This really is the end of an era. In my challenge, David Tennant had been the Doctor since near to the start of November 2013 so to see him finally depart at the end of February 2014 seems like a fair amount of time. I have literally seen this man every day for the last four months and now he is gone. In many ways his departure had more of an impact on me this time that when this episode was first broadcast. More so than ever it feels like this challenge is nearing this end. The next Doctor, Matt Smith, is the final Doctor I will see in this challenge, except for the brief glimpse of Capaldi at the end of Smith's final episode. I don't want this to end!
The Master makes his return in this story. And his resurrection is one of the poorer moments of the whole thing. When the Master died at the end of The Last Of The Time Lords, we saw a mysterious hand pick up his ring and carry it away. Who could this possibly be? Well it turns out it was a character we had never seen before and one who just appears at the start of this story working in the prison where Lucy Saxon, the Master's wife, is being kept. The exact nature of the "potions" used to bring the Master back to life are a little vague and it all seems a but hocus pocus.
Focusing on the positives, we also have the return of Bernard Cribbins as Wilfred Mott, grandfather to ex companion, Donna. After seeing the Master in his nightmares, Wilf tracks down the Doctor for his help. This leads to one of the highlights of the story which is a scene shared between the Doctor and Wilf inside a cafe. The Doctor tells Wilf that he knows his days are numbered and a prophecy has been made foretelling his death. When Wilf tries to comfort him by reminding him he is a Time Lord who can simply change his body when is body nears death, the Doctor gives us a very different impression of what regeneration is. The tenth Doctor will die and some new man will go walking away who is still the Doctor but not him..Never before has regeneration been so equated with an actual death.
The Master's plan is as balmy as ever! This time he manages to turn every single human on the planet, except for Donna and Wilf into a replica of himself. I don't really understand this as a plan. Surely the Master wants to dominate all other beings (the name sort of gives that away!) so how can having all humans be him possibly work?? Surely some "masters" are going to have to serve a superior Master and I can't see any of them liking that!
As if the return of the Master wasn't enough we also have the very exciting of the Time Lords! Led by the insane president of Gallifrey (who turns out to be Rassilon for some reason!) they are attempting to break out of the time war and back into our world where they will then bring about the end of time itself! The Time Lords have always been jerks but this takes the biscuit!
When it comes down to it, the Doctor's death is brought about because he has to save Wilf who has been locked inside a chamber which is about to flood with radiation. The only way he can be saved is if the Doctor takes his place which he does of course. However he only does this after having a complete mental breakdown, screaming against his impending death. I can't think of any other Doctor who has gone so unwillingly, unless you count the second Doctor who is forced to regenerate by the Time Lords.
As this is also the end of an era for the show runner, Russel T Davies, the last 10 minutes are devoted to a complete love in of all the characters he created. Before regenerating the Doctor goes to visit Martha (who has married Mickey completely out of the blue! Feels a bit like an excuse just to have the two ex companions in the same scene!). He also visits Captain Jack and sets him up with a casual shag at a bar which is sweet of him I guess. Then it's off to visit the descendant of Joan Redfern from Human Nature so that he can find out if her grandmother eventually got over the loss of John Smith. Then it's back to visit Wilf AGAIN! Honestly I'm getting tired just thinking about it!
Finally, the Doctor travels back to the year 2005 which is the year the new series of Doctor Who began and has brief meeting with Rose Tyler to whom he promises is going to have a really great year. When the Doctor eventually regenerates, the energy pouring out of him pretty much destroys the TARDIS. Again I'm not quite sure why this is but I like to think that he has held off regenerating for so long, so that he can visit all his old friends, so when he does eventually go, he goes with a bang!
Overall I had mixed feelings about this story. To be honest there doesn't really feel like much of a story to it. The Master's plan is just bonkers but then I guess that is nothing new. I must admit the last 10 minutes or so are pretty emotional as I bid farewell to a Doctor who (in my challenge) has been with me for nearly four months. His final words "I don't want to go" were echoed by myself.
The era of the eleventh Doctor starts tomorrow!
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