That's a great line, but I love "the man who regrets, and the man who forgets", which may be the most succinct and accurate description of the Tenth and Eleventh Doctors
While I LOVE pretty much EVERYTHING in this Special . . . that LINE! Oh.. . that line. That was God Tier acting from John Hurt. Maybe I am becoming a bit of an emotional sap in my old age. But there is a decent sized list of performances/ lines that make me tear up every time I see/ hear it. And THAT is definitely one of them. John Hurt's cracking voice just MAKES you completely feel that the Doctor's hearts are BREAKING! (shattering into a million pieces) As he is about to do the WORST thing he (or probably anyone else) has EVER done! (double genocide) And become an orphan, doomed to a lifetime of guilt filled suffering. And the ONLY thing he has left to hold on to, is the HOPE that all that pain will turn him into a better man in the future. (Who can at least TRY to make up for a fraction of his sin.) So tragic. I'M NOT CRYING! YOU"RE CRYING!
@@kemmdog4444 4 meets 13 in an extended universe book as well. It's a very touching scene with them chatting and chilling on a beach. Would love Tom and Jodie to record that scene so I can hear it.
Almost everyone was surprised by Tom Baker. In the middle of the week before this aired he was doing a phone interview with someone in South Carolina or somewhere about the show generally. There was nothing in their discussion about him being in the 50th special because that was kept dark but at the very end of the interview Tom asked South Carolina when their story was going out. The journalist said it was going out the following week, so Tom said, "Oh, then I can tell you - I'm totally in the 50th!" The South Carolina person freaked out and told a handful of people and maybe a couple hundred people got his appearance spoiled. Could have been far worse. :) Some time later Tom posted a thing about his experience shooting the 50th on his blog. His participation was so secret that they didn't even want him to be seen checking into a hotel in Cardiff for fear that would give away the game so the plan was to send a car in the wee hours and drive him down over night. He would sleep as best he could on the way down, do his thing in the morning on a closed set, and then be driven back home. All very exciting and James Bond - until he arrived at the studio at like 4am, before anyone else was there. Nobody is at their best at that time of the night and he had a couple hours alone cooling his heels around a deserted studio to start having second thoughts about agreeing to take part in the thing. Would anybody even know who he was any more? Would the random little scene he was given to do mean anything to anyone? Why did he stay up all fucking night again?? So he was in a bit of a mood when people started to show up for work and he was dangerously close to tearing some random person's head off when Matt Smith turned up and exuberantly welcomed Tom to the set with a boundless puppydog energy that yanked Tom out of his doldrums and got him through the scene. Turned out technology, not to mention the 3D cameras, had changed enough since Tom last worked on a film set that it felt like he was doing this for the first time, and again Tom gave credit to Matt for carrying him through - which aligns with everything I ever heard about Matt Smith. :)
That's my favorite line in the entire episode. For once, the Doctor isn't just trying to save someone else (because he couldn't save this situation). Just this once, everybody lives. The look of satisfaction on Billie's face just showing how much The Moment had one last surprise.
I feel like this episode does a really good job of demonstrating why The Doctor always needs a companion. Even after all 10 said about what he did being wrong, when him and 11 were brought back to that barn they were both still willing to push the button again. It's only when Clara speaks up that they are given that little push to try and save those billions of lives.
@@jonathangoodwin5609 It's been proven they weren't actually frozen in time though in the next episode, since they could interact with the outside universe via the cracks.
The night this came out, when I heard Tom Baker’s deep booming voice say “You know I really think you might!” To Eleven just... chills. Now that I’m going through his series’ I understand more than ever why he’s so renowned as the 4th Doctor. So glad he came back
When I heard his voice and then saw him the first time, I had to ask why Puddleglum was randomly on Doctor Who. I LOVED him in the BBC Chronicles of Narnia show growing up. I had no idea he was a former Doctor, so it’s great watching reactions to people who actually know who he is in relation to the show.
I remember watching Tom Baker as The Doctor as a child. He was my Doctor. As soon as I heard his voice I had chills and tears. There were plenty of spoilers before this episode, but he was a complete surprise. It still gives me chills now!
Tom Baker said in an interview, when he filmed the 50th anniversary, Matt Smith went out of his way to make him feel welcomed making him feel at home. Unfortunately no one else bothered to interact with him. This is why I love Matt Smith as a person and a performer, he’s very charming and jovial …and his presence has made an impact in attracting new Doctor Who fans in his take as the 11th Doctor. Hope to see him back for the 60th, that is if they chose to write him in for that special.
I love Matt but Tom is very, how can I specific in how he talks about the show and the people involved - an expectation of deference. Also David wasn't actually there - Tom Baker is his main doctor but the shooting schedule got moved so David's bit was done before Tom was on set - which apparently he was gutted about.
This is still my all-time favorite episode of Doctor Who. The years leading up to the 50th were such a magical time to be a fan. The show dominated conventions and cable and online discussions. It was everywhere, and it made me want to take in more of the show than I may have normally. One thing I found was clips from past anniversary specials which featured more than one Doctor, and the interactions were endlessly entertaining and thought-provoking. So of course I was desperate for a new one in the 50th, and they delivered in spades. There's so much I love about this one, and I sincerely hope the 60th in a couple years can get even a little close to matching its quality.
Came to you through your Red Dwarf reactions and am just checking out your Who videos, loving Paula's reactions so far. Love love love this episode, I'm usually very critical of Moffatt's writing and his time in charge of the show, but this was just a perfect 50th anniversary special. I'm looking forward to seeing your reaction to the 60th anniversary specials and the return of Tennant!
I love multiple doctor episodes. They can use the paradox of them interacting with themselves as reason for amnesia, and they're always pissy with their other selves because each blames the other for their crossing paths.
The whole "not remembering multi-Doctor adventures" thing has been established for a long time, else past Doctors would know they survive through to a certain point. This was a great utilisation of that concept to put the Time Lords back on the table without undoing all that character growth of 9 & 10.
When 10 married Elizabeth, if Clara was the flower girl then 11 was definitely his best man. The Doctor was the best man at his own wedding, where the only other guest was himself.
I love the idea that Matt Smith's Doctor's plan was working its way through the timeline to Hurt and Tennant. Like he was already going to go tell/get the previous iterations and the changes in the paradox worked their way through his timeline.
Interesting take on it. I'd always seen it as an unspoken reference to the Doctor's telepathic abilities. We don't see them often, so they're easy to forget.
The Day of the Doctor was aired in the UK at 5:15pm on November 23rd 2013, exactly 50 years to the first ever episode that aired at 5:15pm November 23rd 1963. Also, during the scenes where Clara's leaving the school the clock shows 5:15pm.
So remember in the Season 3 Episode 2 The Shakespeare Code at the end when Queen Elizabeth was angry when she saw the Doctor she was angry at him. It's because they had gotten married when she was younger and then he never came back!!!
