The End of Who for now....
The third’s the charm as the saying goes.
It could be true for the Doctor Who third season which reaches a conclusion during the last weekend. The final episode aptly titled “Last of the Time-Lords” have garnered a startling 88 percent appreciation figures making it one of the most watched TV shows for Saturday evening.
Not surprising. Since the Doctor Who series is part of the popular culture in England.
For the most part, gaining respectable figures, the series did very well in its storylines that could have proved to be too convoluted… if the story arcs become too complex, it bogs down the rest of the dialogue. But this isn’t the case here. The story arcs, concerning the return of the certain arch nemesis, reached a satisfying ending.
The Master.
Played to the hilt by John Simm who can be also seen in Life on Mars. But here, he plays a maniacal and not-so-nice guy. You couldn’t help but hate the guy.
Even if he had his flaws.
I have to give credit for Russell T. Davies who has grown into a science fiction writer over the third season, particularly the first few scripts he poured into the series. The first story, in my mind, gave us one of the most memorable moments in S-F kingdom, that of a hospital being transported through alien means to the moon. The thought of isolation on that barren landscape. A single, foreboding building trapped on a dead rock circling the earth.
I loved the idea.
Some people call Davies a hack. I disagree. While his S-F ideas aren’t always exemplar, his sharp dialogue forms the heart of the stories. This is where we learn about the characters and their unique qualities. Davies does a wonderful job of keeping the scripts fueled with witticisms.
His “Gridlock” has some great moments too along with some excellent special effects which help to tell a story. It would never overcome the story. Especially the moment where the Doctor hitches rides through the number of caravans trapped in a gridlock, suspended in a coughing, spewing pollution that resembled a dragon’s breath.
Though I must admit the Dalek story for this year isn’t one of the better ones. I believe they should be given a rest. Let them have a vacation. Give them a break. And the mystery will build if you don’t use a familiar face for a while.
To my mind, however, the best stories must be the middle bulk of season three: the two-part “Human Nature” story followed by the wonderfully creepy “Blink.” You only need to see my previous review of Human Nature to know I believe this to be the best tale for the year written by Paul Cornell. But there’s a minor classic in Blink.
A tale that is about the Doctor and it isn’t. You have to see it for yourself. It revolves around his character, you can feel his presence. But he’s really second nature to the story. The main character is Sally Sparrow who must understand the messages the Doctor sends to her through the years as he’s trapped in 1969. And stop a clove of gargoyle statues who knows how to mess around with time. Blink. And you’re dead. Blink again.
It’s a story within a story. And you follow through Sally Sparrow’s journey through the darkest edges of time and space. Some of the scenes involving the moving statues are quite scary. They jump out of sight. They move through time in short quantum leaps. They can send you back and forth in time.
They’re a vicious lot.
But it’s interesting to see a story centered on a different main character while the Doctor himself is relegated to a minor character. And everything unfolds around him with a blooming story that makes it an unforgettable horror story worthy of the H.P. Lovecraft canon. I could see the old Providence scribe piecing together this story like a puzzle.
It doesn't seem a lot of special effects were needed to make the story come alive here. The statues are some of the most dire in the season. It feels more like an old Hammer Horror film crunched into 45 minutes of excellent television. I wish they make more horror stories like this one, bleeding through scares that would make me even hide behind the sofa.
Davies comes back around in full circle, bringing the entire season together into a whole, with his epic storyline in the final three episodes. It shows the greatest of all the Doctor’s rivals coming back in full-fitting form. The Master has been menacing the Doctor ever since the mid-1970s. And he comes back with a trap that nearly devours the Doctor for good. It is like a Machiavellian plot that tightens around the Doctor until he is no longer able to escape.
The Master becomes Prime Minister. Who would’ve thought?
John Simm and David Tennant, playing the Doctor, are interesting opposites of the same coin. They are both like brothers. They are equals. The Master is by far a greater threat to the Doctor as they know each other inside out. They outwit each other like it’s some galactic chess game. With innocent people in the middle of their plots.
When push comes to shove, the Master is the guy. He means business here. He doesn't just go for the throat. He goes for the jugular.
But in the end, good must overcome evil on the grand scale.
I must admit I was slightly disappointed that they may not use John Simm once again in the series as he plays an enormously entertaining Master, filled with passion, hatred, his features blessed with superior intellect. He’s a real prick here. It’s a good comeback for one of the series’ greatest enemies. Please use more of Simm in later episodes.
It is the lead-in conclusion of the final episode that makes me eager for more Who. I don’t think Doctor Who has ever set anything on board the ill-fated Titanic. But it should make for interesting storytelling. As the title suggested, the Titanic is probably a ghost ship. But we’ll have to wait until Christmas to find out.
