Season 2. 08 Jul 06. BBC 1, 7:00 pm
WRITER: Russell T. Davies DIRECTOR: Graeme Harper
CAST: David Tennant (The Doctor), Billie Piper (Rose Tyler), Camille Codouri (Jackie Tyler), Noel Clarke (Mickey Smith), Shaun Dingwall (Pete Tyler), Tracy-Ann Oberman (Yvonne Hartman), Raji James (Dr Rajesh Singh) & Nicholas Briggs (Dalek Voice)
The final episode of the second series proves to be every bit as exciting and fun as the first part Army Of Ghosts suggested it would be. After a slight reprise of events in the prologue, the action continues from where part 1 left off, with a Dalek foursome protecting a "Genesis Ark" in the basement of Torchwood Tower, while 5 million Cybermen dominate the planet outside...Doomsday is certainly all pay-off to Army Of Ghosts, with the emphasis firmly shifted in the direction of visual thrills and fraught adventure. The story works much better as a continuation of the mid-season Rise Of The Cybermen/Age Of Steel two-parter, particularly when the alternate universe Pete Tyler appears and rekindles his relationship with Jackie.
Of course, the inner child in all of us will undoubtedly get a kick from seeing the Cybermen versus the Daleks, and the resultant battle between the cyborgs is a lot of fun, if occasionally undermined by banter (the Daleks develop have a wicked sense of humour it seems, and Mickey likens the enemies sparring to "Stephen Hawking versus the talking clock"!)
David Tennant does fine work here, furthering my belief that he's at the mercy of the writing. Unlike Christopher Ecclestone, he can't elevate crap writing with as much successl, but here he's given a script that plays to his strengths: he's passionate, believable, able to balance the humour with drama, and in the climactic sequence The Doctor seems more frail and human than we've ever seen him in the series. Marvellous.
Likewise, Billie Piper does a great job with all her emotional scenes. Rose as a character had certainly reached the end of the road, with the writers unable to stretch her beyond the archetypal teen she began the show as. It was excellent to see the Tyler family unit given a wonderful resolution, and Piper's beach-set farewell with The Doctor marks a highpoint for the show, and eclipsed all the visual fireworks thrown at the screen.
Yes, the visuals were excellent, particularly the Cybermen versus Dalek battles. The sequences with flying Daleks remain obvious composites, but are still effective in wider shots and never seriously detracted from the visceral enjoyment of scenes. Doctor Who should certainly be applauded for delivering epic sequences on a relatively small budget.
Elsewhere, the supporting cast are on the periphery throughout, with many characters facing quick deaths, although Shaun Dingwall continues his excellent work as Pete Tyler and has a great scene with Camille Codouri's Jackie that walked the tightrop between comedy and drama expertly well.
Overall, this was an impressive finale that made last year's The Parting Of The Ways look small in comparison. What really made the episode work was the excellent writing for the sensitive scenes between the main characters, particularly The Doctor and Rose. Writer Russell T. Davies is often slated by fans for his trashy episodes (New Earth), silly excesses (Aliens Of London) or plain stupidity (Love & Monsters), but he's undoubtedly the best writer for the dynamic between The Doctor and Rose.
Series 2 ends on a real emotional high (and a bizarre scene with Catherine Tate!), that matched my own hope that series 3 will reinvigorate the show with its new companion Martha Jones (Freema Agyeman). The honeymoon period is certainly over for the new Who, and the producers can't always rely on the Daleks to exterminate any lull in ratings, so I hope they take heed and deliver some purer sci-fi thrills next year... and maybe leave contemporary London behind for awhile, Mr Davies...?
NEXT WEEK: Series 2 is over, so now we can look back on the past 13 episodes with hindsight...
