Brief thoughts on "The Parting of the Ways"
There were lots of heartbreaking moments in this one. I started to tear up with Jack's farewell to the Doctor and Rose and didn't stop until near the end. I thought that scene was handled beautifully, with a lot of affection between the three characters. One of the things I've always liked about Jack is that he's not an angstful character. He's fond of the Doctor and Rose, but I don't see him loving either of them.
I was caught by surprise when the Doctor sent Rose back home. I kind of wondered how Jack felt knowing he was expendable, but Rose wasn't. Rose's reactions rang true to me, including her grief-stricken declarations that she wouldn't be able to live a normal life again. There's plenty of crusading to do on present-day Earth, but I can buy that in her grief she couldn't see that. I loved the way Jackie and Mickey rallied around her, although I cringed when they hooked the TARDIS console up to a tow truck. The poor thing deserves better treatment, and I couldn't help but feel there was a better way to access her heart than through the brute-force method.
I found sweet, brave Lynda's death affecting and was shocked at Jack's death, although I should have known better given that reports have been circulating about John Barrowman appearing next season. The Rose death scene from last week didn't fake me out.
I loved the design of the Emperor Dalek, although some of the religious aspects felt gratuitous. Why did the Emperor declare itself God? That doesn't seem to have been in the Dalek lexicon before. And all the bits about the Daleks' self-hatred and insanity? I didn't get that from what we were shown. Hell, the Daleks have always been kind of loopy. This was a minor point; mostly the Daleks were cool and scary. And the part where the Dalek cries "My vision is impaired" cracked me up, as it was meant to. But its head didn't explode, dammit!
I didn't mind when the Doctor couldn't press the plunger, but I wondered what miracle he'd pull off. I was disappointed when he turned out to have no relevance whatsoever. Knowing that this was Eccleston's final story, I expected a heroic display. Instead Rose comes out with magic TARDIS-given powers, dissolves all the Daleks, and resurrects Jack. Even the fact that this was a plot point from an earlier episode finally landing didn't keep the resolution from feeling cheap to me. I get that the important plot arc was supposed to be the emotional one, with Rose and the Doctor fighting to save each other, but I couldn't fully immerse myself in that given my disappointment in how easily the Dalek menace was dealt with after being built up so highly. For best effect, I think the action and emotional plots need to bolster each other, and one of them let the team down.
I wasn't clear on how Rose could withstand the vortex energy but the Doctor couldn't, but this plot contrivance I could overlook, even if it made the Doctor's death seem anti-climactic. I wasn't particularly bothered by the kiss, but I'm not sure it's indicative of a love that is better than your petty Earth love or anything. Early in the series, I saw Rose as being swept off her feet by and mysterious older man. As the series progressed, it seemed that the Doctor was in love with Rose, but Rose was a typical nineteen-year-old who enjoyed attention and flirting. I think Boom Town bore this out. In other words, I didn't see an equal relationship gradually building to a kiss, so it felt to me less like a culmination of their relationship than it did to other people. I do like the idea of the Doctor kissing The-TARDIS-as-Rose. I find that sweet and romantic.
I did like the regeneration scene where the Doctor's trying to explain things and say his goodbyes in the last few minutes. Poor Jack got the Tegan treatment. I think David Tennant's a real cutie, and while I loved Eccleston's performance, I'm also curious about what Tennant will bring to the role. Okay, I'm fickle and a sucker for a cute smile. I might have felt differently if the Doctor's regeneration had been a complete surprise, as planned, but as it is, I've had time to grow accustomed to the idea of Eccleston's departure.
Not a perfect story, but not a bad one either, and it had some very nice moments.