Doctor Who (BBC/Disney+) (2023)

This is probably going to be the longest episodic Doctor Who review from me of all time. I feel very disconnected from many fans of the series. I feel the same disconnect with Star Wars fans, and we tend to value different things too, but I can more easily defend my opinions there. My absolute loathing for what Russell T Davies wound up doing to the franchise is something I'll have to go into a bit of detail here for context to my reactions to the episode (good and bad). Because I seem to be alone in my loathing of him.

Doctor Who fans tend to believe the relaunch went downhill during Stephen Moffat's tenure and was pure dreck during Chris Chibnall's. First of all, I liked both Chris Chibnall's time as showrunner and Jodie Whittaker's Thirteenth Doctor. Because the show was never overly tragic and remembered to be fun. As for Moffat, I understand all of the complaints leveled at him, and I even agree with more than a few. But if you think Russell T Davies wasn't ten times worse in every single one of those gripes you're not thinking clearly.

Before I do a brief rundown about Davies' failings (I'll review the episode itself afterwards) I need to say my hatred of Davies (and no, hatred is not too strong a word) is why I was both looking forward to this special in a way I was nothing else since Star Trek: Picard was on the air, and equally dreading it. To make my review short before I give it, a lot of what we saw here was promising, and some of it was troubling.

I'm going to detail Davies' worst sins now and make a couple of observations before I do. I firmly believe Russell T Davies is the single worst thing to ever happen to the Doctor Who franchise. I am aware he was responsible for the relaunch and the casting of the amazing David Tennant as the Tenth Doctor. I still think we would have been better off if it had remained in mothballs for a few more years and somebody else brought it back. Davies did SO much wrong by the entire franchise it's staggering. What especially disturbs me is how much people love him for those disgusting things.

The second observation is one I want to make in complete fairness to Davies. He last wrote the show 15 years ago. The End Of Time Part 2 was famously his worst episode, and him taking a huge dump on the franchise on the way out the door. That being said, even though I am now near the age Davies was then, I wouldn't want to be judged negatively by crap I wrote fifteen years ago. Granted 15 years ago I was still green enough for it to be excusable, and Davies was a grown ass middle aged man. But still. Both the casting of Tennant as the Fourteenth Doctor and the return of the Donna Noble arc suggested to me Davies might have felt a little bad how he left things too, and is using the occasion to repair the damage he did. This is the interpretation I hope to God is true, and frankly there are moments in the episode where I think it could be. We'll have to see. I don't want to get my hopes up because Davies has burned me SO many times before, but I'm also not ready to dismiss this out of hand yet either.

Before I review the episode I'm going to briefly list everything I hate about Russell T Davies. There will invariably be stuff I forgot but I hope seeing this crap listed one right after the other will make you understand the "STFU Moffat" movement never had a leg to stand on.

--Russell T Davies' messages are damaging to the gay community. It's pure chutzpah Moffat get this accusation leveled at him for the clumsiness of the Paternoster Gang. Moffat is clueless. I believe Davies' bad messages are completely deliberate and horrible. And he's gay himself! Why do I say this? Because of the second season premiere of the Doctor Who spin-off Torchwood. In it Captain Jack Harkness' omnisexual ex-lover Captain John Hart, played by Buffy The Vampire Slayer's James Marsters shows up and causes all kinds of havoc. Let me just say that society has a bit of a different definition of omnisexuals than Davies had for Captain John Hart. As Gwen Cooper was driving him across town, he was pointing at every person they passed he was sexually attracted to. Gwen disgustedly points out that the last one was a poodle and Hart does not correct himself. Anti-gay zealots use the slippery slope of gayness leading to bestiality all the time and Davies had the comparison brought up on his own show unprovoked! Do you know the irony? That episode was written but Chris Chibnall, which shows when it comes to the Doctor Who relaunch and its spin-offs failing, it's really a nest of cronies all the way down. But Davies was showrunner. If he didn't want to portray one of his major same-sex characters as a deviant who loves screwing dogs he could have nixed the joke. The fact that he didn't speaks volumes.

--Russell T Davies is a racist. This is very hard to argue against, even with cool characters like Martha Jones in the mix. Davies had this incredible knack for making the absolute worst human sociopaths, the cruelest most disgusting bullies, Black. Often rich and powerful to boot. And he'd kill them off gruesomely in punishment. I think Davies is deliberately pressing buttons every time an alien flings one of those guys over the side of the cliff and he screams, "DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHO I AM?!?!" If he did it once, he's subversive, and making an uncomfortable point. Because he did it repeatedly he's actually deliberately taking Black men down a few pegs. There is no other reasonable interpretation for that. Yes, Donna's husband here is both Black and Awesome, as is her biracial transgender daughter. But the Meep was presented as harmless at first too. I'm not quite ready to declare Davies has learned from his mistakes there yet. I hope I can in two weeks, and the next Doctor being Black is great. But I don't trust him on the subject remotely.

