Is The Tenth Doctor's Regeneration Unfairly Hated?
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- čas přidán 26. 06. 2024
- The first 1,000 people to use this link will get a 1 month free trial of Skillshare: skl.sh/harbowholmes09211
Even though it may seem popular on the surface, David Tennant's final Doctor Who story 'The End of Time' is actually a controversial and polarising narrative amongst fans and critics, particularly for how it handles regeneration. However, as is Defending the Despised tradition, I thought I'd take the time to defend it against this myriad of criticisms (since it's actually the best way to wrap up this era of the show!
Chapters:
Introduction 00:00-01:13
Skillshare AD 01:14-02:40
A Looming Prophecy 02:41-07:13
The Faithful Companion 07:14-11:42
The Lost Child of Gallifrey 11:43-16:44
The Ultimate Foe 16:45-21:05
The Doctor's Last Stand 21:06-22:41
Victorious No More: 22:42-24:57
The End of an Era 24:58-28:18
Final Thoughts 28:19-30:18
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The first 1,000 people to use this link will get a 1 month free trial of Skillshare: skl.sh/harbowholmes09211
I always thought Rose, supposed to be "just like our present": 2005 and Aliens of London was 2006, that 26:16 wasn't reconning and Moffat retconned the timeline.
Also it adds this sliver of believability as it's set "a year in the future" but there's probably a reason and I'm wrong
Great video btw
As a Defending the Despised, is this separate from your ongoing series of episode reviews?
Yes
When are we getting series 5 reviews? Would love to see what you think about those episodes
Worst regeneration ever
I never knew people hated it?? In terms of doctor who I honestly believe this was a masterpiece. A perfect goodbye and send off to the Davies era and tennant’s doctor. With Wilfred the greatest companion ever, the master, aliens and spaceships, time lords for the first time in the revival this was the shit back in 2010. Doctor who at its biggest and greatest.
For the record, I don't hate it. But I don't really like it too much since it did sour a lot of people's thoughts on the New Doctor, people even going as far as claiming that BBC forced Tennant out of the show and the "I don't want to go" line was Tennant telling the audience the truth.
@@VelociraptorsOfSkyrim People are sour over the new doctor anyway, same thing happened with capaldi. The incoming new doctor doesn't affect the quality of the end of time in any way possible. You can't think about the future while you've still gotta handle the present. And Smith/Moffat ended up being absolutely fine with the fans so thats a weak argument
Outside of the Dr who fandom it is pretty well regarded. "Oh yeah that one where David Tennant left and said 'I don't want to go' and we all cried." It's more mixed within fandom.
I think it works (Part 2 at least, Part 1 is just waiting for the Timelords to show up) tho I was having finale fatigue at this point. Journey's End took the stakes about as high as they could go. Threatening time itself felt like a stretch.
@@Ben-vf5gk threatening time itself in a show about time and space is a stretch??
@@erosion271 I mean a stretch in terms of stakes. It's not that much more impactful than eradicating every single universe (Journey's End) I'm not saying it doesn't work (we're still invested in the characters) but I was getting a bit bored of universe level threats
The "2005, January 1st" line doesn't mess up the timeline at all.
Rose met and left with the Doctor in 2005 and returned a year later in 2006.
The Rose at the end of this episode is from before she met the Doctor.
Yeah, I don't know why the confusion, I thought it was pretty clear.
Yeah doctor who was well up until Davis left was set a year ahead, we even know that because also if you look at the official timelines of things it makes sense, even look at Harriet Jones according to cannon she lead from 2005-2008 but by the time she lost irl power it was 2007 in series 3.
Also I think from an audience reception narrative, it was important to say 2005. The comeback of Doctor Who was in 2005 and this was well known. This was almost like the Doctor visiting us, the audience, before we even saw the first glimpse of New Who and not knowing what the year would bring.
That scene with Wilf and the Doctor just talking while gazing at the earth is imo one of the best scenes of the entire revival era. The dialogue, the performances, their totally believable chemistry (plus the fact that Wilf’s finally in space)… chef’s kiss
"I'd be proud."
"Of what?"
"If you were my dad."
I didn't need these emotions right now Russell, what the hell
@@robbiesmith8055 “We must look like ants to you”
“I think you look like giants”
@@robbiesmith8055 When I saw that scene for the first time I did wonder if it was possible that he maybe was, that the reason the woman who is implied to be the Doctor's mother came to him. Was that Wilf had made himself human with a fob watch as possibly a part of his final regeneration, wanting to live a normal human life or something like that. I know it's not likely it was just with all the comments the Doctor made about them keeping to meet each other and wondering his reason for finding him. Although after I went back I figured the reason for it is probably because he was supposed to knock. But RTD was really great at leaving certain things unanswered and being okay with ambiguity.
@@Bacbi Wilf as a time lord though lol
@@z-rex6068 yeah I'm glad thet didn't go tjst route. But would still make more sense than recent events :p
I didn't even know this regeneration was hated. Honestly the only thing I though people hated about it was the fact that Tennant had to leave.
If it wasn't for the way 10 talks about regeneration, I'd probably like it but I'll never understand what RTD was going for. "A new man goes sauntering away and I'm dead" literally a last minute sabotage so the audience will think the next actor isn't truly the Doctor. It's a stupid line. I suppose it was supposed to showcase how 10 is the most human Doctor but it still doesn't make sense. And Simm is just weird here with the over the top superpower mumbo-jumbo
@@nico2605 I mean, that's a fair thing to say although I never really thought about it that way myself. As for 10, I think it works with his character. He was much more egotistical and Time Lord Victorious was born out of his hubris. Of all the Doctors, he is the one that would likely vocalize this.
I was also never particularly bothered by the Master and their new powers. Doesn't detract from the story to me so it's whatever. This is just my opinion though.
@@iXSIKOBOIXi wasn't the Time Lord Victorious born more out of his humanity than his hubris? The Doctor has always had a hubris, but they've never acted on it in a way like the Time Lord Victorious(except maybe Seven?). Ultimately wasn't it really Ten's humanity coupled with the excessive losses that he suffered that brought about the Time Lord Victorious.