And also at the beginning of part one "The End of Time" the doctor talkes to the Ood and explains to him why he didn't answer their calls right away and what he did instead. "Got married. That was a mistake. Good Queen Bess. And let me tell you, her nickname is no longer. Ahem."
Considering the messy situation during the writing after Moffat had his vision of the 50th in place. He pulled off one of the best Who episodes and I love it to bits. Filling in gaps from the Tennant era was nice to see. Full of great lines and shots. Even managed to bring Tom Baker back one more time was incredible considering he wouldn't returned to the show after he left. I shall leave you with this which will make your brain hurt. Where did the fez come from?
Two things about Billie Piper here: One, I love the "-The Interface is hot! -Well, I do my best..."! Can´t argue about that... The other thing is The Moment/Rose/Bad Wolf saying "Now you´re getting it!". She said the same thing to Mickey in The Girl In The Fireplace, when he took the gun/fire extinguisher. She even did it with the same smile and voice. I would´ve loved that to be her leitmotiv...
Apologies for the late comment, but I have only tonight discovered your channel. I am an ancient 52 and I went to the cinema to see this episode. The only time I have known a new anniversary episode shown that way. I lived through the wilderness years of the nineties and though it wasn't on the tele, it was never far from the Radio Times - in those days our few ways of knowing what was happening in the worlds of television in the UK. The first words of Tom Baker in this episode was like gold dust(!!!!). In the cinema we were shocked and amazed!!! We had grown up with this programme and Tom was THE Doctor - and to many, still is. Many thank for your reactions. I have watched many reactions and yours reminds me so much of the fun we had discussing the episodes of Who, Next Gen, and anything else on then. Great fun watching you.
To this day i have still not seen my local cinema full to capacity like it was when i went to see day of the doctor. It was brilliant, no it was..fantastic!
I also got to see this one in theatres!!! It has been one of my top movie theatre experiences, a big ass room full of Whovians watching something new 😭
Yeah, the multiplex where I saw it ended up filling seven or eight auditoriums. The people who worked there seemed to have NO IDEA what this was. When everyone started showing up at 8am or whenever, many in costume, they started getting nervous. LOL! Deafening applause when each person's name came up in the opening credits, obviously, also for the attack eyebrows. When Tom said his first line, HOLY LIVING FUCK - nobody heard anything coming out of the screen for the first half of Matt and Tom's scene. It was very easy to imagine that same scenario playing out everywhere since all the cinema showings all over the world were timed to coincide with when the thing aired on the BBC in the UK. SO cool. Did the gals see the cinema introductions with Matt, David and Strax? Someone make them aware of those if they haven't seen them - they're a laugh and well worth seeing, whether or not they react to them. :)
I worry that so many of the references and cameos would just go over their heads, though! (Though they might be excited by some of the new series related stuff, like David Tennant's oldest son and daughter showing up and technically his younger son, who was in utereo in Georgia at the time! LOL)
10:50 Friendly reminder that you'll never be as badass as three of The Doctor doing a slow-motion gunslinger walk over a dead Dalek, while this particular tune is playing.
THANKS for reviewing and commenting on my *second* favorite Who film (with the Hartnell bio Space/Time as No. 1.)!!!! Yes, splendid chaps, all of them. :)
i was so happy to see Tom in the 50th he was my doctor my first episode of who in 1974 was his first episode i got so lucky with one doctor for almost my whole childhood
Happy 50th Paula and Katrina. That was a fun reaction. The whole episode is great, but Tom Baker's appearance was the best part for me. When the special aired I had no idea he was in it. He was the Doctor when I first discovered the show, and his Doctor holds a very special place in my heart. So when he showed up at the end I completely lost it. It was like running into a long lost friend. I totally missed his whole conversation with 11 because I was crying. Good times. ❤️
That's funny. The "toy version" of the TARDIS crashing through the wall. A couple of days ago I watched some making of specials about 'Day of the Doctor' (which is what ultimately brought me back here as I haven't checked in on the channel in quite awhile) and the Daleks that get destroyed are literally toys they bought off the shelf and tweaked a little to make them look good for the camera. That is the end of the anecdote.
It’s so nice to see someone react to this who knows who Tom Baker is. I grew up with him as my Doctor and it breaks my heart when people go “who’s this random old man?”
Did Ms. Paula recognize Tom Baker's voice? I couldn't tell by her reaction. It didn't seem like she reacted to "Hartnell's" voice either. How much of Classic Who have they covered at this point?
If anyone is into audiobooks, podcasts, or audio productions, or even just wants more of John Hurt's War Doctor, Big Finnish did four three-episode audio series shortly before Hurt's death. They also did five four-episode audio series of Derek Jacobi's War Master depicting the Master's actions between being revived by the Time Lords to help fight the Time War and running off to the end of the Universe prior to meeting Tennant's Doctor as Professor Yana. I _highly_ recommend these for anyone who's a fan of the show. Every Big Finnish production is excellent, but these are above and beyond the rest. The "you won't remember" thing has happened before whenever the Doctor crosses his own timeline such as in the Five Doctors, the Two Doctors, Time Crash, etc. Only the most recent doctor retains any clear memories of the event (and even then it can be a bit fuzzy not that the Doctor's memory is exactly the greatest at the best of times, any previous Doctor will have a very spotty memory of it, with bits filled in by their own expectations.
Best believe that this is now added to my Day of the doctor reaction playlist😂😂 Love the vid guys, keep it up I cannot wait for the Capaldi and Clara era👍👍
I watched this at the cinema alongside so many other whovians and it was just such an epic experience. Sharing these huge moments with all those other fans, like "all thirteen" and the reveal of Tom Baker, watching the pre-videos, like Strax on cinema etiquette and Matt and David's intro. Also, seeing it in actual 3D on top of that. Such a brilliant special.
I'm pretty sure I saw that happening when I went to see Serenity (the Firefly movie) at the local film festival, but it's been so many years now that my memory isn't as reliable anymore, lol
Watching this back just realized. The doctor (Matt) felt another time lord in the area when he and Clara first arrived. He thought it was just the painting as it was a slice of real time but in actuality it was the doctors sitting inside and waiting
The scene where the doctors unite to save gallifrey is one of the greatest moments in who ever! Clever use of audio clips from the past doctors: 'Good luck!' - 2nd doctor 'The seeds of death' episode 3 'Standby' - 3rd doctor 'The three doctors' episode 4 'Soon be there' - 5th doctor 'The five doctors' 'Cross the boundaries that divide one universe from another' - 7th doctor 'Battlefield' part 1 'Just got to lock onto his coordinates' - 6th doctor 'Attack of the cybermen' part 1 There's a scene in 'Aliens of london' with the 9th doctor in the tardis solo rushing around flying it like a mad man, wish they had used some clips of that in this scene
David Tennant's line "Good to know my future is in safe hands," was first said by the First Doctor, played by Richard Hurndell, in The Five Doctors (the 20th anniversary show).
