Story #202 - The End of Time (2009-2010)

Harry -

We have finally reached The End of Time, and I'm feeling fine. Sarah let's break out the gin to toast the end of another era.

It's got to be over a decade since I watched this and the "victory lap" ending was as cringeworthy as remembered. However I was surprised to find the story leading up to it was better than I thought. Definitely better on a rewatch.

Sarah -

I was hoping to have the same reaction as you, but I think I liked it even less on this rewatch. At the very least, I know I won’t ever have to watch it again.

On the upside we have Wilf as the Doctor’s companion. Hooray! Unfortunately, it’s also Christmas time, so we know nothing good will happen. Cue the resurrection of the Master by some lame cultists devoted to him, which leads to the massacre of innocent people in a quarry. Remember how excited we were when John Simm was announced as the Master? How naive we were. I’d almost rather watch Eric Roberts’ performance. Almost.

Harry -

John Simm's Master was very jarring at first. Very hyper and over the top, a dark reflection of David Tennant's Doctor. As Doctor Who has rumbled on for over 50 years, each iteration of the Master has shed a layer of Roger Delgado's initial quiet coolness and become more bouncy-bouncy bonkers. We have watched this character grow increasingly insane over time. This Master continues the progression. I remember not liking him when this season first aired, but over time he's become a favourite, probably because of his performance in the Capaldi era which we will get to.

Sarah - 

I’m already counting the seasons to the return of the Master!

Harry - 

The resurrection scene was definitely bad. The cult, the massacre, the barely plausible Gallifreyan biology that makes Time Lords immortal, bleh. At least Lucy Saxon took a measure of revenge and threw a spanner into the works, screwing up the process and leaving the Master more a flickering flame than a fully-formed being again.

Speaking of comebacks, I wonder how tempted RTD was to write Donna back into one more story. If he really wanted, he could have found some way for the Doctor to restore and preserve her mind for at least one more adventure. New Who's showrunners seem to have carte blanche. However it's interesting that it didn't happen. Instead, we got Wilf as the companion and it was a smashing time. Wilf leading his own merrie branch of L.I.N.D.A., what a riot.

Sarah -

Donna’s return was one of my favorite parts of the story. I hope she’ll be very happy with her husband and that lottery money won’t hurt! Wilf’s band of Doctor-hunters were adorable, but I’m not sure about the lady who couldn’t keep her hands to herself. Still, he probably has it coming after the Queen Bess comment.

Harry -

And so the early part of the story bounces between three corners. The Master reborn and bonkers, the Doctor in pursuit, and Wilf & Co. in pursuit of the Doctor.

An air of mystery is added by a mysterious woman who delivers enigmatic messages to Wilf. Surprisingly, RTD let her remain an enigma.

After a couple of confrontations with the Doctor, the Master is kidnapped by some paramilitary thugs and the story kicks into another gear. The Master is briefly held captive by Joshua Naismith, a man of unlimited wealth and power. Briefly. Feigning that he will help Naismith harness a piece of alien technology that can supposedly make humans immortal, the Master rigs it up to instead transform all humans into Master-clones. A Master Race! Very clever. But like all of the Master's schemes in New Who, it's all high concept but filled with holes. We will see this pattern repeat itself: the Master/Missy creates a massive army, but fails to think through all the ramifications and the entire project collapses. As they say, the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result.

Sarah -

I feel exhausted just thinking about this nonsense. The Master is the, well, master of bonkers schemes, but this one takes the cake. Just what we need, a whole planet of the “Master” race. And when did he start being able to shoot electricity and fly? I can’t even tell you how much I loathe this plot line.

Harry -

It's totally in keeping with the modern era's Master in that his/her plots are nonsense, as if the point to the entire thing is to get a reaction from the Doctor. Get a room already!

Sarah -

The whole Obama/recession storyline is silly. And the mispronouncing of his name got under my skin. While I’m on a tear here, what the what with the creepy Naismith? The way he looks at his daughter may be the grossest thing in Doctor Who’s history.

Harry -

Eww eww Naismith. Please do not get a room!

Sarah -

And then we have the Time Lords, making their first return since Trial of a Time Lord in 1986. They’re as irritating as ever and I’m more than ready for Gallifrey to be destroyed.

Harry -

I don't recall if the return of Rassilon was known before this story aired. 

Sarah - 

I definitely remember being surprised the first time around, so I’m guessing not. 

Harry - 

Timothy Dalton's performance was scene-chewingly amusing, but I'm not sure what we were meant to think at the end. Was Rassilon not all that great after all, his scheme broken up by the lightning-flinging Master? Or had the Master evolved into some entirely new kind of being, able to fling lightning at the mighty Rassilon? Best not to expend too many brain cells on it. After all, Wilf is knocking.

