears the imprint of the Master? Come on, lipstick wears off in a few hours.

Then Zuul is summoned. Or so it seems. Head: "We give ourselves so Saxon might live!" He's summoned anyway. And is crazy. Crazier than usual. This event (orgasmic and like something you'd see in Ghostbusters) screws with the TARDIS as well.

Also, the Master's hearing "The drums. The neverending drums!" Can he hear the score? And how did Mrs. Master know he would come back? And how did she make a Potion of Death? And when did Doctor Who become a fanasy film?

Does this mean the Master is dead? Well no, but maybe. The Doctor was very late at any rate because Broadfell is in tatters. A while ago if we take the pseudo-Obama's dialogue - oops. I think that's father and daughter or.

Did he really just say "Christmas is cancelled?" You're not a villain in a children's cartoon! The Gate to where?

And Wilf! He has a secret society. Of old people. And there's quirky music to show this is quirky and a bit strange. Sparrow Lane (reference to 'Blink'). I love Wilf's description of the Doctor, "Modern sort of hair, all sticky uppy,"

And wa-heys. I feel like I'm in a Carry On film all of a sudden. And . . . this is a secret society of old people who, as all old people do, know people everywhere. To tell them why they're having bad dreams.

Burger van. Oooh, I could go for a good burger. Burger Lady says that Pres. Obama has "promised to end the recession". 'cept recessions don't work like that.

Also the Master's wearing a heady and so so hungry. And I think he can fly? He's mad and really, really hungry. Course, it's just sped up footage, but it's still strange. And mmm, that litany did sound nice. And even though no one remembers Harold Saxon everyone does know.

M: "Master of disguise stuck. Looking like the old Prime Minister. Can't let him smell me. Doctor, Doctor, shocked her, stopped her, got to stop the smell. The stink. The filthy, filthy stink." Okay. This is scary because he looks like a homeless schizophrenic man and he's rubbing a burger wrapped all over his face and he's very inhumanly twitchy and jerky and muttering and yes Possibly Homeless Man, you take the younger Possibly Homeless Man away from him right now. This is a very not-good situation.

And then he's flesh phases out of reality! And he eats people but somehow leaves the skeletons still in their clothes and upright. M: DINNERTIIIIIMMMMMMEE!!!!! Then he leaps into the air like he's the Hulk and eats them. I laughed. That was so cheesy and so - So Bad It's Good.

And now Time Lords can smell each other? In a dump. What. And now the Master is knocking four times to call the Doctor to him. The Doctor is chasing the Master, and the Master runs. Nice acoustic tapping in the music. Then the Doctor comes to a half as he sees the Master who . . . bellows at him before doing another of those Hulk leaps and running away.

What is this nonsense? And can I pretend that it's homoerotic because the Master is enjoying the chase. Then the Doctor sees the Master's skeleton flashing again prompting him to say that's what happens when one burns up his own life force. Okay?

Then Old People show up and interrupt the chase. One of the old ladies is (and an old man) - lots of old ladies and men - what. They're posing with the Doctor because they - "Is that you hand Minnie?!" Dirty old woman! He's still a cradle snatcher though.

So now WIlf's chatting with the Doctor in a coffee shop reminiscing. Trying to. W: "I keep, seeing things Doctor. His face. At night." Another lampshade about Wilf always showing up.

W: "What's important about me?" Everyone loves you.

D: "Exactly. Why you? I'm going to die." No. You regenerate. Unless this is permadeath, of course.
W: "Well, so am I, one day."

D: "Don't you dare." I agree!

W: "All right, I'll try not to."

D: "But I was told. He will knock four times. That was the prophecy. Knock four times, and then - "
W: "Yeah, but I thought, when I saw you before, you said your people could change, like, your whole body."

D: "I can still die. If I'm killed before regeneration, then I'm dead. Even then, even if I change, it feels like dying. Everything I am dies. Some new man goes sauntering away, and I'm dead." Nope. Nope. Nope nope nope. Time to find my new comfort food and rage quietly. This is wrong. People loved Tennant when he was the Doctor - his rabid fans call him the greatest Doctor ever - and this sort of writing is only going to make people hate the next Doctor! And guess what? They did because he wasn't David Tennant and because you, or rather RTD, said this about the Doctor and regeneration!

I have seen clips of all of the Doctor's regenerating up to the point Nine became Ten - this was way before I ever decided to do this as blindly as possible so it's not cheating - and none of them ever felt this way! NONE OF THEM! Granted, mostly because they were unconscious. But mostly because regeneration is a normal process that Romana did on a whim because she wanted to look different (also because of Backstage Issues) with the exception of Two whose regeneration was forced upon him rather than it being natural. Three said "While there's life theres . . ." ; Four was basically excited and welcomed the regeneration; Five chose to regenerate rather than permadie; Seven seemed fine with regenerating and Nine was another happy one who went out with the biggest smile we'd ever seen on his face!

And here's Ten acting as if he'd be dying when he regenerated instead of acting like literally every other Time Lord I've ever seen regenerate (including his past regenerations) and simply accepting it as a natural part of their life (again, excepting Two) to be exploited and even welcomed.

This scene is responsible for people hating Matt Smith because he's not Tennant! I don't particularly like Tennant as the Doctor, but that's because he doesn't feel like the Doctor to me, not because he's not Troughton or Smith. Oh my God! No wonder people said I'd hate this episode.

Look at RTD's smug, self-serving self-love of his great triumph. He's on his way out so before he goes his swan song is to make everything about the show feel wrong if the RTD-era stuff isn't there. No Rose, no Tennant, no RTD, BURN THE WITCH!

Also Wilf still wants Donna back the way she was, before she was made to change. And she has a fiancé. Donna and [someone] Temple-Noble. W: "He's sweet enough. Mind you, he's on minimum wage, she's earning tuppence, so all they can afford is a tiny little flat. And then sometimes I see this look on her face, like she's so sad, but she can't remember why."

And the Doctor is travelling alone because penance. D: "No one. Travelling alone. I thought it was better. But I did some things. It went wrong. I need - " he needs someone. And he's going to confess to Wilf! Go on. You need someone, and if you can't have DOnna you can have Wilf. He's lovely. But nope. He just walks off.

And then the Narrator speaks and introduces act two: And so it came to pass that the players took their final places, making ready the events that were to come. The madman sat in his empire of dust and ashes, little knowing of the glory he would achieve. While his saviour looked upon the wilderness, in the hope of changing his inevitable fate. Far away, the idiots and fools dreamt of a shining new future. A future now doomed to never happen. As Earth rolled onwards into night, the people of that world did sleep, and shiver, somehow knowing that dawn would bring only one thing. The final day."

I'm not sure I know how I feel about this. It's good though to have an unreliable narrator as the omniscient one.

Now the Master and the Doctor have confronted each other in an abandoned warehouse. Why can the Master Palpatine people? How did it miss the Doctor? Why is the Master aiming to miss? It even has the same noise as the Palpatine lighning. And now their hearts are connected. And now the Master is holding the Doctor and looking sad. The Doctor is in the dust at the Master's feet.

Oooh. More imagery of Gallifrey. M: "We used to run across those fields all day, calling up at the sky. Look at us now." So. Gay. So. So. So gay. Because it sounds suspect on its own, but I remember the season three finale. (Also the Master is orgasming over food and the editing is very . . . schizophrenic) And now the Doctor is saying "What if I ask you for help?" And their faces throughout all this.

It's a very twisted connection (and love) they share. And yes, they knock four times because it's the beat of the Time Lord's hearts. And now they're touching foreheads and cradling each other's faces.

Flying with Palpatine lightning. I think I liked it better when the Master was mostly sane and not a mad super-villain with super powers. He had more panache and flair.

Then the Master gets abducted by aliens. Well, they're technically aliens because they're not Time Lords. And the Doctor can't save him.

Christmas Day! And it's still Slade. And the villain guy has a book. His name's Naismith. Donna has no idea why she bought him it, so this is Doctor-Donna popping up briefly. The book is called Fighting the Future so.

Okay. The Master is in a bondage chair. And the villain daughter is . . . aroused by the Master? Who does that 'sexy' lacivious tongue wiggle at him. And why would the UK care if Obama can end America's recession.

Lady in White: "Events are moving Wilfred. Faster than we thought. Only you can see. Only you stand at the heart of coincidence.
WILF: Why, what have I done?
WOMAN [on TV]: You're an old soldier, sir. Only you were too late. The war was won and passed you by. [...] You never killed a man. [...]The time will come when you must take arms. [...] Tell the Doctor nothing of this. His life could still be saved, so long as you tell him nothing."

This nonsense. Time Lords regenerate, they don't die. Well, they do, but you know. Also, Wilf still has a gun.

How can Time Lords smell each other?! And the Doctor says "I lost [the Master]". Screw it. There's a tainted love (whoa-oh tainted love) between the Master and the Doctor. Wilf gives the Doctor the book Donna gave him because it's a Clue and Wilf just runs off with the Doctor.

W: "Oh, you're not leaving me with her!" (His daughter)

D: "Fair enough."

Wilf, instead of reacting to TARDIS size says, "I thought it would be cleaner," I knew I liked Wilf.

No the Master's in a straitjacket. Because bondage. Okay, the Gate isn't human (duh) and the two shifty scientists are also aliens. They're wearing people suits and they're cactus people. I can see where their prosthetics meet their skin. Plot, plot, plot, annoying subplot, the cactuses want to steal the Gate.

Some time between season four's end and now Torchwood fell. Okay. Also, the Master is still wearing a collar and wants to eat humans. ugh, the editing for when he eats. I have to eat soon, I like eating, and this is putting me off my feed.

Why would alien devices come complete with their own power? This has to be a plot of sorts. The Gate by the way, is called the Immortality Gate. N: "Not for me, but for my daughter. I want her never to die. I want her to be immortal!"

D: "Abigail. It means 'bringer of joy'."

Oh God. It's a collar and lead. We're in some bondage/sub-dom stuff here.

People aren't allowed their own private armies in the UK.

Oh, and the Master's doing clever things and the cactus people babble technoTreknobabble. And the Doctor can tell the cactuses are wearing glamours.

And hey, the Gates working, so the Master leans back with the smuggest grin on his face. Fortunately Father is mildly genre savvy and has no intention of letting the Master anywhere near the gate. Shame they don't know about his Palpatine powers.

The Master looks so happy to be in his straitjacket. Okay, Bananananakaffa thing from 'Voyage of the Doodad' is related to the cactus people.

Oh. And the Gate is so big (it has a lower level) because it "heals whole planets [...] It transmits the medical template across the whole planet."

What is the nonsense with the America worship? No offence, but given last month it's quite ironic. Also even ignoring that it's sickeningly sweet and saccharine and stupid.

And now the Master's in the Gate and turning every human on Earth into the Master. M: "I locked it. Idiot." And . . . the nuclear bunker things stop the radiation from working. Somehow. And all the humans are changing except Wilf and Donna. Donna's immune because . . . Doctor-Donna?

M: "They're not gonna think like me. They're gonna become me." And Master race. Also the process of them becoming the Master is, the only thing I can think to say is that it's very strange and I don't know if it's in a good way or a bad way.

Also Donna's head is exploding with memories.

Question: why are all the Masters different heights and possessing different accents is they're the same person? M: "The human race was always your favourite. now there is only . . . the Master race." *evil cackling*

So . . . what if you were pregnant? Or a baby? Or a child? How does that work? See, far as I know, the Master can't get pregnant.

N: "And so it came to pass, that on Christmas Day that the human race did cease to exist. But even then, the Master had no concept of his greater role in events. For this was far more than humanity's end. This day was the day upon which the whole of creation would change forever."

IT'S MR. PRICKLYPANTS!

P: "This was the day the Time Lords returned. For Gallifrey. [...] FOR VICTORY! FOR THE END! OF TIME ITSELF!" Also, you're so hammy you're spitting. A lot. Couldn't do another take?

Also: THE TIME LORDS ARE BACK LADIES AND GENTLEMEN AND IT'S ONLY SLIGHTLY MARRED BY THE FACT THAT THE LEADER IS MR. PRICKLYPANTS WHO RUNS THE LOCAL SUPERMARKET DOWN IN SANDFORD. ONLY SLIGHTLY.

TO BE CONTINUED

Scream out!

Preview: No preview this time.

Best Moment: The bits with Wilf and the Doctor in the cafe (bar one thing), the Doctor really respects Wilf. Also, excepting the spitting the ending was very, very good. You know, the bit with the Time Lords being back.

Worst Moment: Is it a bird, is it a plane? No it's SuperMaster, and he's going to eat you all up! No, I lie. That's so bad it's hilarious. The real worst moment was the scene in the cafe where the Doctor's all 'if I regenerate I die boo hoo hoo, woe is me because I'm a creator's pet whose creator is leaving the show and we can't like anyone new'.

Best Actor: Wilf! Look at you so earnest and compassionate and lovely. Plus you're Bernard Cribbins.

Worst Actor: Oh my God, John Simm what was your direction like for this serial? You were so hammy and nutty you made a horrifying moment comedic.

Best Special Effect: Ummm. The Gate was cool.

Worst Special Effect: Any effect linked to the Master if I'm honest.

Most Punchable Character: No one. There's a most punchable scene; that being the one in the cafe.

Death Count: I'm unsure. Technically seven billion unique personalities were deleted and replaced with seven billion Masters. But then, the Time Lords, who are meant to be dead or non-alive are alive. And wearing really silly collar-hats.

Kink of the Episode: Gay bondage all over the place.

Was Not Expecting: The end. The gay bondage. The end.

