DW: Journey's End

[stargater]

OMG

I loved this, I really really did. But what a roller coaster it was, it was a bit of everything: happiness, fun, fanwanky, crackerific, amusing, tragic and bittersweet all wrapped up in one big enchilada. And it was brilliant. You know, I think I'm really going to miss RTD's stories. And I'm not saying Steven Moffat's won't be wonderful, I'm sure they will be, I just think I'm going to really miss RTD's way of telling stories and continuing character development. And leaving a cliffhanger like the Doctor possibly regenerating after a failed reunion, that was brilliant. Even if I think him evil for it, but hey how much fun would that have been? I'm sure if I were writing it, I'd probably do the same because it would have been much evil fun.

Right after it started and Ten was still himself, I was like 'that was quick!' and I actually LOL'd because I could just imagine all the collective sighs of relief being had worldwide. I loved Ten & Rose's hug, it made me go awwwwwwwwww! Though I have to wonder... Do you think the Doctor knew what was going to happen with the hand? Human Biological Metacrisis, yeah say that 10 times in a row fast as you can. He was surprised to see the TARDIS again after believing it had been destroyed but was quick to explain 10.5 (yes, that's what I'll be calling him from now on) and at least to me didn't seem like it was that unexpected.

Now I'm gonna skip ahead to continue on with 10.5 & Rose and then go back about the rest. I wanted this so badly (thank you RTD) and I'm not the least bit disappointed with it even if I did want it to be original!Doctor that stayed with Rose but after I've thought about it for a bit there's reasons why that might not have worked and this did so well. I know some people probably feel cheated by it, I can understand that and I don't feel that way myself though I do think it was bittersweet and yet wonderful.

10.5 is the Doctor, he's the same physically, he's got his memories, his emotions, thoughts and feelings (also a bit of Nine's edge and Donna's attitude about him) but he's the same. Initially I sort of felt the same way I did when Nine regenerated into Ten, he's the same just a bit different. Though it's not quite the same here, because he literally is the same man. He's basically the Time Lord but in a human body, one that will age properly and not regenerate. And he gets to spend the rest of his life with the woman he loves. I think back to School Reunion to the conversation the Doctor and Rose had when he said how humans wither away and die and while she could spend the rest of her life with him, he couldn't spend his with her and imagine spending that with someone you (insert you love here) and how true that would be. This is why I think he doesn't allow himself that sort of happiness because in the end it'll go away and a curse that would be watching those you love die as you live on alone. And so he did the best he could do, he gave himself (or a part anyway) the opportunity that he could never have, the life that he could never live. Maybe that might bring him a sort of peace knowing that he's out there living that life with Rose. 10.5 didn't hesitate either, he was all ready to be right there with her, something I think Ten would have done as well if the tables had been turned.

Though it was bittersweet and heartbreaking (really for both of them) because of the sacrifice Ten made for Rose and his other self. I wish they'd at least said goodbye. I can understand why some might feel cheated here, thinking that the Doctor abandoned her in the parallel world with his copy but I look at it more like a gift. He gave her something he couldn't have otherwise, sacrificing his own happiness for his other self and Rose. This is one of the things I love about their relationship, they'd do almost anything for each other. Rose always talks about how the Doctor saved her and I've always thought she saved him just as much, they saved each other really and the Doctor admits that to her on the beach.

This was the best possible outcome for this relationship especially given the nature of the show and how the Doctor always goes on alone because we know Rose couldn't have continued to travel with him forever and it'd have to come to an end at some point. And I like to think that 10.5 and Rose will figure out a way to grow a new TARDIS or create a new time/space machine. That part is actually in the Fact File, that in the original script original!Doctor gave 10.5 a piece of 'coral' from the TARDIS to create his own. So I like to think that they'll be off traveling together in the parallel world and growing old together happily.

Now for the other heartbreaking part of the story... Donna. It makes me so sad that she won't remember any of the wonderful things she and the Doctor did and how fantastic she was. This is one thing I wish would have been different, I really didn't want a reset/mind wipe on her but at least she's alive. I wonder if a heroic death would have been better for her and I really don't think it would have been. Because this is Sci-Fi and who knows, they could always bring her back in the future and that'd be grand. I like that the Doctor told Sylvia off for the way she treats her daughter and how Wilf promised never to forget him for Donna.