And so the Tenth Doctor meets his demise. Not by the Daleks or Cybermen, not by some stupendous new monster, but by poor old Wilfrid Mott trapping himself in a chamber that's about to go nuclear. Ever since "The Caves of Androzani", I've wanted to see another story where the Doctor sacrifices a life in order to save just one person, not in some grand space opera setting but in a quiet corner of the universe. We got that here and it should have been great but for RTD blowing the regeneration up into the most self-indulgent, eye-rolling ordeal of all time.

Sarah - 

Right? It would have been perfect if the Doctor just regenerated and moved on. To be fair, if there’s one person worth dying to save it’s Wilfrid Mott. 

Harry - 

There's no need to go over the victory lap. It sucks and I'm not a fan, but it was RTD's farewell and he deserved to have his way after resurrecting the greatest TV show of all time. I really can't say anything else nice, so let's wrap it up.

Sarah - 

The victory lap may be the most egregious thing ever in Doctor Who, let’s leave it be. 

Harry - 

Best Line:

Wilf enters the TARDIS for the first time: "I thought it would be cleaner."

Favourite Moment:

Tough to pick one. I liked some of John Simm's manic moments. Gross but riveting.

Lasting Image:

Wilf's final goodbye to the Doctor.

5/10

Sarah - 

Best Line: 

Doctor: "I'd be proud."

Wilf: "Of what?"

Doctor: "If you were my dad."

Favorite Moment:

The return of Donna Noble!

Lasting Image: 

Wilf hugging the Doctor

3/10

Story #187b/c - The Sound of Drums / Last of the Time Lords (2007)

Sarah -
Martha Jones Saves the World!

Can we leave it at that and move on to the next story?


Harry -
After the excellence of Utopia, an opening episode that gave us a new TARDIS trio, a voyage to the end of the universe, and the return of the Master, the final two episodes of this season-ending triple header were bound to be a step down. But what a step down.


Sarah -
More of a plummet down. It’s even worse than I remembered.


Harry -
Yes, it was great to see the Master in all his diabolical majesty again. He's become prime minister of Britain -- which is brilliant! -- and he's concocted a whole new bonkers plan for the destruction of Earth and conquest of the universe. A mega-level Master plot at this scale could only come from the blockbuster mind of RTD.


Sarah -
Because I’m in a cranky mood, I’ll point out that the only reason Saxon was able to become PM was because the Doctor caused Harriet Jones’ downfall -- that and the hypnosis, of course.


Harry -
I liked this new take on a classic character. Young and energetic like the Doctor, with the same fashion sense trending towards black. He still loves his pseudonyms and mind control, and he's gotten himself an accomplice.

I have rewatched this story a few times over the years, and really want to like it because who doesn't like a good Master story? But every time, I find it all... too much. And a bit nonsensical. The story stumbles at the big picture stuff, like the Toclafane who span colossal epochs of time in order to destroy humanity with a paradox machine before heading off who knows where. Stumbles? It almost bores to be honest. I wouldn't call it a failing, but one of the things I liked least about the RTD era were these overly epic blockbusters that required the Doctor to become almost godlike in order to prevail. We certainly got a big dose of that here.


Sarah -
The Dobby-Doctor and his Jesus-like resurrection is certainly a low point of the RTD era. The whole story is just trying to do too much.


Harry -
Yeah. What I liked best was when the story zeroed in on small moments. The Doctor's phone conversation with the Master, the TARDIS trio hatching their plan over chips, Martha and Milligan bonding over their common cause.


Sarah -
These moments really are the best in the story. Unfortunately, there aren’t enough of them. I will admit that I laughed out loud when the Master asked the people of Earth to “please attend carefully” and addressed “Britain, Britain, Britain” on television.


Harry -
I loved the random quotations.

Martha. Martha Jones. She saved the world and we barely saw a thing she did. Turns out, the Doctor sent her out to be a kind of biblical prophet. Yeesh. I'm jumping around a bit here, but there are so many things I can't help but pick at in these two episodes.


Sarah -
There’s so much to pick at, like how Jack ends up a disembodied head. Whatever.


Harry -
I loved what John Simm brought to his role. Unfortunately, the whole thing had been spoiled for me back in 2007. "Spoilers" were still rampant in the online Who community, and the whole damn thing had been let out of the bag before I'd seen any of this story.  

One thing that I didn't know in advance was that we'd meet the Master's "wife." The best performance in this story might have been Alexandra Moen's zombie-like Lucy Saxon, redeemed at the very end when the Archangel satellite network was destroyed.