@@Ethan-dn1wc it's not just one factor but hubris is also a large contributing factor
I also feel like a factor of why Ten's stance on regeneration is a bit different than the others can also be contributed to the time he spent as John Smith in the Human Nature 2 parter in series 3. The Doctor got to experience that human life, and that feeling of mortality, and I don’t think many people realize how that experience probably affected him in the long run. He even goes to visit Joan's granddaughter before he "dies," which is clear proof that that time was significant to him.
I don't like Mickey and Martha's ending because she was engaged to Tom Ellis' character before and seemed to have a happy ending already.
Yeah, that really threw me for a loop when I first saw TEOT Part 2. It’s not an inherently bad pairing but it’s not set up at all, actually it has negative setup due to Martha already being engaged so it always take me out of the episode when I rewatch.
Like honestly this bugs me so much I need timelines. She was dating Tom when she was in Torchwood s2, engaged when she came back to Doctor Who series 4 and then in Children Of Earth it is mentioned she is on Honeymoon butbis that with Tom or Mickey and then in End Of Time she is married to Mickey. Like when did she split with Tom amd get with Mickey. I am.confused and need timelines and answers. Thisbwill always bug me and I'll never get closure
Yes, it made zero sense and now that Mickey's actor has been cancelled for being a trash human being, it's definitely never going to get explored
@@blackphoenix77 what happened with Mickey's actor? haha I don't keep up with stuff too often sorry
@@lucypreece7581 I reckon she broke off her engagement after meeting Mickey in s4 and by children of Earth, they’re on their honeymoon
I realized two things about this story lately.
First is that the Master wearing a black hood and having a skeleton face may be a reference to The Deadly Assassin, but also, it makes him look like the grim reaper (in theory at least).
Second is that people trying to avoid death is a theme in this story. The Master made the cult to resurrect himself, and he chants "Never die! Never die!". The rich dude wants his daughter to never die. Rassilion refuses to die.
Meanwhile, Ten finally accepts his death.
@@LabradorIndependent No he doesn't, he literally cries and says "I don't wanna go".
I can't believe I never made the Deadly Assassin connection before!
@@-haclong2366 He still accepts it, doesn't mean he wants to go.
@@-haclong2366
Accepting =/= not caring.
If you didn't care there'd be nothing to accept.
Tennants "I don't wanna go" comes from a place of love for the show, he started watching the show when he was about 4 years old and dreamed of portraying The Doctor, it's what motivated him to become an actor in the hope that someday he'd be chosen to be The Doctor, that day came sooner than he expected and he loved every second of it to the point that it was hard for him to let go of the role that defined his existence, just imagine wanting something so badly that when you have it your told you have to give it back after 3 years, you wouldn't want to but in your heart you'd know it's the right thing to do
Tennant wasn't told to give it back after his 3 Series, as he was incredibly tempted to stay on for Series 5, which would have played out roughly the same, just with a Dying Doctor, and without Eleven. David even said in his Announcement of Leaving the Show that If he didn't leave then, he wouldn't ever leave. It was his Idea to leave after 3 Series, and other previous Actors in Classic Who didn't do many years due to fear of typecasting. the Only Actor not to worry about that being Tom Baker.
And there is where you've identified exactly why it's shit, he's an actor it isn't his place to be fanboying in the middle of the role, it's meta and takes you out of the story.
@@jeff3482 👎👎👎
Fyi, Wilfred Mott is still alive and 92 years old, he kept his promise
*knock on wood, knock on wood*
Now that Russel is returning, I so hope we can see Wilf again 🤞🏻
@@roguetwo7949 I hope so too, but I'd settle for even just a good mention.
@@blackphoenix77 Just don't do four knocks...
@@roguetwo7949 heyyy did u hear he is back
A lot of people compare it to the other doctors' regenerations, and how his looks cowardly and weak in comparison, which it absolutely does, but it was also under vastly different circumstances. Nine thought that he was about to die for good moments before, so in comparison the "half-death" is a pretty good deal, and further he had to be strong for Rose, who didn't know what the deal was. Similarly, with eleven, he had hundreds of years leading up to that death, years where he knew he was about to die. Ten had it sprung on him, he had just won the battle, and then because of some dumb box he had to die anyway. And when he finally regenerates, he's completely alone, there's nobody else around to perform for, just him and the tardis. It makes perfect sense to me that he'd react that way.
I don’t get the complaints about the “still not ginger” bit. Didn’t the Doctor say before at one point that he wanted to be ginger but so far hadn’t been? I always took the line as disappointment that he wasn’t ginger.
I'm sure that was the intention of the line, but people clearly didn't get the significance
@@christianwise637 so it's hated by people who don't care but pretend they do
10s first episode
"Am I ginger?"
@@obi501 Pretty much, yeah
exactly
Wilf's salute is one of the most heart rending moments in the show
I think this era is unnecessarily heavily criticised. All the RTD stories are combed over for poor elements, simply BECAUSE the bar for “good” was set so bloody high!
I actually really like ‘the End of Time’ even though I don’t like some of the pacing, the human characters, the way you can just fall from 10,000ft onto marble and live, the comedic music around the vinvochi and the skeletal master thing.
There are so, SO many great elements! I like the Ood, the way that 10 accepts his end, the way the Time Lords and Time War are handled, the farewell segment, the scenes with Wilf… they all outweigh the bad elements so much. SO MUCH.
You also get to see every aspect of the 10th Doctor throughout the story. All of his character quirks are there, all through the story.
It’s a fabulous send off and I love it.
Is it heavily criticised? From what I've seen people seem completely biased to that era and hateful towards the others? The end of time part 2 is absolutely fantastic (no pun intended), the character moments, the climax, it's all brilliant except the journeys end rehash of seeing all the companions again, however, part 1 was a bit of a mess
@@kylemccrory2031 it's definitely criticized within the fandom especially by people who feel like it's some sort of competition between RTD and Moffat, same deal with Moffat.
