I will go with "The Eleventh Hour". After the last four episodes of Season 4 where things got really dark and emo, it was nice to have some humor back. That said, I think the awesomeness that is David Tennant deserved much better than what he was given for "The Christmas Invasion". He was unconscious most of the episode! It was sweet how Rose cared for him though.
I personally find it curious that Smith's debut and close are better than the more popular Tennant's respective debut and close (at least IMO).
I liked Tennant's close (a lot actually, even though I didn't want him to leave), just the regeneration episode was a bit weak IMO.
Yeah, thats what I meant. The scene itself (all 20 minutes of it) is well done, despite the, er, curious last line for Ten. The story sucks compared to Time of the Doctor, though. IMO, at least.
Tennant's last line was the best part. He was always the vain Doctor, he even used a regeneration to stay 'himself' because he couldn't bear the thought of dying. Smith, on the other hand, lived much longer as The Doctor than Tennant and was more at peace with himself. There was still a huge element of fear to Smith's departure. "Everything you are, gone in an instant. Like breath on a mirror." He knew, just as Tennant did, that no matter who went 'swanning off with a new face,' that only death lay before him.
Well, I can only speak about my first reaction to his last line, and it did seem off-putting. But it makes sense in retrospect, sure. And I really did love the antithesis of the Eleventh Doctor's regeneration with Ten's - it was a lot closer to Nine's regeneration, trying to ease Clara to the idea just like Nine did with Rose.
See... I don't mind that Tennant's Tenth Doctor was a bit vain. I liked seeing that vulnerability, the honesty that he gave as opposed to 9 or 11. David Tennant's doctor seemed very emotionally complex which I love about him. I have to admit, Tenth Doc cares more about his own mortality than the other doctors. I don't think it makes him selfish, but it does make him more of an individual, which I like. I couldn't find the scene where he cries in the restaurant in "End of Time"...but that gets me every time. [yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PZB41RUqK4w[/yt] [yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RC1ibg8-of0[/yt]
I don't have a problem with Tenth's vanity. I just wished back then that his final line would be less vain. But in retrospect, and thinking about it, it makes sense. Also, since Time of the Doctor has come out, I think it adds to his vanity, if you will, by this being his last time he'll regenerate, period. He hasn't brought the Time Lords back yet, or doesn't know he did, whichever way you look at it, and he suspects he's the final Doctor to regenerate. One more, and thats it. But anyway, his sacrifice to Wilf is awesome, as is his goodbyes to many of his past companions. Love it.... even that last line, LOL.
Well, his last line could have been... Allons-y!. Just kidding. I meant that to be funny...but then I just pictured him saying that line in his sad, weepy voice...and that just makes me feel all... I think I have an unhealthy attachment to David Tennant.
Often I've wanted to ask this of the "first" viewers, Captain Dago. How long before the broadcast of "The Tenth Planet" episode 4 did you know that William Hartnell would be leaving and Patrick Troughton handling the role? Obviously, it's a very different world with all the additional personal communication venues (the most pervasive being the internet), so "secrets" are hard to keep. Did the Radio Times publish any articles or did the BBC "spring it" upon the audience when that fateful episode aired? If the former, how long before the broadcast did people know? Weeks? Months? Technically, I'm old enough to have seen those oldest broadcasts (born Nov. 21, 1962) but I was on the wrong side of the Atlantic. My earliest media sci-fi memories were of "Lost in Space". So I'd love to read the thoughts of someone who "was there". Sincerely, Bill
To answer a question asked by previously: I chose Power of the Daleks based on the audio recording I listened to. And thats why I listed it - it exists, in some form, still. And its canonical. Likewise, if Big Finish released tomorrow a story that depicts the Sixth Doctor's regeneration story (ala Spiral Scratch), I'd add that in the accomodating list.
Re: 10th Planet... Radio Times said he was going to change,as had the newspapets, but it could still have been a surprise.
I wouldn't call it vanity, I'd call it honesty. And to be honest, a lot more realistic. At the end of the day, I think all the doctors probably thought that to a degree, just that he had to be strong for his companions, had too much pride or just didn't feel the emotion strongly enough to act upon them. But I for one loved the End of Time. Especially the regeneration scene at the end. That rocked.
Bill, keep in mind that I was just 6 at the time, so I wasn't reading the newspaper and I don't think my parents mentioned it to me (and may not have noticed it themselves). I was gobsmacked and horrified. Turned out well, though, didn't it?
I've only seen Robot, The Enemy Within, The Christmas Invasion, and The Eleventh Hour, and out of those, The Eleventh Hour by far is my favorite. The Enemy Within is okayish but nothing special, while I found Robot (which I only just recently saw for the first time) somewhat dull. The Christmas Invasion is at the bottom of my list. Too much focus on Rose and not nearly enough of the new Doctor. But I was hooked by The Eleventh Hour from the very start and it never lost me the whole way through. Just a wonderfully entertaining episode and a great debut for Matt Smith.