Sarah -
My favorite moment of the story is Martha’s final scene, in which she asserts herself and leaves the Doctor. Martha Jones is one of my favorite companions and this scene is a big part of that. We’re not done with you, Martha Jones, and I look forward to seeing you soon.


Harry -
Knowing that we'll see her again, let's leave our Martha Jones appreciation for another time.

As for this story, it started off with a bang in Utopia, but it just couldn't sustain itself and ultimately too many poor choices made this one a dud.


Sarah -
Best Line: Everything Martha says in her final scene:

MARTHA: I just can't. 
DOCTOR: Yeah. 
MARTHA: Spent all these years training to be a doctor. Now I've got people to look after. They saw half the planet slaughtered and they're devastated. I can't leave them. 
DOCTOR: Of course not. Thank you. Martha Jones, you saved the world. 
MARTHA: Yes, I did. I spent a lot of time with you thinking I was second best, but you know what? I am good. You going to be alright? 
DOCTOR: Always. Yeah. 
MARTHA: Right then. Bye. 
(Martha leaves, then goes back inside.) 
MARTHA: Because the thing is, it's like my friend Vicky. She lived with this bloke, student housing, there were five of them all packed in, and this bloke was called Sean. And she loved him. She did. She completely adored him. Spent all day long talking about him. 
DOCTOR: Is this going anywhere? 
MARTHA: Yes. Because he never looked at her twice. I mean, he liked her, but that was it. And she wasted years pining after him. Years of her life. Because while he was around, she never looked at anyone else. And I told her, I always said to her, time and time again, I said, get out. So this is me, getting out.

Favorite Moment: Martha telling the Doctor she’s out. 

Lasting Image: Martha walking away from the TARDIS. 

2/10


Harry -
Best Line: from the cabinet gassing scene, short and simple.
Cabinet Minister: You’re insane!
The Master: Yes!

Favourite Moment: the telephone conversation between the Doctor and the Master.

Lasting Image: the Master dying in the Doctor's arms.

4/10

Our marathon will continue...

Story #187a - Utopia (2007)

Harry -
By the end of his third season as showrunner, Russell T. Davies showed us that there were still untold blocks he could bust with his Doctor Who season finale blockbusters.


Sarah -
RTD reached a new level with "Utopia". The script is tight, well-paced, compelling, and surprisingly witty for such a dark story. I was delighted that "Utopia" lived up to my memories of it. Plus, Derek Jacobi!


Harry -
Kolossal!


Sarah -
I remember being caught off-guard by his appearance and so very happy to have him turn up in Doctor Who. I recall him saying that his remaining career goals had been Doctor Who and Coronation Street. I don't know if he ever made it onto Corrie, but I'm sure he never imagined he'd still be playing the War Master all these years later!


Harry -
I'm very happy he's continued playing the Master for our friends at Big Finish. One of the best actors of our times. I have said this elsewhere, but Big Finish could release a box set of Jacobi reading a phone book and I would pre-order it on day one.


Sarah -
Dear Mr. Haigh-Ellery, we have a proposal...


Harry -
"Utopia" is the opening chapter of an epic three-parter that brings together new faces and old. It begins innocently enough, with a TARDIS refueling stop in 2007 Cardiff.


Sarah -
It's been a minute, Cardiff. And who should turn up but our old pal Jack, who has spent uncounted years hanging around the Rift, waiting for the Doctor's return.


Harry -
The year 2007 was definitely the heydays for Captain Jack Harkness in the Whoniverse. His return appearance here came on the heels of the first season of Torchwood. 


Sarah -
I really wanted to like Torchwood, to no avail, but I’m always down for some Captain Jack.


Harry -
It was certainly great to see him again, but the Doctor was less enthused. Seeing Jack approaching on the TARDIS monitor, the Doctor initiates dematerialization. Jack makes a desperate leap, clings to the TARDIS doors, and goes for a ride through the vortex -- millions, billions, trillions of years ahead -- to the very end of the universe.


Sarah -
We’ve all gone out of our way to avoid someone, but the Doctor takes it to new heights!


Harry -
The TARDIS lands on a planet under a dark sky. The Doctor and Martha emerge, and Martha spots Jack's prone body on the ground. She goes to his aid, but Jack does his Jack thing and gasps back to life. Martha is stunned, the Doctor is still unenthused.


Sarah -
The Doctor couldn’t possibly be less enthused! Of course, things are bound to be awkward when you’ve abandoned your traveling companion out of his timeline after he’s been made immortal. It’s almost the definition of awkward, especially when he turns up with your hand! 


Harry -
There's an awkward reunion as both Jack and the Doctor are initially wary, but when Rose's name comes up they happily embrace at the fact that she's still alive in a parallel world. Hurray for Rose! It's Martha's turn to be unenthused.