Overall thoughts?
Ever so hammy. It's teetering on the fine line of so hammy it's fun (BRIAN BLESSED!) and so hammy it's bad, and the effects seem to mirror that. I can't really say they're good, but they're not technically bad either.
I don't understand how Time Lords can smell each other. I don't understand the cult at the beginning. I don't understand why that whole beginning section existed except as padding (which is probably why it stayed). I don't like Ten's whining about regeneration being dying because it really isn't. Maybe. Look, each Doctor is different enough in personality to be easily distinguishable, but at heart their key values and personality remains the same. However you slice it, regenerating is not dying, no Doctor has ever thought so or actually feared dying, though I do think they feared leaving their Companions alone, so this stupid little concept is a travesty.
And no, it's not because Ten knew he was going to die/regenerate either because Four knew he was going to regenerate soon (as seen from the clip I linked earlier), Nine certainly knew his actions would result in his regeneration and he still did it because he wasn't afraid, and Five chose to regenerate rather than stay dead even though he psyche was begging for him to die.
This is the writer imposing his own desires on Ten. And in doing so he ruined Matt's big moment regenerating into the Doctor because some people believed this tat and that Matt Smith isn't the Doctor.

'The End of Time' (2/2) (Year of Specials 5/5)

Spoiler

Show

For the purposes of an abbreviated Who I will allot no more than than half an hour over the episode's length, and preferably less. The minute I hit that deadline I stop and go onto the next. Chances of follow-up material are unknown.

Writer: RTD and Moffatt (final scene only)

Script Editor: Gary Russelll

Director: Euros Lyn

Producer: Tracie Simpson

I'm not sure how much Executive Producers get involved with in each episode but they're RTD and Julie Gardner; and the Music is, of course, by Murray Gold. Also, RTD wrote this.

Recap recap. Let's findout Mr. Pricklypants' Time Lord name.

Scream in.

Timothy Dalton should have an 'And Starring' credit here because he was JAMES BOND. Come on!

GALLIFREY! It's pretty and very broken and messy. Lots of Dalek ships abound. Ah, now I see why part one's effects weren't so good, they were saved for here. And then the budget ran out so much that the Gallifreyan Council Room is a table in a Big Empty Black Unlit Room.

Lord President. THE PRICKLYPANTS OF RASSILON HAVE BEEN BORN!

PoR: "What news of the Doctor?" He's on Earth.

Woman: [...]"But we know his intention. He still possesses the Moment, and he'll use it to destroy Daleks and Time Lords alike." Oh. Eight. Okay. So this is pre-Time Lock then? Well maybe. Time War is full of Time like a wibbly-wobbly timey-wimey ball of stuff.

Ugh. And the Visionary is another cryptic mystic. Ooooh, look at the Gallifreyan decoration and writing(?) everywhere. This is the last day of the TIme War!

Woman: "Perhaps it's time. This is only the furthest edge of the Time War. But at its heart, millions die every second, lost in bloodlust and insanity. With time itself resurrecting them, to find new ways of dying over and over again. A travesty of life. Isn't it better to end it, at last?!"

PoR: "Thank you for your opinnion!" It's the Time Glove of Pricklypants! He doesn't want to die. Basically. Anyway, the lady's dead, so some other guy - gasp! Actual Gallifreyan writing really is made of circles!

Um. There's a prophecy about the Doctor and the Master and "one constant word keeps being repeated. Earth."

And now the Master had the Doctor in the bondage chair.

Question: the Master is the Master. Why are the . . . former humans now serving the Master when they are the Master? And that shot of the Chinese army of Master's is terrible!

W: "You let him go, you swine."

MASTER: "Oh, your dad's still kicking up a fuss."

W: "Yeah? Well, I'd be proud if I was." D'aaaawwww.

MASTER: "Hush, now." And then Wilf's phone rings and it's Donna.

M: "Oh, he loves playing with Earth girls. Ugh!" Master/Doctor. Canon, at least it's being one-sided. And I agree with him.

Also Donna's being hunted by Masters and then her head explodes, exuding a . . . force field that kills the Masters in the immediate area. The Doctor meanwhile has a smug look on his face before he winks at the Master. So. Gay.

Yay! Canon confrims that Donna is the Doctor's best friend. I am vindicated.

MASTER: "Tell me, where's your Tardis?"

DOCTOR: "You could be so wonderful."

MASTER: "Where is it?"

DOCTOR: "You're a genius. You're stone cold brilliant, you are. I swear, you really are. But you could be so much more. You could be beautiful. With a mind like that, we could travel the stars. It would be my honour. Because you don't need to own the universe, just see it. To have the privilege of seeing the whole of time and space. That's ownership enough."

MASTER: "Would it stop, then? The noise in my head?"

DOCTOR: "I can help."

MASTER: "I don't know what I'd be without that noise."

DOCTOR: "I wonder what I'd be, without you." Welp. My gay-o-meter just broke. And I'd gotten it reinforced after the fiasco with season three finale. The only way this could be more canon is if they shared a passion fuelled kiss before proceeding into love-and/or-hatesex right there and then on the bondage chair.

LOOK AT THAT NONSENSE! And even the music is wistful and wanting because they both want it.

Turns out the drums started when the Master (as all Time Lords do) looked into the Untempered Schism. It's a rift in the fabric of reality - made by Rose I bet. That's when - that looks like a Stargate - the drums started.

Back with the Pricklypants of Rassilon, they saw this flashback? I think? And the drumming is insanity/a warrior's mind. Either way the Pircklypants of Rassilon will use that drumbeat to do something.

The heartbeat of a Time Lord (tat tat tat tat) is heard by all six billions odd people on Earth. And the Master thinks he's part of the end of time itself. (Well, he already was there once in 'Utopia') And technically he is because the Pircklypants of Rassilon say he is.

And then the Master slaps the Doctor because he's the Dom in this relationship. Also he threatens to kill Wilf.

D: "Actually, the most impressive thing about you is that after all this time, you're still bone dead stupid." Also, the guard was a cactus.

The Doctor's in a bondage chair being wheeled around a mansion by a cactus (and down stairs) while they run away from the Master. D: "Worst. Rescue. Ever." You still got rescued. And teleported away to a spaceship.

Wilf is in space! "We're in space!"

Hollywod hacking and now the Master is being told what to do by the master even though they're all insane and, you know, insane genius Time Lords.

D: "Where's your flight deck?[...] And he's got every single missile on the planet ready to fire."

Seriously though, the Masters are listening to the First Master. And in space the Doctor broke the cactus ship to make it silent in the water (of space) even though sound doesn't travel in space and it's more likely that a giant piece of metal would be found rather than noise.

Question: do you think John Simm got dozens of paychecks for being dozens of characters?

The cactuses aren't happy because they're stranded. All of them are. But Wilf has faith that the Doctor "has a trick up [his] sleeve". Except he doesn't so oops.

Back on earth, the Masters are listening to the drums. How does that help them find the signal? And why have none of the Masters moved. And then he figures out the signal was designed.

Pricklypants of Rassilon drove the Master insane to help them break out of the Time Lock. And now they need a crystal to follow the link. The metaphysical link through time and space that somehow travels through a hologram of Earth directly into Earth's gravitational field. And it crashed with remarkable accuracy.

Okay, this is nonsense, but it's also Time Lords who are masters of Time and Space, so I'll buy it.

M: "It's a diamond sir. Oh. The most impossible diamond. You won't believe this: it's a white point star."

Cue the Master cackling and going skeletal. Because it's one of a kind?

Back on the cactus ship Wilf is looking for the Doctor in the underbelly of the ship which, of course, is dark, underlit, steamy and confusing. Then the Lady shows up. "Tell me old soldier, did you take arms? [...] This is the Doctor's final battle. At the end of his life, he must stand at arms, or lose himself and all this world, to the End of Time. [...] I was lost, so very long ago." His mother? His wife? Susan? Ummm. Romana? It's not River Song I know that.

Whatever. Wilf's happy again(ish). "My wife's buried down there [on Earth[. I ight never visit her again. D'you think he changed them? In their graves?"

D: "I'm sorry."

W: "It's not your fault." It's not, no. I like this, it Wilf remembering his life on Earth. (The Doctor's nine hundred and six now) "We must look like insects to you."

D: "I think you look like giants." Okay? And then Wilf offers the Doctor his gun because it might help.

D: "You had the gun in the mansion. You could have shot the Master there and then. [...] I'd be proud. [...] If you were my dad." D'aaawwwwww.

And the reason the Doctor won't shoot the Master is because killing is what got the Master started on his path. Don't make me start about whether or not you've killed or not, because you have. That you fel guilt is what makes you different from the Master. D: "I've taken lives. I got worse. I got clever. Manipulated people into taking their own. Sometimes I think a Time Lord lives too long. I can't. I just can't."

W: "hat, they go back to being human? They're alive, and human. Then don't you dare, sir. Don't you dare put him before them. Now you take this. That's an order, Doctor. Take the gun. You take the gun and save your life. And please don't die. You're the most wonderful man and I don't want you to die." And this is heartwarming and sad.

D: "NEver." DON'T YOU DARE START. YOU HAVE AND WILL!

Then the Master contacts the Doctor and tells him about the star. M: "I can increase the signal. Use it. It's a lifeline. Do you get it now? Do you see? Keep watching, Doctor. This should be spectacular."

Okay. The diamond is Important because they're only on Gallifrey. W: "Well, I mean, that's good, isn't it? I mean, that's your people." And the Doctor takes the gun because the Time Lords returning is the most terrifying and dangerous thing the Doctor can ever imagine. I mean, the Doctor had to genocide them and the Daleks to stop the War.

PoR: "Contact. At last. [...] Now the High Council of Time Lords must vote. Whether we die here, today, or return to the waking world and complete the Ultimate Sanction. For this is the hour when either Gallifrey falls, or Gallifrey rises!" Oh dear. Any sanction starting with Ultimate or Final is usually bad.

Cactus ship:

W: "But I've heard you talk about your people like they're wonderful."

D: "That's how I choose to remember them, the Time Lords of old. But then they went to war. An endless war, and it changed them right to the core. You've seen my enemies, Wilf. The Time Lords are more dangerous than any of them." And that's pretty dangerous. Tennant's acting here is also top notch, you can see the fear and tension in his every muscle.

Asteroid lasers? How did the Doctor mend them? The Doctor's going to fly the ship into the planet or something. Is he going to crash it or something? I think so. That CG of the ship burning up in the atmosphere is terrible.

And now they have to fight off all the defences of the planet. I think I'll punch the male cactus in the face with his wololololols, he's not a priest from Age of Empires! Girl cactus though is delightfully sarcastic and put out.

Not much else to say really, it's a battle in the air. Slightly evocative of WWII, especially with the design of the laser bays. This is a long action scene. They're flying towards the Naismith mansion.

Only two people voted against breaking out of the War. So they're imitating "the Weeping Angels of old" (PoR). How old are those Angels if even the Time Lords think they're old?! ANyway, they're breaking free.

The Doctor's not stopping, and the StarGate has opened the way for the Council to step right onto Earth.

W: Doctor? Doctor, you said you were going to die.[...] But is that all of us? I won't stop you, sir. But is this it?"

Okay, the thing with the Coucil coming through is kind of awesome.

And now the Doctor's jumped from forty faasand feet wivout a parachute. And rather than, as in the song, landing on the [marble floor] like a lump of strawberry jam for his mother to accidentally serve him to the vicar for tea he's perfectly fine. Well, a couple of scratches.

Yeah. No. Also, the Doctor has a gun, but he was too late. The Council is there. PoR: "My Lord Doctor. Lord Master. We are gathered for the End." There's half an episode to go!

Wilf forces to cactuses to land the ship because he won't leave his son alone. "not today!"

Pricklypants of Rassilon: "It is a fitting paradox that our salvation comes at the hands of our most infamous child."

And the Master gloats about being awesome and how he's going to turn all Time Lords into him. But the PoR's power glove is 'so bad' that he literally undoes the Master's handiwork with a single movement.

PoR: "On your knees mankind! [..] The approach begins."

M: "The approach of what?!"

D: [...]"They're not just bringing back the species. It's Gallifrey. Right here, right now." And the Earth wouldn't survive a planet being that close. Also: Gallifrey is burning. The finale is reusing/referencing a lot of elements from - oh that is too close. The atmosphere should be on fire.

Wilf meanwhile, is running to the Doctor, the cactuses are fleeing, the humans are running. The Pricklypants of Rassilon is standing and smugging smugly. Things are bad. And the only person standing at the Doctor's side is Wilf. Who then uses the one-person-always-in machine to save someone's life.

M: "Well, this is fantastic isn't it? The Time Lord restored!"

D: "You weren't there in the final days of the War. You never saw what was born. But if the Timelock's broken, then everything's coming through. Not just the Daleks, but the Skaro Degradations, the Horde of Travesties, the Nightmare Child, the Could-have-been King with his army of Meanwhiles and Never-weres. The War turned into hell. And that's what you've opened, right above the Earth. Hell is descending." Okay. The Master did a Really Bad Thing "[...] Because even the TIme Lords can't survive that!"

Okay. The Final Sanction is ripping time apart. Didn't Davros want to do that? And the goal of the Time Lords is the goal of the Ancients from Stargate - to ascend to become beings of pure spirit. They even call it Ascension like in Stargate!

Also, surprise, surprise, the Pricklypants of Rassilon wants to kill the Master for being mental. So the Doctor steps in between both of them.

Which to kill, which to kill. M: "Oh, the link is inside my head. Kill me, the link gets broken, they go back. YOu never would, you coward. Go on then. Do it!" In between each sentence we look back to the Doctor's steadfast face.

I love the Master's actions. Whichever way the Doctor faces he advocates killing the person. PoR: "The final act of your life is murder. But which one of us?"

Okay . . . the Lady from earlier mimicked the Weeping Angel pose and then recanted it(?), so she's agreeing with PoR I think. But whoever she is, she's Important to the Doctor because there's Rose's theme, and that isn't Rose because she isn't a Time Lord no matter how much RTD wants her to be one. So who is she and why are she and the Doctor exchanging a Look?

So it's the Master then? Music = tension. D: "Get out of the way." The Master clues in, smiles and the machine creating the link is broken, and so V: "Gallifrey falling! Gallifrey falls!"