The encounter with the 4th doctor show that it is possible for the doctor to regenerate into an past regenration. It's like a hard drive the information is there so his past regenerations are still there.
Classic Who long ago established that two or more Doctors in the same place & time only retain the knowledge of the interaction whilst they are together. So if they meet again, they can and have remembered the previous time of being together.
There's this thing called the Blinovitch Limitation Effect from Classic Who which prevents individuals from interacting and especially making contact with different temporal versions of themselves without a massive potentially catastrophic release of energy. Time Lords have a loophole for this that allow contact as long as the biodata is different enough (different incarnations) but as a result the timelines cannot synch properly and earlier temporal versions cannot retain information of the contact to mitigate the energy release.
I saw the Tardis Heleciptor scene being filmed. I was on an open-top bus tour in London that day and we could see Matt Smith high-fiving a crowd at Trafalgar Square, and the Tardis was on a crane too.
Billie Piper really is a fantastic actress! I love her in DW but I think it was Confessions of a Call Girl that really displayed her acting abilities, imo. Check it out! Its fantastic! (Maybe a little too adult for reactions, tho.)
Tennant was imitating Patrick troughton face when he made that “grumpy face” because the “you’ve redecorated... I don’t like it” was a quote from the second doctor(troughton) meeting the third doctor
I met Tom Baker, had a dinner party with when I was staying with my cousin in Tunbridge Wells. The great man instantly recognized me as the American cousin. But when he realized that he and my late father were both from Liverpool, we talked all night. He farted, told filthy, filthy jokes, but all I could think was, "Holy shit, I'm sitting on a couch, getting drunk with THE Doctor."
"Great men are forged in fire. It is the privilege of lesser men to light the flame. Whatever the cost." One of my favorite quotes from all of Doctor Who.
'How did you do that?' 'Wasn't locked....' epic! So funny. A great special and we get the Zygons' first appearance since 1975 AND the introduction of the super nerd Petronella Osgood... and as if all THAT wasn't enough, Tom Baker rocks up as the Curator, fantastic!
I've always prescribed to the idea that The Doctor always saved Galifrey and lost his memory due to the nature of crossing his own timeline. I've heard of others suggest he did in fact change history but I much prefer the idea of him essentially saving his people but at the cost of believing himself alone having committed genocide. The guilt and trauma of that event, though manufactured in a sense, was real enough and shaped Doctors 9, 10 and 11 into who they are/were. 9's utter hatred and fear at seeing Van Statten's Dalek prisoner may not have been as intense, 10's confrontation with Rassilon and the Master may have turned out different. All in all utterly amazing story that gets you thinking.
You gals really missed a trick by not doing "The Three Doctors" in your brief Classic Who watchthrough. :-) You guys have got to see Troughton and Pertwee bicker.
'So you're my replacements - a dandy and a clown!' -- the First Doctor delivering some classic sass. 😆😆 And, of course, the first occurrence of the 'You've redecorated. I don't like it' exchange about the TARDIS, which of course showed up again here in 'Day of the Doctor'. ❤️ (Plus, 'Three Doctors' is awesome in that it has my all-time fave Doctor Who villain, Omega.)
@@dragonrune6800 Oh, yes! 'The Five Doctors'! Some disagree, but I personally think it's a great 'starter' serial for people wanting to get a taste of how each of those Doctors are. Well, minus the Fourth Doctor. Or kinda also the First Doctor. But still!
The heaven sent theme, in the 50th as the doctors get excited about there plan “this time there’s three of us” that theme was right there! And then 12 came along in heaven sent and made it my absolute favourite piece of music from the entire show
I wonder if they need to. Most of the humor is about actor stuff and they ought to tune into that just fine. Someone needs to do some kind of explainer video flagging all the cameos in that thing. :)
Not part of the 50th but the lockdown minis "pompodour" & "secret of novice hame" are really nice sequels to stories you've seen so no spoilers & would make a nice addition I think
The 10th Doctor saying the line about his future being in good hands is a nod to the 1st Doctor saying that to his 5th incarnation in The Five Doctors.
Got to see it in theater..it was so Magical..Specially when Tom Popped up! Everyone was in tears! Now you have to listen to the War Doctor BF series since that' the last time SEE the war doctor since John Hurt Died a few years after...but he still managed to do a few "War doctor" Stories for Big Finish!
Shot in 3D, saw it at my local multiplex, synchronised start with BBC1 here in the UK, only time ive ever been in a 100% full cinema but never sat in worse seats (almost right at the front)
One of the best episodes of New Who - people can criticise Moffat but I think he got the 50th special absolutely right. I do have an issue with something coming up but we'll get to that. I like that Billie Piper actually wasn't Rose in this because she'd already come back as her twice since her final regular appearance and it really felt like 'how many times do we need to say goodbye to this character? Enough already!' lol.
So glad to finally see this! When this first aired, even though all the marketing only showed Matt Smith and David Tennant, I kept expecting Eccleston to make some sort of appearance. Since he didn't, I was a little disappointed and it took me a few rewatches to truly appreciate what this episode actually did offer. Funnily enough, the first Big Finish Doctor Who audio drama with a certain actor playing the Doctor in it was released just a few days ago!!! While the Big Finish dramas are almost more daunting than Classic Who to start, because of how many there are, I'd highly suggest checking out at least a few. There are MANY interesting crossovers between eras for instance, that are worth looking into, and every Doctor up through (and including) 10 has continued stories now, including the War Doctor. There was even a 50th anniversary with some classic Doctor crossovers, too. There's also Torchwood, UNIT, Diaries of River Song, some Master stories (including Master crossovers), a few stories with Jenny (and even one with Doctor #5
Ohhh, did Davison's Doctor appear with Jenny?? Of course he did - I'm embarrassed that I doubted that Big Finish would do that. Of COURSE they would! LOL! I remember the run up to Tom Baker finally agreeing to do some Big Finish stuff after they had been politely and gently courting him for literally decades. Once they started doing them, Tom kept saying he couldn't believe he wasted so many years refusing to be the Doctor for Big Finish!
13:52 when you think about it, that really isn't much better than just killing them. The only thing that changes in practice is the Doctor can erase his feelings of guilt.
Two and a half years time it'll be the Sixtieth Anniversary. That's coming along alarmingly quickly. The Gallifrey Gals will be long caught up by then so will hopefully react to that (assuming there is anything to react to) as it happens.
Surely they'll do something, won't they? With the best will in the world I can't imagine Chibnall matching "Day of the Doctor" but I hope he makes an effort. Ideally he'll give Moff or RTD a call for advice if he needs it..... :-/
I loved seeing my Doctor, Tom Baker, #4, as the curator in this! Our PBS station acquired the syndicated version of Classic Who, & my first episode was #4 & Sarah Jane in Pyramids of Mars.