--Russell T Davies confuses bad drama with good drama. If he does a story turn the fans have legitimate beefs over (like killing off Ianto Jones in Torchwood: Children Of Earth) Davies will shrug that off with "That's drama!" He doesn't care that fans have investments in certain characters and don't deserve to be deliberately hurt over and over again for the unforgivable sin of liking and supporting the show.

--Russell T Davies thinks first degree rape is a nifty sci-fi concept he would LOVE to try out for himself if given the chance. Owen Harper RAPES a couple in the Pilot of Torchwood using an alien sex drug. And in the DVD special features Davies is absolutely giddy about it and going on how he'd love to have access to something like that. It already exists, Russell. It's called roofies. And I will never go clubbing with you for obvious reasons. Also, you are a gross sociopath.

--Russell T Davies took a giant dump on the franchise in his and David Tennant's last episodes. This is the thing that was the most unforgivable for me. David Tennant was my favorite Doctor. In fact, to use fandom lingo, he was MY Doctor. Not my first, but the one I grew attached to and associated most with the role. Davies decided in his last three episodes "The Waters Of Mars" and "The End Of Time, Parts 1 and 2" to show Ten doing incredibly despicable and horrible things. From the unbelievable revelation that supposedly the Doctor killed all the other Time Lords during the Time War (gee, what a SWELL facet of "committer of mass genocide of an entire species" to add to the character after nearly 50 years.) To browbeating poor, sweet Wilfred Mott for having to sacrifice his own life to save his. His "I could have done so much more," snit was SO freaking cruel and horrible, and I was like "Good riddance" by the time he left. And even feeling that way, because Ten died alone and afraid, and resisting the regeneration with all his might, that's the way I felt, and I'm sure it's how everybody else felt too. What a completely lousy thing to do to the Eleventh Doctor Matt Smith and new showrunner Stephen Moffat to make the audience instead of enjoying the regeneration, absolutely resenting and regretting it. It was inexcusable on a purely professional level and huge middle finger to the people continuing the show after he was gone.

All that. ALL of it is why I was pissed Davies was coming back. How was the episode?

There were positive signs that maybe Davies might be using Fourteen as a bit of a redemption arc for Ten, but the last time I trusted Davies to end a great story properly was "The Stolen Earth" and we saw how that went in "Journey's End".

Let's do an inventory of the good and the bad, in no particular order, as it comes to me.

I immediately mistrusted the Meep. Not just because its cuteness was tinged with creepiness, but because it being evil is the most logical "surprise twist" the episode could have done. I will not penalize the show for a telling a predictable story the way it should have been told. I guess my objection is that Davies actually tries to play it as a surprise and as if we'll be shocked right along with Rose and Donna. And if he remotely thinks that about us, if he's grown as a writer in 15 years, that bit does not make it evident.

The solution of Donna and Rose choosing to let the power go on paper sounds like a beautiful notion. But what pisses me off about it is the Tenth Doctor should have known this himself back in day, but always, ALWAYS repeated "If she remembers me, she dies." No variation. He's the Doctor! He's supposed to do the impossible! And Russell T Davies saw the Doctor, and thought in his last episode to reveal the Doctor felt forced to kill every man, woman, and child on Gallifrey. And in the 50th Anniversary Special "The Day Of The Doctor" Stephen Moffat correctly notes he's the Doctor! He'll ALWAYS find another way! I'm mad that Donna had to live a lesser life and give away her fortune because Ten was SO damn sure he couldn't help her. But I DO love that Donna is properly pissed at Fourteen for it.

By the way Chris Chibnall liked the idea of The Last Of The Time Lords just fine himself. Except he's smart enough to know if anyone were to kill 'em all, it would be THE MASTER, not the Doctor. How dumb is Davies for not getting this? If the Master had been the culprit Moffat probably would have never felt the need to bring back the Time Lords at ALL. For good reason. He wouldn't have needed to. What a mess Davies left him to clean up. It's infuriating.

I don't like leading man grooming habits in 2023. There is no reason Fourteen can't be clean-shaven instead of slovenly.