@@Ethan-dn1wc I love them both tbh - rtd's grounded characters and moffats ambitious sci fi stories are both enjoyable in their own rights!
@@kylemccrory2031 you’re correct, this era does get the most praise. But what I’m trying to say is that it set the bar for good quality so high, that the bar for criticism went up with it. So it’s hugely praised, but hugely criticised too.
@@kylemccrory2031 in new who the only era I dislike is chibnill I love the rtd and moffet eras
It’s insane to me people could hate the speech, companion goodbye tour, and the regeneration. The feelings these scenes bring out of me every time I watch is incredible no matter how many years later it’s been it always brings out raw and pure emotion. It was the end of the golden era. I’m so excited to get David and Russell back!!
Repressed children.
It's not how the Doctor is or would act, it was merely RTD making the doctor a little sad baby boy to show the viewers, "isn't is sad that your favorite doctor is leaving, look at how he doesn't want to go," Its literally setting up the next doctor for failure. It's made much worse with this bigeneration, Introducing a multitude of problems, like whether he can just infinitely just clone himself and the Tardis. RTD basically killed the doctor, our doctor, who tf said the doctor is even capable to settling down, a 2000+ year old Timlord living with mortals, there's already the metacrisis doctor and that I can give a pass because he can live a human life. His entire character is him always "running" and never stopping and having adventures, RTD having him do such with Donna as and David Tenant is so fucking low and effectively kill's the Doctor and all that has been built up before all so RTD can claim ownership over it, RTD is just a gatekeeping virtue signaling narcissist, he has effectively killed Doctor Who, that shit is not canon, its much worse than The Timeless Children.
Bit late of a reply but just want to say as someone who doesn't like it (don't hate, just not a fan) I think for most of us its just that it feels TOO self-indulgent.
I get why people who grew up on RTD would love it, but I never really felt like it added much to the story other than being a victory lap for RTD. It always felt a little... patronizing?
Wasn't aware it was hated tbh. It's my favourite regeneration because it was the first one that made me really think about how feckin traumatic a change like that would be, particularly to someone who's been through it so many times. Can you imagine physically dying so many times, hopping from personality to personality with no way of telling if you'll be good, bad, likable, self-hating etc? It sounds scary, it sounds exhausting and while 10's line "a new man goes sauntering away" might take on additional meaning to an audience watching at home, to the doctor and anyone invested in the whole thing as a story rather than just a TV show, it's far more metaphorical. Most people have had to say goodbye to someone they used to be. Just, in this case it requires dying, as well as quite sudden physical changes that would result in you not recognising your own face in the mirror for a good long while. Of course it's going to be discussed in a negative light at some point, it sucks for the character. Those who don't like that particular aspect don't like being reminded that getting killed might have emotional consequences.
Every Doctor is "my Doctor" to someone and every one of them deserves a send off that does declare an end to an era.
Davies did that, with goodbyes from the life that 10 knew. So did Moffat with both 11 and 12. I'd say 12s's is my second favourite for much the same reasons. He'd be on par with 10 for me if it weren't for the fact that he turned into Jodie, my least favourite doctor. These were regenerations that gave the whole process more depth than a face change and a switch of quirks.
I mean, dislike it if you want to but that's why it came as such a shock to me.
Ironically Jodie is the worst Doctor, yet her regeneration dialogue mops the floor with Capaldi’s monologue.
I was 11 when these episodes broadcast and I remember sitting down to watch it. My parents let me watching on the big telly downstairs. At that time we were redecorating our living room and changing the flooring and the room was a mess and I was sat on a camping chair crying and gasping and completely enraptured. I dunno if it was just because I was quite young for End Of Time parts 1 and 2 but I just remember loving it a lot and I still do to this day. Wilf is always golden, Tennant on top form, TIMOTHY DALTON!!!!! and then the final moment "I don't wanna go" I broke. There was a waterfall on my face. It's a really solid finale to that whole era and it will always have a special place in my heart.
Love 'The End of Time', pretty much my favorite regeneration story.
28:09 As a natural redhead I always found the Doctor's disappointment at not being ginger quite funny.
I have trouble imagining how anyone could take that as offensive apart from completely missunderstanding the line.
Also think it would be hilarious if, when the Doctor finally does get red hair, he were to go: "Yes! Finally! Ginger! ...I don't like it."
I don't get why people got offended at the I am still not ginger as anyone who saw 10th doctor first episode he says he always wanted to be ginger
As a ginger as well. I find it hilarious.
I mean I understand the Doctor's disappointment; I would love to be a ginger too lol.
I’m waiting on my big ginger bearded doctor.
Okay, be honest, who else was crying when ten had to go? I know I was, I grew up with 9 and 10, didn't realise the consequence of regeneration when Eccleston left cos I was too young, but seeing Tennant go broke my heart
I cry every time man.
I saw it when it first aired. I was in my mid-20s and was desperately holding back tears. I definitely choked up.
I watched it last night (not for the first time). I cried when Wilf cried for the Doctor on the spaceship, and I cried when the regeneration actually happened. It's a beautiful scene
Finally, a review not hating on it. Hate to point it out, but the 1st of January mention in End of time part 2 doesn't wreck the timeline because Rose is set in March 2005 with aliens of London being March 2006
Exactly what I was gonna say in a comment xD
Elizabeth Sladen’s performance is so good in the 2 minutes she got. The perfect balance of happy and sad all in a few seconds of expression on her face when she sees the doctor. It makes it even sadder since she passed.
It's not a bad episode. Kinda underwhelming at some instances but overall is a great send off to the 10th Doctor.
P.S no episode with Wilfred Mott can be bad.
Wilf is an absolute legend . Such a kind and heartwarming character
Wilf: God bless the cactuses!
The Doctor: That's Cacti!
Rossiter: That's racist!
That might be my favourite line exchange in Doctor Who history.
