Wilf once again is the standout in this episode, both due to the touching relationship with the Doctor and of course Bernard Cribbins wonderful performance. I'm so glad the actor has found a new generation of fans thanks to his second time on the Doctor Who franchise, as he co-stared in the movie version of The Daleks Invasion of Earth with Peter Cushing.
The Master and his clone army becomes more passable as a species-based threat, along with much better effects work. But the whole thing about them still hungry was a ridiculous mistake on RTD the Writer's part. I can buy multiple Masters in relative unity, even if their 'Head Master' (pun intended) is still phasing out as a dying glow skeleton. But if they all suffer the same case of the munchies as the original, there should have been acts of mass cannibalism in the streets and the extinction of all farm chickens long before the Time Lords ever returned.
"Hey Guys, the Earth is Empty and the Doctor is half eaten and covered in honey sauce...we Time Lords rule!"
I've always enjoyed good guy aliens in Doctor Who, but in the RTD era, they're either the Red Shirt, to be killed at the earliest opportunity, or total jerks that run away at any sight of danger. Sadly the Vinvocci fall into the latter category (well, at least the short chick).
But thank goodness for the Ood!
YES, their presences in the story is confusing, but that these aliens, far above the series other newer creations, are acknowledge among the Doctor's final farewells (by seeing him off in song), is proof how popular and interesting they've become. Indeed, its not everyday that sympathetic, but no less bizarre, and quite grotesque aliens are beloved by the public and thus get to do a final stage bow, so to speak.
The Time Lords were underused, especially with Timothy "The Man" Dalton in charge, but its probably for the best, without some more insanity from RTD thrown into the mix. Though it would have been fitting if Dalton started blasting humans at random to further demonstrate his ruthlessness. However I like that we discover that not only the Time Lords became as bad as Daleks in the War, but a whole swell of unseen villains, tyrannies and monsters joined the conflict, including the possible space kaiju dubbed The Nightmare Child (in Journey's End, it was said that the jaws alone were big enough to eat Davros's command ship).
A lot of people online are angry that the Time Lords are 'still alive', only being in 'Time Lock' during the entire revival series. But clearly this was an invasion from the past, by Time Lords in their last desperate moment. Like transporting an allosaur from the Jurassic to modern day Earth; the dinosaurs are still all dead, but they might get a second (and very wrong) chance through time travel.
And even with this revelation, the Doctor's sorrow concerning his action against his own people still makes total sense. He's a caring soul and openly shows compassion / pity for even his greatest of enemies, corrupt Time Lords included. He's the sort of person who acknowledges the one true constant in all wars, regardless if there just or not, and that is tragedy. Tragedy that the once noble Time Lords were transformed for the worst by the war, and that they and so many other lives had to destroyed because of which.
This idea goes beyond the simple fan favorite explanation of 'survivor guilt', which may be the reason a lot of people are upset at this as well.
There's problems with this story of course; wasted story elements and unneeded plot devices abound, with Donna's appearance being the sore thumb above all. I love Donna, but this felt like half *** padding at best. And although everyone will once again chastise the series for doing an imaginative Star Wars rip-off with the alien bar sequence (quite welcomed IMO), its RTD's constant use of sex gags, and in relation Captain Jack, that is the true blemish on the scene. It takes some real balls to do multiple monsters on non-Japanese primetimes television...but sexual innuendo is just tiring by comparison.
I'm not upset at David Tennent as much as everyone else (my family included) is for leaving the show; blame BBC for keeping the series at thirteen measly episodes every year, and not getting as much mileage as the first seven Doctors did. So David's final line was quite moving and ironic, instead of annoying and thus demanding of the actor's / character's sudden doom.
But I do agree, that from his first few minutes on television, Matt Smith eases my fears about him as the next Doctor. He still looks weird, but for the youngest actor to play the character, he sounds and even feels like he'd fit right into the original series with all his predecessors. Crap, Matt sounds a lot like Peter Davison (The Fifth Doctor) I might add!
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BTW, some information is coming through on 2010 season, with incomplete guide as starters:
Episode 1: The Eleventh Hour. Writer: Steven Moffat
Episode 2: Title TBC, writer Steven Moffat
Episode 3: Title TBC, writer Mark Gatiss (During World War II, the Daleks get caught up with Churchill)
Ep. 4: Time of Angels. Writer: Steven Moffat. (The Weeping Angels and River Song return, part 1 of 2)
Ep. 5: Flesh and Stone. Writer: Steven Moffat. (The Weeping Angels, River Song, part 2 of 2)
Ep. 6: Vampires of Venice. Writer: Toby Whithouse. (period piece with vampires...I really hope the Great Vampire from State of Decay is somehow involved
)
Ep. 7: Title and writer TBC
Ep. 8: Title TBC. Writer Chris Chibnall (Silurians, part 1 of 2...sadly the new designs look nothing like the originals, unless its a totally new sub-species I HOPE? Many fans may like this idea, but after the successful job the show did with the Davros and Sontaran updates, this feels like a major copout)
Ep. 9: Cold Blood. Writer Chris Chibnall ('SINO' Silurians, part 2 of 2)
Ep 10: Vincent and the Doctor. Writer Richard Curtis (Vincent Van Gogh will be stabbing some yellow monster)
Ep 11: Title and writer TBC
Eps 12 and 13: Titles TBC, writer Steven Moffat.
