ALARIS' REVIEWS

6th January 2010
Doctor Who: The End of Time (2009)

This review may contain spoilers.

In the spirit of 'what's done is done', I wasn't going to review this episode of Doctor Who. However, The End of Time is David Tennant's swansong as the tenth Doctor, and I suppose it deserves a mention one way or the other.

I'll keep it brief, because frankly, the two-part finale is pretty awful. The plotting is messy, the pacing is sloppy, the directing is awful, the story logic is on inappropriate medication, and there is so much ham you could have a really unappealing barbeque.

Russell T. Davies (writer/producer) tends to go for heavy handed dramatics when what you need is genuine emotion. Even guest actor John Simm, whom I'm assured is an excellent actor, has little to do in this episode other than to seem ludicrous. Tennant and I have had our differences, but after four years of fairly solid commitment, he deserved better.

On a positive note, it's great to see Bernard Cribbins back as Wilfred, the elderly star-gazer and grandfather of my favourite companion, Donna Noble (Catherine Tate). Every scene with Cribbins is solid, and his performance is an engaging blend of poignancy and humour. His stint as the episode's companion has been a long time coming, especially since the character's been dropping wistful hints for seasons. Unfortunately, the Doctor's penchant for fetching young women has proved annoying for fans like me, who wish the Tardis were a carnival of old people and aliens.

The final farewell towards the end isn't too bad, but it's nowhere near enough to justify the preceding ¾ of the episode.

So, what's done is done, the wheel turns, and the Doctor regenerates. I'm looking forward to the next incarnation of the series under producer Steven Moffat's guiding hand.

Verdict: An awful episode of Doctor Who, a terrible finale for David Tennant, but with a few redeeming features for fans who fast forward through the painful bits.

That's right, no stars.

Note: It's been brought to my attention that all the episodes of Doctor Who I've reviewed tend to be dramatically negative, despite the fact that I'm actually a fan. So, as a tribute to the series, below are some of my favourite, four star episodes.

- The Empty Child (2005)
- The Doctor Dances (2005)
- The Girl in the Fireplace (2006)
- Blink (2007)