The Journey's End - Review/Rant
Okay i can see why there's so much hate for this episode, i can. It did have a certain 'fanfic' quality to it because of the whole two Doctor thing. But i personally loved it just because it was just so much fun. I watched it with two friends (on the phone i might add, yes we are dorks), and there was a lot of laughing going on. Some crying (on their parts), but mostly the episode was just one hell of a good time. It was funny, well acted, well written, and had it dramatic bits. I loved seeing the whole family back together, the arrival of Mickey and Jackie made my day. The only thing that would have made it better was if Jake had shown up, but that's just my inner fangirl who likes to pair Mickey with Jake showing through there lol.
I liked Cann betraying the Daleks because he saw the wrong that they did to the universes, it was a nice wrap up for him. Since Cann was like the damn annoying Energizer Bunny, he just kept freaking going. Now it's all said and done (hopefully), and the Cann thing is over.
I loved Jack being there, 'cause i'm such a HUGE Jack fan. He was so funny, and i was hoping for a well timed dirty joke from him and damn if it wasn't delivered! And of course that bit with Mickey, just killed me. I had really hoped he would hit on Jackie, just cause. But oh well, can't win 'em all. And Donna's insistence that he hug her, really wouldn't most of us be the exact same way? Lol, and she finally did get one after they saved the earth. Of course it was more like a hug attack on her part, omg she hug raped him! Lmao, yes sorry bad joke. Anyway!
The spinning Daleks were fricking hilarious!! And the kicking of the Daleks out of the way by the rest of the team, about time! Really, i've been saying to do that for years. But does anyone ever listen to me? Noooo.
Rose got her Doctor, well not her Doctor, but it's good enough. Yes that was a bit of a cop out, but i think it was just because if she and him had yet another goodbye scene in Bad Wolf Bay it would have taken away from the beautifully acted and painful scene between the Doctor and Donna afterward. So really, that bit made the shippers happy and saved the spotlight for the better actress as well. Which of course brings me to Catherine Tate, my god why did she have to leave!? Donna will go down in history as my all time favorite companion, only second to Romana 2 of course. Her being the Doctor was just fabulous, she played him up so well. I bet Tennant had quite a few laughs watching her do that, mimic him like that. And her begging him not to take her memories and the end was so painful and beautiful at the same time, and completely heartbreaking. I loved it, and David Tennant played the part of a loss of a best friend so wonderful. Personally i think that was my favorite Doctor 'loss' bit of acting he'd done in a series finale, since it actually ended with just him alone with his pain of losing someone he loved. Usually it ended with a gag, and him asking 'what' a bunch of times. I liked this ending better, much better.
And i know some are going on about how no one died, which isn't true. Yes Donna may not have physically died, but sometimes having someone's mind go even though their body is still around can be so much more painful. The realization that they'll never look at you they way they use to, that they can never know you they way they use too. It can be a pain worse than losing them to actual death, and i think that's what makes the ending so striking. And of course the acting by Bernard Cribbins (Wilf) was heartbreaking as per usual, i really need to go look up more of that man's work now. I must see him in other things, he truly is a wonderfully talented actor.
All in all, a very good episode. And a wonderful, although not happy ending. If this is RTD's last episode, then i think it was a great one to go out on. But i remember reading somewhere that he actually wrote the Christmas episode as well, so if this isn't his last then i can't wait to see what he brings for the Holidays.
And just a little Torchwood side note - I'm having mixed feelings about the possibility about Martha and Mickey joining up. On one hand i like both characters, on the other i liked Owen and Tosh just a little better. Oh and how funny were Ianto and Gwen at the end when the Earth was being towed back, they're too cute.