Well, yes, I’m one of the last to have actually watched it, but we got round to it last night.
Short form: Woot! One of the best Doctor Who season finales since the series was restarted.
Long form (and SPOILERS): Below the cut.
In no particular order:
- Of the “specials,” I like this one best. Harsh, serious, but a nice blend of humor, horror, and drama. Less grim than “The Waters of Mars,” more consequential than “Planet of the Dead” and “The Next Doctor” (all of which, btw, were still quite good). I was worried after “Waters” that the Doctor’s “death” would be even nastier — but while I would hardly call it a light outing, the two-parter had room for both joy and sorrow, drama and contemplation. A nice balance, helped by making it a full-blow feature-length outing — and not trying to up the various Dalek invasions of the past.
- Unlike so many previous regenerations (esp. thinking of Eccleston’s), the Doctor this time had a chance to wrap up his affairs, dangling Russell Davies’ plotlines and unresolved bits, with a nod toward Torchwood and Sarah Jane both. Which was as nice as it was poignant.
- Tennant put on a great showing for the Doctor’s finale. That he could be so menacing toward the Master, but at the same time care for him in his own way, was lovely, as was his blending of bravado and fear for himself. “I don’t want to go.” His interaction with Bernard Cribbins as Wilfrid Mott was also excellent, and having an aging hero like Wilf as the Companion for an ep — a counterpoint to a Doctor drowning in his own personal history — was splendid. I liked John Simm’s Master better this time than last (or perhaps it was just a better story). And … well, Timothy Dalton as the Lord President was great casting.
- All in all, a great final outing for the Tenth Doctor, clearing the deck for the Eleventh (“still not ginger”). Also a great exit for Davies.
Overall, quite satisfying. Now … when does the series continue? Spring, huh? Can’t wait.
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The only quibble I had with it was the extended ending. If he’d gone into the chamber and died, it would have been way better. I loved each of those mini scenes at the end, but I wish they’d either come earlier in the show or as some sort of flashback…instead, it felt like “is this guy gonna die already or what???” I can’t think of a better way to do it (other than not at all), but it just seemed to rob some of the power of the decision to go into the booth.
I have to disagree. While it wasn’t handled perfectly, the idea (and most of the execution) of the Doctor finally acknowledging that, yes, he was going to die, and he needed to wrap some things up first, was some of the better parts off the show. It needed to be a bit more explicitly clear that it was coming, post-chamber (mebbe some glowy-glowy creeping in around the edges or something), but for all that, it was a nice way to close out this Doctor’s run.