And PoR goes to kill the Doctor, and then M: "Get out of the way! You did this to me!" etc. The Master is Palpatining the Pricklypants of Rassilon and the Council (and himself) back into the Time Locked Time War one day before the Doctor ends it. As Eight. But he actually ended it twice. With the Master (once).

And the world is saved. Happy ending!With twenty minutes to go the Doctor is still alive. So how do you die? YEah, you're crying with happiness and all, but you're still going to die somehow.

tat tat tat tat

IT'S WILF!

Wilf is the one who knocked four times. And he's certainly one of the "little people" the Doctor derided back in 'Waters of Mars'.

W: "I'm sorry."

D: "Sure."

W: "Look, just leave me."

D: "Okay, right then, I will. Because you had to go in there, didn't you? You had to go and get stuck, oh yes. Because that's who you are, Wilfred. You were always this. Waiting for me all this time." Yeah no. Wilf doesn't exist just to be the agent of your destruction.

W: "No really, just leave me. I'm an old man, Doctor. I've had my time."

D: "Well, exactly. Look at you. Not remotely important. But me? I could do so much more. So much more! But this is what I get. My reward. And it's not fair! YOU'RE GOING TO REGENERATE STOP BEING A BABY ABOUT THIS AND SAVE YOUR COMPANION'S LIFE! Also: TIme Lord Victorious, I can hear you. It's still sad, but you know, could have been better.

D: "Oh. Oh. I've lived too long."

W: "No. No, no, please, please don't. No, don't! Please don't! Please!"

D: "Wilfred, it's my honour. Better be quick. Three, two, one." And he saves Wilf's life. And absorbs five hundred thousands rads of radiation while 'still being fine'.

So the last fifteen minutes? What's that? And how did he heal all of that damage so quickly? Oh right. Regeneration = healing powers.

D: "It's started." Wilf says goodbye. And Donna's fine, though the TARDIS is right outside so we're going to be cutting things close. D: "Did I miss something? Again." Yeah. Hi Wilf. That wasn't nice Doctor, saying that Sylvia smiling was ugly.

The Doctor'll see Wilf one more time. Meanwhile, the Doctor's off to get his reward.

OH MY GOD. I am not sitting through fifteen minutes of epilogue. And Mickey and Martha got married! Talk about pairing the (token black) spares. Yeah yea, the Doctor saves their lives and I don't care. This is stupid and I swear if all fifteen minutes are self-indulgent pity partying on the Doctor's behalf I am graduating him up to punch in the face oh my God what is this!

And Luke's a prat, nearly got run over. But yeah, yeah, the Doctor's reward is making sure that his COmpanions are happy. BUT HE STILL DIDN'T SAY GOODBYE TO SARAH jANE SMITH IN PERSON. HE JUST LOOKED AT HER. But I think she knows somehow.

Cantina? And references galore. Hello Cpt. jack Sparrow. Adipose are still cute. At the Cantina. The Eis Mosely Cantina. Jack got a note about . . . Alonso.

From the space!Titanic. I thought Cpt. Jack Sparrow and ianto were a Thing.

Hurry up and end.

. . . It's the granddaughter of the nurse from 'Human Nature'/'Family of Blood'! D: "She happy? In the end?"

W: "Yes. Yes, she was."

D: "Weere you?"

D: *twisted smile"

And now Donna's getting married. At least he said goodbye to her last. There are still ten minutes left. I know we're 'saying goodbye to an era' but I've seen entire franchise end permanently with less fanfare. Star Trek: TNG for example ended with a poker game.

This is dragging. Sooooooooooooooo long. Final wrap up: villain dad and villain child are in prison.

W: "Who was that woman [in white]?" No answer. And Donna's wedding pressent is a lottery ticket thing from the Doctor, bought using money he got from Donna's dad. D'aaawwwww. Of course it'll be a massive win.

Bye Doctor. End the episode. End it. End. It. Ennnnnnd it. The Doctor walks away to Vale Decem, Wilf cries, he enters the TARDIS and regenerates. Come on!

END!

OH MY GOD. IT'S THAT STUPID COW AGAIN WHY CAN'T SHE JUST GO AWAY AND NEVER COME BACK WHAT THE HELL! ROSE IS NOT IMPORTANT ENOUGH TO BE THE LAST PERSON YOU SAY 'GOODBYE' TOO BECAUSE GUESS WHAT YOUR CLONE/PERSON THING IS WITH HER IN ANOTHER UNIVERSE AND YOU STILL 'CAN'T GET OVER HER' OH I HATE YOU ROSE AND I HATE YOU RTD FOR FORCING THIS 'BEAUTIFUL, PERFECT, WONDERFUL COMPANION AND ;=LOVE ITNEREST' DOWN MY THROAT!

And what about the paradox the Doctor just made?!?!?! Because Rose is a moron but she's still going to remember that TEN IS THE PERSON SHE SAW BEFORE HE TECHNICALLY EXISTED. oh my god

Are you dead yet? Come on. There are still five minutes left.

Screw it. I'm done.

O: "This song is ending, but the story never ends." Still not caring. No wonder people hated Matt Smith for existing after this worthless ending. Am I meant to be said? I'm not. I'm bored.

D: "I don't want to go." OH MY GOD I HATE YOU Way to rain on Matt Smith's parade you horrible little writer. You couldn't just go could you?

But Matt Smith is lovely and you can tell from those two minutes (and music) just what Eleven and Moffatt's reign is going to be like. D: "Crashing?! A-ha! Woo-hoo-hoo! GERONIMO~!"

Scream out!

Preview: No preview this time.

Best Moment:The bits with Wilf in the cafe sans the Doctor's pity party. Regeneration doesn't work that way. And Matt Smith. Because he is joy. And he's not up himself.

Worst Moment: Oh my God Rose just die already. And the last twenty minutes. And "I don't wanna go" \SDKNF[O\SDKCDBGS'\K NF'ZJFKJHFHSDFJK;V

Best Actor: Matt Smith! Okay, no. It's Bernard Cribbins. He was wonderful. And Mr. Pricklypants of Rassilon was quite good at being someone obviously pushed over and beyond the limits of rationality. He spits a lot though.

Worst Actor: For spite's sake David Tennant, even though it's more a writing and direction problem than an acting problem. There weren't actually any bad actors.

Best Special Effect: Gallifrey.

Worst Special Effect: Whatever it was I said it was. The ship on fire right?

Most Punchable Character: The Doctor!

Death Count: Billions, except kind of not.

Kink of the Episode: Talk about gaying it up!

Was Not Expecting: Ubergayness. All that pity party nonsense through both halves of the special.

Overall thoughts?
NO!
There was Rose. There was twenty minutes of the Doctor pitying himself and dragging out the finale when it should have just ended. There were good bits, and I liked Gallifrey because dude, people want to know about the Time War so badly that even though RTD said it would never be shown on screen it is for the fiftieth anniversary.
But in reality, everything good about the episode is drowned in RTD's leaving party. He drowned the episode in stupid angsty 'feel good' schmaltz. Horrible special.
I wasted an hour today because I was so angry or giggling. John Simm was good for the hamm, Cribbins was good for actually being a good, compassionate human, Pricklypants of Rassilon was the Pricklypants of Rassilon and that's all that needs saying. Tennant finally choosing to save Wilf in spite of everything was good, but by all that's Holy, I wish I had taken that advice to have alcohol read because my God."

[IthilanorStPete]

Still think that Two/Jamie have as much going on as Doctor/Master, Curly?

[Aotrs Commander]

'The End of Time' (1/2) (Year of Specials 4/5)

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M: "They're not gonna think like me. They're gonna become me." And Master race. Also the process of them becoming the Master is, the only thing I can think to say is that it's very strange and I don't know if it's in a good way or a bad way.

Also Donna's head is exploding with memories.

Question: why are all the Masters different heights and possessing different accents is they're the same person? M: "The human race was always your favourite. now there is only . . . the Master race." *evil cackling*

I was eagerly awaiting you review of that bit. I honestly never get tired of that bit (I've watched on youtube more times than I can count!)

When in Naruto, they first put the Moon's Eye plan up and everbody laughed, I thought of this and thought "nope, they've not really thought about that one."

As as a fellow Evil-does, I must tip my helmet to the Master - he really earned his monkier with that one. Priceless!

'The End of Time' (2/2) (Year of Specials 5/5)

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Worst Moment: Oh my God Rose just die already. And the last twenty minutes. And "I don't wanna go" \SDKNF[O\SDKCDBGS'\K NF'ZJFKJHFHSDFJK;V

I'm going out of a limb here, and correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm getting some very subtle hints you may not have been 100% approving of the ending...

(Not that I blame you. Even Tennant himself preportedly wanted to change that line.)

[Reverent-One]

Yep, we called it, CarpeGuitarrem.

Just going to comment on one part:

'The End of Time' (2/2) (Year of Specials 5/5)

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O: "This song is ending, but the story never ends." Still not caring. No wonder people hated Matt Smith for existing after this worthless ending. Am I meant to be said? I'm not. I'm bored.

D: "I don't want to go." OH MY GOD I HATE YOU Way to rain on Matt Smith's parade you horrible little writer. You couldn't just go could you?

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Why does it have to be about Matt Smith? Why can't it just be the ending for Ten's story? Acting as if people dislike Smith because of Ten's ending is rather dismissive for those of us who have other issues with Smith. Yes, you can say the other doctors felt differently, but they aren't exactly the same people, that's why we talk about X doctor being like this or Y Doctor being like that.

(Not that I blame you. Even Tennant himself preportedly wanted to change that line.)

Really? I heard he was touched by the ending and thought it was appropriate.

[CarpeGuitarrem]

Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeyup. Perfectly-calibrated epic Curly Bomb. That went exactly as I thought it would. And, I think, for the same reasons I thought it would. That's one of the reasons I hold a small bit of a grudge against RTD--how he set up Eleven that way. It's not about giving Tennant a sendoff, it's about carrying the story onward.

Like you said, not a single regeneration has been like that. The closest we got was...well...you all know.

Spoiler: Just in case someone hasn't seen it yet, I don't think Curly has

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The Night of the Doctor...but that was a conscious choice to regenerate into something which the Doctor abhorred.

I'm desperately hoping that Eleven doesn't go out that way.

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People keep talking about how his regeneration is going to be "traumatic" and such, and that worries me. I really hope Moffat isn't going to try and pull something like that.

On the flip side, he'll still be writing and working with Capaldi. So I'm hoping that this means he'll regenerate under incredibly traumatic circumstances that shape him into something very dark and dangerous. i.e. Capaldi.

[Aotrs Commander]

Really? I heard he was touched by the ending and thought it was appropriate.

Ending =/= that last one line, though, so the two are not mutually exclusive.

I recall somewhere him being attributed to wanting to not use that line (as he thought that was too much), but I can't remember where. (Hense "preportedly.")

[CurlyKitGirl]

Koorly's Doctor Who Review Archive:
Classic Who

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Second Doctor

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Season 5
1.
2.
3.
4.
5. 'The Web of Fear' 1/6
6.
7.
Season 6
1:
2:
3: 'The Invasion' 1/8, 2/8, 3/8 part one, part two, 4/8 part one, part two, 5/8, 6/8, 7/8, 8/8
4:
5:
6:
7:

Fourth Doctor

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Series 12
1:
2:
3:
4: 'Genesis of the Daleks' 1/6, 2/6, 3/6, 4/6, 5/6, 6/6
5:

Sixth Doctor

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Series 22
4: ‘The Two Doctors’ 1/3, 2/3, 3/3

Seventh Doctor

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Series 25
1: 'Remembrance of the Daleks' 1/4 part 1, part 2, 2/4, 3/4, 4/4
2:
3:
4:

Nu Who

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Season 1 - retrospective

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Brief Whole Series Retrospective
1: 'Rose'
2: 'The End of the World'
3: 'The Unquiet Dead'
4: 'Aliens of London' (1/2)
5: 'World War III' (2/2)
6: 'Dalek'
7: 'The Long Game'
8: 'Father's Day'
9: 'The Empty Child' (1/2)
10: 'The Doctor Dances' (2/2)
11: 'Boom Town'
12: 'Bad Wolf' (1/2)
13: 'The Parting of the Ways' (2/2)

Christmas Episode: 'The Christmas Invasion'

Season 2 - retrospective

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Brief Whole Series Retrospective
1: 'New Earth'
2: 'Tooth and Claw'
3: 'School Reunion'
4: 'The Girl in the Fireplace'
5: 'Rise of the Cybermen' (1/2)
6: 'The Age of Steel' (2/2)
7: 'The Idiot's Lantern'
8: 'The Impossible Planet' (1/2)
9: 'The Satan Planet' (2/2)
10: 'Love and Monsters'
11: 'Fear Her'
12: 'Army of Ghosts' (1/2)
13: 'Doomsday' (2/2) GOODBYE ROSE!
Charity Special: 'Doctor Who: Children in Need'
Christmas Episode: 'The Runaway Bride'

Season 3 - blind bar Moffat

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1: 'Smith and Jones'
2: 'The Shakespeare Code'
3: 'Gridlock'
4: 'Daleks in Manhattan' (1/2)
5: 'Evolution of the Daleks' (2/2)
6: 'The Lazarus Experiment'
7: '42'
8: 'Human Nature' (1/2)
9: 'The Family of Blood' (2/2)
10: 'Blink'
11: 'Utopia' (1/3)
12: 'The Sound of the Drums' (2/3)
13: 'The Last of the Time Lords' (3/3)
Children in Need 2007 episode: 'Time Crash'
2007 Christmas Episode: 'Voyage of the Damned'

Bits and Bobs
Retrospective - to be written later
Why I Do Not Like Martha/Ten (This was written between my write ups of ep. 8 and ep 9)

