Anyway, I liked it, although I see from a quick trawl of Teh Interweb many didn't, for varying reasons - they love David Tennant and he's going, they hate David Tennant and he was too emo, they hate Rose and she was in it, they love Rose and she wasn't in it enough...
I did have some issues though and there was one thing I did hate. Here are my thoughts in handy wipe-clean bullet-point format.
- I love the idea of a world full of John Simms but it was very silly. What about children and babies, did they become little John Simms or full-size John Simms? Also, The Master isn't great at taking orders and I would hazard that this would be true even when it came to taking orders from himself. I can't see squadrons of Masters shouldering arms and saluting, as they did. But it was a chilling and at the same time funny thing to happen.
- The thing I hated was Donna's arc. I didn't like it when she had her memories wiped before, because it resets her to being the annoying shallow person she was in the runaway bride episode and I really liked how she changed - in fact she's one of my favourite companions. But getting a lottery ticket and we assume shedloads of cash in the end from the Doctor just seemed like adding insult to injury - here you are shallow person, have some material goods, that'll compensate for having your personal growth and memories of the stars taken away from you. I suppose there's history for the memory wipe, with Jamie and Whatsherface - Zoe? - getting dumped back in their timelines also losing all personal growth. But I didn't watch them in realtime.
- What is it with huge planets appearing in the sky to no apparent ill effect? It happened in the Star Trek film (ooh I can see Vulcan blowing up really clearly but it apparently isn't doing anything to the planet I happen to be on), and again here as Gallifrey loomed massive in the sky, but seemed to do little apart from cause a few bits of building to fall down. I'd expect massive tidal waves at least.
- I assume we are not supposed to know who Mysterious Woman is but I hope its Susan, even if it is probably Mum of Doctor.
- I liked how The Masters madness was all the fault of the evil Timelords. The angst! And I liked the Doctor/ Master bonding although "you could be as beautiful as a rainbow" or whatever it was was pushing it a bit.
- I didn't like David Tennant to start with. I didn't like him and Rose together, thought they were too cliquey and annoying. And he was kind of horrible to Martha and Jack. But I thought he was great in the Donna episodes, and I love him now. Maybe it will even be a retrospective love if I watch past episodes, but not the werewolf one, he's really annoying in that. And, you know, I'd have liked him to continue as long as Tom Baker. But did he really have to draw out his regeneration so long? The other Doctors just keeled over and woke up as Peter Davison or whoever. Why is he suddenly so angsty about regenerating? Maybe its because he's getting to the end of his regenerations?
- Martha/ Mickey - huh? Wasn't she engaged to the doctor from the last time the Master took over the world?
- And finally - I liked the new Doctor much much more than I thought I would. I liked his "Trust me, I'm the Doctor" from the next season trailer. And I'm pleased River Song appears to be returning. But "Geronimo" is kind of a stupid catchphrase.