You can tell this is going to be a big one, there were barely any pre-reaction tangents! I do have issues with this special, but when the finished product is this much fun, who cares about stuff like that? I really really enjoy this special, the interactions between the three Doctors are incredibly entertaining to watch, Moffat's script offers them some wonderful characterisation, and the performances of John Hurt, Matt Smith and David Tennant are excellent. The comedic banter is absolutely hilarious, especially the way the three of them make fun of each other's demeanours and appearances ("Are you capable of speaking without flapping your hands about?"), but the more emotional and dramatic moments are really strong too, especially the conversation in the dungeon. In general the focus on the War Doctor's quandary over whether or not to destroy Gallifrey via his experiences of his future selves is really impactful, and while I do have some mixed feelings over the decision to save the planet and effectively retcon the last 8 years of the show, you can't act like it's not earned. And seeing all thirteen Doctors teaming up to save Gallifrey, combined with the last minute cameo by Tom Baker as the Curator is the perfect fan pleasing way to wrap up this episode. It's clear that everything else in this episode is playing second fiddle to the Doctors and their dilemma, but the rest of the episode is loads of fun too. It's fun to see the Zygons show up again, even if their subplot does feel a little bit underbaked and gets resolved a little too abruptly, and also get proper confirmation for why Queen Elizabeth was so pissed when she saw the Doctor at the end of The Shakespeare Code. Kate's return was also really nice to see, and Osgood gets a pretty solid introduction, thanks to Ingrid Oliver's loveably dorky performance. And also, it looks amazing, you can tell they sunk a lot of money into this thing, and it genuinely feels like every penny is on the screen. What else can I say, Day of the Doctor is just loads of fun, with plenty of great interactions between three lead actors, as well as Jenna Coleman and Billie Piper, who steals the show as the quirky interface for the Moment, as well as a strong emotional storyline and a gorgeous cinematic direction and visual effects. After the relative disappointment of series 7, this was exactly the shot in the arm that the series needed, and the good news is that from here on out, we're going to be getting into some really good stuff
Moffatt has released some lines from the original draft with the 9th Doctor. Here are some of them (very brief). 9 meeting the Raggedy Girl sciencefiction.com/2018/03/26/steven-moffat-early-draft-day-doctor-featuring-ninth-doctor/
I will forever love that in the big climactic battle for Gallifrey this is, basically, canon: *All twelve Doctors are clearly up to shenanigans* Daleks: No big deal, everyone carry on. *13 appears* Daleks: Fire everything! Right now! Suckers and all!
I saw this in the cinema on 24.11.13 (Australian, so - day later, even if it was the same time) and when Tom spoke those words - the whole cinema erupted! It was beautiful.
You should listen to that johnlarro guy. It was a great shame that Tom went and spoiled the surprise on like the morning of the Anniversary or the day before... But I guess he's Tom Baker, and he can do whatever the hell he likes, because - He's Tom Baker! :) I know it's not 100% true, but it's often said that Tom was not acting when he played the Doctor... he was just being him. And he was honestly so quintessentially the Doctor... Capaldi acted his boots off and made the role amazing, but Tom was just himself...
This is wonderful! People making decisions over whole societies but not remembering what part of the deal they are getting, thats John Rawls philosophy of ethics. Neat =).
When I first watched this and realized they were actually going to save Gallifrey, I'll admit I had some mixed feelings. I was worried they were undoing the characterization of the Doctor and removing a lot of their motivation... but I've softened a lot, however, and now I unambiguously love it. The Doctor still fought in the Time War and killed a lot of people, and it's something that will continue to haunt him. That part of his character hasn't been lost. This episode just happens to highlight another fundamental aspect of the character, which is the ability to take a third option no one else would ever be able to pull off. And finally, at this point in the show, we'd had almost a decade of time war angst. That well was bound to dry up sooner or later, and it's important for the showrunner to be willing to move the show forward, and not just slavishly repeat what worked before ... ahem.
Peter Capaldi's eyebrows have more talent than most people have in there whole being. Epic entrance indeed
Attack eyebrows >:)
You could take bottle tops off with them
Well said. I feel I could listen to Capaldi read the dictionary and I would still be enthralled.
“Great men are forged in the fire. It is the privilege of lesser men to light the flame” shivers every time I hear this line, LOVE THIS SPECIAL
That's a great line, but I love "the man who regrets, and the man who forgets", which may be the most succinct and accurate description of the Tenth and Eleventh Doctors
While I LOVE pretty much EVERYTHING in this Special . . . that LINE!
Oh.. . that line. That was God Tier acting from John Hurt.
Maybe I am becoming a bit of an emotional sap in my old age. But there is a decent sized list of performances/ lines that make me tear up every time I see/ hear it. And THAT is definitely one of them.
John Hurt's cracking voice just MAKES you completely feel that the Doctor's hearts are BREAKING! (shattering into a million pieces) As he is about to do the WORST thing he (or probably anyone else) has EVER done! (double genocide) And become an orphan, doomed to a lifetime of guilt filled suffering. And the ONLY thing he has left to hold on to, is the HOPE that all that pain will turn him into a better man in the future. (Who can at least TRY to make up for a fraction of his sin.) So tragic.
I'M NOT CRYING! YOU"RE CRYING!
"The archive where we keep the MOST dangerous artifacts". Front and center: River Song's red stilettoes.
And what about her lipstick!!?? Where is that?? Ts ts ts
@@passerbytanuki2456the lipstick makes up the heel of the stiletto, probably. Hence why the heels are there…
"If I were you..." Love that line so much. Also nice to see Tom crushing it once again.
@@kemmdog4444 4 meets 13 in an extended universe book as well. It's a very touching scene with them chatting and chilling on a beach. Would love Tom and Jodie to record that scene so I can hear it.
When this came out, we knew about Billie Piper, David Tennant, etc., but everyone was surprised by Tom Baker!
Almost everyone was surprised by Tom Baker. In the middle of the week before this aired he was doing a phone interview with someone in South Carolina or somewhere about the show generally. There was nothing in their discussion about him being in the 50th special because that was kept dark but at the very end of the interview Tom asked South Carolina when their story was going out. The journalist said it was going out the following week, so Tom said, "Oh, then I can tell you - I'm totally in the 50th!" The South Carolina person freaked out and told a handful of people and maybe a couple hundred people got his appearance spoiled. Could have been far worse. :)
Some time later Tom posted a thing about his experience shooting the 50th on his blog. His participation was so secret that they didn't even want him to be seen checking into a hotel in Cardiff for fear that would give away the game so the plan was to send a car in the wee hours and drive him down over night. He would sleep as best he could on the way down, do his thing in the morning on a closed set, and then be driven back home. All very exciting and James Bond - until he arrived at the studio at like 4am, before anyone else was there. Nobody is at their best at that time of the night and he had a couple hours alone cooling his heels around a deserted studio to start having second thoughts about agreeing to take part in the thing. Would anybody even know who he was any more? Would the random little scene he was given to do mean anything to anyone? Why did he stay up all fucking night again?? So he was in a bit of a mood when people started to show up for work and he was dangerously close to tearing some random person's head off when Matt Smith turned up and exuberantly welcomed Tom to the set with a boundless puppydog energy that yanked Tom out of his doldrums and got him through the scene. Turned out technology, not to mention the 3D cameras, had changed enough since Tom last worked on a film set that it felt like he was doing this for the first time, and again Tom gave credit to Matt for carrying him through - which aligns with everything I ever heard about Matt Smith. :)
Not everyone. I googled the episode a few hours before it aired and it showed Tom Baker in the cast list.