Sarah -
I laughed out loud at Martha’s “Oh, she was blonde? Oh, what a surprise!” Martha is truly all of us.


Harry -
The trio do some looking around the seemingly empty landscape. Suddenly a man appears, pursued by the cast of The Road Warrior, and they run to help.


Sarah -
Something about this setting and the Road Warrior wannabes made it all feel very Seventh Doctor Era to me. I can almost see the Doctor and Ace scrambling over the hill in the background to avoid running into himself.


Harry -
Yes! Now that you mention it, this setting was not much of a stretch from the planet of the cat people. Only here, the fanged marauders don't have fur.


Sarah -
But they do have an equally fierce look.


Harry -
A unique shout out to Paul Marc Davis, who plays the lead post-human character. He has the distinction of being the only actor who has appeared in Doctor Who, Torchwood, The Sarah Jane Adventures and Class (where he played the Shadow King).


Sarah -
Well done!


Harry -
Now four, the group scramble to a security fence and gain access to a place simply called the silo. Inside, it is filled with humans, much to the Doctor's delight. Despite everything, over trillions of years and the collapse of countless civilizations, humans survived to the end of the universe and he's proper chuffed.


Sarah -
Humans, the cockroaches of the universe!


Harry -
What an honour.


Sarah -
You gotta take what you can get.


Harry -
The inside of the silo looks more like a refugee camp, and we learn that everyone is waiting to board a massive rocket, if only the scientific team could finish the pre-launch preparations.

We soon learn that the scientific team is just one human man and one indigenous woman, neither of whom have a freaking clue how to get the rocket off the ground.

Another well-deserved shout out to Chipo Chung, who almost steals the show as Chantho. She and professor Yana have been toiling who knows how long in their laboratory, trying to find a way to launch the rocket that will take everyone off this dying lump of a planet.


Sarah -
It’s an amazing performance. I enjoy her scenes with Martha, especially when Martha encourages her to be “rude.” Chantho would have made an excellent addition to the TARDIS team.


Harry -
Enter our new TARDIS trio. Professor Yana is thrilled to meet the Doctor, a fellow man of science. Together, they might be able to send the rocket in the direction of Utopia, a place whose signal beckoned people to a new destiny. It's all fanciful stuff and the thing of legend, but here at the end of time and the end of existence, even the faintest hope will drive people to risk everything to survive.

It was a bit of a stretch, but with a flurry of technobabble and a wave of the sonic screwdriver, the Doctor instantly finds a way to activate the dormant rocket. Back in the Pertwee era, Terrance Dicks and Barry Letts would have built an entire extra episode around the Doctor working out the equations and calculations, but in this era a good plot can't be bogged down by difficult maths. So within moments, it's all aboard and begin the countdown. All that's left is the coupling of the fuel links and the rocket will be ready for blast off.

Problem: one of the "futurekind" post-humans has infiltrated the silo, and she sabotages the systems.


Sarah -
How did she manage to escape the teeth-inspection protocol?


Harry -
It was a dodgy protocol to be honest.


Sarah -
The TARDIS team springs into action after Jack is resurrected from the dead a second time. The Doctor and Jack, who is the only person who can enter the couplings room without dying, head down to couple the fuel links so the rocket can take off. Jack tells the Doctor his story of discovering that he is immortal and all he has gone through to find Doctor again. The Doctor can barely look at Jack as he explains how Jack was made immortal by Rose and that the TARDIS traveled to the end of the universe to get away from him.


Harry -
I liked how the story slowed right down so that Jack and the Doctor could have their conversation. Right before everything went haywire.


Sarah -
It’s all in the timing. Meanwhile, Martha has been telling Yana and Chantho about her travels in the TARDIS with the Doctor and they can overhear the Doctor and Jack’s conversation. The words reverberate in Yana’s head along with the sound of drums and memories start to come back to him.


Harry -
"Daleks... Time War... regeneration..." Each word hammers away at the professor's mental shell.


Sarah -
He removes his fob watch from its pocket and Martha turns it over to discover the Gallifreyan inscriptions, just like the ones on the Doctor’s watch in "Human Nature/Family of Blood."

This is the moment when my brain exploded the first time I watch "Utopia". At this point, we knew John Simm was going to bring back the Master, but it wasn’t until we saw the watch that I realized PROFESSOR YANA WAS THE MASTER! I don’t know how I managed not to run into a spoiler beforehand, but I’m so happy I didn’t. The shock of this moment is one of my favorite Doctor Who memories.


Harry -
The buildup to this moment is also one of my favourites. Martha hurries to the Doctor and tells him that Yana has a watch just like his. Excitedly, Jack exclaims that it could be another Time Lord. The Doctor waves it off as ridiculous, impossible. It's almost as if the Doctor prefers to be last of the Time Lords, he's made so much of that mantle that he hates the thought of losing it now.