Same 🤣
one thing about RTD is i NEVER FORGOT the names he gave things. the Medusa Cascade and The Nightmare Child. all sounded so haunting to me as a kid and i always wanted to know what they were and they've stuck with me all these years
Must have been awesome watching them as a kid , I enjoyed them all watching them in my 20s so I imagine it'd be even cooler as a kid
@@darran311 It was some crazy stuff to grow up on. Literally The Doctor was that guy you look at as a friend when you're a kid almost, it's like the character is real and what a character he is, full of humanity. Side note, try watching the Episode Midnight as A Kid, I had nightmares for years... Fuckin Scarred me.
I always felt that Ten's tantrum he has before saving Wilf was simply a way of showing his frustration over his own selfless nature. It would be so easy for him to just ignore helping others in order to save his own life. He desperately wants to be selfish in that moment, and he pitifully attempts to justify doing so, but he already knows with every fiber of his being that he could never be so cruel.
This whole time, he had thought his death was something that couldn't be avoided. However, as it turns out, his death was entirely within his power to avoid. He actually COULD avoid it if he really wanted to, but because the Doctor is who he is, avoiding his death is not something he WOULD ever do in this kind of situation. It's incredibly frustrating to him, but he soon gets over it because he had already made up his mind and accepted the solution the moment he realized the problem.
Fantastic video Harbo. Indeed this one gets way too much hate for such small things that ultimate end up delivering an immensely gratifying finale to the Davis Era.
It’s flaws still keep it from being that good, it’s still the weakest regeneration episode of the new series to me
I think part 1 is a bit of a mess, but part 2 nails the hammer on its head, the tension and character moments mixed with the climax make something brilliant, even if seeing all the companions felt a bit of a rehash so few episodes after journeys end.
I honestly thought the first part was hilarious for all the wrong reasons, but the second part’s last minutes are some of the best I’ve seen from Doctor Who. Also, I love how it leads to probably the best post-regeneration story I’ve watched in NuWho.
@@Zug8415 yeah good job, because of you we have Jodie.
I think they missed a huge opportunity. When the doctor met Rose he should have said: "you gonna have a FANTASTIC year!"
I think 10s attitude in the beginning that regeneration is basically death also works from the perspective of him being the time lord victorious at that point, it's part of that arrogance that built up over the stories. Also I love the moment of realisation from Sylvia and Wilf when Donna pulls out the lottery ticket
10s arrogance is what makes the character so good.
Every major negative event like Doomsday is ultimately caused by actions the doctor takes in arrogance.
@@baneblade__ don't even dare trying to say Doomsday was his fault
the guy just lived for like 6 years, do you hear me? 6! while the rest of Doctors got to spend at least some centuries in another dimension or progress of grief or...such a blessing wasn't given to 10th. and he spent all of that short time just losing everyone that mattered to him and lost the meaning of happiness and then without having at least one break, there comes his demise. you call all of this arrogance?
@@altinaykor364 the he pissed off Queen Victoria so she created Torchwood and Doomsday happened because Torchwood was fucking around with shit they shouldn't have
An additional issues I take to task regarding regeneration not being a death is that the same people touting this belief fail to take into account the number of regenerations our lovely Doctor has left. He's near the end of his life, he's certainly passed the threshold of most of his life. His next one is his last. Wouldn't a Doctor that believes he's nearly done, that all his regenerations are nearly spent, start to treat the prospect of regeneration as becoming one life closer to death. Gone are the days of willy nilly non-caring for the eventual grave, and here come the days of counting. Of course he has vanity issues, of course he starts to take more control over what he can, even when that goes too far, of course he's more poetic, and more distressed. This Doctor is almost dead, at least that's what he believes. I give you permission to use this, as far as I know I've not seen someone else explain this idea, get it out there.
When the doctor goes on his tour it is nice to see where the companions ended up and even included the series 3 torchwood ending consequence with Jack in a alien bar.
I do like how in the sarah jane adventures they expand on it with the doctor saying he went to see everyone throughout his whole life. Its nice they are mentioned because it connects both old and new who together even more. I think it also shows that his next body would be his last and just wanted to see everyone now because he might not of gotten another chance. I also like how sarah asks him if his previous life was scared. Honestly its really good episode and a nice little follow up
*sees the title* Yes. Next question...
Honestly though, I feel like (much like with Journey's End) this is kind of a 2-parter that you had to experience back in 2009 when it first aired to truly appreciate the full impact of what it was trying to do. When these episodes originally aired, it genuinely did feel like the end of an era - and even now I still say this marked the end of the Golden Age of NuWho which peaked in Season 4. Yes, it's goofy; yes, it's cheesy; yes, the "farewell tour" goes on a little too long; and yes I'm fairly sure the Master's plan in Part 1 was purely so that they could use the "Master race" joke, but I think nowadays people forget that this 2-parter really wasn't just about the Doctor regenerating, it was about most of the people responsible not just for bringing the show back to the screen but also turning it into must-watch family entertainment - a show that for decades had been the punching bag of the BBC, no less - moving on and leaving the show behind. It wasn't just the Doctor that was regenerating but the entire show itself. I know it sounds ridiculously snobby to use the "you had to be there" card but honestly? You really did have to be there since the episodes really can't be removed from that behind-the-scenes context.
Also, no episode with Wilf can be said to be bad. Wilf automatically elevates any episode to the level of "good" at the very least.
The Writer's Tale is amazing, and anyone who wants to write anything or loves Doctor Who should read it, and in particular the entries on The End of Time are wild. Joshua Naismith could have been a Bond supervillain in a luxury hideout in Switzerland played by Julie Andrews. The Vinvocci were going to be a species made of liquid oozing and running all the time called the Bashboli, or in Russell's notes, the Runny People. There was a load of unused dialogue about Naismith's ancestors being enslaved and then making all their money through the hot wax they used to corterise their wounds. The Daleks were going to be in it at one point. The Chinese military commander Master was going to shoot himself on the Master's command. And the Master was going to dye his hair blonde in a public toilet, go cottaging, and then kill the businessman he'd implicitly had sex with and wear his clothes.