"That sounds bring hope to anyone who hears it, Doctor. Anyone. However lost. Even you." Tears. Always tears.
That's my favorite line in the entire episode. For once, the Doctor isn't just trying to save someone else (because he couldn't save this situation). Just this once, everybody lives. The look of satisfaction on Billie's face just showing how much The Moment had one last surprise.
I feel like this episode does a really good job of demonstrating why The Doctor always needs a companion. Even after all 10 said about what he did being wrong, when him and 11 were brought back to that barn they were both still willing to push the button again. It's only when Clara speaks up that they are given that little push to try and save those billions of lives.
Trouble is those lives are now frozen in time. They really might as well be dead. They wouldn't know the difference.
@@jonathangoodwin5609 It's been proven they weren't actually frozen in time though in the next episode, since they could interact with the outside universe via the cracks.
The night this came out, when I heard Tom Baker’s deep booming voice say “You know I really think you might!” To Eleven just... chills. Now that I’m going through his series’ I understand more than ever why he’s so renowned as the 4th Doctor. So glad he came back
When I heard his voice and then saw him the first time, I had to ask why Puddleglum was randomly on Doctor Who. I LOVED him in the BBC Chronicles of Narnia show growing up. I had no idea he was a former Doctor, so it’s great watching reactions to people who actually know who he is in relation to the show.
I remember watching Tom Baker as The Doctor as a child. He was my Doctor. As soon as I heard his voice I had chills and tears. There were plenty of spoilers before this episode, but he was a complete surprise. It still gives me chills now!
Tom Baker said in an interview, when he filmed the 50th anniversary, Matt Smith went out of his way to make him feel welcomed making him feel at home. Unfortunately no one else bothered to interact with him. This is why I love Matt Smith as a person and a performer, he’s very charming and jovial …and his presence has made an impact in attracting new Doctor Who fans in his take as the 11th Doctor. Hope to see him back for the 60th, that is if they chose to write him in for that special.
I love Matt but Tom is very, how can I specific in how he talks about the show and the people involved - an expectation of deference. Also David wasn't actually there - Tom Baker is his main doctor but the shooting schedule got moved so David's bit was done before Tom was on set - which apparently he was gutted about.
This is still my all-time favorite episode of Doctor Who. The years leading up to the 50th were such a magical time to be a fan. The show dominated conventions and cable and online discussions. It was everywhere, and it made me want to take in more of the show than I may have normally. One thing I found was clips from past anniversary specials which featured more than one Doctor, and the interactions were endlessly entertaining and thought-provoking. So of course I was desperate for a new one in the 50th, and they delivered in spades. There's so much I love about this one, and I sincerely hope the 60th in a couple years can get even a little close to matching its quality.
"The interface is hot" "Well I do my best" Hot damn that line. Also the comedy and hero walk is fantastic. Also, attack eyebrows
Came to you through your Red Dwarf reactions and am just checking out your Who videos, loving Paula's reactions so far. Love love love this episode, I'm usually very critical of Moffatt's writing and his time in charge of the show, but this was just a perfect 50th anniversary special. I'm looking forward to seeing your reaction to the 60th anniversary specials and the return of Tennant!
I love multiple doctor episodes. They can use the paradox of them interacting with themselves as reason for amnesia, and they're always pissy with their other selves because each blames the other for their crossing paths.
The whole "not remembering multi-Doctor adventures" thing has been established for a long time, else past Doctors would know they survive through to a certain point. This was a great utilisation of that concept to put the Time Lords back on the table without undoing all that character growth of 9 & 10.
When 10 married Elizabeth, if Clara was the flower girl then 11 was definitely his best man. The Doctor was the best man at his own wedding, where the only other guest was himself.
A wedding always needs witnesses... 🤔🤔😏
I love the idea that Matt Smith's Doctor's plan was working its way through the timeline to Hurt and Tennant. Like he was already going to go tell/get the previous iterations and the changes in the paradox worked their way through his timeline.
Interesting take on it. I'd always seen it as an unspoken reference to the Doctor's telepathic abilities. We don't see them often, so they're easy to forget.
@@donaldwatson7698 you know, it could totally be that too. Just without the "Contact!" declaration. I'd be just as tickled if it were.
The Day of the Doctor was aired in the UK at 5:15pm on November 23rd 2013, exactly 50 years to the first ever episode that aired at 5:15pm November 23rd 1963. Also, during the scenes where Clara's leaving the school the clock shows 5:15pm.
So remember in the Season 3 Episode 2 The Shakespeare Code at the end when Queen Elizabeth was angry when she saw the Doctor she was angry at him. It's because they had gotten married when she was younger and then he never came back!!!
And also at the beginning of part one "The End of Time" the doctor talkes to the Ood and explains to him why he didn't answer their calls right away and what he did instead.
"Got married. That was a mistake. Good Queen Bess. And let me tell you, her nickname is no longer. Ahem."
"No Sir! ALL THIRTEEN" Cue the Eyebrows😎😎
The Attack Eyebrows!! The Eyebrows that Stared down a gunship.
@@jonjohns8145 so ANGRY
When I heard Tom Baker's voice I was immediately in tears. Suddenly I was seven and watching Ark in Space all those years ago. 😁
Considering the messy situation during the writing after Moffat had his vision of the 50th in place. He pulled off one of the best Who episodes and I love it to bits. Filling in gaps from the Tennant era was nice to see. Full of great lines and shots. Even managed to bring Tom Baker back one more time was incredible considering he wouldn't returned to the show after he left. I shall leave you with this which will make your brain hurt. Where did the fez come from?
It always was. 🤣😎
Two things about Billie Piper here: One, I love the "-The Interface is hot! -Well, I do my best..."! Can´t argue about that... The other thing is The Moment/Rose/Bad Wolf saying "Now you´re getting it!". She said the same thing to Mickey in The Girl In The Fireplace, when he took the gun/fire extinguisher. She even did it with the same smile and voice. I would´ve loved that to be her leitmotiv...
Apologies for the late comment, but I have only tonight discovered your channel. I am an ancient 52 and I went to the cinema to see this episode. The only time I have known a new anniversary episode shown that way. I lived through the wilderness years of the nineties and though it wasn't on the tele, it was never far from the Radio Times - in those days our few ways of knowing what was happening in the worlds of television in the UK. The first words of Tom Baker in this episode was like gold dust(!!!!). In the cinema we were shocked and amazed!!! We had grown up with this programme and Tom was THE Doctor - and to many, still is. Many thank for your reactions. I have watched many reactions and yours reminds me so much of the fun we had discussing the episodes of Who, Next Gen, and anything else on then. Great fun watching you.