Season Four blind bar Moffat

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1: 'Partners in Crime'
2: 'The Fires of Pompeii'
3: 'Planet of the Ood'
4: 'The Sontaran Stratagem' (1/2)
5: ‘The Poison Sky‘ (2/2)
6: ‘The Doctor‘s Daughter‘ Two part review.
7: 'The Unicorn and the Wasp'
8: 'Silence in the Library' (1/2)
9: 'Forest of the Dead' (2/2)
10: 'Midnight'
11: 'Turn Left' (1/3)
12: 'The Stolen Earth' (2/3)
13: 'Journey's End' (3/3)

The Specials]
1: 'The Next Doctor'
2: 'Planet of the Dead'
3: 'The Waters of Mars'
4: 'The End of Time' (1/2)
5: 'The End of Time' (2/2)

Season 5 - blind bar Moffat's Angels

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1: 'The Eleventh Hour' (including 'Meanwhile in the TARDIS 1')
2: 'The Beast Below'
3: 'Victory of the Daleks'
4: 'The Time of the Angels' (1/2)
5: 'Flesh and Stone' (2/2) (including 'Meanwhile in the TARDIS 2')
6: 'The Vampires of Venice'
7: 'Amy's Choice'
8: 'The Hungry Earth' (1/2)
9: 'Cold Blood' (2/2)
10: 'Vincent and the Doctor'
11: 'The Lodger' (bar the angels this was the first episode I saw)
12: 'The Pandorica Opens' (1/2)
13: 'The Big Bang' (2/2)
Christmas Episode: 'A Christmas Carol'

Season 6

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To to things this series was split in two, as such eps. 8 - Christmas episode will be liveblogged, and the first seven will be written with me having seen them before.
1: 'The Impossible Astronaut' (1/2)
2: 'Day of the Moon' (2/2)
3: 'The Curse of the Black Spot'
4: 'The Doctor's Wife' HELL YEAH!
5: 'The Rebel Flesh' (1/2)
6: 'The Almost People' (2/2)
7: 'A Good Man Goes to War'
8: 'Let's Kill Hitler'
9: 'Night Terrors'
10: 'The Girl Who Waited'
11: 'The God Complex'
12: 'Closing Time'
13: 'The Wedding of River Song'

Red Nose Day Specials: 'Space'/'Time'
2011 Christmas Special: 'The Doctor, The Widow and the Wardrobe'

Season 7

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Liveblogged unless otherwise mentioned.
1: 'Asylum of the Daleks'
2: 'Dinosaurs On A Spaceship'
3: 'A Town Called Mercy'
4: 'The Power of Three'
5: 'The Muppets Take Manhattan'
'P.S.'
'The Great Detective' CiN minisode
'Vastra Investigates' minisode
2012 Christmas episode: 'The Snowman'
6: 'The Bells of St. John' (and 'Prequel')
7: 'The Rings of Akhaten'
8: 'Cold War'
9: 'Hide'
10: 'Journey to the Centre of the TARDIS'
11: 'The Crimson Horror'
12: 'Nightmare in Silver'
13: 'The Name of the Doctor'

Fiftieth Anniverary
Minisode/prequel: 'Night of the Doctor'
Special: 'The Day of the Doctor'

Odds and Sods

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Things that don't really fit anywhere.

'Good As Gold' Second Blue Peter scriptwriting competition for Doctor Who
The Lost Episodes: A Very Brief History

JUST IN TIME

'The Name of the Doctor' (season 7b, ep. 13)

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For the purposes of an abbreviated Who I will allot no more than than half an hour over the episode's length, and preferably less. The minute I hit that deadline I stop and go onto the next. Chances of follow-up material are unknown.

Writer: Moffatt

Script Editor: Unknown

Director: Saul Metzstein. He's directed five episodes of season seven in total.

Producer: Denise Paul, Marcus Wilson (series producer)

I'm not sure how much Executive Producers get involved with in each episode but they're Moffatt and Caroline Skinner; and the Music is, of course, by Murray Gold. Also, Moffatt wrote this.

I had a drink after watching 'End of Time'. I may have had a few drinks. And I may or may not have liberated a pint of cold cider from the fridge and steadily drunk it while I ate. I'm running late. It's six pm. I have an episode and a minisode to get done before 'Day of the Doctor'. This I can do. I have no idea what happened after 'Bell of St. John'; let's play: how confused can Curly get?

Someone's trying to steal - hello Gallifrey. HELLO ONE AND SUSAN AND - CLARA! What? Are you another Commpanion stuck in the Time Vortex?

Was that Six? And Four? And Five? And Seven? And Three? And Eight? And Two? And Five again? And Eleven!

Because of a leaf? C: "I'm Clara Oswald. I'm the impossible girl. I was born to save the Doctor." OH GOD DAMN IT DO NOT REMIND ME OF ROSE OR ~SPESHUL SNOWFLAKE~ COMPANIONS RIGHT NOW I HAVE HAD IT UP TO HERE WITH THEM AND HOW EVERY SINGLE FINALE I'VE SEEN BAR ONE WAS ABOUT THE COMPANION AND NOT THE DOCTOR! Except maybe season six, like I said, I'm confused about that one.

Whispermen? It's a crazy men in the sewers under London. In 1893. Mr. Great Intelligence I assume? And Madame Vastra! You're wonderful! Oh, it's Jack the Ripper. She's going to eat him! Until he says "The Doctor! Ah, yes. I know all about him, your dangerous friend. [...] In the babble of the world, there are whispers, if you know how to listen. The Doctor has a secret, you know. [...] He has one he will take to the grave. And it is discovered."

So this wins somehow and next we know Mme. Vastra is telling Jenny she's organising a conference call. (Jenny hears whispers, but then they're gone, also there's someone outside the window) And STRAX GOES ON HOLIDAY TO GLASGOW TO BRAWL WITH PEOPLE! BECAUSE SCOTS ARE AS VIOLENT AS SONTARANS! (and yeah, bit racist) This is genius. XD


ARCHIE: Come here while I kill ye, ya filthy wee midden.

STRAX: Prepare to die in agony for the glory of the Sontaran Empire!

MESSENGER BOY: Excuse me. Mister Strax?

STRAX: What is it, girl? Can't you see I'm trying to crush the brains of this stinking primitive? Sorry about this.

ARCHIE: No problem.

MESSENGER BOY: "It's a telegram, sir. Very urgent."

And Strax asks Archie to knock him unconscious because it's a conference call that looks like a seance? And it seems to be mental? Yes, it's a mental conference call. And many other women will be there with the Doctor.

Clara. She's going to be soufflé girl. Eventually. Not now. But in the future. And Mme. Vastra sent Clara a seance candle thing. Also she drugged Clara. That's how one endgenders trust!

MV: "Time travel has always been possible in dreams." And now there's one more visitor. River Song. I remain confused about you and how I feel about you.

And yeah, calling Clara a Companion in front of River Song, his wife, might be a little awkward. So now Clara's an assistant. And neither Strax or Clara knew River was a woman.

The Doctor's secret is in Jack the Ripper's head. Fields of Trnzalore was it? And yeah, yeah, River can gloat about knowing the Doctor's name.

What's the thing in the real world with no face?

Called it. Jack the Ripper knew the name 'Trenzalore'. River is adamant that Mme. vastra misunderstood and Jenny's panicking because she didn't lock the door before they started the call and Mme. Vastra falls into the trope of dismissing vital information.

Typical.

J: "Someone's broken in, Someone's with us. I can hear them. Sory ma'am. So sorry. So sorry. I think I'#ve been murdered." NO! Jenny isn't allowed to die. She's married to Mma Vastra.

Those are the Gentlemen from Buffy aren't they.? And they found everyone.

G: "Tell the Doctor. Tell the Doctor. That his friends are lost until he goes to Trenzalore." Back in Clara's present the Doctor is playing Blind Man's Bluff and the children nicked off to the cinema instead.

Good thing really because, you know, the Fields of Trenzalore.

Also, the Doctor still calls River "An old friend". Also, he breaks down crying when he hears the words 'Fields of Trenzalore'.

In the TARDIS:

D: "Trenzalore. I've heard the name, of course. Dorium mentioned it. A few others. Always suspected what it was, never wanted to find out myself. River would know, though. River always knew. Right, come here. Give me your hand. Now, the coordinates you saw will still be in your memory. I'm linking you into the Tardis telepathic circuit. Won't hurt a bit." He lied about the hurting though.

Clara asks about Trenzalore.

D: "When you are a time traveller, there is one place you must never go. One place in all of space and time you must never, ever find yourself. [...] ou didn't listen, did you? You lot never do. That's the problem. The Doctor has a secret he will take to the grave. It is discovered. He wasn't talking about my secret. No, no, no, that's not what's been found. He was talking about my grave. Trenzalore is where I'm buried."

Okay. Makes sense.

The Doctor's still going to Trenzalore anway because "I have to save Vastra and Strax. Jenny too, if it's still possible. They, they cared for me during the dark times. Never questioned me, never judged me, they were just kind. I owe them. I have a duty." And off he goes with Clara.

Sexy though really doesn't want to go to the Doctor's grave because it's massively crossing timelines. So the TARDIS blows up. In the atmosphere above Trenzalore. The planet is on fire.

They're going to fall to the planet. That looked cartoony. It was a bit. And the Doctor cracked the TARDIS' glass.

Gloomy planet. It's stormy and it's a graveyard. And because the Doctor's probably done more time travelling than anyone else, there's a high chance his grave is the most dangerous place in the universe? Because?

World building: on battlefield graveyards the bigger the tomb, the higher the rank. Oh no. The grave is the TARDIS. And it's both very big and very literal D: "When a TARDIS is dying, sometimes the dimension dams start breaking down. They used to call it a size leak. All the bigger on the inside starts leaking to the outside. It grows. When I say that's the TARDIS, I don't mean it looks like the TaRDIS, I mean it actually is the TARDIS. My TARDIS from the future. What else would they bury me in?" Poetic though: the Doctor and Sexy together in death as they were in life. And no wonder she didn't want to go there.

Why can't the Doctor see River? A mental link? And the Docto can - oh no, he saw her grave. Yeah. No. That's not right. She's dead in the Library unless it's just an honourary one.

Oh! Are these the whispermen? Yeah. And the River grave is a secret entracne - also Clara just found out about the wife thing. And the whispermen rhyme. And Mme. Vastra and Strax are inside the TARDIS.

S: "his base is surrounded! Lay down your weapons and your deaths will be merciful! [...] This planet is now property of the Sontaran Empire. Surrender your women and intellectuals." I love Strax.

Also Jenny's dead, but that's okay because Strax can bring the dead back to life! Within reason. And she's now perfectly fine. No blood or anything. I shrug.

And now there's a . . . man. And actual man. Who is he? Who is Dr. Simia - aren't you dead?

V: "Simian died. But the creature that possessed him lived on. I take it I am now talking to the Great Intelligence?" Yay! You were in 'Web'! Also 'Bells'!

S: "Welcome to the final resting place of the cruel tyrant. Of the slaughterer of the ten billion, and the vessel of the final darkness. Welcome to the tomb of the Doctor." Complete with lightning strike, but no organ music. Alas, Hammer Horror just isn't appreciated any more.

Oh dear. Catacombs. Never a good thing. And how could the Doctor say goodbye to River when she died when she didn't know him? He didn't know her. Both. Whatever. Look, River's complicated, stop bringing her up and confusing people.

Then Whisperman.

Back with Simian he's monologuing to the Paternoster Trio about the Doctor's bloody history (and future?) with a lot of callbacks. The Sycorax, Solomon the Trader, the Cybermen, the Daleks, S: "The Doctor lives his life in darker hues, day upon day, and he will have other names before the end. The Storm, the Beast, the Valeyard." Yes! Six reference!

How does Mme. Vastra not know about the Doctor's - oh right. He/Dalek!Clara did a mindwipe and everyone forgot. Except the Great Intelligence because "I am intelligence." (S)

Oh . . . kay. It was a Simian suit. He rips off skin and then possesses a Whisperman to make it a Simian suit.

Catacombs:

Clara nearly got caught, but she didn't. Except maybe something did happen because she's dizzy and feeling like she knows everything. C: "Have we, have we done this before? We have. We have done this before. Climbing through a wrecked TARDIS." And more memories. Is this a thing I've not seen? And how does she remember these?

S: "The word is the key. And the word is the Doctor's."

D: Here I am, late to my own funeral[...]."

S: "Open the door, Doctor. Speak, and open your tomb."

D: "No."

S: "Because you know what's in there?"

D: "I will not open those doors."

S: "The key is a word lost to time. A secret hidden in the deepest shadow and know to you alone. The answer to a question."

D: "I will not open my tomb."

S: "Doctor, what is your name?" And then he threatens to stop everyone else's hearts. Also there's some disturbing touching.

Strax is still funny, and with all this pressure, does the Doctor give his name?

S: "Doctor Who?" and Strax is persistent in assuming he's winning when he's dying.

What. His name is Please?

Or. The TARDIS can hear River, but no one else can, so we still don't know - thus making this episode a massive tease in that regard - but everyone else is okay!

The Great Intelligence thinks that he will find peace in the tomb, but that it's "pain everlasting" for the Doctor. Why? How? Questions.

Into the Doctor's tomb we go. Cloister Bells and plants everywhere. And the TARDIS core is - no. That's the Doctor's . . . soul?

J: "It's beautiful."

S: "Shall we destroy it?"

Heh.

D: "That is the scar tissue of my journey through the universe. My path through time and space from Gallifrey to Trenzalore." He's also wearing a velvet waiscoat. And hold on eveyrone, because it's a cascade of references to all the Doctors. It's literally all the days he's ever lived or ever will live. And he collapses because it's a paradox.

S: "The Doctor's life is an open wound. And an open wound can be entered." He just wants gave the 'to the pain' speech from The Princess Bride, but slightly tailored. What has the Doctor ever done to the Great Intelligence to make him want that? To completely destroy the Doctor's timleine.

Well. The great Intelligence is scattered like leaves throughout the Doctor's timeline now, making the Doctor . . . be rewritten. And now Simian is edited into all those clips to show he's in all the pasts. And killing all the Doctor's at once.

