Review of Doctor Who 4x13: "Journey's End"
It might have helped that I watched this episode prepared for the worst, but I loved it. It was heartbreaking in a good way.
- I knew he couldn't really be regenerating! YAAAAAY! That would have made the dumbest cliffhanger ever.
- JACKIE AND MICKEY! I squeaked a little because it was so nice to see them again.
- ROFL, Jack seems to be a little turned on by the idea of three doctors in the same place.
- Oh lord, all the Daleks getting spun around and helplessly flailing their useless "arms." That might be one of the most hilarious things I've ever seen.
- So, I have to completely disagree with all the Ten/Rose shippers who think the way they ended up was a cop-out. A cop-out way of doing what? Giving them a happy ending? I don't think it's really possible for the Doctor and Rose to have that, and I don't think that's necessarily what we're supposed to feel like they got. I really do believe she loved him enough to stay with him forever and deal with all the downsides it would eventually involve, but that's just not Doctor Who. Maybe it's sadistic of me but I enjoy the tragic, lonely aspect of the Doctor that makes the show not just happy sunshine even if the world always gets saved, and I want him to stay that way.
At least this way we get more of a bittersweet resolution to their story rather than being left with just the wholly tragic end "Doomsday" gave us. Maybe there couldn't be a 100% satisfying way to resolve this after bringing Rose back again. Though it was devastating, the way season 2 ended was a greatly written conclusion and maybe from an artistic viewpoint it would have been a better decision to keep everything between her and the Doctor left the way it was then. But instead he did tell her he loved her, in a way, at the same time that he didn't really have to tell her, in a way. And he also finally kissed her...in a way. And I'm just glad we got that much.
...Well, even if it breaks my heart that she and the real Doctor don't really get a proper goodbye. They didn't kiss or even hug each other. But it seemed to make sense because it was clearly really hard for him to turn around and leave her, and it shows how much he knew he needed to let go.
Also, I love that blue-suit Doctor apparently has a personality closer to the ninth Doctor and Rose sort of gets to have both of them. The moment I heard that line about how he's like the Doctor when she first met him I could practically hear the rejoicing of everyone who was a big fan of Rose/Nine. Somehow it makes the whole concept of her having been in love with both of them in different ways less weird and complicated and makes me want to go back and re-watch season 1 and ship them a lot harder. Haha.
- Donna. :'( Really, what is there to say about Donna except *sob*. In a lot of ways she was exactly what the Doctor needs in a companion after everything he's lost. I really loved her.
If I had really thought much about it I might have realized it was probably inevitable, but it's still kind of a shock that the Doctor's all on his own again. As others have pointed out, the title of this episode makes so much sense because it really marks the end of an era of the series as we say goodbye to all these regular faces. It's such a relief to know that David will still be around, but now I still can't help but think...What exactly is there to keep watching the show for? Even though I know I could still fall totally in love with the next characters to be introduced, it's going to feel weird for a while.
- I knew he couldn't really be regenerating! YAAAAAY! That would have made the dumbest cliffhanger ever.
- JACKIE AND MICKEY! I squeaked a little because it was so nice to see them again.
- ROFL, Jack seems to be a little turned on by the idea of three doctors in the same place.
- Oh lord, all the Daleks getting spun around and helplessly flailing their useless "arms." That might be one of the most hilarious things I've ever seen.
- So, I have to completely disagree with all the Ten/Rose shippers who think the way they ended up was a cop-out. A cop-out way of doing what? Giving them a happy ending? I don't think it's really possible for the Doctor and Rose to have that, and I don't think that's necessarily what we're supposed to feel like they got. I really do believe she loved him enough to stay with him forever and deal with all the downsides it would eventually involve, but that's just not Doctor Who. Maybe it's sadistic of me but I enjoy the tragic, lonely aspect of the Doctor that makes the show not just happy sunshine even if the world always gets saved, and I want him to stay that way.
At least this way we get more of a bittersweet resolution to their story rather than being left with just the wholly tragic end "Doomsday" gave us. Maybe there couldn't be a 100% satisfying way to resolve this after bringing Rose back again. Though it was devastating, the way season 2 ended was a greatly written conclusion and maybe from an artistic viewpoint it would have been a better decision to keep everything between her and the Doctor left the way it was then. But instead he did tell her he loved her, in a way, at the same time that he didn't really have to tell her, in a way. And he also finally kissed her...in a way. And I'm just glad we got that much.
...Well, even if it breaks my heart that she and the real Doctor don't really get a proper goodbye. They didn't kiss or even hug each other. But it seemed to make sense because it was clearly really hard for him to turn around and leave her, and it shows how much he knew he needed to let go.
Also, I love that blue-suit Doctor apparently has a personality closer to the ninth Doctor and Rose sort of gets to have both of them. The moment I heard that line about how he's like the Doctor when she first met him I could practically hear the rejoicing of everyone who was a big fan of Rose/Nine. Somehow it makes the whole concept of her having been in love with both of them in different ways less weird and complicated and makes me want to go back and re-watch season 1 and ship them a lot harder. Haha.
- Donna. :'( Really, what is there to say about Donna except *sob*. In a lot of ways she was exactly what the Doctor needs in a companion after everything he's lost. I really loved her.
If I had really thought much about it I might have realized it was probably inevitable, but it's still kind of a shock that the Doctor's all on his own again. As others have pointed out, the title of this episode makes so much sense because it really marks the end of an era of the series as we say goodbye to all these regular faces. It's such a relief to know that David will still be around, but now I still can't help but think...What exactly is there to keep watching the show for? Even though I know I could still fall totally in love with the next characters to be introduced, it's going to feel weird for a while.