“You’ve redecorated…” line has been said by many doctors first said by 2nd in The Three Doctors.
11 also said it to Craig
I saw this in the movie theatre - unbelievable atmosphere with all the other whovians!
To this day i have still not seen my local cinema full to capacity like it was when i went to see day of the doctor. It was brilliant, no it was..fantastic!
I also got to see this one in theatres!!! It has been one of my top movie theatre experiences, a big ass room full of Whovians watching something new 😭
I saw it at a comic con with about 2000 fans. It was great fun.
Yeah, the multiplex where I saw it ended up filling seven or eight auditoriums. The people who worked there seemed to have NO IDEA what this was. When everyone started showing up at 8am or whenever, many in costume, they started getting nervous. LOL!
Deafening applause when each person's name came up in the opening credits, obviously, also for the attack eyebrows. When Tom said his first line, HOLY LIVING FUCK - nobody heard anything coming out of the screen for the first half of Matt and Tom's scene. It was very easy to imagine that same scenario playing out everywhere since all the cinema showings all over the world were timed to coincide with when the thing aired on the BBC in the UK. SO cool.
Did the gals see the cinema introductions with Matt, David and Strax? Someone make them aware of those if they haven't seen them - they're a laugh and well worth seeing, whether or not they react to them. :)
Did you watch the Five(ish) Doctors? If you haven’t, you should. It’s so good too!
I was gonna say the same thing!
I worry that so many of the references and cameos would just go over their heads, though! (Though they might be excited by some of the new series related stuff, like David Tennant's oldest son and daughter showing up and technically his younger son, who was in utereo in Georgia at the time! LOL)
10:50 Friendly reminder that you'll never be as badass as three of The Doctor doing a slow-motion gunslinger walk over a dead Dalek, while this particular tune is playing.
Murray Gold is Always a win *ding*
THANKS for reviewing and commenting on my *second* favorite Who film (with the Hartnell bio Space/Time as No. 1.)!!!! Yes, splendid chaps, all of them. :)
i was so happy to see Tom in the 50th he was my doctor my first episode of who in 1974 was his first episode i got so lucky with one doctor for almost my whole childhood
If she hasn't yet, Paula needs to see the letter from a 14 year old Peter Capaldi asking to be the president of the Doctor Who fan club.
I love how he annoyed them with all his letters and then eventually went on to not only be in Doctor Who, BUT BE THE DOCTOR!
Happy 50th Paula and Katrina. That was a fun reaction. The whole episode is great, but Tom Baker's appearance was the best part for me. When the special aired I had no idea he was in it. He was the Doctor when I first discovered the show, and his Doctor holds a very special place in my heart. So when he showed up at the end I completely lost it. It was like running into a long lost friend. I totally missed his whole conversation with 11 because I was crying. Good times. ❤️
"You might find yourself revisiting a few old faces... just the favourites." Foreshadowing indeed. :)
That's funny. The "toy version" of the TARDIS crashing through the wall. A couple of days ago I watched some making of specials about 'Day of the Doctor' (which is what ultimately brought me back here as I haven't checked in on the channel in quite awhile) and the Daleks that get destroyed are literally toys they bought off the shelf and tweaked a little to make them look good for the camera. That is the end of the anecdote.
Eleven never did forget how many children were lost in the Time War, he just decided to move on…as it is mentioned here in the 50th anniversary.
It’s so nice to see someone react to this who knows who Tom Baker is. I grew up with him as my Doctor and it breaks my heart when people go “who’s this random old man?”
Did Ms. Paula recognize Tom Baker's voice? I couldn't tell by her reaction. It didn't seem like she reacted to "Hartnell's" voice either.
How much of Classic Who have they covered at this point?
@@davidbethke5463 They'd seen Genesis of the Daleks at least, so knew Tom's Doctor. I don't know about the rest.
I must know, why do you hate unicorns so.
Even after all this time, "You know, I really think you might..." gives me absolute, full body chills when I heard it. Tom Baker is so special.
And this episode introduced one of my favorite Who characters, Osgood!
I ❤️ Osgood, too! She's such an awesome fangirl of the Doctor!
The banter between Tennant and Smith warms my heart.
If anyone is into audiobooks, podcasts, or audio productions, or even just wants more of John Hurt's War Doctor, Big Finnish did four three-episode audio series shortly before Hurt's death. They also did five four-episode audio series of Derek Jacobi's War Master depicting the Master's actions between being revived by the Time Lords to help fight the Time War and running off to the end of the Universe prior to meeting Tennant's Doctor as Professor Yana. I _highly_ recommend these for anyone who's a fan of the show. Every Big Finnish production is excellent, but these are above and beyond the rest.
The "you won't remember" thing has happened before whenever the Doctor crosses his own timeline such as in the Five Doctors, the Two Doctors, Time Crash, etc. Only the most recent doctor retains any clear memories of the event (and even then it can be a bit fuzzy not that the Doctor's memory is exactly the greatest at the best of times, any previous Doctor will have a very spotty memory of it, with bits filled in by their own expectations.
Best believe that this is now added to my Day of the doctor reaction playlist😂😂 Love the vid guys, keep it up I cannot wait for the Capaldi and Clara era👍👍
In the UK we knew MONTHS before the 50th that Peter was going to be the doctor, in the UK we get trailer previews of the next doctor we do,
Capaldi had an entire live reveal event on bbc one where he did a live interview and everything.
@@dd-ye2zq yup I saw it :)
The way the Moment smiles when she says "Even you." 😭
I love that you forget meeting your previous self. It opens the possibility to bring in any doctor at any time.
It's possible for the doctor to regenerate into a past regeneration.
I watched this at the cinema alongside so many other whovians and it was just such an epic experience. Sharing these huge moments with all those other fans, like "all thirteen" and the reveal of Tom Baker, watching the pre-videos, like Strax on cinema etiquette and Matt and David's intro. Also, seeing it in actual 3D on top of that. Such a brilliant special.
At the end everyone stood up and started clapping a cheering...was the weirdest thing I've ever seen in a cinema
I'm pretty sure I saw that happening when I went to see Serenity (the Firefly movie) at the local film festival, but it's been so many years now that my memory isn't as reliable anymore, lol
Watching this back just realized. The doctor (Matt) felt another time lord in the area when he and Clara first arrived. He thought it was just the painting as it was a slice of real time but in actuality it was the doctors sitting inside and waiting
If you ever watch Star Wars: Rebels, you'll be amused to know that Tom Baker does the voice of the Bendu, a very Doctor-like character lol.
I can't wait to ball my eyes out together with these ladies next week!