I bet the 10th doctor wouldn’t have been so afraid of death if he had seen a skillshare lesson on how to cope with death LOL!!!
an argument i have for people saying RTD sabotaged moffat is the fact that RTD let moffat introduce river, in series 4, when RTD already knew it would be the last series he'd showrun, if RTD wanted to sabotage moffat, why let him introduce such a plotline, that actually kinda had the potential to carry 2 whole series, and in fact kinda did?
Not to mention RTD went to bat for Moffat when BBC was considering canceling the show outright.
Russell T. Davies and Stephen Moffat are close friends, colleagues, confidants, and have a shared history with one another and the show stretching back decades. The fact that we got 2 consecutive showrunners who absolutely adore the show the way they do, who understood the core of it like they do, is nothing short of a miracle. Whatever flaws in their writing that popped up occasionally, they both brought intense passion to the show, and the way Moffat consistently recalled themes and ideas from Davies Era is proof to the deep level of respect the two men have for one another's work.
I personally don't believe RTD would sabotage moffat, but introducing River in series 4 is not a proof for Moffat's succession. When Moffat created River Song, he didn't intend to write a plotline for her. The initial idea is that he wanted a character in that episode who was new to audience but knew a lot about Doctor. And River's original background story was that she married to 45th Doctor and witnessed his death before meeting Doctor's younger selves. Though this was never revaled in episodes and Moffat revised her plotline after he became the showrunner, yet it shows that River could have been a one-story-character back then.
@@vonsixteen548 oh alright, thought he already thought about a big part of the story line, guess i'm wrong ^^'
also jeez 45th doctor, must be a lot of regeneration energy to happen lmao
@@vonsixteen548 you're right that it's not proof of Moffat's succession, that said it's also been known that RTD asked him to take over for him as far back as 2007.
Wilf kills me in this episode. He's so delightful and just having fun the whole time, but by the end of it he has to live with the knowledge that he effectively killed one of his favourite people in the universe. It was the Doctor's choice to save him, but that survivors guilt is going to stay with him for the rest of his life.
This really is the perfect way to end a run of Doctor Who. I love all the callbacks to previous episodes and that its keeps the continuity of David's run intact, the jokes, Wilfried, the Master, everyones chemistry and of course how could you not forget Sir Timothy Dalton and Dame Claire Bloom in this. They clearly have a lot of fun and add to this special in a massive way. The acting is this is absolutely incredible. Russell T Davies knocked it out of the park. Probably some of the best writing I've ever seen for a tv show finale. Exceptional review Harbo!
I always saw the explosion of the Tardis as not a sabotage attempt, but as a factory reset. Essentially Russell going "Here's a way for you to get your own tardis, set up the story your way" More of a help than a hindrance, essentially leaving all parts of the story open for Moffat to go anywhere and do anything with it that he wanted, without having to worry about loose ends or narrative and visual links.
Exactly!
It also made sense since Ten absorbed a ton of radiation, which was probably only released in that moment.
I think you summed it up best at 29:37. It has its issues but the positives far out weight the negatives. The acting, the dialogue, the godly music, the absolutely MASSIVE dramatic stakes, with a shed load of heart tugging nostalgia, callbacks, cameos, and appreciation for the last 5 years.
Hell, even the more goofier and convenient moments give us a lot to enjoy. John Simm having a blast as multiple versions of himself, the super dramatic gun cocking sound effects to ramp up the tension, true emotional satisfaction in scenes that may seem too fan service-y to some.
One thing I like to say about Ten's outburst after Wilf knocks is the very reason for said outburst is he KNOWS he's going to step inside that box to save Wilf. Thinking you've survived against all odds, only for time and happenstance to snatch that away from you out of nowhere, of course you'd feel upset. Not to mention being hot off the Time Lord Victorious persona, and with this incarnation being especially emotional, I really don't see it being too out of character at all. All it takes is for him to utter the line "Wilfred...it would be my honour" and you see that good man we all know and love come back fully into the light for his final moments.
Great video, Harbo. It was my honour to watch.
The End of Time is the most Davies episode of Doctor Who, for all the good and bad that brings with it. I adore certain aspects of it while groaning at others, and both sides are incredibly memorable.
19:22 "It's basically a planet full of time lords victorious"
I've never thought of it like that
This line perfectly sums up my issue with the Day of the Doctor's ending.
@@intergalactic92 ? That ending was perfect
It makes this episode really scary.
I find The End of Time to be bittersweet. I enjoy the story, but it's the end of the golden age of Modern Doctor Who. I'm not a fan of the Doctor's hissy fit during the four knocks scene, but the way you've put it does give it a more understandable context. These days, I find the farewell tour to be sombre, as apart from Jack, none of the other RTD-era companions appeared again, as Moffat and Chibnall completely forgot about them and ignored them. Yeah, the Master's superpowers were rather over the top and unnecessary, but his insanity actually makes sense here. In series 3, he was just insane for the sake of it, but here there's actually reasons for the madness, Murray Gold's score for this two-parter is pretty much his magnum opus, with The Clouds Pass, Four Knocks and Vale Decem being the standouts. Alas, all good things must come to an end, and they did with The End of Time. Sadly, it's downhill from here, at least in my opinion.
I agree on "it's downhill from here" part. I enjoy Smith's performance and all, and there were some interesting bits, but it just doesn't have the same quality.
No, the downhill began in Series 11. Chibnall kill the show.
@@user-is7xs1mr9y Yeah, series 5 is decent enough, but from series 6 onwards, good episodes became fewer and far between. Moffat started the programme on the slippery slope to decline, and Chibnall accelerated the process. I want RTD to come back as showrunner. His era was the golden age, and it's never been the same since.