And something Mme. Vastra said - 'the Dalek asylum' - resonates with Clara. How did Clara save him then when she's clearly alive now.

D: "My life. My whole life is burning."

ALL THE STARS ARE GOING OUT AGAIN!

V: "The Doctor's timeline has been corrupted. His every victory reversed. Think how many lives that man saved. How many worlds. He saved your life when we met. Jenny?" Is now gone. She's dead. "Please, Jenny, no! Oh God, oh please, no." And Strax never met the Doctor so he's not friends with Mme. Vastra. And then he's gone.

I'd like a finale where all of time and space wasn't at risk for once. Where the stars didn't go out. Just once.

Clara's going to leap into the timeline. "It's what I've already done. You've already seen me do it. I'm the Impossible Girl, and this is why." And even though River begs, Clara's still going to be it because those 'echoes' are still real enough, and if they're real enough it's good enough. "If this works get out of here as fast as you can. And spare me a thought now and then. In fact, you know what, Run. Run you clever boy, and remember me."

Well that explains the opening. "I'm born, I live, I die. And always, there's the Doctor. Always I'm running to save the Doctor again and again and again. And he hardly ever hears me. But I've always been there."

The one stand-in is very good. I think they just took actual footage and were very careful with it. And she did it. Except for Clara. Is the Doctor talking to River or is he just talking to the Paternoster Trio? I don't know.

He's going to go into his own timestream - okay. He can see her. D: "You are always here to me. And I always listen. And I can always see you. [... and I never responded to you before b]ecause I thought it would hurt [me] too much. [...] And I was right." Okay? And then they kiss. Okay? It's nice, but I'm confused. And no one else can see her, so that looked strange to them. D: " There is a time to live and a time to sleep. You are an echo, River. Like Clara. Like all of us, in the end. My fault, I know, but you should've faded by now."

But she's not! Is she? I mean, yes, she is. But isn't she alive? I mean, he married her at the end of season six so she's alive? What?

And she hasn't faded because he didn't say goodbye yet. Then he did. R: "I was mentally linked with Clara. If she's really dead, then how can I still be here?"

D: "Okay. How?"

R: "Spoilers. Goodbye, sweetie."

WHAT. Anyone? Is River dead dead dead? Or is this timey-wimey mumbo jumbo? Also the Doctor epically crossed his own timestream.

C: "I'm the Impossible Girl. And my story, is done."

And now we're in a cave full of Ominous Smoke^TM

C: "Doctor? Doctor!? I don't know where I am." But she can hear the Doctor, and everything around her is him. So lots of Doctors running around. His ghosts.

But because the Doctor's inside his own timestream it's collapsing in on itself, but he won't leave without her. So he sends her a leaf (what? why?) to hold onto (Dumbo's feather???) until she gets home.

And then Eleven! D: "Just this once, just for the hell of it, let me save you!. You have to trust me, Clara. I'm real. Just one more step."

And hugs and aaawww and a kiss on the forehead because the Doctor - or Eleven at least - is touchy-feely with everyone.

As he looks over her shoulder he sees a shadowy figure. C: "Who's that?"

D "Never mind. let's get back."

[...]

D: "I said he was me, I never said he was the Doctor. Look, my name, my real name, that is not the point. The name I chose is the Doctor. The name you choose, it's like, it's like a promise you make. He's the one who broke the promise." Okay. Then Clara faints. "He is my secret."

UnDoctor: "What I did, I did without choice."

D: "I know."

UnDoctor:: "In the name of peace and sanity."

D: "But not in the name of the Doctor."

INTRODUCING JOHN HURT AS
THE DOCTOR

And then the fans and viewers imploded.

Scream out!

Preview: No preview this time.

Best Moment: All of it, but particularly Strax! And the bar room brawl! And the references! And the direction was lovely!

Worst Moment: Another ~speshul snowflake~ Companion? At least this time I can see why she's special and that it was well foreshadowed. Also, can the stars stop going out every other finale? It's getting dull now. Likewise with the Companion saving the Doctor in the finale and being somehow magically linked to the Doctor.

Best Actor: Matt Smith! And Clara! And Strax! They're just lovely.

Worst Actor: None.

Best Special Effect: *shrugs* They were all fairly high quality.

Worst Special Effect: Dropping the TARDIS onto Trenzalore.

Most Punchable Character: None!

Death Count: Maybe? I'm not entirely sure. At least the Great Intelligence is dead, I know that for a fact.

Kink of the Episode: Jenny/Mme. Vastra together forever.

Was Not Expecting: To be so confused. River Song made things extra confusing, but she always does.

Overall thoughts?
Fun. Confusing, but fun. A lot of that probably stems from from missing half a season, but I still followed along pretty well I thought. Except for the River Song bits, but she's a Person of Confusion.

The explanation concerning Clara was well thought out, and while I don't know if I like her being yet another Important Person Who Sacrificed Herself to Save the Doctor in the finale I have to say the execution was much better than other ones. Also the groundwork was actually laid so it didn't come out of anywhere and it didn't have to be alluded to be Cryptic Mystics either which is a good thing.

The effects were great, the Paternoster Trio were great, and I regret having to skip 'The Crimson Horror' because I'm sure that would have filled in several blanks.

Plus that cliffhanger and those callbacks. I like. Especially all the Doctors and how Eleven is mostly in his dark and serious mood, but you can still see elements of his more usual self in it. And vice versa.

'Night of the Doctor' minisode and prequel to 'Day of the Doctor'

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Crashing ship. A woman is sending for a Mayday and doesn't want a robot doctor -

PAUL MCGANN! YES!

Credits (written by Stephen Moffatt)

So this means Hurt is actually 'Nine' and so on and so forth? Anyway, the Doctor rescues the woman - Cass - who crews a gunship because she wanted to see the world.

Also she stopped when she saw the TARDIS and began to back away when she heard 'bigger on the inside'. "Is this the TARDIS? Don't Touch! Me! [...] You're a TIme Lord."

D: "Yes, I'm a Time Lord, but I'm one of the nice ones."

C: "Get away from me!"

Whoa. What are the Time Lords doing to make someone choose death rather than life? C: "You haven't finished yet. Some of this universe is still standing!"

Wow. And the ship crashes. And then there's a hoard of Cryptic Mystics who "always knew [that he] would return here". Where's Karn by the way?

And he's dead? Okay. He's alive. But only for four minutes.

D: "Four minutes. That's ages. What if I get bored?"

Then he clues into being on Karn. Kahn. The Sisterhood keep some potion of life that can willingly induce regeneration.

W: "You have helped us in the past. [...] You are the only hope left."

The Doctor refused the fight in the war, his name, the Doctor is synonymous in his mind with being a good man. And the Woman asks him to heal Cass - a victim of the Time War.

W: "The universe stands on the brink. Will you let it fall? [...] What do you need now?"

D: "A warrior . . . " Oh, his bandolier is Cass'.

W: A warrior?

D: "I don't suppose there's any need for a Doctor any more. Make me a warrior." But befpre he drinks from the Cup of Life (Indiana Jones anyone?) he orders everyone out. And is glad it will hurt. Ahahaha.

References to Companions of his specifically I assume.

D: "Physician heal thyself."

And he regenerates.

W: "Doctor no more."

Ah. The War Doctor then. And the War Doctor looked young in that one shot we see of him.

Preview: No preview this time.

Best Moment: All of it.

Worst Moment: None of it.

Best Actor: Paul McGann deserves more praise as the Doctor. I know he's widely considered one of the best audio Doctors, but I wish more people knew of his work.

Worst Actor: None.

Best Special Effect: It's a short, it was all good.

Worst Special Effect:

Most Punchable Character: Cryptic Mystics deserve a punch on principle.

Death Count: One. Two? Two. Ignoring the Time War that is.

Kink of the Episode: None.

Was Not Expecting: Paul McGann!

Overall thoughts?
Well, now we know John Hurt's Doctor's name (W) and it was nice seeing the reasoning for the Doctor choosing to become something he completely and utterly rejects before and after that regeneration. He did it for the innocents out there. As always.

And Paul McGann is a good Doctor. He felt like the Doctor for the whole time he was on.

Short, bitter in tone, and ultimately resigned. I like it. Let's see how 'Day' goes shall we? Fifteen minutes people.

[Hopeless]

Interesting start...

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They show Foreman's yard in the present day and Clara is teaching at Coleman's school where Susan started at.

Hey she's wearing the scarf!

"Next time would it kill you to knock!

I'm going to have to put you on hold!"

Okay a good start just not for the Doctor at the moment I hope he doesn't have a fear of heights!

I don't like being picked up!

How did they get back from The Name of the Doctor?

Nice scarf!

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The Moment is sentient?

Bad Wolf perhaps?

Oh dear, it IS Rose we're DOOMED!

How do I facepalm?

Yes you do mix them up!

[Athaniar]

My own live thoughts on the episode:

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Classic intro! Love it. The Foreman lot cameos, of course.

Driving straight into the TARDIS is pretty cool.

They really ought to go to ancient Mesopotamia some day.

Someone really wants that blue box. And UNIT's here too.

Sealed letter from Liz I? Beats the one from Blink.

I want that painting. Arcadia! And in 3D. Time Lord art is neat.

Nice battle effects. And the return of that Dalek music.

Priority Omega? Please tell me that's foreshadowing.

And here's the War Doctor. What good is a normal gun for him? Writing, apparently.

Is that the guy from Last Day?

Omega arsenal. It's at least a continuity nod.

The Moment, weapon with a conscience.

That looks rather low-tech for such an advanced thing.

Hello, Rose. Goodbye, Rose. Hello again, Rose. Bad Wolf Rose, that is. Bad Wolf Rose is a bit silly.

So it's not actually Rose.

This is a good moment. They're both good actors.

The Fez is eternal.

Deadly dangers afoot!

Hello, Tennant!

Heh, return of the Doctor's machine.

Don't underestimate that rabbit, Doctor.

Liz's actress is good. Nice double conversation.

And there's the fez again, of course.

Even more Time Lord art. Something's escaped?

Stable fez loop. And the two finally meet. This is fantastic.

"70's or 80's", huh.

Confusing the polarity, that's a new one. And here's the War Doc now.

There is indeed a precedent for that. Yet another reference to The Three Doctors.

Still not the creepiest Doctor Who monsters disguised as statues.

That is rather secure, yes. Probably not secure enough, though. Probably not shapeshifter-proof.

Definitely not shapeshifter-proof. Nice shifting effect, though.

The interaction between the Doctors is excellent drama.

Neat use of timey-wimey.

...That's just golden.

Yeah, you really should've had some kind of shapeshifter scan on those archives.

The paintings are just stasis pods. Not all that interesting, all things considered.

Hah, knew it was the real Liz.

I love the round things too.

Interesting decision. Wait, what does that mean for End of Time?

And there's Capaldi's first appearance!

And there's that regeneration.

Tom Baker! Inexplicably, but nice.

THE END. Wow. Now that was a wham episode. Fun too. A worthy special.

Christmas Episode preview! Daleks! Cybermen! Angels! Silence! Silence Falls! Aaaaaa

...Come on, #SherlockLives? Now you're just ripping off Marvel. :P

[CarpeGuitarrem]

So, just popping in here because this is a wonderful 50th Anniversary tribute, a short little animated clip that gave a few emotions at the very end. Spoilers for Night of the Doctor, very minorly.

Also, RE: Clara

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The Rings of Akhaten explains the leaf a little more, but it's still kinda vague and muddled. I agree that Clara is probably the best-executed of the Very Special Companions.

[Hopeless]

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Huh why hasn't the Timelords used their TARDISes as Dalek breakers?

That's an obsolete model and it still kicks more a$$ than the entire Timelord Forces.

So Rose effectively punishes the War Doctor for using the Moment... scary isn't it?

The Moment a sentient Galaxy Destroyer whose conscience resembles Rose Tyler and oh the Fez Strikes back!!!!

Hey I thought Liz hates his guts?

OH!

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Ten before the events of the End of Time and that second figure could be Eleven?!!!

Oh that Ding machine is pretty useful!

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So that's why he's on the run... from HER!!!

What's that rabbit?
Yeah the rabbit is scared (NOT)!

The FEZ STRIKES BACK!

Oh Moffatt has outdone himself!
Great start!

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The Fez heads to Elizabethan era then to Gallifrey... hey reverse the polarity!

Anyone lose a Fez?
Great introduction!

He doesn't recognise them thus

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the sonic screwdrivers and a mid-life crisis!

Oh that is clever...

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Yeah I wouldn't admit to hallucinating Rose Tyler...

Enter the scarf!

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Is Kate a what ever its called?

Okay a great crack about the US and movie rewrites!

They want THAT!

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I was right... timey whimey again?
heh I love Hurt's doctor!

Ooh that IS clever!

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HA HA HA! It wasn't locked! And Clara turns up!

HA HA HA!

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Queen Liz is seriously scary!
Oh dear as if it wasn't ominous enough!

The Black Archive...

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THREE DOCTORS! It certainly isn't Christmas!

Hello Time for you to WET yourselves!!!

Ooh a RIVER moment!

WTF?!

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Eleven is better... seriously ELEVEN Doctors... oh dear that's interesting!

Hey what about Rassilon and the End of Time?!

Sorry Ian!

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Oh so the Zygons saved Gallifrey?

OH ****!!! THIRTEEN DOCTORS!!!!

I HAVE TO BUY THIS!!! BBC IPLAYER THIS IS GOING TO BE WATCHED MORE TIMES THAN ANYTHING EVER BEFORE!!!!

Oh that's why he said that!

Very well done!!!!

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4!

[Kalrany]

HI. Who all got a chance to watch the simulcast of Day of the Doctor?