"I don't know if you've ever watched Penny Dreadful..."
Damn. Now, I gotta go and watch Billie's monologue and cry my eyes out again.
The scene where the doctors unite to save gallifrey is one of the greatest moments in who ever! Clever use of audio clips from the past doctors:
'Good luck!' - 2nd doctor 'The seeds of death' episode 3
'Standby' - 3rd doctor 'The three doctors' episode 4
'Soon be there' - 5th doctor 'The five doctors'
'Cross the boundaries that divide one universe from another' - 7th doctor 'Battlefield' part 1
'Just got to lock onto his coordinates' - 6th doctor 'Attack of the cybermen' part 1
There's a scene in 'Aliens of london' with the 9th doctor in the tardis solo rushing around flying it like a mad man, wish they had used some clips of that in this scene
David Tennant's line "Good to know my future is in safe hands," was first said by the First Doctor, played by Richard Hurndell, in The Five Doctors (the 20th anniversary show).
The encounter with the 4th doctor show that it is possible for the doctor to regenerate into an past regenration. It's like a hard drive the information is there so his past regenerations are still there.
Classic Who long ago established that two or more Doctors in the same place & time only retain the knowledge of the interaction whilst they are together.
So if they meet again, they can and have remembered the previous time of being together.
Lets go!!! I've been waiting for this reaction since the beginning and it's finally here!!!
Introducing the War Doctor played by John Hurt who fought in the Time War between the Gallifreyans and the Daleks
There's this thing called the Blinovitch Limitation Effect from Classic Who which prevents individuals from interacting and especially making contact with different temporal versions of themselves without a massive potentially catastrophic release of energy. Time Lords have a loophole for this that allow contact as long as the biodata is different enough (different incarnations) but as a result the timelines cannot synch properly and earlier temporal versions cannot retain information of the contact to mitigate the energy release.
I saw the Tardis Heleciptor scene being filmed. I was on an open-top bus tour in London that day and we could see Matt Smith high-fiving a crowd at Trafalgar Square, and the Tardis was on a crane too.
Billie Piper really is a fantastic actress! I love her in DW but I think it was Confessions of a Call Girl that really displayed her acting abilities, imo. Check it out! Its fantastic! (Maybe a little too adult for reactions, tho.)
Tennant was imitating Patrick troughton face when he made that “grumpy face” because the “you’ve redecorated... I don’t like it” was a quote from the second doctor(troughton) meeting the third doctor
I met Tom Baker, had a dinner party with when I was staying with my cousin in Tunbridge Wells. The great man instantly recognized me as the American cousin. But when he realized that he and my late father were both from Liverpool, we talked all night. He farted, told filthy, filthy jokes, but all I could think was, "Holy shit, I'm sitting on a couch, getting drunk with THE Doctor."
Its funny how battle tardises are an actual time war unit
Tear up just hearing Tom Baker's voice everytime I watch this one,
OH GOD IT'S HERE!!! IT'S TIME!!!
OK deep breaths everyone!
Allons-y!!! ❤️ ❤️ ❤️ ❤️
"Great men are forged in fire. It is the privilege of lesser men to light the flame. Whatever the cost." One of my favorite quotes from all of Doctor Who.
The Moment has arrived! And the Doctors, Clara and some Zygons as well. Really great, fun reaction, ladies. Well worth the wait 😀
I was lucky enough to get to see this in the theater in 3D!So good!
'How did you do that?'
'Wasn't locked....' epic! So funny. A great special and we get the Zygons' first appearance since 1975 AND the introduction of the super nerd Petronella Osgood... and as if all THAT wasn't enough, Tom Baker rocks up as the Curator, fantastic!
They showed this in cinemas in the UK and I'm so lucky my cousin is a massive Who fan and surprised me with a ticket. It was Fantastic!
I've always prescribed to the idea that The Doctor always saved Galifrey and lost his memory due to the nature of crossing his own timeline. I've heard of others suggest he did in fact change history but I much prefer the idea of him essentially saving his people but at the cost of believing himself alone having committed genocide. The guilt and trauma of that event, though manufactured in a sense, was real enough and shaped Doctors 9, 10 and 11 into who they are/were. 9's utter hatred and fear at seeing Van Statten's Dalek prisoner may not have been as intense, 10's confrontation with Rassilon and the Master may have turned out different. All in all utterly amazing story that gets you thinking.
Technically it isn't the first time they've shown a Doctor before a regeneration. Old Whovians know what I'm talking about.
You gals really missed a trick by not doing "The Three Doctors" in your brief Classic Who watchthrough. :-) You guys have got to see Troughton and Pertwee bicker.
Or "The Five Doctors."
'So you're my replacements - a dandy and a clown!' -- the First Doctor delivering some classic sass. 😆😆 And, of course, the first occurrence of the 'You've redecorated. I don't like it' exchange about the TARDIS, which of course showed up again here in 'Day of the Doctor'. ❤️ (Plus, 'Three Doctors' is awesome in that it has my all-time fave Doctor Who villain, Omega.)
@@dragonrune6800 Oh, yes! 'The Five Doctors'! Some disagree, but I personally think it's a great 'starter' serial for people wanting to get a taste of how each of those Doctors are. Well, minus the Fourth Doctor. Or kinda also the First Doctor. But still!
At the time this episode went to air originally, there was around a year before Capaldi took the reins.
The image at the end was great. This episode was great.
The heaven sent theme, in the 50th as the doctors get excited about there plan “this time there’s three of us” that theme was right there! And then 12 came along in heaven sent and made it my absolute favourite piece of music from the entire show
Notice the round things on the wall....so fantastic!!
Are you Gals going to watch 'The Five(ish) Doctors Reboot'? It ties into the 50th, and it's pretty funny!
They probably should watch at least some of 5/6/7 Doctors' episodes first to get to know them a bit.
I wonder if they need to. Most of the humor is about actor stuff and they ought to tune into that just fine. Someone needs to do some kind of explainer video flagging all the cameos in that thing. :)
Not part of the 50th but the lockdown minis "pompodour" & "secret of novice hame" are really nice sequels to stories you've seen so no spoilers & would make a nice addition I think
Omigod, YES!! The lockdown stuff was marvelous! Maybe when they catch up to Bill and Nardole - theirs was my favorite.
The 10th Doctor saying the line about his future being in good hands is a nod to the 1st Doctor saying that to his 5th incarnation in The Five Doctors.
yay i'm so excited, i haven't even watched the video yet but thank you for uploading again i love your content
Got to see it in theater..it was so Magical..Specially when Tom Popped up! Everyone was in tears!
Now you have to listen to the War Doctor BF series since that' the last time SEE the war doctor since John Hurt Died a few years after...but he still managed to do a few "War doctor" Stories for Big Finish!