Fourteen saying he loved Donna was a great start in rehabilitating the character, as was him saying he loved Wilf with all his heart. I guess we'll have to see their reunion to see how it goes. I want him to both apologize to the old guy unreservedly and give him the final salute he denied him at the end of his last episode. I am very glad Bernard Cribbins lived to film his final upcoming scenes before he died. Fourteen not seeing Wilf again would strike me as totally wrong.

I am mad and annoyed how and why Fourteen's outfit regenerated too was never explained. I get they didn't want Tennant showing up in women's clothes, but that's not how regenerations work. I assumed there was a weird canon explanation for it, but I still always manage to give Davies WAY too much credit about stuff like that, even after all this time.

The "binary" thing is too cute by half, but at least it works. Barely, to be blunt, but it's interesting Davies was able to do a good callback for it over 15 years later.

Donna telling Fourteen men of a certain age shouldn't be wearing clothes that tight is one of those reasons why Donna Noble was one of my favorite Companions. If Davies doesn't do right by either Tennant or Wilf, I think we've just established he'll finally do right by Donna. About damn time.

Donna talking to Sylvia about motherhood and her daughter's pronouns is wonderful. Davies didn't used to write wonderful things. It gives me hope things might go differently this time.

I love that Rose points out the Doctor assigning a male gender to the Meep is presumptuous and he's all "Good point". I think Rose will be a good Companion later in the year.

Donna telling Fourteen he can do things differently this time is also another very good sign. Of course Fourteen is on a much more limited clock than either he or Donna know. Hope the news of the next regeneration doesn't cause him to go bananas again.

I liked the new main title. It very reminiscent of the first four seasons of the relaunch with upgraded visual effects. But if all it could easily be used by the next Doctor with no problems, which is another point in its favor.

Speaking of visual effects while I was not as down on the Thirteenth Doctor's run as some folks were, one sad reality I can admit is that the BBC drastically cut the budget after the fat years the Tennant and Smith eras afforded them. Times for Doctor Who had grown lean, and even if it was never in real danger of getting canceled like the old show was (because of the merch) I did sadly notice it had gone back to filming on videotape. Disney+ airing the show has gained the show back its huge budget (and probably then some). I'm glad.

Sylvia punching the Doctor will never get old. After what happened, I felt some catharsis there myself.

Sheesh. This review is SO damn long, and SO damn pointed and biased against Russell T Davies, and surely 15 years later, unfairly so. But this episode was very much a sequel to Davies' tenure of the series and as such I felt a brief revisiting of why that era sucked so much was worth it. The good news is with all that out of the way I won't have to do that for the next two reviews and the reviews will be primarily about the episodes themselves and surely much shorter and easier to read. Here's hoping. The first special was solid, but considering it's the episode marking the actual Anniversary it strikes me as a little odd it's the first. If I scheduled things at the BBC I would have had the first two specials lead UP to the third on the Anniversary. It feels weird to be giving the episode on the actual 60th Anniversary only four stars out of five. But that's what's happening. 4 stars.

I liked the cliffhanger with Wilf, and I like the Doctor hugging him, but I had problems with the rest of the episode. It felt like a normal Doctor Who episode. Which I think is the wrong mindset for the 60th Anniversary Specials. That being said, Russell T Davies made some choices I approve of, which surprises me.

I mentioned in the last review what a disservice Davies did to both Matt Smith and Stephen Moffat in David Tennant's last episode. But the truth is Moffat didn't much boost Davies' tenure either. Outside of River Song and the Weeping Angels, for the most part, what Davies did in the relaunch was ignored by Moffat, at least until "The Day Of The Doctor" (and both River and the Angels debuted in episodes WRITTEN by Moffat, so he at least had a personal stake in them). Not retconned. But Moffat very much treated Matt Smith's tenure as a reboot rather than a continuation, which is something I never approved of. For some reason Davies and Moffat decided to keep clear of each other's canon. I don't know if it was a falling out or not (although that would explain Davies taking a dump on the franchise on the way out) but it hurt the show going forward for both Tennant's end and Smith's beginning.

Here Davies acknowledges both the Flux AND The Timeless Child plotlines, the second one during Chris Chibnall and Jodie Whittaker's run being extremely controversial. I'm glad Davies is actually taking what happened before him seriously. If that bit is ever changed, it will be because of a retcon, instead of simply being ignored. Which is all right.

When Fourteen and Donna are about to get into a huge fight, I love that Fourteen cools downs and grips Donna's head, looks her in the eyes, and holds onto her. Love conquers all.

