Last of the Time Lords

I have really loved the new Doctor Who. Each season is brave addition from what has passed before. It makes social comments and appeals to a mass audience who have grown to love it in their own way.

The last episode shows just how big the arc has been. Martha has grown into a great character and splitting the story for her several times this year has made her star shine.

I'm not going to say much more about the actual episode as you should shy away from reviews. There's been a lot of negative reactions from the press and from some of the fans to Martha and to some of the story lines. But I think she is great. And the stories get better and better. Keep up the great work BBC.

This episode is another good episode, Part 3 does get alot right. The negatives and the critical analysis of the Episode has spread from the years. But I honestly kinda love it. Martha shows her independence for the first time and it shows her grown up self and she's even got a partner. As this episode is a year long. However, the anti-climax is rather lackluster, Series 1's and 2's Finale it worked because there were consequences to people's actions, Rose was stuck and left on a Planet just because she has some sort of energy transplanted into her. Here it feels forced and unsatisfying to say the least. And the God Doctor was slightly cringey. With those negatives, the episode is still fantastic. Martha Is at her best here, and we see more of her confidence side in Series 4, so this part of the story is very well built up and Important for that reason. It also has the Master dying. Which is what we might of thought, and it does add another layer of threat and emotion that's caused by the Master himself. The fear factor is even shown by his wife. So some good, but also some bad moments let this one down slightly.

We are now being told repeatedly that Martha is a legend, it's a year on, and things are bleak, The Master has conquered the Earth, and is now running wild, tormenting his pet Doctor and abusing his very own staff of the Family Jones, and it falls on Martha to save the world.

John Simm is stunningly good again, he never disappoints as an actor. He does all he can with the script, which is sadly a little under par, his dialogue is down on the Sound of Drums. There is a definite glee when it comes to his torturing the Doctor.

The lovely Lucy, 'Alexandra Moen' is wandering around looking empty and beaten, with a vagueness about her that's totally contrasted to her glamorous red dress. She's understated but very very good. He describes her as his human companion, I like that concept of the Master having a companion.

Some welcome additions to the cast Ellie Haddington and Tom Ellis, both of whom i've admired and do pretty well.

Sadly there are quite a few disappointments, the first half of the episode it pretty good, the second half sadly falls apart a little, the concept of the Paradox machine allows the script to cheat badly, and it sure does.

Martha's travels across the Earth in the one year are a little bit much, especially as her makeup is flawless and even her teeth glisten beautifully (she has great teeth!!)

The conclusion is a shambles, it's like they ran out of ideas, the whole storytelling and human consciousness bringing the Doctor back is nonsense, it was hideously out of place, the lasers and magic don't fit at all, that scene 'and nothing ever happened,' torture!!!

The saving grace of it was the Lucy Saxon incident, she's stood around looking vague and aloof throughout, but somehow there was something waiting to happen, she was very good. The subsequent Doctor Master scene showcases both Tennant and Simm's talents.

Freema is very good, her character has progressed and developed a lot throughout the series, more constructively then Rose, it was sad that she left after a single series, but Donna lay in wait :-)

There are real mixed reviews, I don't see it as the disaster some claim, nor do I see it as excellent, it falls between the two. Possibly the weakest series finale, due to the absence of the Doctor, after all it is his show. That said it is imaginative, it is different, they just totally ruined the ending.

6/10

Spoilt brats. Those are the words I'd use to describe fans who've been griping about this episode. I thought it was magnificent, showing a breadth of imagination rarely seen on the small screen. The trouble with a lot of Doctor Who fans is that they're never happy, and never have been. At the time of Season 14, the season that was later reckoned to be the best ever, they were complaining that it wasn't as good as the Pertwee era. It was clearly a lot better. And the current show is much better still. Last Of The Time Lords was better than ANY episode of the old series. ANY episode. Easily. Why? Because it was audacious, it had an epic sweep to it, it had meaty sci-fi ideas that the likes of HG Wells and Philip K Dick would have been proud of (I'm thinking of concepts like the Paradox Machine), it boasted John Simm's fantastically enjoyable, streetwise performance as The Master (rather better than dire pantomime villain Anthony Ainley), it took risks, and most of all, it was vastly enjoyable. Sad little Doctor Who fans love to pick, love to criticise Russell T Davies, a man who has almost single handedly resurrected the show and turned it into one of the most popular and talked about on television. If the fans aren't careful they'll force him out, which would be a tragedy. This was a great end to a great series, albeit one that dipped in the middle a little. Anyone with anything to do with the making of this show: take a bow.

Review: Episodes of The Sound of Drums and The Last of the Timelords

This is a 3 part story. The Sound of Drums follows on from the brilliant Utopia in which we had the great Derek Jacobi as the Master and he was truly magnificent. Thanks to Big Finish audio adventures we get to enjoy Jacobi more but it would have been amazing to get him on screen as the Master for a bit longer.

Simm, whilst very different and shockingly bonkers is suitably menacing, fun and impressive in the role and this two parter gives him plenty of chance to treat us to a mixture of zany humour and dark threatening drama.

Both these last two episodes are very funny in the comedic dialogue and very exciting in the dramatic plot development. The story is thrilling, interesting, dark and thoroughly enjoyable. As well as Simm's fine performance we get Tennant on superb peak form, Freema Agyeman again demonstrating what a great companion Martha is and John Barrowman enjoyable as ever as Captain Jack Harkness.

The threat to Earth in the first part is wonderfully well evoked and leads to a thrilling cliffhanger.

The Last of the Timelords is harshly judged by some for being over the top and for its resolution where bad events on Earth are conveniently wiped from ever happening. I think that is very exaggerated as a criticism.

Yes the events on Earth are undone which feels a bit convenient but the whole story features the Master using a Paradox Machine and the destruction of that logically means that events that took place after the paradox began cease to exist. It makes sense (unlike quite a few stories in Moffatt and Chibnall eras). I still feel all the horrifying events shown retain most of their strength and impact despite the fact they get wiped from ever happening.

They were never going to continue with a decimated Earth for all future stories so to have a story featuring a paradox machine allowing a logical reset was, I think, a clever way to deal with it. It is pretty well executed although the way the Doctor defeats the Master is slightly hyped up for my taste.

My main complaint in this story is the way they depict the Doctor being aged into a small withered figure with out of proportion head and eyes. I would happily do a George Lucas and superimpose a better version with modern graphics over the top of the original effects haha.

My Ratings: Utopia - 10/10 The Sound of Drums - 10/10 The Last of the Timelords - 8.5/10 Overall 3-part story - 9.5/10.