Doctor Who: The Parting of the Ways, Review
If you’ve already watched this episode of Doctor Who, you’ll know that the title was a big, flashing, neon sign of what was going to happen that somehow I never spotted. But then again there were so many things happening in the last three episodes of this first season of the new Doctor Who, can you blame me for not looking further ahead?
The Parting of the Ways was pure freaking Doctor Who genius. If I was to distill the essence of 26 seasons of Doctor Who into 45 minutes of action and yet somehow manage to retain a storyline and continue to advance the character of not only Rose, but the Doctor himself… this is what I’d end up with.
Yes, it’s that good.
There are faults of course, but the brilliance of this episode is that the faults really don’t matter. Somehow they managed to link up the entire season without us even knowing there was a story-arc until 2 episodes previously. And yet it works. It makes sense.
This episode treats us to the best special effects of the entire season of Doctor Who, and this time I’d say there as good as anything else on tv including Stargate and Battlestar Galactica. The scene of the Daleks flying through space (without needing small spacecraft) to enter the space station is just amazing to watch.
The Dalek’s slaughter of helpless humans, including some that we the audience have become somewhat attached to, just reinforces how merciless they are. Yet rather than just focusing on a one-sided slaughter, the episode cleverly juxtaposes this with Roses more personal dilemma, steadily ratcheting up the tension until the end.
Now the end is a Deus Ex Machina, there’s not getting away from it. It’s a neat and tidy excuse ending and it doesn’t bear looking at too closely. But quite frankly by that point it really doesn’t matter any more anyway.
And then, when it seems it’s all over, they pull another one. Sure we knew it was coming, but didn’t everyone assume it wouldn’t happen until the Christmas special? Just like everything else in the new series of Doctor Who, they waste no time. This is absolutely the fastest regeneration ever. But it is cool looking.
I do have one question though? Why did they leave Captain Jack?
Eoghann Irving is amongst other things the creator and Editor of Solar Flare. He has a life long interest in all forms of science fiction and fantasy and a pressing need to share this interest with anyone who will listen. Find out more at his personal website eoghann.com..
6 Comments, Comment or Ping
Amber
I do have one question though? Why did they leave Captain Jack?
My husband and I were talking about this after we watched the show the other night. The only conclusion we could come up with was that Jack wasn’t originally to continue into the next series. The overwhelming popularity of him from The Empty Child on caused the BBC to bring him on for the second season and it would be easier to shoot just the extra scenes with Jack and incorporate them than to reshoot the whole ending to bring him into the TARDIS.
In character, the Doctor would have to assume that Jack is dead, considering the fact that the Daleks made it to floor 500. And even though Rose said she could bring life, there’s no way to know that Jack was brought to life. She wasn’t remembering anything herself, so she couldn’t tell him. Add to that what the Doctor was going through in the regeneration, Jack being left behind isn’t a big stretch. (Though personally, I would have thought the Doctor would have at least checked but hey…)
Regardless of what they come up with when the time comes for Jack to rejoin the TARDIS, I’m sure it’s going to fit in smoothly. The whole series just amazed me at how well it all fit in the end. December is too far away for my taste!
Jun 21st, 2005
Sci Fi Ranter Girl
I’m glad I wasn’t the only one who didn’t see the transformation coming in this episode.
I expected it to be further down the road. You are right about the Rose character development. I liked that but in the
excitement of the whole Doctor switch thing, it slipped my mind for a bit.
Maybe when Star Trek comes back it’ll be this good.
Jun 22nd, 2005
Jeff Moore
Well, I’m not a big Jack fan myself… I don’t really want him back… but I had no problem with his being left… the Doctor was surrounded by Daleks. The Daleks entered from the very hall that Jack was defending. His death was unquestionable. It will make a fun scene when they meet up with Jack later and he can give the Doctor all kinds of hell for leaving him.
By the way, this episode may not have been my favorite of all time, but it did contain my absolute very favorite Dalek moment of all time.
As the Dalek in space rises into position outside the window to blast Lynda and we don’t hear it… but we see the ear-posts flash in perfect syncronization: EX-TER-MIN-ATE!
I never thought I could read a Dalek’s lips before… it was GREAT!!!!
Jun 26th, 2005
laurie
interesting
Oct 17th, 2005
Monte Lin
I’m a little less forgiving with the deus ex machina ending. After spending the season building up the Bad Wolf mystery, it was a letdown and in the most stereotypical Hollywood way, with big flashing lights and a magical wave-of-the-hand fix.
But, I enjoyed this episode mostly because the characters, primary and secondary all had great acting and great dialogue. Rose’s declaration that the Doctor had shown her “a better way of living” and the Doctor’s speech to let the TARDIS “just die” so she could live a “fantastic life” hits all the right emotional notes.
It’s same problem with the episode “Father’s Day” where the effects and story contrivances detract from the more subtle and powerful emotional and thematic core of the episode.
Dec 17th, 2005
Reply to “Doctor Who: The Parting of the Ways, Review”