Story #159 - The Unquiet Dead (2005)

Harry -
It's the end of December, which means all the little Whovians have just been treated to another Doctor Who Christmas Special. But before that was even a thing, we got "The Unquiet Dead", the third story of the new series.


Sarah -
Our timing is spot-on. Happy Christmas, Chuck!


Harry -
Cheers, old girl!


Sarah -
I love the cold open in the Sneed and Company funeral parlor. A young man mourns his grandmother, only to be strangled by her when her body is reanimated by a gaseous being. Rather than being shocked, Mr. Sneed is resigned to find “The stiffs are getting lively again.” It feels wrong, but that line makes me laugh every time.


Harry -
My favourite line.  

And there's Eve Myles! Playing (for now) the role of guest actor Eve Myles. I had totally forgotten that in this story she played the ancestor of a more prominent character in the Whoniverse.


Sarah -
Eve Myles is always lovely, isn’t she?


Harry -
For now, it's Christmas Eve 1869 in Cardiff. The Doctor believes he has taken Rose back in time to Naples in 1860, but he got it slightly off. Rose doesn't seem to mind; she grabs some Victorian fashions from the TARDIS wardrobe and leads the way outside.


Sarah -
I imagine Rose would have gone with something a bit less revealing if she knew she was in Cardiff. I’m always intrigued by visits to the TARDIS wardrobe -- “First left, second right, third on the left, go straight ahead, under the stairs, past the bins, fifth door on your left. Hurry up!”


Harry -
The Doctor may have miscalibrated the destination, but within moments they stroll into scenes of panic. The walking cadaver from the opening scene has unleashed an airborne ghost over a theatre, terrorizing the locals. "That's more like it!" the Doctor beams as he and Rose follow the sounds of commotion into the theatre, where it just so happens that Charles Dickens himself was delivering a performance of A Christmas Carol.


Sarah -
It’s a call back to season one, with alternating trips to the future and past. We’re used to the Doctor meeting historical figures, but it’s been longer than I realized. Turns out the last time we saw the Doctor meet a historical celebrity was H.G. Wells in "Timelash". (And yes, I am quite chuffed to have worked in a "Timelash" reference.)


Harry -
That is wild (both the lack of historical figures since the Colin Baker era, and the "Timelash" reference).


Sarah -
Fun Fact: I saw Simon Callow present The Mystery of Charles Dickens at the Chicago Shakespeare Theater in 2001. It made watching this episode so much more fun the first time around. 

This is the first story written by Mark Gatiss, and he brings us a mix of history and horror. In retrospect, I would say "The Unquiet Dead" is still his strongest Doctor Who story, but we’ll have time to reevaluate that along the way.


Harry -
Who can resist a Victorian ghost story that takes place on Christmas Eve? One thing that stands out in this story -- and has stood out so far this entire season -- is the intense use of colours on the actors' faces. Inside the TARDIS, the Doctor and Rose are lit up with bright green lights. Here in Cardiff it's all cool blues and warm golds. Very colourful.


Sarah -
The art direction really is fabulous all around. If you want a good-looking historical, the BBC is the place to go.

I also quite like the music in this story. I found the music in "Rose" and "The End of the World" to often be distracting and disruptive. Murray Gold gets it just right this time.


Harry -
While the Doctor meets Dickens in the theatre, Rose sees too much of what Mr. Sneed and Gwyneth are up to, so Sneed kidnaps her. A high speed carriage chase ensues, with the Doctor and Dickens barging in on the funeral parlour to find Rose and get to the bottom of things.


Sarah -
The scene between the Doctor and Dickens in the carriage is delightful, with the Doctor fanboy-ing all over the place, to Dickens’ bemusement and delight.


Harry -
Watching this again confirms that Callow really was born to play Dickens. I can't imagine the man without hearing Callow's voice now. I can also imagine the next Doctor working in a "What the Dickens!" were he in this scene.