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That was an interesting twist.... ;)

[CurlyKitGirl]

Koorly's Doctor Who Review Archive:
Classic Who

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Second Doctor

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Season 5
1.
2.
3.
4.
5. 'The Web of Fear' 1/6
6.
7.
Season 6
1:
2:
3: 'The Invasion' 1/8, 2/8, 3/8 part one, part two, 4/8 part one, part two, 5/8, 6/8, 7/8, 8/8
4:
5:
6:
7:

Fourth Doctor

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Series 12
1:
2:
3:
4: 'Genesis of the Daleks' 1/6, 2/6, 3/6, 4/6, 5/6, 6/6
5:

Sixth Doctor

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Series 22
4: ‘The Two Doctors’ 1/3, 2/3, 3/3

Seventh Doctor

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Series 25
1: 'Remembrance of the Daleks' 1/4 part 1, part 2, 2/4, 3/4, 4/4
2:
3:
4:

Nu Who

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Season 1 - retrospective

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Brief Whole Series Retrospective
1: 'Rose'
2: 'The End of the World'
3: 'The Unquiet Dead'
4: 'Aliens of London' (1/2)
5: 'World War III' (2/2)
6: 'Dalek'
7: 'The Long Game'
8: 'Father's Day'
9: 'The Empty Child' (1/2)
10: 'The Doctor Dances' (2/2)
11: 'Boom Town'
12: 'Bad Wolf' (1/2)
13: 'The Parting of the Ways' (2/2)

Christmas Episode: 'The Christmas Invasion'

Season 2 - retrospective

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Brief Whole Series Retrospective
1: 'New Earth'
2: 'Tooth and Claw'
3: 'School Reunion'
4: 'The Girl in the Fireplace'
5: 'Rise of the Cybermen' (1/2)
6: 'The Age of Steel' (2/2)
7: 'The Idiot's Lantern'
8: 'The Impossible Planet' (1/2)
9: 'The Satan Planet' (2/2)
10: 'Love and Monsters'
11: 'Fear Her'
12: 'Army of Ghosts' (1/2)
13: 'Doomsday' (2/2) GOODBYE ROSE!
Charity Special: 'Doctor Who: Children in Need'
Christmas Episode: 'The Runaway Bride'

Season 3 - blind bar Moffat

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1: 'Smith and Jones'
2: 'The Shakespeare Code'
3: 'Gridlock'
4: 'Daleks in Manhattan' (1/2)
5: 'Evolution of the Daleks' (2/2)
6: 'The Lazarus Experiment'
7: '42'
8: 'Human Nature' (1/2)
9: 'The Family of Blood' (2/2)
10: 'Blink'
11: 'Utopia' (1/3)
12: 'The Sound of the Drums' (2/3)
13: 'The Last of the Time Lords' (3/3)
Children in Need 2007 episode: 'Time Crash'
2007 Christmas Episode: 'Voyage of the Damned'

Bits and Bobs
Retrospective - to be written later
Why I Do Not Like Martha/Ten (This was written between my write ups of ep. 8 and ep 9)

Season Four blind bar Moffat

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1: 'Partners in Crime'
2: 'The Fires of Pompeii'
3: 'Planet of the Ood'
4: 'The Sontaran Stratagem' (1/2)
5: ‘The Poison Sky‘ (2/2)
6: ‘The Doctor‘s Daughter‘ Two part review.
7: 'The Unicorn and the Wasp'
8: 'Silence in the Library' (1/2)
9: 'Forest of the Dead' (2/2)
10: 'Midnight'
11: 'Turn Left' (1/3)
12: 'The Stolen Earth' (2/3)
13: 'Journey's End' (3/3)

The Specials]
1: 'The Next Doctor'
2: 'Planet of the Dead'
3: 'The Waters of Mars'
4: 'The End of Time' (1/2)
5: 'The End of Time' (2/2)

Season 5 - blind bar Moffat's Angels

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1: 'The Eleventh Hour' (including 'Meanwhile in the TARDIS 1')
2: 'The Beast Below'
3: 'Victory of the Daleks'
4: 'The Time of the Angels' (1/2)
5: 'Flesh and Stone' (2/2) (including 'Meanwhile in the TARDIS 2')
6: 'The Vampires of Venice'
7: 'Amy's Choice'
8: 'The Hungry Earth' (1/2)
9: 'Cold Blood' (2/2)
10: 'Vincent and the Doctor'
11: 'The Lodger' (bar the angels this was the first episode I saw)
12: 'The Pandorica Opens' (1/2)
13: 'The Big Bang' (2/2)
Christmas Episode: 'A Christmas Carol'

Season 6

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To to things this series was split in two, as such eps. 8 - Christmas episode will be liveblogged, and the first seven will be written with me having seen them before.
1: 'The Impossible Astronaut' (1/2)
2: 'Day of the Moon' (2/2)
3: 'The Curse of the Black Spot'
4: 'The Doctor's Wife' HELL YEAH!
5: 'The Rebel Flesh' (1/2)
6: 'The Almost People' (2/2)
7: 'A Good Man Goes to War'
8: 'Let's Kill Hitler'
9: 'Night Terrors'
10: 'The Girl Who Waited'
11: 'The God Complex'
12: 'Closing Time'
13: 'The Wedding of River Song'

Red Nose Day Specials: 'Space'/'Time'
2011 Christmas Special: 'The Doctor, The Widow and the Wardrobe'

Season 7

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Liveblogged unless otherwise mentioned.
1: 'Asylum of the Daleks'
2: 'Dinosaurs On A Spaceship'
3: 'A Town Called Mercy'
4: 'The Power of Three'
5: 'The Muppets Take Manhattan'
'P.S.'
'The Great Detective' CiN minisode
'Vastra Investigates' minisode
2012 Christmas episode: 'The Snowman'
6: 'The Bells of St. John' (and 'Prequel')
7: 'The Rings of Akhaten'
8: 'Cold War'
9: 'Hide'
10: 'Journey to the Centre of the TARDIS'
11: 'The Crimson Horror'
12: 'Nightmare in Silver'
13: 'The Name of the Doctor'

Fiftieth anniversary
Minisode: 'Night of the Doctor'
Special: 'Day of the Doctor'

Odds and Sods

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Things that don't really fit anywhere.

'Good As Gold' Second Blue Peter scriptwriting competition for Doctor Who
The Lost Episodes: A Very Brief History

IT'S THE FIFTIETH ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL!
IT'S MULTI-DOCTOR!
IT'S ABOUT THE TIME WAR!
IT'S ABOUT THE DOCTOR'S PAST
LET'S GO!

'The Day of the Doctor' (fiftieth anniversary special)

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Writer: Moffatt

Director: Nick Hurran. He's done some good Who stuff, some good non-Who stuff, and he directed an episode of Sherlock season three.

Producer: Marcus Wilson

I'm not sure how much Executive Producers get involved with in each episode but they're Moffatt and Faith Penhale; and the Music is, of course, by Murray Gold. Also, Moffatt wrote this.

Okay, it'll be 10/Ten, 11/Eleven, W/War as far as the Doctors are concerned.

Also because I forgot to put this in the minisode one: Night of the Doctor - his lowest moment/also night = death metaphor; Day of the Doctor - redemption/rebirth/highest moment?

Oh I wish Rose wasn't in this.

Three minutes to go. My wrists are sore, I have no alcohol left, the telly's confused about the listings because it's saying 'Day of the Doctor' is on Channel 2 when the rugby's still on and Strictly quite literally said 'Day' was on "straight after us".

Fourteen episodes in five days, one minisode. Now the special. Who saturation has reached critical mass. And now a significant portion of the world will be watching Doctor Who all at one time. Moffatt, if this is your pan to take over the world, you're doing fine.

Ood. Because there's a live celebration. An afterparty.

Ahem. It's on.

Voiceover guy: "The day of the Doctor has come."

One's credits. And there's a policeman at foreman's yard! A modern policeman too. And Coal hill school. Clara's a teacher at Coal hill school!

And the Doctor called her. C: "Did he leave an address?" Yeah, he did. And hello motorbike from 'Bells'.

That shot of her driving into the TARDIS was amazing.

11 in geeky glasses. Ancient Mesopotamia, future Mars and cocktails on the Moon. Awesome.

Interference from where?

HAHAH That effect looks so fake. The claw with the toy TARDIS. LOOK AT IT.

UNIT in the Tower of London.

Four scarf?

And Brig's daughter. Fem!Brig? Also, UNIT thought they were doing him a favour by babysitting the TARDIS, but they weren't and now the Doctor's fallen out of the TARDIS and that's a nice shot of te TARDIS flying over London.

Hahaha. This is nuts. The Doctor's hanging from the TARDIS

DAMN YOU ROSE BEING IN THE CREDITS!

by his fingertips until he drops down outside Trafalgar Square. And

aawww

D: "As I';m sure your father told you! I don't like being picked up!"

Sealed orders from QEI? And her credentials are literally inside the National Gallery? What.

C: "Did you know her Elizabeth the First?" He avoided th question. But told her about his job with/at UNIT.


Gallifrey burning. On a portrait in the Gallery. The title is No More. fem!Brig: "Also known as Gallifrey Falls"

It's a 3D oil painting. D: "Time Lord art. Bigger on the inside. A slice of real time." (It's the fall of Arcadia - Gallifrey's second-biggest city)

And the Doctor has tried "very hard" to forget War. "And that was the day he did it. I did it." The day he ended the War. And War "committed a crime that would silence the entire universe".

IT'S THE TIME WAR. ON THE TELLY. AND IT LOOKS AMAZING FOR A TV BUDGET. The music's extremely loud and for once, I'm not complaing. This is amazing. And chaotic. And Gallifreyans fighting and running and sacrificing themselves to save others. And always, a Dalek saying "EX-TER-MIN-ATE!" Are they singing in Latin.

The a solider tells the high council (Pricklypants of Rassilon) that Arcadia has fallen. Now War, still shot from behind/in silhouette has taken the mook's gun. Look at this!

Gallifreyans and their clothes and -

What is War shooting onto the - NO MORE.

And the the Dalek drove the TARDIS through a wall and blew up Daleks!

Dalek: "What are these words? Explain. Explain."

Wow. Look at the War Room thingy floating over a gaping hole. And it's the War Room. Of the Time Lords. Sky trenches? And very modest collars compared to what they were in 'End of Time'.

And War appears to have broken into the Omega Arsenal. Which, even though they're forbidden weapons, are all empty,. Bar one. The Moment is gone. It eats galaxies. "According to legend [it's OS] became sentient." And there's only one man who will try to use the Moment.

W: "Daleks of Skaro. Tme Lords of Gallifrey. [....] You leave me no choice. Today, this war will end. No more. No more." We're on a desert planet thing. It's very pretty, and War looks about as tired as he sounds.

Ooooh. The Moment is an ancient time mechanism. It's exquisitely crafted. War: "Why is there never a big red button?" And still the humour.

Who knocked on the door?

GOD DAMN IT ROSE. I TOLD YOU SHE BAD WOLF'D IT ALL! DIE IN A FIRE.

All my rage. Oh no. I think the Moment has taken Rose's form.

Okay. Billie Piper, you're very good, and I don't think you're Rose exactly. W: "The interface is hot."

M: "Well I do my best." Called it. Still don't like that it's Rose. Couldn't have -

M:"Stuck between a girl and a box. Story of your life. [...] I chose this face and form especially for you. It's from your past. Possibly your future. I always get them mixed up". Sigh.

Even Moffat. But it's . . . like he mixed Sexy with Rose.

W: "If you've been inside my head, then you know what I've seen. Every moment in time and space is burning. It must end. I intend to end it the only way I can."

M: "[...] I could. But there will be consequences for you."

W: "I have no desire to sruvive this."

And so the consequence is M: "You. Live. Gallifrey. You're going to burn it. And all those Daleks with it. And all those children too. How many children on Gallifrey right now?"

I think . . . I like Moffatt's Rose. Mostly because it's not Rose, and she sounds like she's been smoking forty a day for thirty years. And she wasn't expecting that fez.

Okay. If the painting is only proof, then what are they after? Curator of the Undergallery?

11: What happened?"

B: "Easier to show you."

Then a scientist gets a phone call. Someone's faking being someone to get the painting moved. Oh dear.

Yeah no. That's not in the style of Elizabethan paintings. Especially not of Elizabeth herself. Again: I studied this.

Hello young Liz. And Ten. By the time she was Queen she was in her thirties and brutally scarred by smallpox. Also half-toothless. Fashion, y'know.

And in 1562 Ten proposes to Elizabeth. Also that's not the real Elizabeth.

10: "And: ding! [...] It's a machine that goes ding" when it's around shapeshifters.

ZYGONS! From 'Terror of the Zygons'. Surprisingly good kissers apparently. Ohkay. the horse was a Zygon. The Doctor literally rode a Zygon.

And he didn't mean to get married. So Eliabeth running in a court dress through the woods. Rather than hunting/riding clothes.

Also the Doctor's making a Badass Boast to a bunny. Adorable. His machine that goes ding! doesn't work very well.

How did Liz escape? Ah. It's the shapeshifter paradox thing. Liz: "The creature has captured my exact likeness!" And banter.

And that's okay because there's a time fissure right there now. Someone lobbed another fez though it.

Is the Undergallery a mountain of fezzes?

B: "This is where Liz I kept all art deemed to dangerous for public consumption."

And 11 thinks he's never stepped in anything unimportant in 1200 years. Even stone dust.

D: "Do I have a desK?!"

B: "No."

D: "I want a desk." And of course the scientis is asthmatic

I WAS ONLY JOKING ABOUT THE FEZ BUT IT WAS REAL.

And one of the Gallifreyan painting's glass has been broken. Well three paintings. All broken from the inside. Thing is, there used to be figures in the paintings.

B: "This whole place has been searched. There's nothing here that shouldn't be, and nothing as gotten out." And 11 remembers the rift, so he did lob his fez through it. I can't believe I called that! Or that for once we have the Doctor remembering a mutli-Doctor thing.

XD

THIS IS GREAT. Even with the mirror movement thing.

And they're a little teasy. 11: "What you get up to in the privacy of your regeneration is your own business."

And they share dorky glasses. And 10 get snogged by QEI and a Zygon. Also Clara's talking to "myself" (10 and 11)

Ah. So the fez goes 2013, 1562 and then Gallifrey.