I think a question I have is if Donna was being truthful when she claimed not to remember the Doctor's adventures in the last 15 years or she is being kind and lying. I think it's up for debate myself.

When Fourteen admits he's attracted to Isaac Newton he's confused, and asks if this is who he is now. And Donna assures him this was part of him back in the day too. I'm not sure I ever got that vibe, but in fairness to her, Captain Jack Harkness sure did.

I don't love "mavity". I hope that is fixed at some point. It's annoying.

Fourteen not only hugs Wilf, he holds Donna in his arms and kisses her on the forehead. I think Fourteen is superior to Ten in every way.

Davies making Newton randomly Black will rankle people, and I'm not crazy about it either (history is history) but the fact that it WILL rankle people IS the actual selling point of doing it. It's also outside of Davies' previous tenure in deciding to make a statement with a Black character in a positive way, instead of a negative way, so that's another thing to suggests he's falling away from bad habits. I'll live with it.

One of the great things about Davies' run, and even I will concede this, is he was pretty much the only showrunner on television who had the ability to make the audience lose their cynicism. His hour long episodes felt so epic because you felt at multiple points the Doctor or the Companions would die or be lost forever. I was scowling near the end of the episode because my cynicism was SO gone I actually believed he was gonna kill off Donna Noble. The fact that Fourteen pulls off the last minute save is now not just gratifying, but it says something good about Davies that he got me to worry and feel an entirely crazy and unlikely thing, and completely lose myself in what was happening.

I love the episode being dedicated to Bernard Cribbins.

Did I mention I love the new main title in the last review? If I did, I think I should point out I also love the new end credits.

The monsters are so dangerous because they know everything the Doctor and Donna do. In fact, the scariest thing is that once Fourteen works out the solution, they do too. And then it's a race. And Monster Fourteen can run on four limbs like a puma!

I feel like Davies needed to go all out here, but was a LITTLE too invested in giving Tennant an actual "normal" episode for his brief return. I don't agree with that choice, but Tennant and Catherine Tate's performances as the monsters were amazing, and played to the hilt (particularly by Tennant). 3 1/2 stars.

I am a person who is routinely disappointed by Doctor Who 2005, no matter who is running it. I believe there have been a total of four perfect episodes since 2005. Everything else is in the range of good to bad to disappointing. Doctor Who 2005 is a show that can never seem to stick the landing. It doesn't help that the first three arcs of the relaunch (Bad Wolf, Torchwood, and Vote Saxon) weren't actually arcs at all, and simply repeated catchphrases that really meant nothing. But I think before today, the relaunch did FOUR episodes that lived up to the show's potential and promise: They are (in airdate order rather than quality order)

The Stolen Earth
The Wedding Of River Song
The Day Of The Doctor
The Power Of The Doctor

A few things to note about these four episodes. The Stolen Earth was the best cliffhanger of the series, and the conclusion to it "Journey's End" was increasingly awful and embarrassing as it went along. Again, the show could NOT stick the landing.

The Wedding Of River Song was the best season ending cliffhanger ever, promising the question of "Doctor Who?" finally being answered. Because Moffat ultimately chickened out, the show didn't stick the landing there either.

I have no negative notes about The Day Of The Doctor. The 50th Anniversary Special was purely perfect in every way. Of course most of its awesomeness is because of what it promises for the future, and ultimately the stuff with the Time Lords DID fizzle out. But unlike The Stolen Earth and The Wedding Of River Song, the episode will never be penalized for me for that. Because it turned the Doctor away from the killer of the Time Lords permanently. Whatever else followed, the series was better for that. Also Tom Baker!

And while The Power Of The Doctor is similarly hard for me to gripe about, the shock regeneration ending could have been a groaner if these three specials hadn't stuck the landing.

And damn it, "The Giggle" did! For the first time ever! And it's notable to me because although Who 2005 has done episodes with actual endings before (although they are rare) not only are they almost uniformly infuriating instead of amazing. They are never satisfying and often do a quick joke cliffhanger tag at the end. And "The End Of Time" is something Russell T Davies needed to make up to the audience for. He hurt us BAD. And bringing back David Tennant made me leery because I was fully aware of how badly Davies screwed not just him but Matt Smith too.

I don't know if Davies saw this as his apology, but it did that for me. I'm not going to go so far as to trust him going forward, but he not only did right by David Tennant, he did AMAZING by Ncuti Gatwa, the Fifteenth Doctor. We actually got his first real episode NOW instead of the Christmas Special, which is great. But I would have resented him for taking over for David Tennant anyways. Until Davies comes up with this nonsense "bigeneration" thing and Fourteen is allowed to live, get him own TARDIS, settle down, and declare himself happy for the first time in his damn life. One of the reasons I love Matt Smith's regeneration is they allowed him a moment of confort and grace not just with Clara but a vision of Amy Pond too. It was everything Tennant was denied.