Another thing I've noticed in each of the first three stories of this season. This Doctor smiles, a lot. Whenever he's with Rose, he's smiling and having a good time. She's clearly helping him move on from recent events in his past. This runs counter to the lasting impression in fandom -- and in my own memories -- that this Doctor was ever-so-glum and always brooding. But that only seems to happen when someone mentions the war.


Sarah -
All that smiling with Rose is why so many new viewers thought they were watching an intergalactic romance. They, of course, were wrong.


Harry -
Over at the parlour, the Doctor finds himself baffled by the apparitions. Rose meanwhile connects with Gwyneth. It turns out she has the gift of sight, and can see the future where Rose came from.


Sarah -
I love the scene between Rose and Gwyneth in the pantry. They giggle over boys and Rose scandalizes Gwyneth with her modern ways. It’s common for the companion to soak up some local knowledge while the Doctor tries to sort out what’s going on. Rose and Gwyneth definitely develop a connection in this scene, which makes the rest of the story so much more challenging for Rose. 

The pantry scene also gives us our next Bad Wolf reference when Gwyneth has a vision of Rose’s life: “The things you've seen. The darkness, the big bad wolf. I'm sorry. I'm sorry, miss.”


Harry -
Once Gwyneth’s ability becomes known, it is decided that a séance is in order, to attempt to connect with the spirits. Dickens is sceptical, but he gamely joins the circle at the table.


Sarah -
And so we meet the Gelth, who claim they lost their bodies in the Time War and are on the verge of extinction.


Harry -
...and the Doctor's face drops immediately. Don't mention the war!


Sarah -
They ask to enter our world through the Rift and be allowed to take over the bodies of the dead to survive. Rose is horrified at the prospect and the Doctor lashes out at her in their first major conflict, “It is different, yeah. It's a different morality. Get used to it or go home. You heard what they said, time's short. I can't worry about a few corpses when the last of the Gelth could be dying.”


Harry -
I have seen numerous (very) heated online discussions about "The Unquiet Dead" as a story about refugees in England, and what Rose and the Doctor's responses are meant to symbolize. Watched from that angle, the story feels even more current in 2016 than it was in 2005. There's no easy answer for Rose, nor is there one in real life.


Sarah -
Gwyneth agrees to serve as a bridge to allow the Gelth to enter through the Rift, despite Rose’s protests. It immediately becomes clear that there are billions of Gelth planning to cross over and take over the world. I hadn’t really contemplated this before, but do you think they were intentionally baiting the Doctor with the Time War story to get what they wanted out of him -- or were they just lucky in finding his weakness?


Harry -
It's clear that the war hangs heavily over the Doctor. Is it survivor's guilt? Is it culpability in some crime? Is he scarred by things he'd seen, or done? It could be all of these things, but we still don't know.


Sarah -
In either case, it turns out Rose’s instincts were correct. One point for the human.

The Doctor and Rose manage to get behind a gate, but have nowhere to go. It’s a touching scene when he apologizes to her and she wonders how she can possibly die before she’s even been born. 

But never fear -- Charles Dickens is here to save the day! After seeing a Gelth sucked into a gaslight, he gets the idea to turn up the gas in the house while turning off the flame, which sucks the Gelth out of the corpses.


Harry -
Charles Dickens, Victorian man of letters and of action! It's unfortunate that he didn't live long enough to encounter Jago and Litefoot later in that century. Although with Big Finish, anything might be possible.


Sarah -
Dear Big Finish, we have one small request...

The Doctor tells Gwyneth to send the Gelth back, but she can only hold them where they are. She pulls a box of matches out of her pocket and Rose begs her not to use them. The Doctor sends Dickens and Rose out of the house as they are being overcome by gas fumes. He tries to convince Gwyneth to leave, but realizes that she’s dead and probably has been since she entered the Rift. The Doctor flees the house just as Gwyneth strikes the match. Goodbye Gelth.


