Doctor Who Series 1, Episode 2 "The End of the World" Review
That
far in the future and I still feel like they’re stuck in the early 2000’s. Having
said that, I am loving it.
Moisturise
me, moisturise me!
The
Doctor offers Rose her first trip in the blue box and takes her on quite a
strange first date. On Platform One, around five billion years in the future, The
Doctor invites Rose to let her see her planet get burnt to a crisp and explode.
It’s definitely a cool idea for a Doctor Who episode, but does Russell T Davies
pull this one off?
They
arrive on this space station and already it seems ill-fitted to its time zone
and purpose. It’s quite obviously terrestrial and even the equipment seems ill
formatted to fit the time period. This does take you out of the episode a
little bit because it really does ruin the whole aesthetic. However, we quickly
develop the story as the party begins and we meet the special guests there to
see the planet’s final hours. Jabe (Yasmin Bannerman) is a great addition and
every speaking role is quit entertaining from the Moxx of Balhoon (Jimmy Vee)
to the trampoline we call Lady Cassandra (Zoë Wanamaker). The fabulous character
design and casting is a major plus point to this episode because we somehow
care for these characters and we barely see some of them on screen.
Platform
One is soon infiltrated by robotic spiders brought, as gifts, by the Adherents of the Repeated Meme.
What they are doing is a mystery. As deaths continue to occur and Rose gets
trapped after an incident with Cassandra, The Doctor soon realises that
something major is afoot. Cassandra is soon revealed to be the saboteur and
attempts to evacuate once the spiders bring down the shields. Those on board
will burn. I liked this as it felt like a mystery for us to solve too up until
the reveal. We all knew Cassandra was too much to be nice. Eventually, The
Doctor saves them and Cassandra dies… We think. Soon after, The Doctor and Rose
appear to have a heart-to-heart. We uncover more about The Doctor’s past.
Little by little we discover more about what the character has faced. It’s an
intriguing story. For many viewers, they know nothing of his history so it’s
interesting to see him discuss being the last of the Time Lords.
Both Billie Piper
and Christopher Eccleston performed well in this episode. Piper played the role
well. She seemed so withdrawn and new to all of this which is exactly how I
think any of us would react to this sort of event. It all seems so impossible,
yet she’s there. A 19-year-old from the 21st century is watching the
Earth burn in the year 5 billion. It seems impossible and she portrays that
well. Eccleston also, once again, has that subtle humour and whimsical nature
but can quickly change it to emotion and pure heart. Here, once again, they
work incredibly well as a pair. If they didn’t, I don’t think the show would
still be going in 2020. The guest actors this episode are great too. If Jabe survived,
I could definitely see her on board the TARDIS. She had the potential to be
brilliant. I also like that this episode shaped a few future episodes, I’m all for
continuity.
I also thought the
effects this episode had some merit, mostly referencing the look of Cassandra
(shown above). Her skin didn’t look too animated and cheesy. It looked creepy
and gross just how I’d expect it to if you’re skin is stretched like hers. If
only the effects could make up for the poor location choices and props. Even
the animated spiders were somewhat decent for 2005 CGI.
Another positive,
however small… I did not realise how much I would actually appreciate Britney
Spears music making an appearance in Doctor Who. It was a highlight, for sure.
I speak highly of
this episode because there are a lot of positives to discuss, but the one thing
you want for a futuristic episode is the aesthetic of something so alien to
what we know. The ship did look like every Town Hall ever and that was
something I wasn’t too impressed by. As aforementioned, it does take you out of
the experience because it feels so normal and casual. This isn’t a few years in
the future, this is billions of years. I expected more, even just one set being
built for this episode would suffice. Was the budget that strict or was it
written to look this way?
Overall, this was a fun episode. It had its faults and it definitely needed a bigger budget to give the feel of the far, far, FAR-future but the writing and the characterisation was wonderful. Is it the best of the series, no, but it is a nice first outing for Rose and an easy watch for the fans.
RANKING: 7/10
The
Doctor offers Rose her first trip in the blue box and takes her on quite a
strange first date. On Platform One, around five billion years in the future, The
Doctor invites Rose to let her see her planet get burnt to a crisp and explode.
It’s definitely a cool idea for a Doctor Who episode, but does Russell T Davies
pull this one off?
They
arrive on this space station and already it seems ill-fitted to its time zone
and purpose. It’s quite obviously terrestrial and even the equipment seems ill
formatted to fit the time period. This does take you out of the episode a
little bit because it really does ruin the whole aesthetic. However, we quickly
develop the story as the party begins and we meet the special guests there to
see the planet’s final hours. Jabe (Yasmin Bannerman) is a great addition and
every speaking role is quit entertaining from the Moxx of Balhoon (Jimmy Vee)
to the trampoline we call Lady Cassandra (Zoë Wanamaker). The fabulous character
design and casting is a major plus point to this episode because we somehow
care for these characters and we barely see some of them on screen.
Platform
One is soon infiltrated by robotic spiders brought, as gifts, by the Adherents of the Repeated Meme.
What they are doing is a mystery. As deaths continue to occur and Rose gets
trapped after an incident with Cassandra, The Doctor soon realises that
something major is afoot. Cassandra is soon revealed to be the saboteur and
attempts to evacuate once the spiders bring down the shields. Those on board
will burn. I liked this as it felt like a mystery for us to solve too up until
the reveal. We all knew Cassandra was too much to be nice. Eventually, The
Doctor saves them and Cassandra dies… We think. Soon after, The Doctor and Rose
appear to have a heart-to-heart. We uncover more about The Doctor’s past.
Little by little we discover more about what the character has faced. It’s an
intriguing story. For many viewers, they know nothing of his history so it’s
interesting to see him discuss being the last of the Time Lords.
Both Billie Piper
and Christopher Eccleston performed well in this episode. Piper played the role
well. She seemed so withdrawn and new to all of this which is exactly how I
think any of us would react to this sort of event. It all seems so impossible,
yet she’s there. A 19-year-old from the 21st century is watching the
Earth burn in the year 5 billion. It seems impossible and she portrays that
well. Eccleston also, once again, has that subtle humour and whimsical nature
but can quickly change it to emotion and pure heart. Here, once again, they
work incredibly well as a pair. If they didn’t, I don’t think the show would
still be going in 2020. The guest actors this episode are great too. If Jabe survived,
I could definitely see her on board the TARDIS. She had the potential to be
brilliant. I also like that this episode shaped a few future episodes, I’m all for
continuity.
I also thought the
effects this episode had some merit, mostly referencing the look of Cassandra
(shown above). Her skin didn’t look too animated and cheesy. It looked creepy
and gross just how I’d expect it to if you’re skin is stretched like hers. If
only the effects could make up for the poor location choices and props. Even
the animated spiders were somewhat decent for 2005 CGI.
Another positive,
however small… I did not realise how much I would actually appreciate Britney
Spears music making an appearance in Doctor Who. It was a highlight, for sure.
I speak highly of
this episode because there are a lot of positives to discuss, but the one thing
you want for a futuristic episode is the aesthetic of something so alien to
what we know. The ship did look like every Town Hall ever and that was
something I wasn’t too impressed by. As aforementioned, it does take you out of
the experience because it feels so normal and casual. This isn’t a few years in
the future, this is billions of years. I expected more, even just one set being
built for this episode would suffice. Was the budget that strict or was it
written to look this way?
Overall, this was a fun episode. It had its faults and it definitely needed a bigger budget to give the feel of the far, far, FAR-future but the writing and the characterisation was wonderful. Is it the best of the series, no, but it is a nice first outing for Rose and an easy watch for the fans.
RANKING: 7/10
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