Beside not killing off Fourteen, I love before the audience is even aware the bigeneration is gonna happen, Donna and Fourteen's friends stay next to him and promise they won't leave him as he "dies". And he accepts the coming death that isn't because he's gained enough wisdom to do so. Apparently Bernard Cribbins died after his brief scene last week but Granddad is still out there and he and Fourteen are okay now.

I love Ncuti Gatwa. Not just because he's clearly gay (or at least bi) but because he strikes me as the first Doctor EVER that is emotionally healthy. I feel like Thirteen had her moments of being at peace, but it's not like the Master ever let her truly enjoy them. Fifteen HUGS Fourteen after the trauma HE'S been through. Not because Fifteen needs it. But because Fourteen does. And he's talking about going through fixing yourself by doing the steps in the wrong order, and MAYBE Fourteen settling down is the right answer. Damn, I love Fifteen already, and I'm glad Davies gave him SUCH a strong introduction and allowed me to love him.

One thing I think Davies was kind of taking a shot at was the tragic endings to both Moffat's Companions and the Time Lords and Universe in general during Chibnall's tenure. Toymaker's mentioning the slight ways the Doctor made his Companions' death "easier" is just not good enough. This goes for River Song too. "Well, that's all right then!" is both shockingly cruel and points out the inherent flaws of Moffat and yes, Davies himself always killing off the Companions without really killing them.

NPH did great as the Toymaker. It's sort of hard to do a flashback clip for a lost episode, but it kind of worked. Needless to say "The Celestial Toymaker" is the next Classic Who episode BBC needs to put to animation. This special demands it.

I love that the Doctor was FINALLY allowed to grieve Sarah Jane. I miss Elisabeth Sladen SO much.

Who picked up the Master's tooth? And who is the unnamed person the Toymaker refuses to play?

I love that the Toymaker never cheats. Donna finds it hard to believe but Fourteen insists it's his bit. And it is. "Best Of Three" was the perfect way out of the Doctor losing.

Donna suggests that Fourteen is an idiot because what if she saves HIS life? And damn it, at the very end, she does! Inviting her into her family is the greatest gift the Doctor has ever been given in any incarnation. Instead of rubbing Ten's misery in our faces, Davies allows us to share Fourteen's joy.

I'm not ready to ENTIRELY make nice with Davies. Torchwood will be VERY hard for me to forgive. But both Fifteen and Rose Noble suggest Davies is working hard to stop his racist tendencies, and David Tennant being granted this says Davies is making it up to HIM too. Makes this the fifth perfect episode of the Relaunch. But the reason this one is great because it's the show sticking the landing for the first time since it came back in 2005. That matters a LOT to me. 5 stars.

It's an interesting beginning for Fifteen. I like his outfit, and I like how joyous he seems in comparison to the other Doctors. Matt Smith had a similar sense of wonder, but Eleven kind of played the fool a bit to keep people off guard. Fifteen seems much more genuine, and like Nine doesn't seem to hide who is he behind facades or personas.

I did not like the Goblins though, and the musical number annoyed me. I did like the fact that the Russell T Davies actually went and wrote a bunch of interesting Black characters. He has a lot to make up for before I trust him there, but that was a good start.

Who is Mrs. Flood? Why is she talking to the camera, and how does she know what a TARDIS is? It's the talking to the camera thing that currently bugs me, simply because I can't explain it.

I am not sold on Ruby Sunday. She strikes me as one of those fairytale female characters Moffat would come up with where their entire mystery is why the Doctor is fascinated with them. Instead of them being, I dunno, interesting female characters in their own right like Rose, Martha, Donna, and Yaz. It's not a habit I am anxious to see the show go back to.

I'm glad they are sticking with the same main titles Fourteen used. Davies used the same main titles for Christopher Eccleston and David Tennant too so this is in character.

Fourteen's three weeks were really special because they involved a LOT of wrap-up for the Tennant era. So I don't hold it against the show for not living up to all that pay-off in Fifteen's first episode, setting everything up. I suspect I might be alone there, but anyone complaining that this wasn't as epic as the first three specials can pound sand. It had a very different mission in setting things up instead of paying them off. And that's something that's perfectly all right. 4 stars.