Harry -
A tragic end for Gwyneth. She saw so many things, but could not see her own death. Or perhaps she knew that a long and happy life awaited her, but the arrival of the Gelth and the Doctor forced her to take unexpected steps that cut her future short. 

The Gelth are dispatched but the rift will remain in Cardiff, becoming a focal point for extraterrestrial activity. You can hear the wheels turning in RTD's mind.

What began as a fun visit to the past turned into a very dark episode for Rose. She and the Doctor return to the TARDIS with this shared experience and for the moment we don't know if it will bring them closer, or the opposite. For the moment, it's time to say their farewell to Mr. Dickens. His experience has been an eye-opener, fueling his literary imagination but also driving him home to be with his family for Christmas. He ends the story on a happy note, the only character who could do so.


Sarah -
Best Line: 
Rose: "But I can't die. Tell me I can't. I haven't even been born yet. It's impossible for me to die. Isn't it?"

Favorite Moment: Rose and Gwyneth’s conversation in the pantry.

Lasting Image: Gwyneth in the Rift.

8/10


Harry -
Best Line: "The stiffs are getting lively again."

Favourite Moment: the Doctor goes fanboy on Dickens.

Lasting Image: the walking cadaver at the theatre

8/10

Our marathon continues with Story #160: Aliens of London...

Story #158 - The End of the World (2005)

Harry -
If "Rose" confirmed to us that the Doctor, his companion(s) and the TARDIS could be brought back in the twenty-first century, then "The End of the World" confirmed to us that Doctor Who's production values could also be brought into the twenty-first century. 

Nowhere was that more evident than in the veritable creature cantina of characters who rolled out shortly after the Doctor and Rose landed on Platform One. 

"Representing the Forest of Cheam, we have trees, namely, Jabe, Lute and Coffa.

"From the solicitors Jolco and Jolco, we have the Moxx of Balhoon. 

"From Financial Family Seven, we have the Adherents of the Repeated Meme. 

"The inventors of Hypo-slip Travel Systems, the brothers Hop Pyleen. 

"Cal Spark Plug... Mister and Mrs Pakoo... The Ambassadors from the City State of Binding Light. 

"From the Silver Devastation, the sponsor of the main event, the Face of Boe. 

"And last but not least, our very special guest. Ladies and gentlemen, and trees and multiforms, consider the Earth below. In memory of this dying world, we call forth the last Human. The Lady Cassandra O'Brien Dot Delta Seventeen."

Take that, Star Wars and Star Trek! This collection of colourful characters has gathered on Platform One to witness the expansion of our sun, and the final destruction of the planet Earth. Oh my word but I love stories that hit you with incomprehensible measures of time. The Doctor and Rose have travelled to the year five billion!


Sarah -
We’ve come a long way, haven’t we? It’s the best collection of aliens since Mavic Chen’s council in "The Daleks’ Master Plan", but much less homespun.


Harry -
Now there's a crew that should make a comeback.


Sarah -
I was so happy to have Doctor Who take us through space and time right off the bat! It’s great fan service to those of us who needed reassurance that this was still proper Doctor Who, while not weighing the story down with continuity for new viewers.


Harry -
It's as if RTD spent 16 years plotting out how he'd bring it all back.


Sarah -
Probably longer than 16 years.

The episode continues immediately from the end of "Rose", as the Doctor invites Rose to choose how far into the future they want to go. They goad each other into going farther and farther in time, until they find themselves at the end of the world -- five billion years in the future.


Harry -
The year five billion!

So much has changed, yet so much remains the same. This observation platform is available only to the rich and privileged, who paid their way to see the Earth's final moments. The Doctor and Rose join the party after he flashes the psychic paper on camera for the first time. (In my personal head canon, previous Doctors have used it to make their way into places with seemingly no resistance from others, like when the First Doctor waltzed right into WOTAN's headquarters to deal with the war machines.)


