Doctor Who: The End of Time - Parts 1 & 2
The First 10 Doctors
Television Special Review
Doctor Who: The End of Time - Parts 1 & 2 were the last of the 2009 Doctor Who specials from BBC. These two episodes are the last to see David Tennant on as the tenth doctor on a regular basis. Russell T. Davis, Executive Producer and Chief Writer (main advocate for keeping this long running television series continuing) added some great extras on the DVD including an exquisite video send off for the tenth Doctor and the actor David Tennant. The extras further include Russel T. Davis's farewell too. This Doctor Who 2009 two-episode special did not only mean just a new doctor, the eleventh (Matt Smith). It also equates having a new Executive Producer and Chief Writer (Steven Moffat) for the Doctor Who television series. Many loyal Doctor Who fans, like myself, are praying they do not change much. Considering what occurred at the end of this BBC special, who knows how the Tardis will fare. The Tardis could end up being drastically altered inside and out. Russell T. Davis during the extras does forewarn that there will be some planned changes from Steven Moffat. Fans brace yourself!
Doctor Who: The End of Time - Parts 1 & 2 are expertly narrated by Timothy Dalton (more known for his performance as the character James Bond in The Living Daylights and License to Kill ). Mr. Dalton also plays Rassilon, The President of the Time Lords as their supreme leader. As usual, in these spots Timothy Dalton is unsurpassed and impeccable as an actor.
Doctor Who: The End of Time - Part 1 episode begins with the Master (John Simm) returning. The Master's earthling wife, Lucy Saxon (Alexandra Moen), does her best to stop her husband's return; fearing how prone he is toward evil. Sadly, her attempt works halfway; making the Master energy hungry with supernatural abilities. The prison Lucy was incarcerated literally explodes into flames and those present perish. The Master is the sole survivor.
Simultaneously, the Doctor is warned by the Ood of the Master's return to Earth. The Doctor immediately returns to London, unintentionally on Christmas Eve. The rest of this episode is about how he becomes reunited with the Master and attempts to prevent the Master from doing anything dastardly. The Doctor compassionately offers to help correct the Master's physical energy inefficiency. The Doctor does not want the Master to die; desires the Master to correct his amoral ways. He sees the good in the Master, his fellow Gallifreyan. The Master, of course, turns down any help from the Doctor, and then becomes kidnapped by Joshua Naismith (David Harewood) and his daughter, Abigail Naismith (Tracy Ifeachor) who have become owners of a technological device they call the "Immortality Gate." They require assistance in making it operational. They know the Master is capable of repairing alien technology.
The Master and Doctor's reunion is not the only one the Doctor has in Part 1 . Donna Noble's (Catherine Tate) grandfather Wilfred "Wilf" Mott (Bernard Cribbins) seeks out the Doctor and becomes his companion for the Doctor's grand finale. The Doctor admits to Wilf of his knowing that his death is imminent. Part 1 ends with the the Master willingly repairing the "Immortality Gate" and instead of being used by the Naismith's, the Master outsmarts them and uses the device himself. All on Earth except for Donna Noble and Wilf are immediately transformed into the "Master Race" as male and female clones of the Master. They all look exactly like the Master. This is the Doctor's worse nightmare. The earthlings (except for Donna Noble and Wilf) have become Gallifreyan.
Doctor Who: The End of Time - Part 2 resumes with the Doctor attempting to outsmart the Master and correct the "Master Race" issue. This action of the Doctor's precipitates him fighting against the return of the Time Lords and planet Gallifrey in order to save the Earth and universe. The Master, realising the Time Lords are responsible for the way he is and the constant knocking in his head, sides with the Doctor. Both thwart the Time Lords last effort to break through the Time Loop Barrier that prevented them years ago from destroying the entire known universe and thereby ends the Time War forever. This costs the Master his life as he disappears with the Time Lords.
The Doctor surprised he is not dead notices Wilf is stuck in an isolation chamber with seconds to live due to the Master's modifications of the "Immortality Gate" as a fail-safe. His decision to rescue his companion and dear friend greatly costs the Doctor his life due to the large amount of life-threatening radiation his body absorbs. He has only enough time to bid Wilf and every person he has had as a companion or interacted with farewell before returning to the Tardis and regenerating into the next Doctor.
The ending to Doctor Who: The End of Time was a tear jerk-er. David Tennant's outstanding performance as the Doctor during the last scenes of Part 2 were unforgettable and heart wrenching. These finale scenes are something not to be missed; especially if you have been watching the Doctor Who television series faithfully for over twenty years.
Doctor Who: The End of Time - Parts 1 & 2 is rated NR; was made for television. There are some scenes that may disturb younger children so parental discretion is advised (my recommendation as a parent and grandmother). This television series is more geared for those who are pre-teen and older (my opinion).
Part 1 is 59 minutes in length. Part 2 was 1 hour and 12 minutes. Doctor Who: The End of Time - Parts 1 & 2 were regarded as a Christmas special when first released on the BBC One television station. Their unique Christmas commercial with the tenth Doctor using reindeer to pull the Tardis is included in the extras - fun to watch.
The rest of primary cast were: Sinead Keenan (Addams), Lawry Lewin (Rossiter), Karl Collins (Shaun Temple), Paul Kasey (Ood Sigma), Silas Carson (Ood Sigma's voice), Jacqueline King (Sylvia Noble, Donna Noble's mother), June Whitfield (Minnie Hooper), Noel Clark (Mickey Smith), Billie Piper (Rose Tyler), Camille Coduri (Jackie Tyler, Rose's mother), Elisabeth Sladen (Sarah Jane Smith), Freema Ageyman (Martha Smith-Jones), John Barrowman (Captain Jack Harkness, Torchwood), Jessica Hynes (Verity Newman), Thomas Knight (Luke Smith, Sarah Jane Smith's son), Brid Brennan (The Visionary who foretold the Doctor's death) and Russel Tovey (Alonzo).
This is one BBC special all Doctor Who fans will want to place on their "must-see" list. Luckily it is on DVD so all Doctor Who fans can watch it over and over again! In my opinion, this was one of the best episodes of the entire Doctor Who series. Highly recommend Doctor Who: The End of Time - Parts 1 & 2 !
Enjoy!
