You are tiny.
I have a small rant, followed by some much less irritable observations.
Generally, I consider two-parters together when doing things like picking my favorite episodes of the season. This two-parter is different. I absolutely adore Parting of the Ways (even if it is so damn sad), but I'm not fond of Bad Wolf.
Actually, let's break this down a little further. I adore Parting of the Ways and Bad Wolf starting at the time Rose gets "disintegrated." I hate, hate the "stuck in game shows" part of Bad Wolf (with the notable exception of Naked Jack, the only time he was truly unexpected). Full disclosure: I haven't seen the real, non-death versions of any of those shows, so maybe I'm not the intended audience. However, I don't think a silly parody of some dumb TV shows belonged in the next to last episode of the season, right before a whole lot of very serious material. The references won't age well. Worst of all, Team TARDIS was separated, cutting down on our time of watching Nine, Jack, and Rose onscreen together. Surely they could have found some other way for the Daleks to have a secret invasion plan and kidnap Rose?
OK, rant done now. I feel better.
Lots of big stuff happens in these episodes. A gajillion Daleks appear, stuff blows up, people die, the Doctor must choose whether to sacrifice another planet for the Time War, Rose is briefly a goddess, and Jackie drives a big yellow truck. I've decided that my favorite parts, though, are the small moments that say so much about the characters and their relationships. These are what elevate Doctor Who from good television to great. A few of my favorites:
-the deadness in the Doctor's eyes when he thinks Rose is dead. The moodily lit mug shots with the Doctor just passively turning his head are gorgeous.
-Jack's pause over Rose's jacket over the TARDIS railing. I didn't catch this until perhaps my third time watching the episode, maybe later, but now it's one of my favorite moments. In a matter of seconds, without a single word spoken, we see volumes about what Rose meant to Jack. It's heartbreaking.
-"The TARDIS worked it out." Not Jack working it out in the TARDIS, but the TARDIS as a character. It's good to see use made of the sentient ship, and it's especially useful here shortly before the heart of the TARDIS saves the day.
-The Controller blindly staring in the wrong direction while the Daleks approach to kill her. She knows she's dead, but she's ecstatic because she's finally free and she's destroying her hated masters. This chick is crazy.
-The Doctor when he talks to the Daleks, slipping in and out of his faux-friendly persona so quickly.
-I can't get enough of the moment when you see the Doctor make that decision that he's going to come get Rose, and no power in the 'verse can stop him. Compare to his reaction in Dalek. Fear and despair have no hold on him any more. This is true love in action, people!
-in the rescue hug of victory, even when Rose and the Doctor break away a bit to talk they don't let go of each other. So cute!
-After the confrontation with the Daleks, the Doctor leans his head against the TARDIS door, looking like he's got the weight of the world on him. It's clear he's allowing himself just a few seconds to feel all the hopelessness of the situation before he goes to work. Poor, poor thing. I want so badly to hug him and maybe stroke his hair.
-the Doctor's timing on asking Rose to come strip the wires. Totally a coincidence he needed her right as the others were going over the poor odds of the fight. Suuuure, Doctor.
-Rose Tyler and the Jealous Glare of Death. OK, this wasn't a subtle moment, but I love it.
-"Wish I'd never met you, Doctor. I was much better off as a coward." This just says so much about how much the Doctor has changed Jack and how much Jack has grown, much of it offscreen.
-the last volunteer Jack gets to help fight is the woman who was managing the Weakest Link set when Rose got killed. I noticed that for the first time this rewatch. She's got a story, I'm sure, about how she came to work for this awful place and why she's willing to put her life on the line now.
-The Doctor's pause between leaving Rose in the TARDIS and sending her away breaks my heart every time.
-the change in lighting between the Gamestation and London. London is too bright, seeming less real than the future Rose left.
-Mickey: "Have you tried that new pizza place down the road?"
Jackie: "What's it selling?"
