Donna Noble -- the stuff of legend
End of an era indeed.
Last night while my viewing companions were torn between anger and well, more anger...my first reaction was one of contentment. But then I watched the episode through my Ten/Rose colored glasses. On my drive home I began to wonder if I was missing something. Yes, I hated Donna's mind wipe and I hated that she'd never remember all the wonderful things she did, but she was alive. I was certain that Rusty was going to kill her off and I'd prepared myself for that, so having her live -- albeit without those memories -- was satisfying for me. It's true she may never reach her potential as this Donna, but we don't know that for certain and the door is still open for her to remember at least some of those things, if not all. There's still hope and to me that's better than Donna being dead and gone forever.
So knowing that I watched the episode as a shipper, I decided that I needed to watch it again this morning. And do you know what? I still loved it. The storytelling was amazing. Donna's heroism at the end was spectacular. 10.5 was brilliant -- rude, but not ginger. Donna, Jack, Mickey, Sarah Jane, Martha, Jackie, and Rose were wonderful as the Children of Time. It was companionapalooza with Ianto, Gwen, Luke, Mr. Smith and K9 thrown into the mix and I adored every single second of it.
Things I liked (and there are quite a few):
1. Ten not regenerating.
2. The stunned looks on Donna, Jack and Rose's faces when Ten didn't regenerate -- Jack's was the best though.
3. The Ten/Rose hug after he healed.
4. Jackie and Mickey saving Sarah Jane.
5. Donna creating 10.5
6. Jack and Mickey's reunion -- "Mickey Mouse!" "Captain Cheesecake!" "That's beefcake to you." "And that's enough hugging!"
7. Martha putting Ten in his place by saying not to tell her what to do. You go, girl! Martha's at her best when she's empowered.
8. The Daleks speaking German. Hee!
9. Tosh's "Time Lock" -- it was nice to have her death really mean something in the end.
10. The flashbacks to everyone (including Jabe!) who gave their life for the Doctor over the last four series.
11. The seriously insane Dalek Caan. Loved him to bits when it was revealed he was on the Doctor's side.
12. Donna becoming something new -- DoctorDonna -- half human, half Time Lord.
13. Donna and 10.5's interaction -- "SPACE BOY!!" "EARTH GIRL!" "OI!" -- L.O.V.E.D. IT!
14. 10.5 destroying the Daleks. He did the one thing that Ten would never be able to bring himself to do and it was all due to the human side of 10.5
15. Ten and Rose asking Gwen if she came from an old Cardiff family. Great tip of the hat to Gwyneth and "The Unquiet Dead"
16. The Companionapalooza while they drove the Earth home. Yes, I suspended reality for the towing of Earth, but hey, it made for a great time in the TARDIS.
17. Ten telling Jackie not to touch anything.
18. Sarah Jane running off to be with Luke. Before Luke, she would have felt empty and lonely. Now she's free of her longing for the Doctor.
19. Jack and Martha walking off into the sunset hand in hand -- also leaving their longing to be with Ten behind.
20. Mickey deciding to stay in this dimension and then running off to be with Jack and Martha -- his longing for Rose left at the door.
21. Jackie revealing that it was definitely her that gave birth, and to a son, thus ending that two year long speculation that it was really Rose who was pregnant.
22. The look on 10.5's face when Jackie said in jest that she named her son the Doctor and then her giving him guff about it.
23. Ten revealing that 10.5 had to stay with Rose in the parallel dimension because he committed genocide.
24. 10.5 being able to grow old with Rose.
25. Rose demanding that Ten and 10.5 reveal to her what Ten was going to say in Doomsday. I loved that Ten told her it didn't need to be said, but then 10.5 whispered in her ear those three little words we shippers have been longing to hear. Yes, we don't actually hear it, but we know it to be absolutely true. And now it's canon.
26. THE KISS (yes it's capslocked for a reason). I realize it was a distraction so that Ten could leave, but damn, it was THE kiss. By giving Rose 10.5, he gave her the one thing he could never have with her -- settling down and growing old. I don't see 10.5 as a consolation prize at all.
27. Rose's story wrapped up in a neat little bow and Ten being able to move on -- finally.
28. DoctorDonna and her saving the universe and all universes. Donna, the temp, being the most important person in all of creation. Donna -- Ten's best friend. While I love Rose, Donna will always be my favorite companion. She had moxy. And I will miss Catherine Tate terribly.
29. Ten telling Sylvia she needs to better to Donna. Snap.
30. Wilf saluting Ten and telling him he would look up at the stars every night on behalf of Donna and look for the Doctor. Made me sniffle.
I only have one thing I disliked -- Donna's mind wipe. If the last five or so minutes had never happened, I could have walked away from all of this with a happiness known only in the Whoniverse. But this is Rusty we're talking about so there has to be pain. And god was there pain. Not only did Ten have to give up the woman that he loves, but at the same time he also had to give up his best friend. How incredibly heartbreaking is that?
Once more Ten is alone. That's how it should always be. He's the last of his kind, doomed to travel the universe saving it one planet at a time. In the end, he's always alone.
I have great hope for Steven Moffat as the show's front runner when it returns in 2010. I believe he can give us wonderful, incredible stories. At the same time I'm going to miss Rusty and Julie Gardner and Phil Collinson. It won't be the same without them.
Bring on the Cybermen!
ETA: Because I don't hate this episode, I guess it's supposed to mean that I'm not a real fan. ::shrug:: So be it. I guess I'm just easy to please.