And fem!Brig is - hah. "70s or 80s depending on the dating protocol". So 'Three Doctors' or 'Five Doctors'? And reversing the polarity. 10: "We're confusing the polarity!"

W: "Anyone lose a fez?" That sounded so much like John Cleese I double took.

W: "You're me? Both of you? Even that one? Am I having a mid-life crisis?" Well, kind of.

And War thinks 10 and 11 are the Companions ("They get younger all the time").

And now there's Elizabethan soldiers demanding the Doctor. W: "Well, this is your lucky day."

I love War. He's so crotchety. Also Clara had to be a witch. And 10 is now denying inventing "timey-wimey". And now we don't know which one she is.

War: "Are you (11) apable of talking without flapping your hands about?"

11: "Yes. No."

So we're solving the problem of the episode in two different times at once. So 11 is writing graffitti to get everyone out. And the Queen is probably a Zygon.

And the Doctor's are bitching at each other. And the stone dust - "like somebodyu smashed up a load of old statues". WEEPING ANGELS.

Asthsma: "The things from the paintings, I know why they smashed the sateus. \they needed somewhere to fide." Well, the male's dead, and Scarfy Girl is running. Because the statues are Zygons. And one took her form.

Fortunately long scarf is long and Scarfy is fighting off her duplicate.

Black Archive. Highest security rating on the planet. People don't even know it exists unless they're on shift. They always think it's their first shift.

Also the Tower is TARDIS proof. And it holds things the Doctor won't approve. And there's a time vortex manipulator given to them by Cpt. jack Sparrow.

B: "THink of it. Americans with the ability to rewrite history. You've seen their movies." And the Doctor knows about it, so he's sending Clara h -

The Brig's a Zygon too. And that was disgusting. That was amazing! And terrifying.

Who's on the phone?

Fortunately Clara nicked the activation code. 10 and War are being nerdy and 11's being practical.

W: "Do you have to talk like children? What is it that makes you so ashamed of being a grown up?" And the other two look at him in dread.

What they experienced hasn't happened to him. And War asks "Did you ever count? How many children there were on Gallifrey that day." 11 jolts and denies he ever did in a way that suggests he did.

Four hundred odd years, and 11 never once counted.

2.47 m/billion. Says 10.

But 11's moved on. And 10 wants to know what happened to make him forget. War: "I don't know who you are. I don't have the faintest idea who you are!"

10: the man who regrets

11: the man who forgets

And War can't decide.

11: "It just occurred to me that this is what I'm like when I'm alone."

Moment: "Same software, different case." re: screwdrivers, but also Doctors. And in doing so allows War to calculate the mumbojumbo to open the door because the screwdriver is the same screwdriver.

11: Hey. 400 years in ten seconds. We may have our differences[...] but we are incredibly clever." And the door was unlocked.

C: "Hang on. Three of you in one cell, and not one of you thought to try the door."

Scarfy meanwhile is in the Undergallery (QEI's face is missing from the painting) and under a sheet is . . .

tentacle-raped Brigadier?????

Well. That's pretty damn awful.

B: "Thos creatures have got access to the Black Archive. We may have lost control of the planet."

Ah. Th Zygons want the Earth, but not at such a primitive (C16th) level, so the Zygons are being translated into paintings to come out of the pictures in the future-present.

The paintings are being used as suspended animation and sent into the future.

And 10's assuming the QEI he's talking to is the fake. And yeah, it was the real Elizabeth. And QEI stabbed a Zygon and won.

QEI: "I may have the body of a weak and feeble woman, but at the time, so did the copy."

And now there's a wedding before they go off to save the world. Yeah. No.

W: "Is there a lot of this in the future?"

11: Yeah, it does tend to happen."

Oh. It's 10's interior. W: "You've let this go a bit." 11 called it a grunge phase.

11's theme! Also round things. 10 and 11 don't know what they are. 10: "Oh, you've redecorated. I don't like it."

You really never do.

Also, the Black Archive. BAD THING. As in one day to conquer the world.

Then Scary and Brig enter the Archive. The real ones. So it's Brig versus Brig. Copy v. copy.

Ehm. Nuclear warhead under London.

B: "Somewhere in your memory is a man called Brigadier Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart. I am his daughter." And yes, she did activate the nuke. And the Doctors don't want her to.

W: "We don't need to land."

10: "yeah we do. Tiny bit."

They're going into the future via painting. AND THAT'S WHY THE GUY GOT A PHONE CALL! BECAUSE THIS HAPPENED BACK WHEN THE SCENE FIRST HAPPENED. AND THEY'RE ALREADY IN THE BLACK ARCHIVE.

And now it's voice activation v. voice activation. And there's the painting. And Scarfy's begging the Doctor 0

THEY'RE LITERALLY IN THE TIME WAR! And they broke the painting to get out of the painting.

THIS IS AWESOME AND IT'S 11'S THEME! BECAUSE IT'S BADASS.

W: "Hello."

11: "I'm the Doctor."

10: "Sorry about the Dalek."

And this argument about whether or not to use the nuke will be instrumental I think in War's decision in the end.

that explains the trailer with the two Doctors and the twins. And no one in the room will remember if they're human or Zygon until the Doctors allow them too.

And scary had asthma, so they know which one's real and which isn't and they're cool with it.

Also hello Cyberman head, picture of Susan and a chair I vaguely recognise from somewhere.

So Clara goes to talk with War because she knows 11 regrets having done what he did, so she talks to the man who hasn't yet destroyed Gallifrey.

W: "How many worlds did he save due to his regrets?"

And it's true just how young War's eyes are compared to how old Eleven's can be. War tells Moment that he's ready and they'vegone back to the past so he can do what he does.

M: "Well, you wanted a big red button. One big bang. Then no more Time Lords, no more Daleks. Are you sure?"

W: "I was when I came in here. [...] Great men are forged in fire, it is the privilege of lesser men to fight the flame. Whatever the cost." Flashes of children playing. And he doesn't consider himself the Doctor still.

M: "You know the sound the TARDIS makes? [...] That sound brings hope wherever it goes. TO anyone who hears it. Anyone, however lost. Even you."

Two TARDISes side by side. Because they won't let War shoulder the blame alone?

10: "These events should be TIme Locked. We shouldn't even be here."

11: "Unless something let us through." Moment . . .

And War just hates himself so much, that only the future is his hope. 11/10: "You were the Doctor more than anyone else. You were the Doctor on the day that it was impossible to get it right. But this time, you won't do it alone. What we do today [...] is done because there is no other way. And it is done in the name of the many lives that we are failing to save."

And Clara's crying. Because he did wipe out his own people. In a way. The Moment is showing the what the Gallifreyans faced.

C: "These are the people that you;re gonna burn."

11: "Either I destroy my own people, or let the universe burn."

Clara defines them: War - the warrior; 10 - the hero; 11 - "be a Doctor".
"You told me the name you chose was a promise. What was the promise. Never cruel or a coward. Never give up, never give in."

So 11 suggests they change their mind. 11 "I have had four hundred years to think about this. I've changed my mind." And they stop the Moment.

The three Doctors are going to war together. And 10's a little behind War and Eleven.

W: "Oh Bad Wolf Girl I could guess you!"

Ugh.

Sky trenches? And if they disappear the planets then the Daleks would kill themselves. And they want to freeze Gallifrey inside a painting to save as many as they could!

Another message from the Doctor: GALLIFREY STANDS.

And then the three Doctors - General: "Dear God, three of them, All my worst nightmares at once." hehehe. They always respond why that.

So does this mean that 'End of Time' never happened? But it did because it happened pre-season three 10.

And the War Council is unsure, but fortunately the calculations that would take hundreds of years have been done. All of their lives.

AND ALL THE DOCTORS ARE DOING IT. ALL THIRTEEN OF THEM. PETER CAPALDI. And with the permission of the War Council they shift Gallifrey to an alternate world.

W: "Oh for God's sake. Gallifrey stands!"

Back at the Gallery. W: "I don't know if we succeeded [..] but I suppose it's better than suceeding at doing the wrong thing."

And the painting, the first one, is still called No More/Gallifrey Falls. But 'no more' can be 'no more war'.

W: "And if I grow to be half the man that you are Clara Oswald, than I shall very happy indeed. I won't remember this will I? [...] I won't remember that I tried to save Gallifrey rather than burn it. I'll have to live with that. But for now, for this moment, I am the Doctor again."

And now War regenerates into Nine. W: "I hope the ears are a bit less conspicuous this time." Nope.

And 10 won't remember what happens, so he wants to know the secret. 11: I saw Trenzalore, where we're buried. We died in battle amongst millions. Trenzalore is where you're going."

10: "Oh, never say never."

THAT DAMN LINE FROM 'END OF TIME' CAME BACK! 11: "He always say that." HA! IN YOUR FACE RTD. Also 11 painted it?

I think.

C: "Oh by the way, there was an old man looking for you; I think it was the curator."

11: "I could ba a curator. I'd be a great curator. [...] I could retire and be the curator of this place."

WAS THE FOUR'S VOICE!?!?!?!

IT IS!

IT IS!

OH MY GOD LOOK AT THIS!

:BIGGRIN:

GLEE!

FOUR DOCTOR STORY!

And the actual title? Gallifrey Falls No More. Four: "What would you think that means eh?"

And 11 can go looking for Gallifrey if he wants to! "If I was you - If I was you of course [...] or perhaps it doesn't matter either way. Who know? Who. Know?"

DID YOU SEE FOUR!

OH MY GOD YES!

11: Clara sometimes asks me if I dream. 'Course I dream I tell her. Everybody dreams [...] The same thing everyone dreams about; I dream of where I'm going. [...] I have a new destination. My journey is the same as everyone's. [...] At least I know where I'm going. Where I've always been going. Home. The long way around."

AND ALL THE DOCTORS IN THE CREDITS AND END SCENES AND OH MY GOD!

Scream out!

And did you notice the Zygons were only an excuse and completely forgeotten by the end?

Preview: Christmas at Trenzalore. SILENCE WILL FALL.

AND THEN WE GET THE SEASON 2 SHERLOCK TRAILOR. Oh. my. god/.

XD XD XD XD XD

Best Moment: All of it. And Four! And all of it!

Worst Moment: None! Even Rose wasn't really Rose so that was okay!

Best Actor: John Hurt!

Worst Actor: No one!

Best Special Effect: All of it but especiall everything to do with Gallifrey and that Brig shapeshift.

Worst Special Effect: Nothing. Maybe that 'Elizabethan picture'

Most Punchable Character: No one.

Death Count: Technically less than in canon because Gallifrey lives!

Kink of the Episode: None. And an anti-kink in the image of Ten kissing a Zygon.

Was Not Expecting: FOUR. Can you tell? Or that so much of it was spent in the Time War itself.

Overall thoughts?
This was really good. (and at the after party that's a lot of Companions there)
And Four. I was totally not expecting that or that all the Doctors would be represented in some fashion, and they all got credited!
So I loved this, and I'll let the Elizabeth stuff slide because it's better for QEI to be pretty than what she actually was. And I find it kind of amusing that the Zygons just kell by the wayside.
Too excited to do anything more; this was amazing from beginning to end, and my wrists hurt and I'm watching the after party a bit. And really, this was an amazing anniversary special with an interesting jook.
Will I have more critical thought later? Quite likely. But right now?
WORTH IT.
I did miss the vast majority of the media hype though, which my mother said was literally everywhere, every day.
But me, I loved it.
It was a great special.

And my prediction was right regarding the name thing. The DOctor and his mythology has been rewritten by this special! Because the Doctor's worst, most shameful moment is one of his most triumphant! And he won't even remember until four hundred years later!
Night and Day.
Death and rebirth.
Shadowed in forgetfulness and regret, revealed in truth and hope.

EDIT:
And about six other people mass liveblogged and posted before me. So awesome. So everyone excited?

[Aotrs Commander]

Unholy.

Fracking.

CRAP!!!

That was...

AWESOME!!!!

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Oh where do I even begin?!

Eight-and-a-half (I'm totally calling him that now, he can't be War Dcotor, he has to be a number, but without confusin everyone!) being completely different to what I expected, the cameos at the end, brief hint of Thirteen, chemsitry between the three Doctors, saving Gallifree - hell, the EVEN managed to give a new meaning to "I don't want to go!" It makes it not just TEN not wanting to go, but the suconscious memory - perhaps even conscious at the end of him AND his future selves! AND then make a joke about it!

Billie Piper and not-Rose (I think even Curly ought to be sated a bit with that) - that was dead clever and wholey unexpected.

Dalek starship battles, all regenerations now on-screen, mysterious Forth revisited from the the future (I don't EVEN but awesome!)

Doctor making full use of all his time-travel and all of him teaming up at the last...

Fracking hell, that was Doctor Who at it's very, very finest!

Beautiful, just beautiful!

By 'eck season four pony is gonna half to go some to top that later...

[Howler Dagger]

Unholy.

Fracking.

CRAP!!!

That was...

AWESOME!!!!

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Oh where do I even begin?!

Eight-and-a-half (I'm totally calling him that now, he can't be War Dcotor, he has to be a number, but without confusin everyone!) being completely different to what I expected, the cameos at the end, brief hint of Thirteen, chemsitry between the three Doctors, saving Gallifree - hell, the EVEN managed to give a new meaning to "I don't want to go!" It makes it not just TEN not wanting to go, but the suconscious memory - perhaps even conscious at the end of him AND his future selves! AND then make a joke about it!

Billie Piper and not-Rose (I think even Curly ought to be sated a bit with that) - that was dead clever and wholey unexpected.

Dalek starship battles, all regenerations now on-screen, mysterious Forth revisited from the the future (I don't EVEN but awesome!)

Doctor making full use of all his time-travel and all of him teaming up at the last...

Fracking hell, that was Doctor Who at it's very, very finest!

Beautiful, just beautiful!

By 'eck season four pony is gonna half to go some to top that later...

