Doctor Who Club of Australia

[Tegan]

I was mostly rapt with this episode, but for two things that annoyed me.

That The Doctor was aged was an excellent way for The Master to control him. Turning him into a wizened gnome with a silly little suit was just taking it one step too far.

And having all of humanity chanting "Doctor" in order for him to use their telepathic energy to transform into the "Archangel John Smith" was just... well just not Who.

Those two plot devices aside, it had me glued to my chair for the whole 50 minutes.

What I liked?

Martha was the hero who saves the world.

The Doctor, despite being totally incapacitated, still outwits the Master.

I love that the show uses plain, simple words to defeat evil and weapons. That is just what the whole show has always been about. I might not like this particular device, but it doesn't take away from the concept.

The Doctor tries desperately to save The Master, despite what TM has done, and TD does so, not because TM is his brother, (he isn't) but because of his indefatigable compassion.

Jack as the Face of Boe. Obvious really. I was just about to say so myself. You don't believe me? Honest, really truly and dink-di I was!

At the very last, Lucy picks up the Master's ring. After all the apparent abuse and mistreatment (black eye), she is going to extract her revenge! I truly believe that Lucy will appear at some stage in the future. Maybe as The Mistress!

[dave]

I enjoyed it but had the same plot concerns as Tegan. I didn't like the resolution, and it was really Capt Jack who saved the day by destroying the Paradox Machine.

The Doctor seemed to have fixed the TARDIS quickly enough. I thought he might be stranded on Earth for a little while, myself.

I'm also curious as to whether we'll see the Master come back as a woman. That'd be a nice twist.

[highonweldingfumes]

what are the globe thingys

[highonweldingfumes]

how are you guys able to watxh doctor who in australia b4 its on tv i mean i watch it on youtube but its not even out there yet this episode that is

[kalid]

Just finished watching, I enjoyed it as well, but have to agree with the slight criticisms. I'll just jump around with all the things in my head having just watched it...

The shrunken aged gnome-Doctor I thought was a fairly bad idea, initially I was thinking that this might be some evolved form of a Time Lord and that this was what was going to be inside the Toclafane as well. This was the only sensible justification I could see for making the Doctor look like that - and it didn't really work for me. On another note, I would have thought a Time Lord would regenerate due to old age rather than end up looking like that anyway...

The set up of Martha going around the world to spread the word of the Doctor was an interesting one, but I don't think it explained very well if at all how everyone chanting 'Doctor' not only made him centuries younger but gave him a nice new clean pair of shoes, nice blue forcefield, and some bizarre levitation and telekinesis ability as well...

Also it was fairly obvious there was going to be a 'reset switch' on the rest of the world, as they wouldn't really leave Earth with so much destroyed. Interesting that they left the US President still assassinated, surely that would cause some diplomatic problems.

The Master was ok, interesting choice to kill him off, just for a second I was imagining Season 4 with the Doctor, Martha, Jack and the Master travelling around together. For me it could have been interesting, and I was surprised when he 'decided' not to regenerate. 1) I didn't know that was possible, and 2) I've always thought that one of the main character traits of the master is his need to survive, and I could imagine him biding his time in the TARDIS for a few episodes next season then making an escape for future encounters. John Simm was very good, shame we (presumably) won't see him again any time soon.

And as well Jack as the Face of Boe - almost amusing in some ways, it's interesting to wonder whether that was the masterplan of the production team all along when they made Jack immortal. The first thing that came into my head after that scene was why the Face of Boe in Gridlock or New Earth didn't tell the Doctor 'I am Jack, remember me?' instead of the all the cryptic prophesies, but then I figured he probably forgot or lost his memory at some point in those millions of years. (and crossing the timelines and all that )

And finally, I have to say this season has surpassed all my expectations - it seems ages since I haven't loved an episode. The ending was interesting, Jack goes back to Torchwood, Martha goes back to her family. I certainly wouldn't mind seeing Jack again in Doctor Who, and I can't remember but I might have read somewhere that Martha may make some appearances in Torchwood as well? I'm not sure.

Anyway thats all my thoughts, that certainly took a while, sorry for the essay
Cheers

[Tegan]

[El_Zoof]

Sorry to be such a wet blanket, but... that sucked. Not horribly, but really, it wasn't very good at all. The Master was, as Lucy Saxon indicates, acting like a complete tit (which was fun, I'll admit), and Captain Jack does his usual trick of running into a hail of bullets with aplomb. The whole thing felt... tired. And besides, doesn't Voyager have prior rights on the Magical Reset Button?