Mickey: "Pizza."
Jackie: "Oh, that's nice."
In four lines, the writers have made us all feel Rose's horror at being stuck in the normal life while her Doctor and Jack try to save the world.
-when the Dalek floats outside the window to kill Lynda, its lights flash in time, but you can't actually hear it say exterminate. Good lord, Doctor Who just got some science right!!!
-Oh, Mickey. He comes running to the sound of the TARDIS, but once it's clear Rose wants to go back he's so determined to help her. That's some man.
-the universe was saved because Jackie Tyler was brave enough to let go of her daughter. Hooray for Jackie!
-OK, this is a HUGE showy moment, but the Bad Wolf Rose scene is just so gorgeous. As soon as Rose appears the Doctor utterly ignores the Daleks, concerned only for her. In perfect innocence and love, the shop girl has taken hold of a sublime power that species far beyond "stupid apes" would not dare to touch. Their kiss melts me like chocolate in your pocket in August. The Doctor chooses not to drench his hands in blood again, whether in despair or in faith that somewhere in the universe the Daleks will be stopped, and grace reaches out her hand to him. The Time War ends.
-"I sang a song and the Daleks ran away!" Hee! The Doctor is really jocular here. It's a far cry from everybody lives, but they have triumphed against impossible odds. He's giddy with it, but he's also perhaps a bit scared. He's going to regenerate, and he has no idea what will happen or what it will do to his relationship with Rose.
...and then there was Ten.
I don't tend to cry at this episode. It's sad, but this is a cathartic sadness, totally different from Doomsday. The Doctor hasn't gone away. Still, Nine is and likely always will be my Doctor. He was my first, the Doctor that formed my conception of the character. I'm imprinted on Nine/ Rose like a baby goose on its mama (or Mickey on Rose). And damn can Eccleston act! I genuinely love Tennant. The man is seriously good looking and talented, and Ten's adorkable ramblings are great. Right at this moment, though, I want to punch him in his new teeth and make him send back the real Doctor.
Generally, I consider two-parters together when doing things like picking my favorite episodes of the season. This two-parter is different. I absolutely adore Parting of the Ways (even if it is so damn sad), but I'm not fond of Bad Wolf.
Actually, let's break this down a little further. I adore Parting of the Ways and Bad Wolf starting at the time Rose gets "disintegrated." I hate, hate the "stuck in game shows" part of Bad Wolf (with the notable exception of Naked Jack, the only time he was truly unexpected). Full disclosure: I haven't seen the real, non-death versions of any of those shows, so maybe I'm not the intended audience. However, I don't think a silly parody of some dumb TV shows belonged in the next to last episode of the season, right before a whole lot of very serious material. The references won't age well. Worst of all, Team TARDIS was separated, cutting down on our time of watching Nine, Jack, and Rose onscreen together. Surely they could have found some other way for the Daleks to have a secret invasion plan and kidnap Rose?
OK, rant done now. I feel better.
Lots of big stuff happens in these episodes. A gajillion Daleks appear, stuff blows up, people die, the Doctor must choose whether to sacrifice another planet for the Time War, Rose is briefly a goddess, and Jackie drives a big yellow truck. I've decided that my favorite parts, though, are the small moments that say so much about the characters and their relationships. These are what elevate Doctor Who from good television to great. A few of my favorites:
-the deadness in the Doctor's eyes when he thinks Rose is dead. The moodily lit mug shots with the Doctor just passively turning his head are gorgeous.
-Jack's pause over Rose's jacket over the TARDIS railing. I didn't catch this until perhaps my third time watching the episode, maybe later, but now it's one of my favorite moments. In a matter of seconds, without a single word spoken, we see volumes about what Rose meant to Jack. It's heartbreaking.
-"The TARDIS worked it out." Not Jack working it out in the TARDIS, but the TARDIS as a character. It's good to see use made of the sentient ship, and it's especially useful here shortly before the heart of the TARDIS saves the day.