So, from the episode:

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Peter Capaldi is reffered to as the 13th doctor, making Matt Smith 12, David Tennant 11, Christopher "Last name is so unpronounceable it'll probably summon Cthulhu" Eccletson 10, and John Hurt the 9th doctor

My reaction:

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SO MUCH RETCON!

[Pex]

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Not what I was expecting, but then I didn't really know what to expect. In any case, it was superduperawesomesticfreakingadelicious!

Nice cameo at the end. I was actually expecting Capaldi but a great surprise.

Sad they couldn't show Eccelston in the regeneration. Whatever the issues off camera, that one tiny cameo would have really been a great gift to the fans. Still, there's the actual cameo and final scene. I choked up.

I am a bit annoyed with Billie Piper's role, not the character but the casting. If she's not going to be Rose she shouldn't have been there. That was blatant stunt casting.

Now that we know for certain Capaldi is the 13th Doctor, it would be interesting to see how they handle the Doctor's last regeneration and The Valeyard. We have to update our Doctor numbers nevertheless. Eccleston is 10, Tennant is 11, and Smith is 12.

[Giggling Ghast]

That was quite enjoyable. I giggled like a schoolgirl a dozen times.

[Selrahc]

Utterly fantastic.




Preemptive stuff about the time war-

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Yes, the time war doesn't make sense as being a conflict between civilizations capable of godlike feats. It was never ever going to, because that would be far too complex, and take far too much time for a piece of saturday evening whizbang sci-fi. Entire sci-fi novels, big weighty ones, have been devoted to talking about the scope such a thing would entail.

Please, look at the story. The story about Dr Who. The character who the show is about.

That story was great. It worked within its own framework very well, and was so satisfying on a thematic, character level.

All three Doctors were fantastic, and I'm sad that we probably aren't going to get any more Hurt. Clara was a bit of a cipher-stand-in for all companions ever(because I could certainly imagine any one of them filling her role in the story), but with such a big plot and all the Doctor interactions to fit in that couldn't really be avoided.

Really good guys. Nice work Moffat et al.

[Finn Solomon]

In shock. In joy. In tears. Thank you everyone who made this happen. Thank you thank you thank you from the bottom of my heart. To all who celebrate the triumph of intellect and romance over brute force and cynicism. Thank you. You made this one to remember.

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Peter Capaldi looked as angry as HELL, I would absolutely love it if his Doctor was darker and more menacing, as only Peter Capaldi can be.

[dehro]

that was pretty well done, all considered.
I thoroughly enjoyed it.
so.. what number doctor is Peter Capaldi going to be?

also, the title for this thread should be retconned in celebration
I vote for
minor spoiler as it's one of the best jokes in the special

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"we're confusing the polarity"

[Brother Oni]

My reaction:

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SO MUCH RETCON!

You didn't expect massive amounts of timey-wimey?

[factotum]

It was awesome. Just awesome.

As for the numbering scheme, on the Doctor Who Live they're currently showing on BBC3 they kept the original numbering:

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John Hurt is referred to as the War Doctor rather than a numbered incarnation.

No idea if that's now canon or what the heck is going on.

[Aedilred]

Umm unless you loathe all the finales (which is perhaps not unreasonable) I'm not sure what the issue with Stolen Earth / Journey's End is supposed to be at all.

Perfect story? Not by a long shot. But the best on this show are clearly by accident and not intention. And heck I doubt we'd find agreement. That said, still easily the best of the big showy finale episodes though.

Stolen Earth is just about ok. Journey's End, though, bluh. On the one hand, it does feel impressively epic and ending-worthy. On the other hand, it's dreadful. The Doctor does almost literally nothing and had he avoided near-instant failure in his mission at the end of Stolen Earth in being carelessly shot by the Dalek then the Earth would probably have been destroyed because he doesn't even attempt to do anything other than wave his arms around shouting "listen to me!" (he never elaborates on why or what he has to say) and taunt Davros. The day is saved by one of the biggest ass-pulls the series has ever known. At least twice. It's over-scored and over-sentimental and it's just nonsense. Jackie Tyler is in it. It's a big fat rubbishy RTD-at-his-worst hamfest.

For all that I agree with everything CurlyKitGirl says in the following, The End of Time was, I think, still superior.

Spoiler: The End of Time (edited)

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D: "I can still die. If I'm killed before regeneration, then I'm dead. Even then, even if I change, it feels like dying. Everything I am dies. Some new man goes sauntering away, and I'm dead." Nope. Nope. Nope nope nope. Time to find my new comfort food and rage quietly. This is wrong. People loved Tennant when he was the Doctor - his rabid fans call him the greatest Doctor ever - and this sort of writing is only going to make people hate the next Doctor! And guess what? They did because he wasn't David Tennant and because you, or rather RTD, said this about the Doctor and regeneration!

I have seen clips of all of the Doctor's regenerating up to the point Nine became Ten - this was way before I ever decided to do this as blindly as possible so it's not cheating - and none of them ever felt this way! NONE OF THEM! Granted, mostly because they were unconscious. But mostly because regeneration is a normal process that Romana did on a whim because she wanted to look different (also because of Backstage Issues) with the exception of Two whose regeneration was forced upon him rather than it being natural. Three said "While there's life theres . . ." ; Four was basically excited and welcomed the regeneration; Five chose to regenerate rather than permadie; Seven seemed fine with regenerating and Nine was another happy one who went out with the biggest smile we'd ever seen on his face!

And here's Ten acting as if he'd be dying when he regenerated instead of acting like literally every other Time Lord I've ever seen regenerate (including his past regenerations) and simply accepting it as a natural part of their life (again, excepting Two) to be exploited and even welcomed.

This scene is responsible for people hating Matt Smith because he's not Tennant! I don't particularly like Tennant as the Doctor, but that's because he doesn't feel like the Doctor to me, not because he's not Troughton or Smith. Oh my God! No wonder people said I'd hate this episode.

Look at RTD's smug, self-serving self-love of his great triumph. He's on his way out so before he goes his swan song is to make everything about the show feel wrong if the RTD-era stuff isn't there. No Rose, no Tennant, no RTD, BURN THE WITCH!

Worst Moment: The real worst moment was the scene in the cafe where the Doctor's all 'if I regenerate I die boo hoo hoo, woe is me because I'm a creator's pet whose creator is leaving the show and we can't like anyone new'.

I don't like Ten's whining about regeneration being dying because it really isn't. Maybe. Look, each Doctor is different enough in personality to be easily distinguishable, but at heart their key values and personality remains the same. However you slice it, regenerating is not dying, no Doctor has ever thought so or actually feared dying, though I do think they feared leaving their Companions alone, so this stupid little concept is a travesty.

And no, it's not because Ten knew he was going to die/regenerate either because Four knew he was going to regenerate soon (as seen from the clip I linked earlier), Nine certainly knew his actions would result in his regeneration and he still did it because he wasn't afraid, and Five chose to regenerate rather than stay dead even though he psyche was begging for him to die.

This is the writer imposing his own desires on Ten. And in doing so he ruined Matt's big moment regenerating into the Doctor because some people believed this tat and that Matt Smith isn't the Doctor.

OH MY GOD. I am not sitting through fifteen minutes of epilogue. And Mickey and Martha got married! Talk about pairing the (token black) spares. Yeah yea, the Doctor saves their lives and I don't care. This is stupid and I swear if all fifteen minutes are self-indulgent pity partying on the Doctor's behalf I am graduating him up to punch in the face oh my God what is this!

Are you dead yet? Come on. There are still five minutes left.

Screw it. I'm done.

O: "This song is ending, but the story never ends." Still not caring. No wonder people hated Matt Smith for existing after this worthless ending. Am I meant to be said? I'm not. I'm bored.

D: "I don't want to go." OH MY GOD I HATE YOU Way to rain on Matt Smith's parade you horrible little writer. You couldn't just go could you?

But Matt Smith is lovely and you can tell from those two minutes (and music) just what Eleven and Moffatt's reign is going to be like. D: "Crashing?! A-ha! Woo-hoo-hoo! GERONIMO~!"

Most Punchable Character: The Doctor!

There was Rose. There was twenty minutes of the Doctor pitying himself and dragging out the finale when it should have just ended. There were good bits, and I liked Gallifrey because dude, people want to know about the Time War so badly that even though RTD said it would never be shown on screen it is for the fiftieth anniversary.
But in reality, everything good about the episode is drowned in RTD's leaving party. He drowned the episode in stupid angsty 'feel good' schmaltz. Horrible special.

Yes. All of this. Other things wrong with it too, but reading that distilled everything that I've always hated about the transition from Tennant's Doctor and all the fan nonsense that accompanied it and dammit, now I'm angry.

But anyway, onto The Day of the Doctor. That was great. I'm glad I avoided as much of the hype was was possible, so that I was still actually kind of excited rather than annoyed by the time I came to watch it.

On the numbering and other features of the episode:

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Peter Capaldi didn't announce himself as the thirteenth Doctor, only that there were thirteen Doctors including himself present. And at the point where the War Doctor became an actual Doctor, well, he regenerated, so it might be that the Ninth Doctor we know was the Doctor that the War Doctor should have been, and was, thus, the Ninth (true) Doctor. Taken together with The Night of the Doctor it does seem that the War Doctor was a blip, an 8.5 rather than an integer. 8.5 wasn't the Doctor we thought he was, but then the only reason we thought of him that way is because the Doctor himself thinks of him that way, so Nine and Ten would still have thought of themselves as such, presumably, because they won't have counted the War Doctor. Whether Eleven and Twelve now think of themselves as such or have added one, well, there's a question. Gah. It's complicated.

Numbering regenerations for the purposes of the Valeyard is already flawed, of course, because Ten regenerated twice. So either way the the Valeyard would be due round about now, or what the Valeyard meant (maybe he forgot to count some, and doesn't count the War Doctor either) was between the identified Twelfth and Thirteenth Doctors, i.e. at the end of the next Doctor's life. Or maybe the universe reboot in The Big Bang screwed up the numbering anyway.

Hooray for Tom Baker's appearance. I'm a little disappointed we didn't see Peter Davison, but you can't have everything.

[otakuryoga]

just......wow

especially

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TOM BAKER!

[Aidan305]

There are few things I'm willing to call epic.

That was one of them.

Spoiler: Timeline Pondering

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I'm now wondering (As everyone else is) how the "End of Time" functions given this massive change to the timeline.

Perhaps, in locking the events in time, they placed it outside of existence - unchanging, and unable to change. Thus, when the timeline changed and the moment wasn't deployed, the Time War and related events were uneffected by the change in the timeline, and so we get, not an alternate universe, but rather a small splinter. A bubble of alternate history. It was in to that bubble that the events of "End of Time" reached.

[Aedilred]

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Perhaps, in locking the events in time, they placed it outside of existence - unchanging, and unable to change. Thus, when the timeline changed and the moment wasn't deployed, the Time War and related events were uneffected by the change in the timeline, and so we get, not an alternate universe, but rather a small splinter. A bubble of alternate history. It was in to that bubble that the events of "End of Time" reached.

I too was wondering how this would be reconciled with The End of Time.

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It certainly doesn't look like the Council in Day of the Doctor was planning the Final Sanction (or whatever it was called). Since the events here did cause a timeline splinter as you say, maybe the events of The End of Time now never happened. Maybe Rassillon never returned.

Or maybe at this point the events of The End of Time have already happened, the Master killed Rassilon (or he was deposed as a result of his failure) and the Time Lords have now given up on the Final Sanction, but the Doctor never heard about it? Given that it looks like this won't be the last we see of Gallifrey and The End of Time is hardly obscure, I guess there's more detail on the way.

[SmartAlec]

I didn't expect them to do what they did, but very glad they chose to do it.

[HalfTangible]

I too was wondering how this would be reconciled with The End of Time.

Gorramit...

...

Still waiting, itunes, youtube, SOMETHING...

[CurlyKitGirl]

There are few things I'm willing to call epic.

That was one of them.

I'm now wondering (As everyone else is) how the "End of Time" functions given this massive change to the timeline.

Perhaps, in locking the events in time, they placed it outside of existence - unchanging, and unable to change. Thus, when the timeline changed and the moment wasn't deployed, the Time War and related events were uneffected by the change in the timeline, and so we get, not an alternate universe, but rather a small splinter. A bubble of alternate history. It was in to that bubble that the events of "End of Time" reached.

No, it still works. I worked it out on the way to the shops I should have gone to at eight.

Spoiler: Reconciling End of Time with Day of the Doctor

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In both 'End of Time' and 'Day of the Doctor' the events on Gallifrey occurred on the last day of the TIme War, before the Doctor activated the moment. This is explicitly said by a Time Lord of the High Council to Rassilon in the first ten minutes (I think) of 'End' 2/2.

Thus:

The Last Day of the TIme War.
The Doctor takes the Moment - this is now revealed to be the War Doctor as oppose to the Eight we thought it was.
The events of 'End of Time' (present day) happen. The Mast forces the Council back from Earth into the Time War and the link breaks, sealing Gallifrey back into the Last Day.
The events of 'Day'-in-thepast happen. And rather than contacting the High Council Eleven contacts the War Council who gives the go ahead to shift them into another universe.
It works.
War goes back to his normal place in time, knowing that he'll believe for the next four hundred years that he destroyed all of Gallifrey and the Daleks on that Last Day by using the Moment.
Ten goes back to pre-season three, also forgetting his actions in saving Gallifrey. So he still believes he destroyed it.
Then 'End of Time' happens and he has to face the Last Day again and doom the TIme Lords once more.
Ten regenerates into Eleven.
The events of 'Day' happen.

'End' and 'Day' are both still canon, but what we thought happened in 'End' is changed slightly from what actually did.

[Finn Solomon]

It's simple, the 'council' we saw in Day of the Doctor was explicitly referred to as the Gallifrey Command, i.e. the military leadership. The Council in the End of Time was a separate body with their own plan (it's said by one of the military guys), presumably to put the sound of drums into some fellow's head.