One other thing that irritated me... what the hell happened to her brother? After all the "Run away, brother whose name escapes me! Oh good, he's the only one to have escaped, gosh, he's clever," he was never even namechecked as a victim of the Toclafane.

Bah. Maybe I've just been spoiled by Human Nature and Blink (oh my god, they're naming episodes after bands), but this was not the end of season I was looking for. Thanks, Russel, but now we've had the same thing three years in a row, can you try having a season which doesn't tick all the boxes?

[highonweldingfumes]

there was 1 box left unmarked now wasnt there well you could say there was 2 well 3 or 4 perhaps here are some of the things left "undisclosed" in my opinion.

1st well lets state the completely obvious the oceanliner parked halfway in the tardis now theres a big ass box and for a chrismas special? the titanic didnt crash near chrismas did it? i dunno it late atm and also i thought that the horde of some mogolia, even the almighty daleks coudnt even get into the tardis so how dose a early 20th century ship get into it.

2nd another thing about the titanic is i though the 9th doctor has already been there? well not in the series but the guy that rose finds in the epidode titled "rose" over the internet tells her something bout him being on the titanic and he was talking bout the 9th doctor. so im hitting this out in left field here but maby the 9th docter may or may not make an appearence cameo or not who knows.

3rdly daleks ah yes now there is a few of them left that another box who knows what anarchy they may bring next and finaly

4th the ring at the end well it probaly has the ability to resurect due to the fact it has the lazlabs logo on it and you hear that masters all evil laugh but the writers can make it go anyway they want plus there the phone martha gave to the doctor shes probly going to call next season but again it can go anyway plus how dose jack loose his body and his head get very big

another thing i cant remember where it was posted but the jellybabys that the master offerd to someone could be a side afect of the last time they met in the doctor who tv movie with the 8th doctor where the master tryed to take the doctor body but failed as normal resulting in some trates being swaped.

so there you have it another year of doctor who gone what going to happen next time who knows untill then us aussie are stuck with channel tens torchwood with those god dam adds man they give me the shi.....

[meglos]

I thought it was brilliant. I loved it. 3 cheers for Doctor Who and RTD

[FredDag]

As a whole, a brilliant story! So much to take in! I was talking with friends all week and we thought the only way out for the Doctor was going regenerate but no he hooked himself up to that network. It's a bit fairy tale but isn't the Master's gun too?

I enjoyed this story for what it was, it was a great ending to season 3. I'm not going to pick it to bits but I thought the whole of this season wasn't as good as season 2 which I think is the best so far.

I'm really disappointed that Martha is leaving so early, but I've read somewhere that she'll be back now and then. I've also heard the Doctor will have two companions next year, I'm hoping one will be a male. Wouldn't that be good?

Anyway, the Chrissy special looks good and now we'll have to wait till then. Here we go again! Yay!

[Ickabod]

[Voc76]

Jumped in my Tardis lastnight and watched the last episode of season 3.
OK....well I think that it was very disapointing, first of all it's never a good idea to have the Doctor age, it didn't work in "The Leisure Hive" and it didn't work here. And then to have him age more and turn into Vladimer Putin...er sorry I meant Dobbie from Harry Potter, was just silly.
I have to say that I didn't mind Matha, I didn't mind the "walking the earth" thing, I didn't mind the professor she dupes, I really liked the revilation of who the Toclaphane (hey I can't spell normally you've got to give me points for trying) were but I didn't think it was presented well and as for why they regressed into children??!?!
To be fair I didn't mind the whole chanting "Doctor" over the Archangel network, this made a kind of sence, I get how it gave the doctor short term powers, but I don't get why he wasted those poweres giving himself new clothes.
I hated the reset switch.
I like the fact that the master had an out, of course it was part of his plan to have his wife shoot him, and then have the doctor burn him to be reserected later with the ring. But don't you think that the Doctor as he was anointing the body (as is the tradition of timelords) would have taken one look at his ring and gone "Hey, this has the Lasurus Labs symbol on it, I'd better keep this safe in the Tardis". All in all compared to how great Utopia and The sound of drums were. Quite disapointing.

The face of Bo....bah!

[rundoctoritsthegatherer]

I think this has to be THE most disappointing episode ever.

I loved Utopia and Sound of Drums, and thought this was pretty good until Martha was captured. Then... COP OUT. Big time. I watched it twice, just in case I was missing the point the first time, but no I don't think I did, and enough people are pointing out the flaws for me to know that I'm far from being on my own. The ending was cool though, Jack, Martha and the Titanic.

