"Bad Wolf / The Parting of Ways"
Location: Satellite 5 ------ Time: 200,100 ------- Enemy: Dalek Emperor
Here we are. After only four weeks we are done with Season 1 of Doctor Who. It wasn't perfect but hopefully enough to keep you interested in watching the rest of the series (Trust me, it gets better). Let's get down to it.
Moffat Vs. Davies
Last week we watched Doctor Who in its finest, written by the man who was born to write Doctor Who: Steven Moffat. This week we get two episodes written by the man who brought Doctor Who back to BBC, Russell T. Davies. In some ways these writers are not so different, but it is in their small contrasts that make all the difference in the world.
The mistakes Davies makes in these episodes are stark. First of all he brings the Doctor into a world that is so unbelievable. First of all he is trying to convince us that 190 thousand years in the future humans will still watch Big Brother and Weakest Link on television. This future perfectly mimics the fads of London television in 2005 in a way that even six years later this episode seems dated to us. Only someone obsessed with BBC television in 2005 would get most of these jokes. That excludes most Americans and most people living in 2011. Lesson- Fads should not dictate Science Fiction.
Look at Captain Jack Harkness as further proof for my case. In Moffat's two-parter Jack is Han Solo. He's sly and a bit cheeky. He is one step ahead of Rose and the Doctor. In Davies episodes Jack is a cocky Ken-doll who is simply there for sex appeal and to crack jokes at inappropriate times. "Try saying that when you're drunk"" He's like a frat boy. And how can the man take down three armed guards by kicking them in the face one after the other?
The final thing that really bugs me is that when Moffat brings so many nuances into an episode he is able to tie up everything in the end. Davies? Nothing makes sense! Why have the Daleks created a world where humans watch TV all day? Why not just wipe them out and then take Earth? Bad Wolf? All that set up for what? Why did Rose need to leave herself clues?
The Good?
There were a few moments that shined- Mostly Christopher Eccleston as The Doctor. The moments near the finale of the first part really resonate "No weapons... No defenses... No plan" Also when he reprimands the TV gal who was just doing her job, "With that sentence you've just lost the right to even talk to me" - also "The Daleks call me the Oncoming Storm" (I think that phrase is repeated next season as well)
I do appreciate the choice that The Doctor had to make in this episode. Could he sacrifice the lives of the human race like he sacrificed his own people? No, I guess not -"Coward any day"
Ushering in a New Era
The good side to a bad finale is the promise of a fresh start. Just the last few seconds of David Tennant of saying "Barcelona" is enough to excite the viewer. I can't say that I am sad to see Eccleston go. I might have been the first time I watched this episode, but few will deny watching the 10th Doctor is a lot more fun than watching the 9th.
Things to Watch For
I think this is the first episode to reference "Torchwood"
"The Face of Boe" also keeps popping up.
Captain Jack is revived by Rose. This may have more implications than you think.
R.I.P.
Lynda with a Y. Could she have been a new companion if she hadn't have bit the Dalek-laser?
Brock's Final Rating: 4 out of 10
This may have been the worse 2-part episode in the last seven years of Doctor Who.
The second hour is a little better than the first.
Next Week:
Children in Need (7 minute episode)
The Christmas Invasion &
New Earth
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