i can’t believe how many times i’ve rewatched this ep over the years and never ONCE thought “where’s pete?” but yeah, where IS pete? shaun dingwall must have been too busy surely because it kinda makes no sense that jackie would be willing to fight
For years I’ve praised the ending to this episode since it didn’t tear the emotional trauma of the ending away with an emotional jump cut to something silly, lighter hearted and entirely unrelated to what just happened, as was the case with Doomsday and Last of the Time Lords - also Parting of the Ways to an extent. Because in both of those episode, while there was obviously the finality of saying goodbye to a companion, there was also an undertone of happiness. Rose was safe “and she is so alive,” and Martha was moving on with her life. But Donna, the Donna we knew, was dead. You can’t treat that the same way because they’re just not the same. After seeing what Sarah Jane called the biggest family on earth not minutes ago, we now return to what we had at the start of this series, the Doctor completely alone in the TARDIS talking to himself. You need to take time to let that sink in because the Doctor needs the time to grieve her loss as much as the audience does because there’s nothing you can reassure yourself with, there’s no positive undercurrent, it’s just a painful, tragic loss. So I can only say thank *F U C K* that they did NOT tease a silly Cybermen ending in the TARDIS and just ended on the shot of Teen looking utterly crestfallen. This wasn’t like the previous two finales and needed a consistently tragic tone to hammer the point home, it’s why this ending is so effective and powerful even in an episode that has more than a few writing problems. It more than saved the episode as anything close to that would, I think have just left a sour taste in peoples mouths. The Next Time was more than enough to tease the Cybermen and works because it’s apart from the actual experience of the episode.
If The Stolen Earth was the equivalent of Infinity War, then Journey’s End is very much Endgame. One sets up the universe shattering implications of all the different groups and strands of this universe coming together, and the other gives some very satisfying emotional payoffs… if you don’t think too hard about some of the gaping plot issues and sorely missed opportunities, but I digress. The point of comparison that matters that it involved a tough victory earned only with the sacrifice of our most beloved character. Everyone coming together to defeat a great evil, on what should be a gloriously triumphant note, instead ends on the most painful, bittersweet conclusion possible. Seriously, if the day ever comes when I can watch this episode without tearing up, someone shoot me because it’s clear I’m already dead inside. Even on this rewatch, on this video, I was still wiping my eyes. Catherine and David *killed it* with this scene and every time I watch it, it’s like I’m 9 and watching this tragedy for the first time all over again. What REALLY gets me is the fact that Donna was smiling as she was rambling away and the Doctor was stone faced. Her human optimism that has helped her save the universe let her believe that she could weather this storm and survive but the Doctor knew it could never be. Those simple four words “Because there can’t be” break my heart more than even her sobbing and begging because she understands that she will have to die because of how unstable she is. And she would still prefer that than to forget everything she’s seen and done, she would rather die knowing she was the best version of herself rather than live as “just the temp from Chiswick.” For this, and so many other reasons, Donna was my absolute favourite character of this era and this TARDIS duo remains unmatched for me. I hate it every time it has to end but it couldn’t have ended on a more tragically beautiful, poetic note; Donna made the Doctor remember why he needed someone. It was only fitting they should end with her forgetting why she needed him.
I don’t think it would have been possible to cram all the extra characters onto the Crucible and give all those extra character moments and interactions in the depth that would have been necessary to make this all feel warranted and justified, while also dealing with the events of the plot in this episode and getting everything else done within its 45ish minute timeframe. Arguably, this episode is too crammed already so bringing in even more scenes would just have made an even bigger mess. Really, the finale needed to be a three parter, whether that means cutting one of the earlier episodes or the BBC granting a special 14 episode series, that’s what would have needed to happen in order to actually get all those extra scenes and moments to make this coming together of the RTD1 characters feel justified. And really you could do this without making the plot feel unnaturally forced either as if Torchwood, SJ (Mickie & Jackie), Martha and the main TARDIS crew all end up on the Crucible, you can have them trying to reach one another or get captured with the climax of the second episode being the test of the reality bomb, perhaps with Davros’ insane cackling as the cliffhanger. There’s a bunch of ways you could have handled exactly what you’d do story wise but you’d need an extra episode if you want to give all the other characters some interactions and scenes to make you appreciate their inclusion in the story. I don’t see how else you could feasibly have handled it.
Definitely needed another episode. The biggest misstep is the Doctor and rose barely speaking to each other despite building it up all series. Just little character interactions you only get in this kind of episode - make rose leaving at the end hurt more, have jack reveal his immortality to her cos wtf why was that not included, have Martha and rose interact more. So many little things.
i can’t believe how many times i’ve rewatched this ep over the years and never ONCE thought “where’s pete?” but yeah, where IS pete? shaun dingwall must have been too busy surely because it kinda makes no sense that jackie would be willing to fight
I may be drunk but I genuinely watch this channel to get a positive boost. Love you guys.