And Time Lord-ish!Donna was brilliant too, all babbling away like Ten and devising that great plan on how to get the Earth back. It was heartbreaking when she was pleading for him not to take it away and he did. I really hope that we'll have some follow-up on this later in some form. I think I just want to know that Donna is alright out there doing something brilliant and not thinking she's just some nobody temp who can't achieve anything. Because she's so much more that that, she was totally awesome and should know it! Sigh.

Onto the other points of the story... Davros was supremely evil wasn't he? And he's so not dead, I don't know if we'll see him again but I doubt he would have perished. Dalek Caan double crossing Davros was interesting and everything he said did come true. It was also interesting that Ten was so upset with 10.5 for destroying the Daleks and their ship when it's exactly something that he would have done. And well, he did do it in a sense. Also, if the Daleks were to use the Reality Bomb and destroy absolutely everything, there wouldn't be anything or anyone left to EX-TER-MIN-ATE! They'd just roll around nattering to themselves all day long about what, how shiny each others chrome is? lol Daleks, gotta love 'em.

I loved, absolutely loved everyone piloting the TARDIS together. That was like the best thing ever. And what an interesting idea indeed that a TARDIS is meant to have six pilots, all working together to fly it properly. Brilliant. And everyone clapping and happy in the TARDIS, yeah just loved it.

Some other random things:

Naked!Ten in the TARDIS heehe yum. And shouldn't Captain Jack had been naked as well after being put through an incinerator? Just sayin'

Daleks speaking German! I loved that bit, it only makes sense that they'd speak whatever language the people do where ever they are. Also, there's the translation of what was said between the German lady and Martha in the Fact File as well. And at least we know what the Osterhagen Key is now, I figured it was some sort of destructive weapon and some clever person pointed out a couple days ago over at doctorwho that it's an anagram of 'Earths gone' which was great, I love anagrams.

I also loved when Martha realized Rose was with the Doctor, no sign of jealousy or anything, I was pleased with that. She seemed genuinely happy that they had been re-united. yay.

And the Ten/Rose scene in the TARDIS where she told him about how they'd been working on a way so she could come back and that huge cheshire cat grin on his face. *squee*

Loved seeing Jackie and Mickey again. So Mickey decided to stay behind (again) but that's cool. Maybe he can go to work for Jack at Torchwood and perhaps Martha too. I read that Martha might be joining Torchwood for it's next season and that'd be great.

I liked the 'three-fold man' (meaning the two Tens & Donna) and the DoctorDonna being what the Ood called them. Looking back now, it's easy to see what these references led to. hehe

Loved the flashback scenes.

Mickey Mouse! Captain Cheesecake! And that's beefcake! bawhahaha

I kind of wish we'd gotten a chance to see Jack and Rose talk about happened on the Gamestation though I'm sure 10.5 will tell her about it

I liked Sarah Jane being on the Crucible and the reference to Genesis of the Daleks and seeing K-9 again! And she seemed quite pleased to head back off to Luke, that was nice. I loved what Sarah Jane said about the Doctor having the biggest family on Earth. And he does, he has the most awesome family/friends. I wonder if he'll ever truly realize it.

I get that the Doctor always go on alone, that's the nature of the show but the end where he's standing in the rain and then walks back into the empty TARDIS just makes me want to weep. I didn't have a Niagara Falls of tears this time like I thought, though I did tear up and cry a little at several parts, this being one of them.

I know there's more I'm forgetting, I don't really think my brain is functioning quite right again just yet. It'll take a bit more pondering over things and a re-watch or two before that'll happen. Overall, I was quite pleased, a wonderful episode and finale and quite the exit for RTD. I only wish Donna hadn't been reset and that original!Doctor hadn't been left alone at the end. But really, it couldn't have been an 'everyone lives happy party' all the way around right? Also, I cannot believe something I wanted (the two Ten's theory) actually happened, things never happen the way I want them too. *cheers*

So now we've got the specials to look forward to. This is unlikely but I'd really like to have one of them set in the parallel world with 10.5 and Rose. I've had this thought in my mind since I read about and saw those spoiler photos of the bad guys for one the specials. Anyways, 2010 is a loooooooong way off from now. It seems like forever, I'm glad we'll at least be having the specials to tide us over.

Wow, that was long and rambling, kudos if you stuck through it and are still with me here. I tend to start flailing and getting excitable about things and lose track and coherency. Because I'm running out of time now (I didn't realize how long it took me to compose these ramblings) to finish anymore thoughts, I'll probably have several more pop up in the next few days as I analyze and re-watch it again.

BTW... watch the Confidential, it was great too!