Sarah -
He’s a bit invested in the distinction: “Time Lord, last of. Heard of them? Legend or anything? Not even a myth? Blimey, end of the universe is a bit humbling.”


Harry -
Voices from the past circle Yana's mind. These are his own past voices -- Anthony Ainley chuckling, Roger Delgado shouting. It's electrifying stuff and leaves no doubt any longer. Yana finally sees through the perception filter.


Sarah -
And, OMG, the moment when Jacobi opens the watch and becomes the Master is chilling. His entire face changes and he becomes a new person without any special effects. It’s a spectacular moment.


Harry -
Jacobi's performance is perfection. The frustrated, blustering professor is gone, replaced by the icy, smirking Master. He looks around with disgust at the rocket project that he's spent years working on, spitting out the word "Utopia" as if the word itself tastes rotten.

Immediately, he turns on Chantho, blasting her for never thinking to open the watch and restore him. How was she supposed to know? He curses her out and turns to lock the laboratory. 


Sarah -
It’s handy to have an immediate reminder that the Master is an absolute rat bastard.


Harry -
In a role reversal, David Tennant goes from cocky to panicked as the Master slams doors and throws obstacles in his path. He knows who it is inside the laboratory.


Sarah -
There’s no one else it could be!


Harry -
All Chantho knows is that Yana has snapped and must be stopped from ruining everything. Underneath all the prosthetics, Chung conveys heartbreak and terror as the Master assaults Chantho. Her final act of desperation is to shoot him.


Sarah -
Watching him abuse Chantho is so painful to watch. She deserves better.


Harry -
It was unfortunate to see her forgotten after she shot the Master.  Mortally wounded, he staggers into the TARDIS, locks the doors right before the Doctor can get to him, and regenerates. Enter John Simm, bursting with youthful energy and bouncing around the TARDIS console.


Sarah -
“Killed by an insect. A girl. How inappropriate. Still, if the Doctor can be young and strong, then so can I. The Master reborn!”  His misogyny is particularly noteworthy given his later reaction to his next regeneration, but that’s a story for another day...or year.


Harry -
Unlike the conversation between the Doctor and Jack, this one has none of the warmth of old friends reunited.


Sarah -
Talk about awkward reunions.


Harry -
The Futurekind run rampant in the silo and Jack and Martha hold them back at the laboratory door. The Doctor pleads for the Master to slow down and talk things over, but he will have none of it. It's a complete checkmate. The Doctor can only stand and watch as the TARDIS dematerializes. Now THAT is a cliffhanger for the ages.


Sarah -
I want to savor this moment before we head into the two-part finale. I don’t believe I’ve rewatched is since it first aired; I may need to fortify myself with a beverage to get through what’s to come. Let’s forge on, shall we?


Harry -
Some final shout outs to literally everyone.  The acting was top-level all around.  The sets and costumes were memorable.  Good old Graeme Harper delivered another masterpiece as director, and RTD blew us away with the opening chapter of this season-ender.  Ready to forge on!


Sarah -
Best Line: 
"A hermit with friends?" Jacobi’s read made me laugh out loud

Favorite Moment: Yana becoming the Master

Lasting Image: Yana and his watch

8/10


Harry -
Best Line: "I...am...the Master."  I remember laughing maniacally at this moment on the first broadcast.

Favourite Moment: definitely the return of the Master

Lasting Image: Derek Jacobi unleashed as the Master

8/10

Our marathon continues with the final two parts of this story: "The Sound of Drums / Last of the Time Lords"...

Sofa of Rassilon EXTRA: The Curse of Fatal Death (1999)

Sarah -
Welcome to the Sofa of Reasonable Comfort, Old Boy! Have you been looking forward to this as long as I have?


Harry -
I have watched the opening minute of "The Curse of Fatal Death" countless times in the lead up to this. It's great that we could watch the whole thing again.

After the attempt at re-launching Doctor Who with Paul McGann fizzled, we were back to the wilderness years. BBC Books and Big Finish audios were cranking out content for diehard Whovians, but the show would remain absent from the small screen for the remainder of the 90s and into the 00s. We had to settle for this quirky adventure to fill the void. And how quirky was it?


Sarah -
I was given a VHS copy as a birthday gift and watched it over and over. It felt like this was the only Doctor Who we were ever going to get -- the end of televised Doctor Who.


Harry -
It would have been a great way to go out. An all star cast of Doctors goes on a merry romp against the Daleks and the Master. Jonathan Pryce's Master managed to be campier than Anthony Ainley's -- no easy task!