Sarah -
I’m comfortable with that retconning.


Harry -
After RTD shows us that class systems will persist to the Earth's final day, he then throws some conspiracy and greed into the mix as well. If it weren't for the characters with blue faces, the story would be as contemporary as anything.

But... people here have blue faces. And bug eyes. And cuttings of their grandfather -- who was a tree -- to give as gifts. Rose becomes overwhelmed by the sight of Cassandra and the other guests, and dashes from the room to take it all in.

It's easy from this side of the screen to think "oh wow, it would be cool as hell to be there," but I'd probably feel the same unease if I were in Rose's place.

I'd also feel extreme unease if I noticed the tiny spider droids spreading out across the platform. I cannot stand spiders.


Sarah -
I appreciate Rose’s reaction, which I think is completely appropriate in this situation. It’s a lot to take in. Still, even in her distress, Rose is defined by her compassion. Her kindness to Raffalo is above and beyond anything the blue-faced aliens have come to expect.

Sadly, Raffalo doesn’t survive long after her encounter with Rose. She’s the first victim of the spider droids, with the Steward as the second. It really doesn’t seem like a good idea for the sun shield decent to be a one-button control does it?


Harry -
The most important life preserving system on the entire platform is less complicated to operate than a Venetian blind. Crazy!


Sarah -
Things don’t much go better for Rose, who is knocked out by the Adherents after an altercation with wafer-thin Cassandra, who considers herself the only pure human alive. Rose wakes to find herself in a room with lowering sun shields -- and we know where that’s going.


Harry -
Facing imminent, spectacular death, Rose proves that the Doctor chose well. She keeps her cool as the walls above her sizzle and burn. Instead of panicking or screaming, she ducks for cover and encourages the Doctor to get a move on.


Sarah -
Meanwhile, the Doctor is on Jabe’s radar. She’s shocked to discover he’s a Time Lord and expresses her sympathies for his loss. It’s a touching moment and another hint about the Doctor’s backstory.


Harry -
Again, RTD dropping just enough information to leave the viewers wanting to know more.

Jabe is my favourite character in this story. Not only fascinating to look at, but also someone the Doctor respects and doesn't mess around with. No wonder, she sacrificed herself in the chamber of giant fans so that he could prevent the entire platform from being destroyed.


Sarah -
Jabe is awesome! Doctor Who has a long history of “guest companions” who make a strong mark in one story. Jabe is definitely a standout in that group. 

Not to obsess on the design elements too much, but I have to point out that it’s probably not a best practice in architecture to put the reset switch on the far side of a series of deadly fans.


Harry -
Worst space platform ever.

While Jabe's demise was tragic, Cassandra's was less so. Unmasked (?) as the conspirator who held everyone for ransom in order to finance her future operations, she shows absolutely no remorse until her skin begins to dry up. Even then, her outburst is entirely self-centred as she demands that someone moisturize her. When no one does, she literally bursts apart. So much for the last human.


Sarah -
Later, Cassandra! 

As we discussed with “Rose,” one of the key changes RTD made in bringing the series back was to put the companion at the center of the story. In "The End of the World", Rose’s story carries as much weight as the Doctor’s and both stories are fairly intense. 

Rose is confronted by mortality not only when she is nearly killed, but also when she witnesses the deaths of others. Mostly importantly, she realizes that her own mother is long dead, along with everyone else she knows -- and her entire planet. I love the moment when the Doctor takes her back to present-day Earth, reminding her that nothing lasts forever. It’s reassuring both for Rose and the viewer.

After the death of Jabe, the Doctor tells Rose about the destruction of Gallifrey and the Time Lords. It feels like she’s the first person he’s told about the Time War in this incarnation and the moment gives the Doctor a vulnerability that the previous Doctors never had. Like a good friend, Rose reminds him that he still has her, and offers to buy him some chips -- with only five billion years to go before the shops close.