It isn't my least favourite episode, but considering the brilliant build up it had, I feel like I've been badly let down.

[Hiruma]

Like Zoof I was little disappointed with this episode. However it wasnt all bad. I enjoyed Simm's playing of the Master, the fact that he had thought of most everything. His wife shooting him was unexpected, and I still dont see her place in the big picture. Perhaps I never will.

I did like how Marthas character matured over the season. I saw some Rose in her, but I think at the end of the day she was more mature than Rose.I tell you though, Companions dont seem to have much staying power anymore.

A still very enjoyable episode despite the disappointments. IF the Master survived, IF he did then he is still sans Tardis. a Timelord without a Tardis isnt much of a timelord.I found 2 of the last scenes very striking. The Doctor having a funeral of sorts for the Master and the scene where he is holding the Master's corpse. I know one is supposed to loathe the Master but I have always particuarly loved the intelligence that resided behind the version play by Delgado. Good Showing though by Simm. It was sad to see the Master die (and for the show to lose that plot device).

The Titanic bit I am a bit undecided about. I only assume it could of happened because the Tardis is well and truly on its last legs.

[highonweldingfumes]

[Tegan]

[dean69]

The Master is not dead! He arranged with his wife ( Mrs Masters ) to kill him
if things went wrong. She was to get his ring after the funeral and
power it up. (it has his DNA in it) The Master then comes back to life
,regenerates, and then will go after Martha Jones to get his revenge,
Betcha!

[Panecea]

A very good episode. Toclafane remind me of Davros. It was enevitable that the Master would survive; he has a talent for resurrection. His arrogance was somewhat annoying and the episode was a bit predictable. As for those who don't like Jack's part in the episode, what else would you do with a man that can't die?

[Greg]

In some respects it's a pity that the Doctor didn't regenerate in this episodes - not that I want to lose David Tennant yet, but the whole 'I forgive you' thing would have been much more powerful if it was the last thing the Doctor said (this incarnation). Wouldn't have required much of a change - the Doctor stepping in front of the Master and taking the bullet intended for the Master... And think what we'd be looking forward to: next episode would have the newly-regenerated Doctor pretty helpless and at the mercy of his arch-enemy!

OK, this episode sadly didn't take the opportunity to break the mould that it could have. As soon as I saw the caption 'one year later' I was expecting that there would be a reset somewhere, though I was hoping that there wouldn't be. And, dear me, if it wasn't like it was lifted entirely from Superman: The Movie!

I was significantly unenthused by another series finale which featured one of the regulars suddenly developing super-powers, but fortunately Russell Davies was sufficiently sensible for that not to be the solution to the dilemma.

What was good? Martha showing her mettle - not many companions have been given such a long-term and dangerous task as she was, and Freema pulled it off well. I especially liked Martha's decision to stay on Earth, again not because I want to lose her, but because it was a decision based entirely on the experience and development of the character.

Unlike the previous episode the 'mad/humorous' side of the John Simm Master was something that fitted in with the plot, rather than just happening for no very good reason. Because of this, the Master seemed a more credible threat than he did in the previous episode, where you were left wondering where he came up with sufficient lucid moments to get as far as he had.

Sadly, but as usual, John Barrowman/Captain Jack didn't have enough to do. Davies-style Who doesn't seem to be able to work very well with more than the Doctor and one companion. The first half of the story was Martha's quest to fulfil the Doctor's instructions and the second half was the Doctor vs the Master, with the redemption of Martha's mum thrown in. Captain Jack was destined to be sidelined in this scenario.

A big thumbs up for Alexandra Moen as Lucy Saxon (not 'Mrs Masters', as someone said earlier!). She had very little dialogue, was usually off to the side, but still she managed to give the audience the impression of a woman struggling to believe in her husband despite all the evidence to the contrary, until she just couldn't believe in him any longer. I'd be happy to see her back as the Master, so we can see what she can do if she actually has some real dialogue and a large role in the story.

Biggest thumbs down to the Titanic braching the TARDIS hull and the Doctor's final dialogue being several 'What?'s - just like his dialogue at the end of last year's finale. If season four ends with someone or something breach the TARDIS defences and the Doctor going 'What?' 'What?' 'What?' again next year, my TV screen will be in danger of an unwelcome visit from one of my shoes!

Overall: a potentially good story dragged down to a mundane level by a reset switch and repitition of elements from previous 'end of series' finales.

[Panecea]