Sarah -
I adore Pryce's Master! He's clearly having the time of his life. As is Rowan Atkinson as the Doctor.


Harry -
Atkinson played the Doctor as a low-key, BlackAddery type and it was perfect.


Sarah -
And there's that up-and-coming writer bloke, S. Moffat. In the bonus material, he's clearly delighted by this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to write Doctor Who.


Harry -
It's amazing that he took his once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and produced a female Doctor. Joanna Lumley is a brilliant Doctor. I don't care how many barking fanboys moan about it, I'd love to see a female Doctor next.


Sarah -
It almost feels inevitable. The barkers will be angry no matter what, so we can just trundle on without consulting them.


Harry -
Aye.  Lumley's sassy appearance followed the two handsome Doctors named Grant, and the shy Doctor. Jim Broadbent always manages to create so much out of so little. I love it whenever he shows up in a supporting role.


Sarah -
Jim Broadbent is one of my favorite actors. He's wonderful in everything -- including this! And let's not forget the love Julia Sawalha as Emma, the only companion the Doctor's ever "had." I'll point out that Moffat, who will go on to give us River Song, is the first Doctor Who TV writer to suggest a proper romance in the TARDIS. He also gives Emma the line, "Never cruel, never cowardly," to eulogize the Doctor -- a line we'll hear again in "The Day of the Doctor". Nothing like stealing from yourself!


Harry -
It was "an homage", surely!


Sarah -
But of course!


Harry -
As for the story, you can see the first signs of Moffat's intricate plotting, in the way the Doctor and the Master lay multiple traps for one another by going further and further back in time. And then, knowing that this might be his only opportunity to write Doctor Who for TV, Moffat fills the rest of the story with toilet humour. It's bonkers and fun.


Sarah -
It was a delightful gift to wilderness-era Whovians everywhere!


Harry -
I wonder how much this production influenced the BBC's decision to finally end the wilderness era, just a few years later.


Sarah -
I have to say I've enjoyed our little two-month wilderness era significantly more than the original sixteen-year version.


Harry -
The condensed version was so much better, and with way less youthful angst to work through. Once was enough for that. But I'm glad we made these side trips to appreciate how much the show still meant to so many people after it went off the air. RTD must have been chomping at the bit to revive the show after seeing this.


Sarah -
We could never have imagined where we'd be today. It's a whole new world for Doctor Who and I can't wait to revisit the start. Are you ready, Old Boy?


Harry -
I can't believe what we're about to watch next!

Our marathon continues with Story #157: Rose...

Story #156: The Movie (1996)

Sarah -
Do you remember how you felt when you heard Doctor Who was coming back? I got the news from a friend and was cautiously optimistic.


Harry -
I was thrilled by the news. Even though it had only been a handful of years, it felt like a lifetime had passed between eras. I was stoked for more!


Sarah -
I wasn't able to watch the movie the night it aired, so I set my VCR (It was 1996, kiddos!) to record it and watched it the next night.


Harry -
"The Movie" had a curious broadcast schedule. Being a joint US-UK production, FOX aired it in America two weeks before viewers across the pond got to see it. Canadians actually got to see it first, a couple of days before the FOX broadcast.


Sarah -
I recall sitting down with Mr. Smith, simply hoping that it would be good. It didn't have to be great, I just didn't want to be disappointed. 

Spoiler Alert: I was disappointed.


Harry -
The one thing that leapt out immediately was the difference in production values. These were the peak years for The X-Files, and "The Movie" was steeped in the same look and feel. Both shows were filmed in Vancouver.


Sarah -
It definitely has an X-Files vibe. Rewatching, I found myself thinking that Daphne Ashbrook could have been cast as Dana Scully's sister, their looks were so alike.


Harry -
After a quick prelude filled with references to Skaro and the Master, the story opens in the TARDIS console room. And it's gorgeous! This console room is what I've patterned my home after. Comfy chairs, bookcases, music and snacky treats. It's all there and I love it. Best console room ever? I'd argue yes.


Sarah -
The console room is amazing! I remember my shock and delight when I saw it the first time and it still stands out as one of the highlights of the movie. It's a perfect fit for the Seventh Doctor. Your home is a delightful homage to this comfy console room.


Harry -
Having been executed by the Daleks after who-knows-what-kind-of-attempted-coalition, the Master's remains are being transported back to Gallifrey by the Doctor. It was a request that should never have been granted!


Sarah -
In retrospect, I have to question the continuity dump that opens the film. I know it's there for geeks like us, but I can't imagine it making any sense to a new viewer. If the plan was to use this movie to relaunch the series, I don't think this was the way to start.