Did you catch the first Bad Wolf reference when The Moxx of Balhoon commented to the Face of Boe that the situation on the platform was "the Bad Wolf scenario?"


Harry -
It was almost lost in all the noise, but I heard it.  On first broadcast in 2005 it probably went right by everyone watching.

So, in the first story of this new era, the groundwork was laid as we met Rose and the Doctor, saw the TARDIS and the sights of London. In the second story, the Doctor showed Rose just how far and how fast the TARDIS could travel, and oh what sights she could see. In the third story, we will get our first pseudo-historical, and a timely Christmassy one at that. Shall we see what this Mark Gatiss bloke has in store for us?

Best Line: "Stop wasting time, Time Lord."

Favourite Moment: the parade of alien guests entering the hall.

Lasting Image: the Doctor and Rose gazing down at the Earth as it burns.

7/10


Sarah -
Best Line: Rose walking over to confront Cassandra: “Quick word with Michael Jackson.” 

Favorite Moment: The Doctor navigating the fans.

Lasting Image: Cassandra.

7/10

Our marathon continues with Story #159: The Unquiet Dead...

Story #157 - Rose (2005)

Harry -
I will never, never, never forget my 30th birthday.

There I was, at my desk at work, clicking around the Internet. I randomly wandered over to the BBC news website, where the most electrifying headline of all time awaited.

The rest of the day must have passed in a daze. I have no recollection of how the rest of it went. I do remember emailing every human being I knew to share the incredible news. All that mattered that day was that DOCTOR WHO WAS COMING BACK.

Where were you when you heard the news?


Sarah -
I don't remember the exact moment, but I do remember the combination of joy and dread I felt. DOCTOR WHO WAS COMING BACK! But, wait, it came back before and it was amazingly disappointing. Would I get my hopes up just to have them crushed? Could I survive another Doctor Who disappointment?


Harry -
Two years later, we watched "Rose" with millions of other giddy Whovians.


Sarah -
And the sigh of relief was heard around the world! I'm pretty sure I held my breath for the first five minutes.


Harry -
Watching it again 11 years later, I remember the thrill of it all. Seeing the TARDIS again, being scared witless by the Autons again, marveling at this brash new Doctor, revelling in the story and the London setting and all the landmarks and the sheer modernness of it all. As the closing credits rolled, I sat there -- then as again now -- with a manic grin and tears, breathing the heavy breaths of someone utterly besotted.


Sarah -
I never get tired of watching "Rose". It's undoubtedly the new Who story I've watch the most and I love it more every time. The moment when the Doctor tells Rose to run is the moment when I knew everything was going to be ok.


Harry -
Russell T. Davies remembered all the hard lessons of the ill-fated "Movie", and used "An Unearthly Child" as his first episode template instead. Rather than drowning viewers new and old with a tidal wave of explanatory continuity, he made Rose the central character. Through her, we meet this strange man who calls himself the Doctor. She asks a lot of questions and the Doctor seems to know more than he's letting on, and he turns out to be an alien-fighting spaceman who travels in an amazing blue box. That's basically all we learned about him in the first episode in 1963 as well.


Sarah -
RTD made so many right choices with this episode. Rose was the perfect entry character for new viewers -- relatable, smart, funny, and ready for adventure.


Harry -
It was a great way to introduce new viewers to the show. For lifelong Whovians, there was enough continuity to reassure us that the show was in a reliable set of hands. 

Autons! Freaking Autons from the word go! I loved it.


Sarah -
Starting with the Autons was a brilliant move. Its callback to "Spearhead from Space" was immediately reassuring for us old folks. At the same time, mannequins coming to life is a nightmare everyone can relate to, so there was no need for an info dump to explain them.


Harry -
Even when the Doctor got around to explaining the Autons, all he said was that they were plastic-based aliens looking for a new home after they lost their planet in "the war". Just enough info to move the story along, but also little enough to leave you wanting to know more.

