Doomsday

I like series finales, but I often wish they were different. There's usually a whole whoosh of spectacle thrown in to these episodes and here we are tantalised with the prospect of Daleks versus Cybermen. I just wish this confrontation was the point of the story rather than being a mere decorative adornment. The scene in which these two races finally confront each other is a delight, despite the emotionless, logical Cybermen demonstrating an incomprehensible capacity for bitchy putdowns. The best thing is that, in comparison, the Daleks finally behave like living creatures with individual characters. Withering scorn should be their trademark.

It's right that the Cybermen should be inferior to the Daleks (especially these Cybus neophytes), but their inability to even put a dent in the dalekanium means that the significance of this face-off drains away pretty quickly: after the war of words and a brief skirmish, the laser fire becomes an irrelevant backdrop, CGI wallpaper behind other events.

I suggested last time that perhaps the boys were a little jaded about all this hoopla. That isn't true. They saw this episode as a Big Thing, and what they really wanted was a Big Battle. After this finished, the two of them had quite a heated argument about whether the Cybermen could hurt a Dalek or not. Chris maintained that they had, during the fight in the Voidsphere chamber. William pointed out that that was only when they had been given one of Alt-Torchwood's big guns. Well it went on from there and I couldn't quite bring myself to meticulously note it all down. Suffice to say, they - like me - were more into this aspect of the story than the Whole Rose Thing.

I've been mean about Rose, I know. She has been a great companion, but I never understood why she had to be more than that. Once again, I've never been one of those fans who were so desperately folded in on themselves that they could only cope with an asexual Doctor. Never bothered me that he might have relationships. Never bothered me that a companion might fall in love with him. The River Song arc is absolutely one of the best things that has happened to the show. But Rose is too much. She's too intense. She gets in the way of our relationship with the Doctor. (I sound jealous - I guess I am.) And Rose refuses to play by the rules of the programme, she doesn't accept that she will have to leave. This means that the story had to exert a huge force to physically drag her away and the episode becomes unbalanced, with a long coda that feels (if you're like me) indulgent.

But so what? That's fine. Let her have her moment. It's great drama and it's something Doctor Who has been incapable of doing before, with only the departures of Sarah Jane or Jo even beginning to approach the same level of emotional drama. Even better, it's a perfect ending. Like the great tragedies, Rose has brought this on herself. Unlike any sort of tragedy, she gets to live in luxury with her Mum, Mickey and her revivified Dad. Perhaps she should call it quits and let us get on with the show.

William sort of agreed (after banging his Cyber-drum: "Daleks versus Cybermen was rubbish! Not one Dalek died!"): "I think Rose was too attached to the Doctor. She should have known it wouldn't be forever. I give it a seven."

Chris gave it an 8 and wasn't sure about the cliffhanger arrival. "It shouldn't have ended with Donna turning up. It spoils it. It should have ended with the Doctor crying." I can see his point but, really, if Daleks versus Cybermen has been eclipsed by the Doctor/Rose break-up then we need to just put as much distance between us and Bad Wolf Bay as possible.

Thank goodness for Donna.


NEXT TIME...