Harry -
A lot of present-day shows go to the other extreme, by telling us nothing at the start. It's not all that frustrating though, because we now get to binge watch entire seasons in one go and the pieces fall in place in short order. Here, they just crammed in too much in the opening minutes. Fans knew they were watching Doctor Who, and they didn't need to be soaked with continuity. Lesson learned by RTD!


Sarah -
There are so many lessons RTD clearly learned from "The Movie", but that's a discussion for later.


Harry -
Sylvester McCoy's Doctor returns at the start of the story. He's relaxing with a good book as, out of view, the Master breaks out of his funereal urn having been transformed into slimy ooze. Soon enough, he wreaks havoc on the TARDIS controls, forcing an emergency landing on Earth, San Francisco, 1999.


Sarah -
Syl! I know we just watched Survival a couple weeks ago, but I was already feeling nostalgic, which is exactly how I felt in 1996.


Harry -
His longer hair looked odd, but clearly a sign that he was mellowing in his later years. Speaking of length, one of the things that always struck me about this story -- watching it for the first time in 1996, watching it again on VHS in the 00s, and again now -- was how long Sylvester's Doctor was in the story.


Sarah -
It's amazing that the entire broadcast history of Paul McGann's Doctor is just over an hour long.


Harry -
True. After the emergency landing, the Seventh Doctor emerges from the TARDIS and gets shot by gangsters. He gets rushed to emergency, where he succumbs on the operating table. It's 16 minutes into the story but it feels so long every time.

It's also extremely horrible watching the Doctor die. He fights so hard, I almost teared up.


Sarah -
It's just awful. He's trying to tell the medical workers -- who think his two hearts are a double exposure on the x-ray -- that he's not human, but Dr Grace Holloway manages to kill him while trying to save his life. Oops. 

So, Grace. I tried really hard to like her more this time, but I don't find the character interesting or engaging. Her introduction irritated me -- another doctor referring to her as "Amazing Grace," Grace crying at the opera and running slow-mo through the hospital in her opera gown. It just didn't work for me.


Harry -
The opera scene, the frustrated boyfriend, the running in the gown, all forgettable moments. Once she got into surgery, the thing that sticks out most about Dr. Holloway's character is that she's not very "doctory". I don't mean that in a Gallifreyan sense, but that she's not all that convincing as a surgeon. A little more ice in the veins should have been projected.


Sarah -
I was never sold on Grace as a brilliant heart surgeon. I am always predisposed to like strong female characters, but Grace was like a cardboard cutout of the token "strong female character. It's a real lost opportunity.


Harry -
Anyway, it all goes horribly wrong and John Smith's body is wheeled away to the morgue. Sylvester gets to make some funny faces one more time as the regeneration kicks in, and then... hello Paul McGann!


Sarah -
After the most gruesome Doctor "death," this has to be the smoothest regeneration ever.


Harry -
It's an impressive regeneration thanks to the CGI work.


Sarah -
Doctor Who with a budget -- anything is possible!


Harry -
It was bizarre how the Doctor stumbled into a room full of mirrors right after that. Does every hospital have a room of mirrors? Can't recall ever seeing one.


Sarah -
OMG, that scene killed me -- a room of not only mirrors, but dripping water and discarded furniture! Where the hell is this hospital? Dickensian England?


Harry -
Synchronizing the regeneration with Frankenstein playing on a TV was a bit clunky.


Sarah -
I agree on the Frankenstein clips, but the morgue scenes were otherwise memorable. I really enjoyed Will Sasso's performance as Pete the morgue attendant. I wouldn't want Pete to be my co-worker, but Sasso makes the most of his brief appearance. 

The morgue also turns out to be the source of the Doctor's new wardrobe. Turns out he died on December 30 and the hospital workers are planning a costume New Year's Eve party the following night. After wandering around a bit in the sheet, the Doctor stumbles into the locker room and finds Pete's co-worker's Wild Bill Hickock costume. My favorite thing about this scene is the fact that someone at the hospital seems to be planning to attend the party dressed as Tom Baker's Doctor!


Harry -
I liked the cameos by both Sasso and the scarf.

It made more sense to synchronize the Frankenstein clips with the rebirth of the Master. They really upped the creepiness of the Master's efforts. The oozing slime becomes snakelike and invades the ambulance driver's body as he sleeps. The Master is good at this sort of thing, having previously stolen the body of Tremas on Traken. Not sure about the glowing green eyes, other than "glowing green eyes look creepier".


Sarah -
The glowing eyes are an odd choice, but it's the Master, so we'll just wave our hands and bit and move along. My memory of Eric Roberts' performance as the Master wasn't good, but I found myself really enjoying his over-the-top stylings this time.


Harry -
I recall Roberts getting rapped for his over-the-top performance ("I always DREZZ for the occasion."), but it's now just one of many such performances thanks to John Simm and Michelle Gomez. In fact, this Master seemed almost subdued compared to subsequent incarnations ("Bananas!").


