RTD Retrospective #9: Penultimate Episode

[Stevil2001]

Results from last round: Favorite mid-season two-parter?
52%: The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances
32%: Human Nature/The Family of Blood
13%: Silence in the Library/Forest of the Dead
3%: The Impossible Planet/The Satan Pit

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This time out, we're looking at the second-last episode of each series. View this episode on its own-- not as part of a two-parter. Which one is the most successful at what it's trying to do?

 

[Jax]

All good episodes but "The Stolen Earth" wins for so many reasons most of all the cliffhanger scene that had the UK up in arms over not wanting to wait 7 days to find out what happens

 

[Captain Pike]

Yikes, I don't like any of them!

I went with The Stolen Earth. It sucked a bit less than it's 2nd part...

 

[Candlelight]

This is a hard one.

Bad Wolf was horrible with it's anachronistic story. The cliffhanger wasn't much of a cliffhanger either. Thankfully, Pt 2 was better.

Army of Ghosts had the best cliffhanger. By this stage I'd been out of the Dr Who spoilers group and didn't expect to see the Daleks at all. Unfortunately the Cybermen are still a pretty weak set of baddies in NuWho.

The Sound of Drums had a great cliffhanger but the stupid final episode leaves a horrible taste in my mouth.

The Stolen Earth had a shocking ending, yet everyone knew Tennant would be back the following week (the BBC are shite for keeping secrets). I felt the crossover bordered on fanwankery, and didn't gel as well as it should've.

The End of Time was an absolutely boring two-part story. The only time I got excited was the last two minutes of Pt 1, where the Time Lords made their appearance. For some reason RTD made them the bad guys, and I almost stopped watching the show. Thankfully, I stayed with it, only to be bored some more and laughed my way through the regeneration and subsequent stupid opening scene for Matt.

On the episode alone, The Sound of Drums gets my vote.

 

[Sci]

For some reason RTD made them the bad guys, and I almost stopped watching the show.

The Time Lords have always been the bad guy -- or, at best, antagonists to the Doctor. This was nothing new.

 

[Candlelight]

For some reason RTD made them the bad guys, and I almost stopped watching the show.

The Time Lords have always been the bad guy -- or, at best, antagonists to the Doctor. This was nothing new.

I've never viewed them as such, but at the very least they would never try and alter history like "Rassilon" wanted to do in TEoT2...

 

[Sci]

For some reason RTD made them the bad guys, and I almost stopped watching the show.

The Time Lords have always been the bad guy -- or, at best, antagonists to the Doctor. This was nothing new.

I've never viewed them as such, but at the very least they would never try and alter history like "Rassilon" wanted to do in TEoT2...

War can prompt people to change, and not always for the better.

Interesting side-note, though:

There's a parallel between the Daleks and the Time Lords in "The Stolen Earth" and "The End of Time." Going into the Time War, we find, both of them restored the founders of their society to power to lead them through the war -- Davros for the Dalek Empire, and Rassilon for Gallifrey.

 

[Timby]

Wow. They all suck.

I probably have to give the nod to "The Sound of Drums," though, as its positives are really good (especially the phone conversation between the Doctor and the Master), and the story really doesn't fall to pieces until the third part.

 

[Candlelight]

The Time Lords have always been the bad guy -- or, at best, antagonists to the Doctor. This was nothing new.

I've never viewed them as such, but at the very least they would never try and alter history like "Rassilon" wanted to do in TEoT2...

War can prompt people to change, and not always for the better.

But that's my point; he made them evil. Don't forget, the Doctor is a vigilante to his people. The Time Lords were supposed to be guardians of time.

Time Lord: "The war is over. Should we help the lesser races rebuild?"
Rassilon: "Nah, lets nuke the fuck out of them and everyone in existence. Anyone that doesn't agree with me becomes a weeping angel"
Time Lord: "I like your style"

 

[Joy]

Ah, yes, the phone sex between the Doctor and the Master....

......

...What are you looking at me like that for?



I voted for The Stolen Planet, but yeah, Sound of Drums comes in at a close second. Doctor/Master 4eva!

 

[The Nth Doctor]

Although I love "The Stolen Earth" and I think it's part of the best season finale of the new series, I think "The Sound of Drums" is the better penultimate episode. In fact, there's very little I didn't like about "The Sound of Drums" (which is saying something about Davies' finales) and I was very excited about "The Last of Time Lords." Pity it was the single most disappointing episode of the entire new series.

 

[Stevil2001]

I think "Bad Wolf" is note-perfect from beginning to end-- there's not a single moment in that episode that I don't like, quite literally-- but I was sorely tempted to vote for "The Sound of Drums" as well, which is a great thriller with the Doctor at the end of his rope.

 

[Sci]

I voted for "The Sound of Drums" just because it was the penultimate episode that I was the most excited about when it aired. It's just a great, fun episode, an exciting ride. Murray Gold's music was perfect -- really, he wrote a symphony for "Utopia"/"The Sound of Drums"/"Last of the Time Lords" that tells the story as well as the episodes themselves. The flashback sequence to Gallifrey was pitch-perfect (and should have remained the only glimpse we ever got of the Time Lords, for my money). And John Simm was wonderful as the Sixth Master. In particular, I loved his opening speech in the teaser. "This country has been sick. This country needs healing. This country needs medicine. In fact, I'd go so far as to say that what this country really needs, right now... Is a Doctor."

But, really, I loved them all. They were all bloody brilliant.

Except "The End of Time, Part One." "Potions of life?" "The Secret Books of Saxon?" What the fuck was that shit?

 

[captcalhoun]

TSE

 

[Jax]

For some reason RTD made them the bad guys, and I almost stopped watching the show.

The Time Lords have always been the bad guy -- or, at best, antagonists to the Doctor. This was nothing new.

I've never viewed them as such, but at the very least they would never try and alter history like "Rassilon" wanted to do in TEoT2...

Time Lords are borderline bad guys always have been, RTD did nothing new there really.

 

[Starkers]

The Stolen Earth for me, the second part didn't really live up to the premise but it was great all the same.

 

[HappyDayRiot]

In order of awesomeness of cliffhanger:

1. The Stolen Earth (sure, I thought it was a fake-out... but I remained uncertain right up until the moment Tennant pointed his energy at the bottled hand)
2. End of Time Part One
3. The Sound of Drums
4. Army of Ghosts
5. Bad Wolf

I suppose though based on the episode as a whole, TSOD has to win. Simm was brilliant in both his appearances, but suave politician wins, if only for that opening speech to the media. That was awesome.

 

[Mr. Sin]

Regarding the potions of life and the books of Saxon:


In the classic series there was a potion that helped time lords regenerate, called the elixir of life (Brain of Morbius). In fact the Time lady prophet has a similar appearence to the women who made it.


As for the books of Saxon, it's established in the Monster Guides that Saxon/The Master was also a writer, writing a novel called "Kiss Me, Kill Me" (A reference perhaps to Lucy?). Maybe he wrote some secret stuff on the side?


Also, regarding time lords, although there were corrupt leaders, there were a few time lords on the Doctor's side or even close friends, such as Romana, that guy from Arc of Infinity, and before he went bad, Borusa.