@@class87fan54 Yeah, I'm sure Moffat has something great in store for me yet, but I've recently started watching series 5 and even there I can't help but feel there's something wrong. Something weird. It's hard to get used to the new Doctor, yes, but even when I finally get over it... there seem to be certain trends I'm not approving of. Like how Amy manages to one-up the Doctor on several occasions in a row (with the space whale and the Daleks' bomb for example, solving the problems so efficiently as if she'd been doing it all the time), or how much of a mess Flesh and Stone was. The new lore of the Angels is just... every image of an Angel is an Angel? So I guess all those photos of them taken in Blink wreaked havoc? Why do you have to look specifically into the Angel's eyes to create an image of it in your head? Isn't that what should happen *the second* you see any Angel then? How about all the Angels that looked at each other in that episode, guess they didn't want to be Weeping any more and just said "screw it, not freezing this time"? Why do the Angels believe Amy can see them when they clearly know of her condition, as they taunted the Doctor about it, and they should be able to feel they aren't forced into their stone forms, so there's no need to freeze? How the hell do they move while still being stone, making stone sounds no less, and why the fuck did Moffat think it was a good idea to show them moving on-screen? Why did he have to make the episode about his time-crack arc as a cheap cop-out to deal with the Angels, and why doesn't the crack completely erase the Angels from everywhere in the timeline, since if it did, there would've been no ship crash, as the ship was crashed by an Angel? What's the scene of Amy trying to have sex with the Doctor out of nowhere for? If this continues, I don't think I'll ever be able to love the Eleventh as much as the Ninth and Tenth. I've read somewhere that Moffat can have brilliant ideas, but he only works best when he's restricted - as a showrunner, he has nobody to control him, and he can't let go of an idea he came up with no matter how bad it is unless he's forced to, so this is what we get as a result. I feel like Doctor Who is becoming much less like sci-fi and more like space fantasy in front of my eyes.
@@Lernos1 yeah, I've got several bones to pick with Flesh & Stone myself, and I think Harbo has too if his Weeping Angels video is anything to go by. I think we're all gonna have fun roasting that episode when Harbo reaches it. Moffat is pretty much like the 10th Doctor in that he needed someone to reign him in, as he liked to change things and didn't know when to stop.
Wilf IS the best character in all of Doctor Who! Wilf's salute and now seeing Sarah Jane always make me tear up!
The Doctor could’ve gotten Captain Jack to open the radiation chamber.
I didn’t even think of that and everything about this episode seems stupid now 😂🤦🏽♀️
1. He knew he needed to do it because of the prospecy of the 4 knocks.
2. He didn’t have enough time to contact Captain Jack and then for him to get to the mansion before the radiation killed him. Good idea though!
@@georgedoe1454 I mean he does have a time machine
But good points too! Sorry
Also, isnt it hinted its a fixed point in time, and him traveling alone and breaking his rules is having trickle down havoc?
I don't think my heart could have dealt with the sadder take of "I don't want to go."
"we've received complaints from viewers who believe a line in the second part of doctor who: the end of time was insulting to people with ginger hair
We would like to reassure viewers that doctor who doesn't have an anti ginger agenda whatsoever. This was a reprise of the line in the christmas invasion episode in 2005, when David Tennant discovers that he's not ginger, and here he is, missing out again - disappointed he's still not ginger.
In addition, the doctor's previous companion Donna noble (Catherine Tate} and his new one Amy pond (Karen Gillan) are both redheads"
I've never understood the hatred of "I don't wanna go". Ten only lived for 7 years at most so him not wanting to regenerate after such a short amount of time makes sense. Also it makes sense for the most human Doctor to treat regeneration like death given that every single part of your body down to the last cell(per Nine's regeneration) is rewriting itself into something completely different. That sounds a lot like death except your memories are going to some other person's body.
not to mention even during that short amount of time, he only suffered and didn't even have a little break, while some other doctors could spend centuries dealing with a sadness. such a thing was denied for 10th. the fact that he was only depressed and hadn't turned full mad is a miracle
I knew basically every Doctor Who spoiler going in but the one thing I didn’t know was that it was Wilf who knocked and let me tell you, when I got to that scene it HURT
I like how the old people go like we didn’t think he was young and stuff but the doctor was older than all of them when he was a child at 90 years old
It was always unclear to me, did Rassilon create the weeping angels? Those two no-votes covering their eyes at the climax (he says "the weeping angels of old)? Was absolutely mind blowing when I watched it for the second time.
My theory is that if timelord step out of line they turn them into statues like what happened with the doctor 13
@@cyberfox7249 there is definitely a good weeping angel episode to be made exploring that concept
@@connormainwaring8866 it depends also completely different thing but I would love to see a cyberman upgrade a dalek like image them working together
You also have to consider that, although it's a ret-con, Ten's reaction to his death makes even more sense given Eleven's belief that he had no regenerations left. This was it. His last life. He has so much more he has to do, and his last great trump card is gone now. His journey is coming to an end, it's truly only a matter of time. An at the time unintended interpretation of his tantrum, yes, but it does gel *very* well with what's on screen.
I'm so excited for Harbo to cover the Moffat run of the series, as 11 and 12 are my favorite doctors
Bro. Started tearing up when you spoke of wilf's salute, and "I don't wanna go"
The thing is with 10's regeneration, it would've worked better if The End of Time was the last ever episode of DW, given the Farewell Tour and bombastic rendition of Vale Dacem. However, we all know it's going to end with David Tennant turning into Matt Smith and heading off on exciting new adventures, so I find all the melodrama pointless
RTD is pure melodrama.
It's because at the time, it genuinely was the end of a big era
Fair enough. But really the melodrama was because after this regeneration, the doctor was supposed to die. He was supposed to get shot twice and never return. It's just Steven Moffat decided to change some stuff around with the finale and made it to where he didn't die after all.
Wilf's salute hit like a small Toyota Carola before, it was always sad and brought a lone tear to your eye. But now... now it hits like an 18 wheeler as you're on the floor bawling your eyes out, knowing that he's *gone*
This pair of episodes is one of my favourites; there might be some off moments, but never enough to stop me thoroughly enjoying the story as a whole.
Regeneration IS a form of death; the personality that is Ten will die; the Doctor will go on, but only as "some new man".
Tens' death is all the more heroic because it's so mundane: he's not saving a civilisation, he's saving one old man.
Why did people complain about Eleven being disappointed at still not being ginger? That picks up from the Christmas Invasion.
There was a practical reason for trashing the Tardis - it left the incoming team a blank page to create their own look.