But let's talk about the Doctor. The new Doctor! My mind was blown when they cast Christopher Eccleston in the role. A well known face from cinema, this was serious stuff. In this first story, he's not as dark as his image seems to have become over time. He's lively, witty, almost fun to be around! That is, when he's not dashing off to do something very important, leaving Rose trailing behind.


Sarah -
Eccleston's casting gave the series a credibility that I found reassuring and he lived up to my expectations. The Ninth Doctor is properly alien -- big ears and all.


Harry -
His clothes are very straightforward and nondescript. Black leather jacket, black trousers and boots, dark coloured jumper. Sometimes I have to look twice whenever someone cosplays the Ninth Doctor at Chicago TARDIS, he blends in so well.


Sarah -
The costume Colin Baker wanted! It's the least costume-y Doctor costume ever and a perfect no-nonsense outfit for a Doctor who has just come through a war.


Harry -
This Doctor is cool without being aloof, and makes an instant connection with Rose. Not so much with Mickey, who starts the story as the adorable boyfriend, but ends it as a gibbering wreck. Not TARDIS material, the Doctor decides.


Sarah -
Poor Mickey, so abused and unappreciated. He doesn't deal with the situation as well as Rose, but then, she wasn't swallowed by a trash bin and cloned as an Auton.


Harry -
Auton Mickey, however, may have been my favourite part of this story.


Sarah -
Right? And how clueless is Rose to not realized that something's a bit off with her boyfriend? Self-absorbed much?


Harry -
The Doctor confronts Auton Mickey, ripping his head off in front of horrified restaurant goers, and makes a run for the TARDIS. For the first time, we hear the TARDIS door squeak. I love that that sound effect has been there since day one. This sequence also gives Rose the opportunity to deliver her version of the classic "it's bigger on the inside" moment.


Sarah -
Rose running outside to make sure the exterior of the TARDIS is the size she thinks it is cracks me up every time. 

When she reenters the TARDIS, Rose demands to know what happened to Mickey and the Doctor's reaction is so callous. I can imagine the First Doctor not sparing a thought for Mickey, but not any of his successors. In retrospect, it makes sense for a Doctor who has been through a war and it really emphasizes his alienness.


Harry -
Thanks to Steven Moffat, John Hurt and Big Finish, we have the luxury of a lot more Time War backstory to colour our interpretations of the Ninth Doctor's post-war adventures. Apart from that quick reference to the war earlier, he doesn't delve into it in this story. But it's clear that even without any backstory, he'd have no time for Mickey after that meltdown.

The Doctor traces the Nestene Consciousness to somewhere beneath the Thames. The London Eye (squee!) has been harnessed as a gigantic transmitter, allowing the Consciousness to trigger an Auton rampage across the city. This scene always stands out for me because of the London Eye, the Auton rampage, and the fact that most of this story takes place at night -- so many of my favourite things all at once.

When Autons seize the Doctor, Rose takes action and swings to his rescue. Her training with the Jericho Street Junior School under-7s gymnastic team paid off!


Sarah -
Rose's pep talk to herself before swinging on a rope is so endearing, as is her care of the rescued Mickey.


Harry -
I guess Mickey was destined from the start to be a character who wouldn't fit into the TARDIS mindset, and we'll see that played out for the next couple of seasons. Mickey will prove his mettle in the end, but let's not get too ahead of things.

Thanks to Rose's gymnastic skills, the Consciousness is wiped out by a vial of anti-plastic, and the Auton rampage is halted. Among the survivors is Rose's mum, Jackie Tyler. Hello Jacks!


Sarah -
But poor Doctor-hunter Clive has not survived the rampage. I couldn't help think of Whizz Kid, the last fan surrogate to be killed off. A moment of silence for Clive, please.