Glad to be of service 🫡
Don’t wanna kill the vibe but things aren’t going great atm and these videos have helped massively
Hope things get better soon! Glad we could provide 🙏
For years I’ve praised the ending to this episode since it didn’t tear the emotional trauma of the ending away with an emotional jump cut to something silly, lighter hearted and entirely unrelated to what just happened, as was the case with Doomsday and Last of the Time Lords - also Parting of the Ways to an extent. Because in both of those episode, while there was obviously the finality of saying goodbye to a companion, there was also an undertone of happiness. Rose was safe “and she is so alive,” and Martha was moving on with her life. But Donna, the Donna we knew, was dead. You can’t treat that the same way because they’re just not the same. After seeing what Sarah Jane called the biggest family on earth not minutes ago, we now return to what we had at the start of this series, the Doctor completely alone in the TARDIS talking to himself. You need to take time to let that sink in because the Doctor needs the time to grieve her loss as much as the audience does because there’s nothing you can reassure yourself with, there’s no positive undercurrent, it’s just a painful, tragic loss.
So I can only say thank *F U C K* that they did NOT tease a silly Cybermen ending in the TARDIS and just ended on the shot of Teen looking utterly crestfallen. This wasn’t like the previous two finales and needed a consistently tragic tone to hammer the point home, it’s why this ending is so effective and powerful even in an episode that has more than a few writing problems. It more than saved the episode as anything close to that would, I think have just left a sour taste in peoples mouths.
The Next Time was more than enough to tease the Cybermen and works because it’s apart from the actual experience of the episode.
We need more peeps viewing this channel. 🥰🥰
If The Stolen Earth was the equivalent of Infinity War, then Journey’s End is very much Endgame.
One sets up the universe shattering implications of all the different groups and strands of this universe coming together, and the other gives some very satisfying emotional payoffs… if you don’t think too hard about some of the gaping plot issues and sorely missed opportunities, but I digress. The point of comparison that matters that it involved a tough victory earned only with the sacrifice of our most beloved character. Everyone coming together to defeat a great evil, on what should be a gloriously triumphant note, instead ends on the most painful, bittersweet conclusion possible. Seriously, if the day ever comes when I can watch this episode without tearing up, someone shoot me because it’s clear I’m already dead inside. Even on this rewatch, on this video, I was still wiping my eyes. Catherine and David *killed it* with this scene and every time I watch it, it’s like I’m 9 and watching this tragedy for the first time all over again.
What REALLY gets me is the fact that Donna was smiling as she was rambling away and the Doctor was stone faced.
Her human optimism that has helped her save the universe let her believe that she could weather this storm and survive but the Doctor knew it could never be. Those simple four words “Because there can’t be” break my heart more than even her sobbing and begging because she understands that she will have to die because of how unstable she is. And she would still prefer that than to forget everything she’s seen and done, she would rather die knowing she was the best version of herself rather than live as “just the temp from Chiswick.”
For this, and so many other reasons, Donna was my absolute favourite character of this era and this TARDIS duo remains unmatched for me. I hate it every time it has to end but it couldn’t have ended on a more tragically beautiful, poetic note;
Donna made the Doctor remember why he needed someone.
It was only fitting they should end with her forgetting why she needed him.
😢
Ultimate slay
I don’t think it would have been possible to cram all the extra characters onto the Crucible and give all those extra character moments and interactions in the depth that would have been necessary to make this all feel warranted and justified, while also dealing with the events of the plot in this episode and getting everything else done within its 45ish minute timeframe. Arguably, this episode is too crammed already so bringing in even more scenes would just have made an even bigger mess.
Really, the finale needed to be a three parter, whether that means cutting one of the earlier episodes or the BBC granting a special 14 episode series, that’s what would have needed to happen in order to actually get all those extra scenes and moments to make this coming together of the RTD1 characters feel justified. And really you could do this without making the plot feel unnaturally forced either as if Torchwood, SJ (Mickie & Jackie), Martha and the main TARDIS crew all end up on the Crucible, you can have them trying to reach one another or get captured with the climax of the second episode being the test of the reality bomb, perhaps with Davros’ insane cackling as the cliffhanger.
There’s a bunch of ways you could have handled exactly what you’d do story wise but you’d need an extra episode if you want to give all the other characters some interactions and scenes to make you appreciate their inclusion in the story. I don’t see how else you could feasibly have handled it.
Definitely needed another episode. The biggest misstep is the Doctor and rose barely speaking to each other despite building it up all series. Just little character interactions you only get in this kind of episode - make rose leaving at the end hurt more, have jack reveal his immortality to her cos wtf why was that not included, have Martha and rose interact more. So many little things.
🗣️🗣️