Thanks for the pictures of Roger Delgado: I remember him from Classic Who: a very gentle man who had such a brooding presence, which no later actor could replicate - no criticism to them, they just weren't him. (I've only ever seen him in one non-Master role, and he had the same presence there.)
"I don't want to go." I was in my mid- to late-20s, and this quote and many of Wilf's lines had me holding back tears. RIP Brenard Cribbins. His passing really hit me. I wish he could be in the 14th Doctor and Donna episode.
DO I HAVE THE BEST NEWS FOR YOU!
They got him back for the specials, just before his passing!
How does that line mess up the timeline of the era? I was under the impression Rose was set in March 2005 and Aliens of London in 2006 - pushing the rest of the era forwards a year.
You'd be correct.
They met in 2005 and Doctor see her on 1st January of 2005. Easy to tell that is before they met. Only Rose surprise on look of 10th look would change a little. It's all what this scene "mess" with
They met in 2005, time jumped to 2006 in Aliens of London (still broadcast in 2005). After that the assumption is that all the modern day episodes in the RTD era were set one year in the future, however it was somehow miraculously brought back to the right year in series 3. You could argue that series 3 was set during series 2, but Martha remembered the events of series 2 so it didn’t make sense. You could also argue that ‘rose’ was set in 2004, however it was said on her missing posters that she went missing in 2005 and End of Time stated they met in 2005
Super hyped for your season 5 reviews been missing the series
Loved this review. You really nailed the analysis of it all. I am curious where it ranks on the ending tier list but I know you will probably have that ready for the series wrap up
This is literally the first time I've heard of anyone hating ten's finale. I thought I was in the fandom pretty deep but I guess not, lol.
It's honestly perfect on all fronts I wouldn't change a thing.
Wilf - the elderly Samewise Gamgee of Doctor Who
I've never understood the hate for this story, same as I've never understood the hate for series 7
I really enjoyed series 5, 6 and 7. I hated series 8 when it launched in 2014
These episodes always felt alarmingly naff for the era. I expect it's a consequence of not really having much of a story set up, since most of the threads from the era were paid off in Journey's End.
The resurrection of the Master felt extremely rushed and poorly executed. I mean, what was with the super-jumping glowing skeleton man anyway? The "Master Race" felt like a great idea executed shoddily, and the integration with the Time Lords' return just didn't have time to breathe. A lot of the episodes is driven by narration or random exposition dumps, which screamed of not having enough characters in the right places to carry the story.
All that said, I do love the idea of the Time Lords returning and it was great to see Rassilon again. I just can't help but feel The Master returning should've happened in a separate special, only for them both to team up eventually here to face down the Time Lords in a two part finale. The Master's redemption during the big finish felt _rushed_ but John Simm acts the living daylights out of it.
Everything after Ten's sacrifice is pure gold, if slightly self indulgent - but in my opinion the show earned it.
Wait, people hate this episode?
When the doctor is screaming about how he could do so much more I always just saw that as the 10th doctor saying he could have done so much more as this incarnation, just like how the ninth doctor said he was going to take Rose to so many places. The character wasn't dying, at least not in the literal sense, but the doctor that we have gotten to know was leaving. Now with the benefit of hindsight and knowing that the doctor was on his technical 11th body, meaning the next regeneration would be his last body, it makes his speech about doing so much more way deeper than it was before. Because you could interpret it as him talking about how he could have just done so much more in general not just as that incarnation. Because as far as he knew 11, actually 12, was his last regeneration.
The sad thing about the good bye scene that still makes me tear up is that last shot of Sarah Jane as that was the last time we would see Elizabeth Sladen on Doctor Who
This era of the show is by far my favorite, and being here for all the reviews of it along the way has truly been a ride.
Ya know, with Tennant coming back around as the new regeneration, here's hoping we get to see Jenny finally show up again after that tease at the end of "The Doctor's Daughter"... Or maybe see the Doctor see and deal with the fallout of Miracle Day.
That moment when Wilf knocks, you can see him go through all the stages of grief in real time in just a few scenes
This episode was the perfect send off to the Russell T Davies era. And this episode helped introduce me to Life on Mars as my mum saw John Simm and went oh he’s on Life on Mars you’d like that
My mom used to watch Life on Mars! I should check it out.
@@user-is7xs1mr9y definitely it’s fantastic and it’s sequel ashes to ashes is just as good!
Not gonna lie: seeing David Tennant's tearful "I don’t want to go" genuinely made me tear up. I’m 29 years old…….
9:15 I think defence mechanism is was referring to a defence mechanism wiping Donna's memory for her remembering stuff about her adventures with the Doctor etc
I never got to watch this back when it first came out. I actually started watching when my family reached Bad Wolf/Parting of the Ways. I grew to love ten, and as heartbreaking as this ending is, I always loved it. Ten will always be my Doctor.
On a side note I loved all the little bits of dialogue. Where some things might be cringe worthy none of the dialogue IMO was.
10 went through a lot of loss. Lossing companions to many events like Dona or rose. Not to mention he lost other people that he was trying to protect. Like davros mentioned " how many people will have to die in your name ". So the last thing he wanted to do is regenerate alone but unfortunately he did. And before the timeless child reveal, the 10th doctor would realise that his next regeneration would be his last because of the 13 regeneration rule so it would make sense that he wouldnt want to regenerate
my only probem with mickey and martha getting together is that it was established earlier in season 4 that martha was engaged to that guy who dies for her in the season 3 finale so it didnt really make sense to me for her to get with mickey
The racing back to earth scene in this really reminds me of the same thing in the pyramids of mars.
You took the words out of my mouth lol. Brilliant video man, finally catching up with the content - George
Thank you Harbo for explaining why the tantrum scene and farewell tour work, I completely agree
Thing with RTD era as a whole is that criticisms almost always come down to plot holes or Deus ex machinas and the sci Fi elements in general (though how those people then go on to like moffat era is baffling to me considering it's full of stupid shit). The problem with that is that it ignores what RTD era does well and why it works. The characters and arcs and themes and drama are wonderfully written, consistently, throughout. It tells human stories about human people with all the emotions that come with that. That's what it does well and that's why I don't give two shits if he falls through a window from a height that should kill him.