It could be true for the Doctor Who third season which reaches a conclusion during the last weekend. The final episode aptly titled “Last of the Time-Lords” have garnered a startling 88 percent appreciation figures making it one of the most watched TV shows for Saturday evening.
Not surprising. Since the Doctor Who series is part of the popular culture in England.
For the most part, gaining respectable figures, the series did very well in its storylines that could have proved to be too convoluted… if the story arcs become too complex, it bogs down the rest of the dialogue. But this isn’t the case here. The story arcs, concerning the return of the certain arch nemesis, reached a satisfying ending.
The Master.
Played to the hilt by John Simm who can be also seen in Life on Mars. But here, he plays a maniacal and not-so-nice guy. You couldn’t help but hate the guy.
Even if he had his flaws.
I have to give credit for Russell T. Davies who has grown into a science fiction writer over the third season, particularly the first few scripts he poured into the series. The first story, in my mind, gave us one of the most memorable moments in S-F kingdom, that of a hospital being transported through alien means to the moon. The thought of isolation on that barren landscape. A single, foreboding building trapped on a dead rock circling the earth.
I loved the idea.
Some people call Davies a hack. I disagree. While his S-F ideas aren’t always exemplar, his sharp dialogue forms the heart of the stories. This is where we learn about the characters and their unique qualities. Davies does a wonderful job of keeping the scripts fueled with witticisms.
His “Gridlock” has some great moments too along with some excellent special effects which help to tell a story. It would never overcome the story. Especially the moment where the Doctor hitches rides through the number of caravans trapped in a gridlock, suspended in a coughing, spewing pollution that resembled a dragon’s breath.
Though I must admit the Dalek story for this year isn’t one of the better ones. I believe they should be given a rest. Let them have a vacation. Give them a break. And the mystery will build if you don’t use a familiar face for a while.
To my mind, however, the best stories must be the middle bulk of season three: the two-part “Human Nature” story followed by the wonderfully creepy “Blink.” You only need to see my previous review of Human Nature to know I believe this to be the best tale for the year written by Paul Cornell. But there’s a minor classic in Blink.
A tale that is about the Doctor and it isn’t. You have to see it for yourself. It revolves around his character, you can feel his presence. But he’s really second nature to the story. The main character is Sally Sparrow who must understand the messages the Doctor sends to her through the years as he’s trapped in 1969. And stop a clove of gargoyle statues who knows how to mess around with time. Blink. And you’re dead. Blink again.
It’s a story within a story. And you follow through Sally Sparrow’s journey through the darkest edges of time and space. Some of the scenes involving the moving statues are quite scary. They jump out of sight. They move through time in short quantum leaps. They can send you back and forth in time.
They’re a vicious lot.
But it’s interesting to see a story centered on a different main character while the Doctor himself is relegated to a minor character. And everything unfolds around him with a blooming story that makes it an unforgettable horror story worthy of the H.P. Lovecraft canon. I could see the old Providence scribe piecing together this story like a puzzle.
It doesn't seem a lot of special effects were needed to make the story come alive here. The statues are some of the most dire in the season. It feels more like an old Hammer Horror film crunched into 45 minutes of excellent television. I wish they make more horror stories like this one, bleeding through scares that would make me even hide behind the sofa.
Davies comes back around in full circle, bringing the entire season together into a whole, with his epic storyline in the final three episodes. It shows the greatest of all the Doctor’s rivals coming back in full-fitting form. The Master has been menacing the Doctor ever since the mid-1970s. And he comes back with a trap that nearly devours the Doctor for good. It is like a Machiavellian plot that tightens around the Doctor until he is no longer able to escape.
The Master becomes Prime Minister. Who would’ve thought?
John Simm and David Tennant, playing the Doctor, are interesting opposites of the same coin. They are both like brothers. They are equals. The Master is by far a greater threat to the Doctor as they know each other inside out. They outwit each other like it’s some galactic chess game. With innocent people in the middle of their plots.
When push comes to shove, the Master is the guy. He means business here. He doesn't just go for the throat. He goes for the jugular.
But in the end, good must overcome evil on the grand scale.
I must admit I was slightly disappointed that they may not use John Simm once again in the series as he plays an enormously entertaining Master, filled with passion, hatred, his features blessed with superior intellect. He’s a real prick here. It’s a good comeback for one of the series’ greatest enemies. Please use more of Simm in later episodes.
It is the lead-in conclusion of the final episode that makes me eager for more Who. I don’t think Doctor Who has ever set anything on board the ill-fated Titanic. But it should make for interesting storytelling. As the title suggested, the Titanic is probably a ghost ship. But we’ll have to wait until Christmas to find out.
posted by K.M. Paters at 11:46 AM
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