Water of Mars...wow, I just really did not like it.

[Sci]

-the Doctor's breakdown at the end: yes, I realize it had to happen somehow, in order to push Brooke and for RTD's intended end-show goals, so I can forgive its necessity. How it was executed though, seemed really out of character, artificial, and overwrought for Ten. Yes the Doctor is arrogant, yes he's powerful, but the way he quickly and rapidly descends into believing his own mythology seemed psychotic without much explanation as to why or how he got to the breaking point (esp. for a character whose usual MO is to always come up with the right plan at the last moment).

That is ultimately what destroyed this episode for me. Since I couldn't buy into the sudden personality change of the Doctor the whole episode rung hollow for me.

For me, it wasn't enough to completely dislike the episode, but I can definitely see where you're coming from. It's pretty jarring, to say the least.

I thought it made perfect sense, actually. The Doctor's been emotionally traumatized ever since "Journey's End" in the first place. He's been wandering time alone for goodness knows how long. He's been told that he's doomed to die, and so he's scared out of his mind anyway. And then he meets Captain Brooke, one of the most amazing people in history.

He's been looking for some sort of intellectual excuse, some sort of justification, for breaking the laws of time and intervening from the beginning of the episode. It was clearly tearing him apart to leave them. And what happens? He's away, he can hear them dying... and he has no companion around to hold his arrogance in check. Donna's not there anymore to tell him when he's going too far. And he realizes -- holy shit. I really am the only Time Lord left. I can do what I want.

Because, on some level, he knows he's nearing his end. And so he snaps. He goes too far -- because unlike with the Racnos, Donna's not there to stop him.

 

[RoJoHen]

^I totally agree with every word of that post.

 

[PorthosShadow]

^I totally agree with every word of that post.

I totally agree but let me make it a little more simple. Basically, he had a brief fit of madness. I think the really troubling aspect will always be that The Time Lord Victorious is always under the surface. So we never know when the lonely god will become a lonely vengeful god.

 

[YellowSubmarine]

There are a few things I dislike in Waters on Mars:

1. I'm not fond of mind/body control, and unless it's well done I'm very fussy about it. I like the mind control in Midnight, and the Borg in Trek, but other than that, I tend to dislike the idea. Perhaps because mind control is too awesome to just throw it there.
2. I found that water part silly.
3. I hate it when people turn into ugly monsters to show that they are evil. I like it much more when they remain the same.

If these things didn't bother me, it would have been my favourite Who episode. I think it is brilliant. Just the villain/monster had to be a better one.

 

[saturn5]

That is ultimately what destroyed this episode for me. Since I couldn't buy into the sudden personality change of the Doctor the whole episode rung hollow for me.

For me, it wasn't enough to completely dislike the episode, but I can definitely see where you're coming from. It's pretty jarring, to say the least.

I thought it made perfect sense, actually. The Doctor's been emotionally traumatized ever since "Journey's End" in the first place. He's been wandering time alone for goodness knows how long. He's been told that he's doomed to die, and so he's scared out of his mind anyway. And then he meets Captain Brooke, one of the most amazing people in history.

He's been looking for some sort of intellectual excuse, some sort of justification, for breaking the laws of time and intervening from the beginning of the episode. It was clearly tearing him apart to leave them. And what happens? He's away, he can hear them dying... and he has no companion around to hold his arrogance in check. Donna's not there anymore to tell him when he's going too far. And he realizes -- holy shit. I really am the only Time Lord left. I can do what I want.

Because, on some level, he knows he's nearing his end. And so he snaps. He goes too far -- because unlike with the Racnos, Donna's not there to stop him.

I think that sums it up, I didn't like the episode, it feels like retreading old ground and has a bleak ending but here we see Tennant's Dr beginning to crack up. Whilst the Dr had always disagreed with much of his peoples teaching he knew that some of the Time Lords rules were there for good reason, now his loneliness is beginning to drive him mad, he is a little god with no boundaries as to what he can do. Which is why he always needs a companion to keep him grounded
Oh, happy Canada Day to the Queen's Cowboys from the rest of the Commonwealth, hope you enjoyed Will and Kate's visit, you got them even before the Aussies and Kiwis did.

 

[Whofan]

The Doctor's had his moments of darkness several times over the course of the series, old and new. Almost every Doctor has had his dark moments, even the more benign Doctors such as Pertwee and Davison.


In fact one of my favorite moments is in the penultimate serial of the classic series, "Curse of Fenric". Although it's a bluff of sorts, it's kind of a dark moment when the Doctor seemingly betrays and insults his companion. The New Adventures novels, in some ways took this and ran with it....


There is also of course the Valeyard (The Doctor's dark side from Trial of a Time Lord) and the Dream Lord (Amy's Choice), but both concepts are still vague.