By Leah Stone
So, I have been given the momentous task of reviewing the Doctor Who 50th anniversary. It was the most anticipated TV episode of the year. Something that has been 50 years in the making. An episode that broke a Guinness world record. An episode that brought millions of fans, old and young, together to celebrate the 50th birthday of Doctor Who, the greatest Sci-Fi show that has ever been created (in my opinion anyway.)
So, I have been given the momentous task of reviewing the Doctor Who 50th anniversary. It was the most anticipated TV episode of the year. Something that has been 50 years in the making. An episode that broke a Guinness world record. An episode that brought millions of fans, old and young, together to celebrate the 50th birthday of Doctor Who, the greatest Sci-Fi show that has ever been created (in my opinion anyway.)
Now it’s hard to know where to start. With the aid of time travel nothing is particularly linear. In fact it’s all a bit timey-wimey. However, the episode starts well, at the start. Quite literally. The school that we see at the start of the episode, Coal Hill School, where Clara now works, was the main focus of the first ever Doctor Who episode, An Unearthly Child. Pretty good continuity there. In fact, continuity continues throughout the episode, showing how much meticulous planning must have gone into the episode. For example, the activation code for the time vortex manipulator, is the exact time and date of the airing of the very first episode. Kate, UNIT leader (seen throughout the episode) is the daughter of Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart, who was often the main character in many of the third doctor’s episodes. There are also many other examples of amazing script-writing in order to incorporate the whole of Doctor Who’s timeline.
And now to the plot. After the TARDIS is lifted by helicopter (much to the Doctor’s surprise, leading him to falling out of the TARDIS and dangling from it) Clara (Jenna-Louise Coleman) and the 11th Doctor (Matt Smith) are lead into the National Gallery by Kate and her UNIT team. Inside there are preserved instructions from Elizabeth I of England, whom The 10th Doctor married. There is the under-gallery, in which are various Gallifreyan paintings, including a painting known as “No More” of “Gallifrey Falls.” What is so troubling that lead to the Doctor being called out to investigate? Some of the paintings had been smashed, but from the inside. And whatever was depicted in the paintings had disappeared.
Meanwhile we are introduced to the War Doctor (John Hurt) who, in the middle of the Time-War, decided he wanted to detonate a weapon of mass destruction called ‘The Moment’ that would destroy the whole of Gallifrey, including both Time Lords and Daleks, effectively ending the time war. However the device possesses a conscience and takes the form of Rose Tyler (Billie Piper) in the form of Bad Wolf. She tries to make the War Doctor understand what the consequences of detonating the devise would be, and this is when the paths of the time lords start to intertwine, first with the 11th Doctor running into the 10th Doctor (David Tennant) in Elizabethan England. The 10th Doctor and Elizabeth I are under threat by the Zygons, who are the recurring aliens in this episode. The plot follows the three doctors as they attempt to stop the Zygons from taking over earth, stop Kate from blowing up London and trying to figure out a way of stopping the time war without destroying Gallifrey.
Meanwhile we are introduced to the War Doctor (John Hurt) who, in the middle of the Time-War, decided he wanted to detonate a weapon of mass destruction called ‘The Moment’ that would destroy the whole of Gallifrey, including both Time Lords and Daleks, effectively ending the time war. However the device possesses a conscience and takes the form of Rose Tyler (Billie Piper) in the form of Bad Wolf. She tries to make the War Doctor understand what the consequences of detonating the devise would be, and this is when the paths of the time lords start to intertwine, first with the 11th Doctor running into the 10th Doctor (David Tennant) in Elizabethan England. The 10th Doctor and Elizabeth I are under threat by the Zygons, who are the recurring aliens in this episode. The plot follows the three doctors as they attempt to stop the Zygons from taking over earth, stop Kate from blowing up London and trying to figure out a way of stopping the time war without destroying Gallifrey.
Admittedly it was all rather a lot to take it, especially for some people who perhaps have only watched a few series of the show as there are so many references to other doctors and other episodes. However this does, in my eyes, make the episode all the more entertaining and interesting, trying to figure everything out and understanding references to old episodes, making it feel as if all of the Doctors and companions are on the journey with you.
Also, there have been many Whovians who have taken a partial dislike to Steven Moffat, the producer, with claims that he was sexist, predicatable and stereotypical, as well as sexualising Doctor Who too much. However this episode was his strongest one yet. To many, he had something to prove, with the opinion that he should never have taken over from Russell T Davis, many viewers thought the quality of the show went downhill. I think it went a bit more wibbly wobbly, never really quite a stable quality. However when the stakes were highest, he managed to pull it out of the bag.
Also, there have been many Whovians who have taken a partial dislike to Steven Moffat, the producer, with claims that he was sexist, predicatable and stereotypical, as well as sexualising Doctor Who too much. However this episode was his strongest one yet. To many, he had something to prove, with the opinion that he should never have taken over from Russell T Davis, many viewers thought the quality of the show went downhill. I think it went a bit more wibbly wobbly, never really quite a stable quality. However when the stakes were highest, he managed to pull it out of the bag.
However I do have one minor gripe. I do hate to say that, in fact it pains me. The first being that they could have used much better aliens than the Zygons. They aren’t particularly that scary and we were told Daleks would be involved, assuming they would play a bigger part. But apart from this, the episode was faultless.
I am amongst the millions waiting in comprehension for the Christmas special. I definitely am not ready to say goodbye to Matt Smith, however just that one shot of Peter Capaldi’s stern stare is enough to make anyone giddy about his Doctor prospects. Plus, I can’t wait to join the Doctor in his adventure to find Gallifrey.
Gallifrey falls no more!
I am amongst the millions waiting in comprehension for the Christmas special. I definitely am not ready to say goodbye to Matt Smith, however just that one shot of Peter Capaldi’s stern stare is enough to make anyone giddy about his Doctor prospects. Plus, I can’t wait to join the Doctor in his adventure to find Gallifrey.
Gallifrey falls no more!
Don't forget to check out our livestream on the Doctor's Fiftieth Anniversary!
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