-The Controller blindly staring in the wrong direction while the Daleks approach to kill her. She knows she's dead, but she's ecstatic because she's finally free and she's destroying her hated masters. This chick is crazy.
-The Doctor when he talks to the Daleks, slipping in and out of his faux-friendly persona so quickly.
-I can't get enough of the moment when you see the Doctor make that decision that he's going to come get Rose, and no power in the 'verse can stop him. Compare to his reaction in Dalek. Fear and despair have no hold on him any more. This is true love in action, people!
-in the rescue hug of victory, even when Rose and the Doctor break away a bit to talk they don't let go of each other. So cute!
-After the confrontation with the Daleks, the Doctor leans his head against the TARDIS door, looking like he's got the weight of the world on him. It's clear he's allowing himself just a few seconds to feel all the hopelessness of the situation before he goes to work. Poor, poor thing. I want so badly to hug him and maybe stroke his hair.
-the Doctor's timing on asking Rose to come strip the wires. Totally a coincidence he needed her right as the others were going over the poor odds of the fight. Suuuure, Doctor.
-Rose Tyler and the Jealous Glare of Death. OK, this wasn't a subtle moment, but I love it.
-"Wish I'd never met you, Doctor. I was much better off as a coward." This just says so much about how much the Doctor has changed Jack and how much Jack has grown, much of it offscreen.
-the last volunteer Jack gets to help fight is the woman who was managing the Weakest Link set when Rose got killed. I noticed that for the first time this rewatch. She's got a story, I'm sure, about how she came to work for this awful place and why she's willing to put her life on the line now.
-The Doctor's pause between leaving Rose in the TARDIS and sending her away breaks my heart every time.
-the change in lighting between the Gamestation and London. London is too bright, seeming less real than the future Rose left.
-Mickey: "Have you tried that new pizza place down the road?"
Jackie: "What's it selling?"
Mickey: "Pizza."
Jackie: "Oh, that's nice."
In four lines, the writers have made us all feel Rose's horror at being stuck in the normal life while her Doctor and Jack try to save the world.
-when the Dalek floats outside the window to kill Lynda, its lights flash in time, but you can't actually hear it say exterminate. Good lord, Doctor Who just got some science right!!!
-Oh, Mickey. He comes running to the sound of the TARDIS, but once it's clear Rose wants to go back he's so determined to help her. That's some man.
-the universe was saved because Jackie Tyler was brave enough to let go of her daughter. Hooray for Jackie!
-OK, this is a HUGE showy moment, but the Bad Wolf Rose scene is just so gorgeous. As soon as Rose appears the Doctor utterly ignores the Daleks, concerned only for her. In perfect innocence and love, the shop girl has taken hold of a sublime power that species far beyond "stupid apes" would not dare to touch. Their kiss melts me like chocolate in your pocket in August. The Doctor chooses not to drench his hands in blood again, whether in despair or in faith that somewhere in the universe the Daleks will be stopped, and grace reaches out her hand to him. The Time War ends.
-"I sang a song and the Daleks ran away!" Hee! The Doctor is really jocular here. It's a far cry from everybody lives, but they have triumphed against impossible odds. He's giddy with it, but he's also perhaps a bit scared. He's going to regenerate, and he has no idea what will happen or what it will do to his relationship with Rose.
...and then there was Ten.
I don't tend to cry at this episode. It's sad, but this is a cathartic sadness, totally different from Doomsday. The Doctor hasn't gone away. Still, Nine is and likely always will be my Doctor. He was my first, the Doctor that formed my conception of the character. I'm imprinted on Nine/ Rose like a baby goose on its mama (or Mickey on Rose). And damn can Eccleston act! I genuinely love Tennant. The man is seriously good looking and talented, and Ten's adorkable ramblings are great. Right at this moment, though, I want to punch him in his new teeth and make him send back the real Doctor.