I also find RTD's focus on working class people and just general 'britishness' to be really refreshing. RTD was the last time doctor who felt like home for me as a Brit. You watch it and recognize the places and when you don't you recognize the feeling. Many characters are from working class backgrounds and even the ones who are kind of not very nice people (Jackie) are treated with dignity and respect with a range of emotions. Then you get to moffat and straight away we're in on a companion living in a ridiculously bougie huge house in an idyllic Scottish village that doesn't represent the UK for 99% of us who live here and it just feels... Wrong. I've said before and I'll say it again, Moffat era doctor who was made for gringos
The January 2005 line doesn’t wreck the timeline at all. And Martha was previously engaged to Thomas Milligan so she wasn’t single. But apart from these nitpicks, this review was ace as always ✊
maybe i just haven't noticed it before but i am loving the transition music !!
Also unrelated, but I have to ask what the music in the section title cards is lmao I recognise it but cannot for the life of me where from
They did 4 takes of the I don't wanna go each getting more teary and more voice breaking. I think they picked a great balance
I 100% love that cafe scene with Wilf. It has great acting by both, it contextualizes so much about the series and this finale, and it makes a lot of sense. Don't forget that the tenth doctor lived for less than a decade, so he's so much younger than other incarnations. It's fitting he's not ready to leave
How can you confirm that if the Doctor barely knows how old he is?
@@mayotango1317 He's states his age a few times in the revival. Not sure if 10 ever said it, but both 9 and 11 did so that's what people have worked out
@@quantummidget Or maybe he just say random numbers to sound badass.
@@mayotango1317 I just looked it up, and apparently he was 900 when he was first travelling with Rose, as mentioned in the short story "The Hero Factor". In the Titanic episode, he states his age as 903 (yeah, you know the speech). In this episode, The End of Time, he gives his age as 906.
The latter quote is to Wilfred:
"I'm older than you"
"Get away"
"I'm 906"
@@mayotango1317 Heh that's true too
my problem with the Martha + Mickey thing is that in the Stolen Earth/Journey's End story, Martha mentions being engaged to Tom Mulligan (Milligan?) from the season 3 finale
It has moments but it doesn’t stretch your mind like the best of Tennant’s era. If we had a “family of blood” level of quality or something is the literal only way to comfortably end the icon’s run. That’s incredibly difficult to do, but it’s an important moment and it should’ve been executed better. Although I am of the minority that enjoys the “I don’t wanna go” bit. It’s in stark contrast of his catchphrase “alonsy” or is it alon-sy, alonzy? Idk. It’s just beautiful.
Can we get a theory on that timelady that keeps showing up?
16:58 No, he’s a slasher
Of prices!
His prices are criminal!
I am American and started watching when it came here. At that time, it featured Tom Baker. Then, he regenerated, and I immediately discovered I was NOT a Dr. Who fan, but rather a Tom Baker fan.
honestly with the knocking and ten's monologue and stuff the i've always read it is that basically the second he hears wilf knocking he KNOWS he's going to sacrifice himself. the whole monologue he does reads like he's going through the stages of grief. i don't think even the doctor believed for a second that he could actually just leave wilf there to die. which is both in character and quite tragic. if the doctor were less compassionate like critics of this monologue make him out to be he honestly wouldn't have made it in the first place. ten can have a little tantrum, as a treat.
also, tbh i think martha and mickey would make sense together. we don't see any of their relationship development on screen, yeah but it still made quite a lot of sense to me. the torchwood team were CONSTANTLY talking about how lonely and isolating their jobs are. even sarah jane is kind of isolated from other people because of her travels with the doctor and spends a long time trying to find other companions who would be able to understand her experiences. i can imagine martha and mickey would feel similarly, having travelled with the doctor. they both also have these huge chunks of their lives that happened in an erased timeline and parallel universe respectively, which seems like something they would be able to relate to each other about. i can completely see them becoming close because of their shared experiences. i think rtd's treatment of both of their characters was definitely racially insensitive but i don't think pairing them together was
It was foolish of me to think you'd do Children Of Earth before this one like the good chronological boy you are... Or *were*
15:27 - Genuine question, I don't understand the link being made here between the Slitheen and Cactus Lady. Can someone help me out please?
Perhaps it has something to do with the method of disguise? The shimmer looks like a far more elegant way to go about it than stuffing a large green body into a disproportional flesh suit
26:17 I always thought that the first half of season 1 took place in 2005 and the after aliens of London took place in 2006.
the runescape transition music hit me differently
My favorite part of sending Rassolon back into the Time War, is how it seems that the Doctor seemed to be aiming at The Master, but their friendship/rivalry is so great, that just a glance into the Doctor's eyes, and Te Master was able to know his plan completely, and smiled. And so, he plays his part, and gets out of The Doctor's way, allowing him to punish the Time Lords.
11th Doctor: "Why am i saluting"
Me: Oh, you know.
I'm one of those people who loves the "still not ginger" of Matt Smith's Doctor. Personally, thought they shoulda carried it through with Whittaker pulling her longer hair into view and echoing it. But, they missed a lot of good bets in the writing for her eps. Sadly. And the twist of Wilf being the knock instead of the Master ... that was the most masterful twist in a long time.
😒 People dislike these episodes? Maybe I just adore John Simm too much, but everything with that evil bastard in it is incredibly good.
Personally I was captivated by the Master's mad hungry ramblings. I get "dinnertime" is a bit cliche but when he's saying" I want cheese and chips and pork and meat and fat and juice and hot wet red" in such a savage way imo that is stellar acting, and he's truly creepy. And creepy in a down to earth way, this isnt some alien monster or ethearial force of being. This is a real person who is just dangerously insane.
I really do like this episode, even though it hurts me at some points.
Also, I think it is the Doctor's Mother.
Cof The Timeless Child cof
Will you ever do a review of the Time Lord Victorious storyline?
This finale makes me cry every time. If something does that, I find it truly amazing.