Harry -
I confess you did far better than me to remember his name. One thing I found odd in this story was that the Doctor had a moment when he spotted himself in a mirror and commented on his new face and ears, but Clive already had evidence of his appearances throughout time: the Kennedy assassination, the Titanic, and Krakatoa. This would imply that this Doctor has already spent a lot of time visiting different moments in the Earth's history. Maybe that's the first instance of timey-wimeyness we encounter in the new series. I don't know.


Sarah -
So, let's talk about Jackie. I know this is just the beginning of her arc, but I've always been bothered by the way she's portrayed. The script feels very contemptuous towards her and I can't help but think that it could have been handled better. Knowing she's just the first of many horrible mothers in RTD's era, I can't help but point in his direction on this one. 

Harry -
I guess since RTD included Rose's family and friends in her story, he decided that Rose should come from a decidedly imperfect family. This would include the absent dad and the gossipy mum, but isn't every mum a bit gossipy?


Sarah -
Seriously, you’re going with “moms are gossipy?” Speak for yourself.


Harry -
Every family has its flaws and that's where RTD goes, instead of painting an idyll. I did laugh during the scene when the Doctor arrived chez Tyler and Rose presented him as someone from the inquiry to the events at the shoppe. He spots Jackie through an open doorway...

JACKIE: I'm in my dressing gown. 
DOCTOR: Yes, you are. 
JACKIE: There's a strange man in my bedroom. 
DOCTOR: Yes, there is. 
JACKIE: Well, anything could happen. 
DOCTOR: No.

Sarah -
This is exactly the scene I hate. We know Jackie is being setup for future character growth, but the contempt she’s treated with by the script has always gotten under my skin. RTD has some seriously misogynistic mommy issues, which we’ll see over and over for the rest of his era.  

There are also class issues playing out here. I've always felt that the script is dismissive of Rose's working class background, which is best illustrated by the way Mickey and Jackie are treated. Mickey and Jackie both have better days ahead, but I'll never be happy with their treatment in this first story.


Harry -
In just one episode of New Who, RTD has given a new companion more backstory than any previous. It was a deliberate move and represents a different approach to storytelling compared to the classic series. From now on, companions will do more than just ask pertinent questions and be there to be rescued, their lives will be part of the story.


Sarah -
The central role of companions is the most revolutionary aspect of Doctor Who's return. Making Rose the protagonist was brilliant and Billie Piper's performance made her immediately relatable.


Harry -
Back in 2005, I had no idea that Billie Piper was a young pop singer and that her casting in the new series was cause for consternation for some. I seem to recall Toby Hadoke's initial reaction was something like: "NOOOOO! THIS IS BONNIE LANGFORD ALL OVER AGAIN!" 

But there was no reason to be concerned. Rose was great from the get-go. For new viewers and old, she created a character with whom we could explore the Doctor's universe together. And that slow-motion moment when she throws all caution to the wind and joins the Doctor in the TARDIS, it's magical. (It's also mind-blowing that we are writing about Billie Piper in the year 2016 and she's only 34 years old right now!)

Like I said above, watching "Rose" always leaves me with a manic grin and tears as the final credits roll.

And here we are, in the New Who era. A huge sigh of relief after the first episode, and eager to see the next one. Shall we see what surprises RTD has in store for us?

Best Line: 
ROSE: So what you're saying is, the entire world revolves around you. 
DOCTOR: Sort of, yeah. 
ROSE: You're full of it. 
DOCTOR: Sort of, yeah. 

Favourite Moment: the Doctor is attacked by the Auton arm.

Lasting Image: the Doctor and the London Eye. It captured both the newness and the amazingness of the new series for me.

8/10 (although I probably gave it 10/10 on first viewing)


Sarah -
Best Line: Nice to meet you, Rose. Run for your life!

Favorite Moment: The Doctor telling Rose to run.

Lasting Image: The Doctor and Rose running down the corridor.

8/10

Our marathon continues with Story #158: The End of the World...

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...