The End Of Time Part 1 - Comment & Grading SPOILERS

[Mitty]

Thoroughly enjoyed it. All the naysayers need to take a chill pill and just sit back and ENJOY it.

That cliffhanger was awesome. I just want to know how many costume changes John Simm would have had, to film those few brief scenes. Sure it was silly seeing him in dresses and high heals, but it was also terrifying.

Roll on next week.

 

[Lonemagpie]

We've seen machines that can alter the physical make-up of beings before -- remember "The Empty Child"? The medical machine in that could turn people into Gas-mask humans.

Thank fuck; I thought I was the only person who remembered that and so had no problems with the Master Race thing, as it was straightforward continuation...

I see GB has already degenerated into "I can't understand you naysaying loonies" vs "RTD has killed Who and only a nutcase thinks otherwise" - LJ seems to be split as well.

Am I the only one who realised all along that *nothing* could live up to the amount of hype that was generated about this episode? I mean, even if it had everything any individual viewer could possibly want from a DW ep, a Xmas special, or a finale, it still wouldn't be a good as it was cracked up to be... It's like the global economy- there just physically aren't enough dollars in the world to pay what was promised.

 

[EJA]

I actually have a horrible theory about how this is going to get resolved. I also have a sinking feeling that this will happen.

Spoiler: EoT Part II

The Doctor's body will get shot up to fuck, so badly that it's beyond the state of regeneration. The Doctor will put all his regeneration energy into a dying Donna, transferring himself into her, and then she'll regenerate into 11.

RTD will think this is brilliant, because it mirrors the Master taking over humanity's bodies, and he gets to sort of kill off the Doctor at the end of his reign. It will also solve the regeneration limit, and he'll be very proud of himself and look smug on Confidential. Everybody else will cry.

The scariest thing about that is...to a madman, that makes sense.


God help us all.

From the few shots I've seen of Matt Smith from his opening episode, I don't think we need fear anything like this happening.

 

[Gepard]

Am I the only one who realised all along that *nothing* could live up to the amount of hype that was generated about this episode?

I think the problem is that the episodes themselves don't know they can't live up to the hype that's been promised, though Lord knows they're trying. The writing, the acting, the music, the editing – it's all over-the-top, frantic and pushy, trying too damn hard to sell us on the idea that Something Important Is Coming. Sometimes, more is less.

 

[EJA]

I see GB has already degenerated into "I can't understand you naysaying loonies" vs "RTD has killed Who and only a nutcase thinks otherwise" - LJ seems to be split as well.

GB? LJ? What are these?

 

[Gepard]

GB = Gallifrey Base. LJ = LiveJournal.

 

[Booked_moss]

I may be reading too much into to Wilf/Woman only he can see on the TV scene but:

Where she talks about him being too late to serve in 'the war'. And never firing a shot......'the war' could be the timewar? And not refering to him living as Wilf and being born too late for WW2?

Give more of an indication of Wilf being a timelord.

Or i could just be totally wrong.

 

[Lonemagpie]

I may be reading too much into to Wilf/Woman only he can see on the TV scene but:

Where she talks about him being too late to serve in 'the war'. And never firing a shot......'the war' could be the timewar? And not refering to him living as Wilf and being born too late for WW2?.

I assumed that as well, but on the Red Button commentary they say it just means WW2 and not the Time War

 

[intrinsical]

Dalek Caan has seen all of time and prophesized the ending. The Threefold Doctor would stop the Darkness plan to end time.

 

[HappyDayRiot]

For those of you who don't like the whole Master-has-superpowers thing - is it better or worse than when he could turn into a ghostly snake that possessed people? Because that, for me, was 100x more abysmal than anything he could do in The End of Time and helps me accept the powers he has now. Not to mention the clarity of the botched resurrection and how he's burning up his lifeforce.

Sci, just one thing on your presidents/timeline stuff - Children of Earth was in September 2009. There's a newspaper showing the date in, I think, Day Two. We've got no indication one way or the other but I'm inclined to believe The End of Time is set on Christmas Day 2009. 2010 would put it unnecessarily far apart from Journey's End, in my opinion.

Other thing I wondered - the Vinvocci were said to be related to the species of Bannakalatta. I've only seen Voyage of the Damned once, but wasn't he a robot? I know it makes no difference really, but it's bothering me.

That cliffhanger was awesome. I just want to know how many costume changes John Simm would have had, to film those few brief scenes. Sure it was silly seeing him in dresses and high heals, but it was also terrifying.

He said he had particular trouble with the tights

 

[DWF]

Other thing I wondered - the Vinvocci were said to be related to the species of Bannakalatta. I've only seen Voyage of the Damned once, but wasn't he a robot? I know it makes no difference really, but it's bothering me.

Bannakalatta was a cyborg not a robot.

 

[Australis]

I think RTD has ruined Doctor Who with this. Any respectability it had is gone.

It. Is. Not. That. Bad.

 

[Count Zero]

Holy shit...I can't believe I'm defending RTD to Sci...what's wrong with the universe!

Yes, indeed. But it might confirm my theory. The resurrection scene sent off a sort of old Who vibe to me. I've just been watching a lot of old episodes (season 4) and so I didn't even blink an eye when they tried to resurrect the Master with some potions in a dreary old building, although the thought occurred to me that this was weird and would surely cause some controversy. But after hearing the nonsensical backstory of the Cybermen in "The Tenth Planet" or following the ridiculous story of "The Underwater Menace", I felt it fit right in and made some sense. Obviously, the ring is some piece of sophisticated technology, which requires something else in order to release the stored essence of the Master, which is provided by whatever they pour into the cauldron. The Timelords are well known for being able to manipulate life and death up to some point. Any technology sophisticated enough will seem like magic to those less advanced (i.e. us). For people who are so ready to accept concepts like the regeneration it seems odd to get worked up over this.
And while I've never seen the Doctor Who movie from 1996, it does sound as if the Master does do equally weird things there.

 

[Australis]

CZ, reiterating an earlier post: The ring was developed in 'The Lazarus Experiment', used in 'LotTL'. Its use is established.

 

[Count Zero]

Oh, I must rewatch "The Lazarus Experiment" then. Really couldn't remember that, just the scene from "Last of the Timelords" where it was picked up by a woman.
I really admire how Russell T Davies sets up these stories well ahead.

 

[Australis]

Yeah, I think that's cool too.

 

[Shazam!]

Murray Gold has always been a good fit for the show, but I'm starting to be glad he's not coming back for season 5.

Woah, is this true? YES!

That man has the uncanny ability of using music to completely undermine any scene.

 

[Gepard]

Woah, is this true? YES!

I think so; his departure was mentioned in a discussion of the upcoming season somewhere here a few months ago.

 

[Cutter John]

Odd that nobodies commented on the fact that Donna is getting her memories back.(holy crap!)

So are we supposed to to know the mysterious woman who keeps speaking to Wilf. I've got my own pet theory as to her identity. But we'll see.

I rather like Murry Golds work. But then I'm kind of a fan of John Williams style brassy, in your face musical scores.

And while its still very strange, it flows a lot better after a second viewing. I still think the whole 'Master race' thing is kinda goofy, but I'm still torn. I want it to be gotten out of the way early on, but I'm not sure I want to see an easy 'Well its got a reset button' resolution.

 

[The Mirrorball Man]

That man has the uncanny ability of using music to completely undermine any scene.

Really? Wow, I'm so glad he never used his superpowers when writing music for Doctor Who then.

It's good that we're getting someone new because I'm always looking forward for new things, especially in Doctor Who, but I hope we never go back to the "let me play random notes on my bontempi organ" school of music that used to be the norm on the show.