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The second series of Doctor Who is that rare breed in which the second half, overall, is actually weaker than the first. While there are some undeniable classics in this next bunch of episodes, there are also some undeniable turkeys…
So we kick off with Mark Gatiss’ ‘The Idiot’s Lantern’. Oh dear. For me, this is the worst episode of the series (and yes, I know what’s still to come). In truth, it starts well enough, with a delicious turn from Maureen Lipman and some sizzling interplay between Tenant and Piper. But then it just gets boring. Ooh the suspense you feel when Rose loses her face (a bit careless of her…); it’s not as if the whole series is building up to her departure in the finale is it? And I was biting my nails when the Doctor was scrambling up that television mast; could this have been the end for planet Earth? Boring boring boring BORING! It’s a very standard, routine, mundane filler of an episode, with as much relevance to the series arc as a toffee apple. But apart from that I think it’s fantastic.
Thankfully, we then go from worst to best, with ‘The Impossible Planet’/ The Satan Pit’. These episodes are among the best (and darkest) that Doctor Who has to offer. True, there are some minor niggles: Rose’s initial jollity is annoying, and Tennant has another ‘humans are so amaaaaazing’ speech. But it cannot be denied that these episodes are Doctor Who at its most suspenseful. It’s also nice that, for once, the resolution is as satisfactory as the build-up, with writer Matt Jones not following in RTD’s footsteps and using some contrived loophole à la ‘she’ll burn if she remembers me, but did I mention I’ve installed a fail-safe that’ll knock her out so that can’t happen even if she does remember me?’
One of the things that most annoys me about Doctor Who is that fans of the older series are forever saying “oh, it’s not proper Doctor Who”. However, when it comes to ‘Love and Monsters’, all I can say is: it’s not proper Doctor Who. And that’s not because there are no wobbly sets, or even that the Doctor isn’t in it very much, it just doesn’t look or feel like a Doctor Who episode. Instead, what we get is an ITV comedy drama with more laughs and fewer monsters. It’s still watchable and it has a few good bits, with some good turns from Peter Kay and Moaning Myrtle, but, ultimately, it deserves its infamy.
As does ‘Fear Her’, which is Doctor Who at its cheesiest and most cloying. And alongside the plot holes and Huw Edwards’ torturous “it’s a symbol of love” speech, there’s also that nagging feeling that no housing estate could look that perfect – it’s an alien world far more shocking than any they’ve visited on Doctor Who. Although, in this series, they’ve only had one break away from Earth, and where did they go? That’s right, New Earth.
Mercifully, the dip in quality is reversed for the superlative two-part finale ‘Army of Ghosts’/ ‘Doomsday’, surely one of the most tragic endings to a series in TV history. Rose’s ‘death’ is beautifully done, with a spot on performance from Piper, and yet more fantastic music from Murray Gold. These episodes do seem to be remembered solely for the last few scenes, though, yet there’s plenty to relish throughout, such as the Cybermen/ Dalek mash-up, and the brilliant cliffhanger ending to ‘Ghosts’, while the reunion of Jackie and Pete gives me goosebumps every time. It truly is a fantastic end to the series, and is on a level with, if not better than, the standard-setting first series finale. While rewatching the series does show that it was time for Rose to leave, it doesn’t make her departure any easier, and she remains sorely missed.
Read Part 1 here
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