Sarah -
The Master's bonkers level has definitely been recalibrated in recent years.


Harry -
Now that we've got our new Doctor, Master and companions for both, the adventure proper can begin. Boy was it wobbly. The Master feels that his newly stolen body won't last long, so he wants to steal the Doctor's remaining lives. He somehow sneaks into the TARDIS and recruits Chang Lee to help him open the Eye of Harmony, which is now inside the TARDIS. Er... okay.

The Doctor, meanwhile, has amnesia but latched onto Dr. Holloway and she decided to bring him home. Er... okay.


Sarah -
I did laugh when they enter the house to discover Grace's boyfriend has moved out -- and taken the sofa with him! And yet, somehow, he managed to leave his perfectly sized shoes behind for the Doctor.


Harry -
The Master uses Chang to open the Eye and locate the Doctor. At that moment, the Doctor's memory returns and he celebrates by smooching Grace. Two weeks later, somewhere in England, Terrance Dicks and Barry Letts will die many silent deaths watching all of this.


Sarah -
You've heard the story of them walking out of the screening? If we were disappointed, imagine how they must have felt. 

How did you feel about "THE KISS"? At the time, I was all bent out of shape. This time, it felt celebratory and not smoochy-woochy. Maybe my tolerance, like the Master's crazy, has been reset by the current series, but it didn't bother me too much.


Harry -
The new series has made most of the things that were controversial in The Movie into no big deal anymore. The Master, the kiss, the Doctor's bullshitting ("I'm half human on my mother's side."), watching it now barely got a response out of me.

And yes, I've assigned the "half human" remark to the folder "This Was the Doctor Bullshitting Someone".


Sarah -
Oh yeah, complete bullshit. I thought that Grace misinterpreted the kiss and would eventually be disappointed to find out the Doctor had no romantic interest in her.


Harry -
Grace didn't seem all that interested in sticking with the Doctor at the end anyway.


Sarah -
Probably for the best, really. What did you think of Chang Lee?


Harry -
He stumbled into the Doctor's world, became a patsy for the Master, and was ultimately a non-entity. A stock "helper" character with no development. Yee Jee Tso has forged a career playing bit parts in TV and film, and he has been in a handful of Big Finish audios, including Excelis Decays. I don't recall being wowed by his performance.


Sarah -
I would have been more interested to see him join the Doctor in the TARDIS than Grace. His character was sort of an Adric-Turlough hybrid.


Harry -
In the worlds of Doctor Who novels and audios, the Eighth Doctor will pick up many different companions. I'm not sure if Grace was intended to be a continuing companion of the Doctor's or not.

In The Movie, she ably assists the Doctor as he races to get to an atomic clock, which contains a piece that will help close the Eye of Harmony, which for reasons unexplained is warping the fabric of time and will destroy the Earth at the stroke of midnight on December 31st. Er... okay.


Sarah -
The Eye of Harmony scene is definitely my favorite part of the movie. It's all so wonderfully camp -- the Master parading around in his robes, Grace trying to sort out what to do, Chang Lee in the Master's thrall, and the Doctor trussed up in some serious bondage gear. I don't know what the hell was going on here, but I loved the insanity of it all.


Harry -
For the Master, it ends predictably. How many times have we seen him totally obliviated?


Sarah -
I've lost count.


Harry -
And there's the Doctor, going back in time to save the lives of Grace and Chang -- WHEN HE REFUSED TO DO THE SAME THING FOR ADRIC.


Sarah -
WTF, Doctor?


Harry -
I will say one thing I liked about this story: the whole thing takes place at night, and I love Doctor Who stories that take place at night.


Sarah -
As weak at the script may be, Geoffrey Sax's direction is solid.


Harry -
After all that, the Doctor returns to the TARDIS and takes off alone. The show has been relaunched and a universe of new adventures awaits. 

Or so we thought! We can save our discussion of what happened next for our entry on the Paul McGann era. For now, I'm ready to wrap this one up.

Best Line: 
Grace: "I'm not a child. Don't treat me like I'm a child, only children believe that crap. I am a doctor." 
The Doctor: "But it was a childish dream that made you a doctor."

Favourite Moment: the Master camping it up during the Eye of Harmony scene.

Lasting Image: the new TARDIS interior.

6/10


Sarah -
Best Line: "I always dress for the occasion."

Favorite Moment: Camp Master 4 Life!

Lasting Image: The Doctor in the Master's wacky bondage gear. It looked even less comfortable than Adric in "Castrovalva". 

5/10

 



Next, we continue wandering the wilderness years with "The Curse of Fatal Death"...