Last night while my viewing companions were torn between anger and well, more anger...my first reaction was one of contentment. But then I watched the episode through my Ten/Rose colored glasses. On my drive home I began to wonder if I was missing something. Yes, I hated Donna's mind wipe and I hated that she'd never remember all the wonderful things she did, but she was alive. I was certain that Rusty was going to kill her off and I'd prepared myself for that, so having her live -- albeit without those memories -- was satisfying for me. It's true she may never reach her potential as this Donna, but we don't know that for certain and the door is still open for her to remember at least some of those things, if not all. There's still hope and to me that's better than Donna being dead and gone forever.
So knowing that I watched the episode as a shipper, I decided that I needed to watch it again this morning. And do you know what? I still loved it. The storytelling was amazing. Donna's heroism at the end was spectacular. 10.5 was brilliant -- rude, but not ginger. Donna, Jack, Mickey, Sarah Jane, Martha, Jackie, and Rose were wonderful as the Children of Time. It was companionapalooza with Ianto, Gwen, Luke, Mr. Smith and K9 thrown into the mix and I adored every single second of it.
Things I liked (and there are quite a few):
1. Ten not regenerating.
2. The stunned looks on Donna, Jack and Rose's faces when Ten didn't regenerate -- Jack's was the best though.
3. The Ten/Rose hug after he healed.
4. Jackie and Mickey saving Sarah Jane.
5. Donna creating 10.5
6. Jack and Mickey's reunion -- "Mickey Mouse!" "Captain Cheesecake!" "That's beefcake to you." "And that's enough hugging!"
7. Martha putting Ten in his place by saying not to tell her what to do. You go, girl! Martha's at her best when she's empowered.
8. The Daleks speaking German. Hee!
9. Tosh's "Time Lock" -- it was nice to have her death really mean something in the end.
10. The flashbacks to everyone (including Jabe!) who gave their life for the Doctor over the last four series.
11. The seriously insane Dalek Caan. Loved him to bits when it was revealed he was on the Doctor's side.
12. Donna becoming something new -- DoctorDonna -- half human, half Time Lord.
13. Donna and 10.5's interaction -- "SPACE BOY!!" "EARTH GIRL!" "OI!" -- L.O.V.E.D. IT!
14. 10.5 destroying the Daleks. He did the one thing that Ten would never be able to bring himself to do and it was all due to the human side of 10.5
15. Ten and Rose asking Gwen if she came from an old Cardiff family. Great tip of the hat to Gwyneth and "The Unquiet Dead"
16. The Companionapalooza while they drove the Earth home. Yes, I suspended reality for the towing of Earth, but hey, it made for a great time in the TARDIS.
17. Ten telling Jackie not to touch anything.
18. Sarah Jane running off to be with Luke. Before Luke, she would have felt empty and lonely. Now she's free of her longing for the Doctor.
19. Jack and Martha walking off into the sunset hand in hand -- also leaving their longing to be with Ten behind.
20. Mickey deciding to stay in this dimension and then running off to be with Jack and Martha -- his longing for Rose left at the door.
21. Jackie revealing that it was definitely her that gave birth, and to a son, thus ending that two year long speculation that it was really Rose who was pregnant.
22. The look on 10.5's face when Jackie said in jest that she named her son the Doctor and then her giving him guff about it.
23. Ten revealing that 10.5 had to stay with Rose in the parallel dimension because he committed genocide.
24. 10.5 being able to grow old with Rose.
25. Rose demanding that Ten and 10.5 reveal to her what Ten was going to say in Doomsday. I loved that Ten told her it didn't need to be said, but then 10.5 whispered in her ear those three little words we shippers have been longing to hear. Yes, we don't actually hear it, but we know it to be absolutely true. And now it's canon.
26. THE KISS (yes it's capslocked for a reason). I realize it was a distraction so that Ten could leave, but damn, it was THE kiss. By giving Rose 10.5, he gave her the one thing he could never have with her -- settling down and growing old. I don't see 10.5 as a consolation prize at all.
27. Rose's story wrapped up in a neat little bow and Ten being able to move on -- finally.
28. DoctorDonna and her saving the universe and all universes. Donna, the temp, being the most important person in all of creation. Donna -- Ten's best friend. While I love Rose, Donna will always be my favorite companion. She had moxy. And I will miss Catherine Tate terribly.
29. Ten telling Sylvia she needs to better to Donna. Snap.
30. Wilf saluting Ten and telling him he would look up at the stars every night on behalf of Donna and look for the Doctor. Made me sniffle.
I only have one thing I disliked -- Donna's mind wipe. If the last five or so minutes had never happened, I could have walked away from all of this with a happiness known only in the Whoniverse. But this is Rusty we're talking about so there has to be pain. And god was there pain. Not only did Ten have to give up the woman that he loves, but at the same time he also had to give up his best friend. How incredibly heartbreaking is that?
Once more Ten is alone. That's how it should always be. He's the last of his kind, doomed to travel the universe saving it one planet at a time. In the end, he's always alone.
I have great hope for Steven Moffat as the show's front runner when it returns in 2010. I believe he can give us wonderful, incredible stories. At the same time I'm going to miss Rusty and Julie Gardner and Phil Collinson. It won't be the same without them.
Bring on the Cybermen!
ETA: Because I don't hate this episode, I guess it's supposed to mean that I'm not a real fan. ::shrug:: So be it. I guess I'm just easy to please.