Question about THE END OF TIME

[gastrof]

I finally got to see how DT's Doctor regenerated in MS's...

THE END OF TIME was available on "On Demand" this week and I watched both parts.

Was the leader of the Time Lords actually the Rassilon of old?

Last I knew of him being around, he was thought dead but apparently in suspended animation in THE FIVE DOCTORS.

Is there something more about him I've missed?

I assumed the character in TEOT was just a generic Time Lord leader, but then towards the end they called him Rassilon.

What's the story? Anyone know?

 

[Sindatur]

I finally got to see how DT's Doctor regenerated in MS's...

THE END OF TIME was available on "On Demand" this week and I watched both parts.

Was the leader of the Time Lords actually the Rassilon of old?

Last I knew of him being around, he was thought dead but apparently in suspended animation in THE FIVE DOCTORS.

Is there something more about him I've missed?

I assumed the character in TEOT was just a generic Time Lord leader, but then towards the end they called him Rassilon.

What's the story? Anyone know?

Yes, Rassilon in The End of Time was indeed THE Rassilon. They got so desperate they revived him.

 

[Photoman15]

It is believed (and confirmed by RTD in the book) it is THE Rassilon. The TimeWar "forced" the Timelords to resurrect him to lead the war.

 

[Mark_Nguyen]

They did the same for the Master too, after all.

Mark

 

[23skidoo]

They did the same for the Master too, after all.

Exactly, plus there's some debate as to whether the Rassilon of The Five Doctors was ever actually dead. And by RTD including Rassilon it also, hopefully, puts to bed some of the fanon speculation that the Doctor might actually BE Rassilon.

The only character in TEOT who remains a mystery is The Woman. RTD intentionally left her unexplained in order to give future writers something to work with (sort of like how he tossed in the "ring-snatcher" at the end of Last of the Time Lords, though he ended up grabbing that ball himself with TEOT). RTD has stated "off-camera" that his feeling is it's the Doctor's mother, but the way it's presented she could just as easily be Susan, Romana or someone else.

Alex

 

[The Wormhole]

Also, in The Writer's Tale RTD indicates he would have cast the same actor that played Rassilon in The Five Doctors, had he still been alive. Needless to say, he is That Rassilon.

 

[Mr Light]

Yet another reason why I feel "The End of Time" to be horrifically anti-climactic. Not only do they bring back the Time Lords for five minutes and they never leave the room or do anything... they bring back RASSILON, and you don't even know it's him until the end, and he's only there for five minutes and doesn't do anything

 

[Stevil2001]

Also, in The Writer's Tale RTD indicates he would have cast the same actor that played Rassilon in The Five Doctors, had he still been alive. Needless to say, he is That Rassilon.

Man, that guy was amazing for all the wrong reasons. "THIS is THE game OF RassILON!"

Yet another reason why I feel "The End of Time" to be horrifically anti-climactic. Not only do they bring back the Time Lords for five minutes and they never leave the room or do anything... they bring back RASSILON, and you don't even know it's him until the end, and he's only there for five minutes and doesn't do anything

He does project a lot of spittle.

 

[PorthosShadow]

Also, in The Writer's Tale RTD indicates he would have cast the same actor that played Rassilon in The Five Doctors, had he still been alive. Needless to say, he is That Rassilon.

Man, that guy was amazing for all the wrong reasons. "THIS is THE game OF RassILON!"

Yet another reason why I feel "The End of Time" to be horrifically anti-climactic. Not only do they bring back the Time Lords for five minutes and they never leave the room or do anything... they bring back RASSILON, and you don't even know it's him until the end, and he's only there for five minutes and doesn't do anything

He does project a lot of spittle.

Yeah and he does do this...

 

[Photoman15]

But isn't that the "hand of Omega"?

 

[Captaindemotion]

Also, in The Writer's Tale RTD indicates he would have cast the same actor that played Rassilon in The Five Doctors, had he still been alive. Needless to say, he is That Rassilon.

Really? I would have thought that getting Timothy 007 Dalton was more of a coup.

But isn't that the "hand of Omega"?

I thought it was the Hand of Rassilon, though I'm not very au fait with classic Who.

 

[Starkers]

Nah it's a sonic occilating gauntlet, Q gave it him...

 

[Sindatur]

But isn't that the "hand of Omega"?

Could be I suppose. We never actually saw it, we just saw the Coffin sized box it was in. When the Doctor used it to "Amp-up" the bat for Ace, he just kind of waved it around inside the box, so, I didn't get the impression it was an actual hand/glove, but, could be since all we saw was smoke and light.

 

[Captaindemotion]

^ Original series special effects budget for ya!

 

[Ar-Pharazon]

Most gloves come in pairs and the Doctor had the "other" one.

 

[Mark_Nguyen]

So why wasn't it called the RIGHT Hand of Omega? Rassilon had the left.

 

[Captaindemotion]

^ Clearly these gloves aren't ambidextrous.

 

[The Wormhole]

Also, in The Writer's Tale RTD indicates he would have cast the same actor that played Rassilon in The Five Doctors, had he still been alive. Needless to say, he is That Rassilon.

Really? I would have thought that getting Timothy 007 Dalton was more of a coup.

Well, that is what's written. Mind you, the way it's written it could be intrepreted as a joke. It's something like "we've cast Timothy Dalton as Rassilon. I wanted to get the guy from The Five Doctors, but apparentally he's been banned from acting." A footnote at the bottom of the page mentions that actor's name, noting he's dead.

 

[CaptainMatt]

I cannot see the original actor doing the same part for The End of Time myself. Dalton works well in the part as written. Hopefully RTD was joking. Then again, what about the actor who did the voice of the same character for several Big Finish audios? Why not bring him into TV continuity?

 

[Cutter John]

I'd be curious to know how the casting came about. Was it, "Hmmm, this part would be great for Timothy Dalton. Wonder if he's available?" Or "Timothy Dalton is available? Holy crap, I need to find a part for him."