Shot in 3D, saw it at my local multiplex, synchronised start with BBC1 here in the UK, only time ive ever been in a 100% full cinema but never sat in worse seats (almost right at the front)
One of the best episodes of New Who - people can criticise Moffat but I think he got the 50th special absolutely right. I do have an issue with something coming up but we'll get to that. I like that Billie Piper actually wasn't Rose in this because she'd already come back as her twice since her final regular appearance and it really felt like 'how many times do we need to say goodbye to this character? Enough already!' lol.
So glad to finally see this! When this first aired, even though all the marketing only showed Matt Smith and David Tennant, I kept expecting Eccleston to make some sort of appearance. Since he didn't, I was a little disappointed and it took me a few rewatches to truly appreciate what this episode actually did offer. Funnily enough, the first Big Finish Doctor Who audio drama with a certain actor playing the Doctor in it was released just a few days ago!!! While the Big Finish dramas are almost more daunting than Classic Who to start, because of how many there are, I'd highly suggest checking out at least a few. There are MANY interesting crossovers between eras for instance, that are worth looking into, and every Doctor up through (and including) 10 has continued stories now, including the War Doctor. There was even a 50th anniversary with some classic Doctor crossovers, too. There's also Torchwood, UNIT, Diaries of River Song, some Master stories (including Master crossovers), a few stories with Jenny (and even one with Doctor #5
Ohhh, did Davison's Doctor appear with Jenny?? Of course he did - I'm embarrassed that I doubted that Big Finish would do that. Of COURSE they would! LOL!
I remember the run up to Tom Baker finally agreeing to do some Big Finish stuff after they had been politely and gently courting him for literally decades. Once they started doing them, Tom kept saying he couldn't believe he wasted so many years refusing to be the Doctor for Big Finish!
I assumed that he forgot the number of children on Akathen. He did speak of the end of the time lords when asking the parasite to take it all.
What fun to share this with two other Whovians
And here comes the best modern doctor.
13:52 when you think about it, that really isn't much better than just killing them. The only thing that changes in practice is the Doctor can erase his feelings of guilt.
Two and a half years time it'll be the Sixtieth Anniversary. That's coming along alarmingly quickly. The Gallifrey Gals will be long caught up by then so will hopefully react to that (assuming there is anything to react to) as it happens.
Surely they'll do something, won't they? With the best will in the world I can't imagine Chibnall matching "Day of the Doctor" but I hope he makes an effort. Ideally he'll give Moff or RTD a call for advice if he needs it..... :-/
Must watch - The three Doctors 30 Dec 1972- 20 Jan 1973 and The Five Doctors 1983
I literally screamed when I saw this was posted!!! My family all came running, asking if I was okay!!!! THIS. IS. SO. EXCITING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I loved seeing my Doctor, Tom Baker, #4, as the curator in this! Our PBS station acquired the syndicated version of Classic Who, & my first episode was #4 & Sarah Jane in Pyramids of Mars.
You can tell this is going to be a big one, there were barely any pre-reaction tangents!
I do have issues with this special, but when the finished product is this much fun, who cares about stuff like that? I really really enjoy this special, the interactions between the three Doctors are incredibly entertaining to watch, Moffat's script offers them some wonderful characterisation, and the performances of John Hurt, Matt Smith and David Tennant are excellent. The comedic banter is absolutely hilarious, especially the way the three of them make fun of each other's demeanours and appearances ("Are you capable of speaking without flapping your hands about?"), but the more emotional and dramatic moments are really strong too, especially the conversation in the dungeon. In general the focus on the War Doctor's quandary over whether or not to destroy Gallifrey via his experiences of his future selves is really impactful, and while I do have some mixed feelings over the decision to save the planet and effectively retcon the last 8 years of the show, you can't act like it's not earned. And seeing all thirteen Doctors teaming up to save Gallifrey, combined with the last minute cameo by Tom Baker as the Curator is the perfect fan pleasing way to wrap up this episode.
It's clear that everything else in this episode is playing second fiddle to the Doctors and their dilemma, but the rest of the episode is loads of fun too. It's fun to see the Zygons show up again, even if their subplot does feel a little bit underbaked and gets resolved a little too abruptly, and also get proper confirmation for why Queen Elizabeth was so pissed when she saw the Doctor at the end of The Shakespeare Code. Kate's return was also really nice to see, and Osgood gets a pretty solid introduction, thanks to Ingrid Oliver's loveably dorky performance. And also, it looks amazing, you can tell they sunk a lot of money into this thing, and it genuinely feels like every penny is on the screen. What else can I say, Day of the Doctor is just loads of fun, with plenty of great interactions between three lead actors, as well as Jenna Coleman and Billie Piper, who steals the show as the quirky interface for the Moment, as well as a strong emotional storyline and a gorgeous cinematic direction and visual effects. After the relative disappointment of series 7, this was exactly the shot in the arm that the series needed, and the good news is that from here on out, we're going to be getting into some really good stuff
The moment has been prepared for
The day has come
Moffatt has released some lines from the original draft with the 9th Doctor. Here are some of them (very brief). 9 meeting the Raggedy Girl
sciencefiction.com/2018/03/26/steven-moffat-early-draft-day-doctor-featuring-ninth-doctor/
I will forever love that in the big climactic battle for Gallifrey this is, basically, canon:
*All twelve Doctors are clearly up to shenanigans*
Daleks: No big deal, everyone carry on.
*13 appears*
Daleks: Fire everything! Right now! Suckers and all!
I HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR THISSSS
My favorite part of the special was watching it with my mother and having her shout “that’s my doctor!” When Tom Baker showed up.
The one we have all been waiting for!! Let’s go girls 😉❤️👍🏻
I saw this in the cinema on 24.11.13 (Australian, so - day later, even if it was the same time) and when Tom spoke those words - the whole cinema erupted! It was beautiful.
You should listen to that johnlarro guy.
It was a great shame that Tom went and spoiled the surprise on like the morning of the Anniversary or the day before... But I guess he's Tom Baker, and he can do whatever the hell he likes, because - He's Tom Baker! :) I know it's not 100% true, but it's often said that Tom was not acting when he played the Doctor... he was just being him. And he was honestly so quintessentially the Doctor... Capaldi acted his boots off and made the role amazing, but Tom was just himself...
This is wonderful!
People making decisions over whole societies but not remembering what part of the deal they are getting, thats John Rawls philosophy of ethics. Neat =).
When I first watched this and realized they were actually going to save Gallifrey, I'll admit I had some mixed feelings. I was worried they were undoing the characterization of the Doctor and removing a lot of their motivation... but I've softened a lot, however, and now I unambiguously love it.
The Doctor still fought in the Time War and killed a lot of people, and it's something that will continue to haunt him. That part of his character hasn't been lost. This episode just happens to highlight another fundamental aspect of the character, which is the ability to take a third option no one else would ever be able to pull off.
And finally, at this point in the show, we'd had almost a decade of time war angst. That well was bound to dry up sooner or later, and it's important for the showrunner to be willing to move the show forward, and not just slavishly repeat what worked before ... ahem.