When it comes to reviewing the
Christopher Eccleston era of the show, and era that was sadly all too brief on
screen, I find myself in something of a quandary. Now I will stress that I think Chris was the
absolute perfect choice of talented and brilliant actor to bring back the show
to a modern audience in 2005. Honestly Chris was absolutely incredible in the
role right from the first minute of Rose. I loved his wounded soldier Doctor,
the broken man in recovery after the time war. He perfectly gave the
performance of a shattered man, seeking for hope. But what I sadly never took
to was Billie Piper as Rose. To me she was far too common, antagonistic and
just not my cup of tea as a character. Therefore, the entirety of Chris's era
for me is seldom a place I return to, to watch because I just have no time for
Rose at all.
But I don't want to spend an entire
review being negative. I will just also add that I am not the world's biggest
fan of Captain Jack as played by John Barrowman either. I could do without his
character easily too.
But let’s move onto the story itself.
Bad Wolf begins with a flourish. As the Doctor finds he's been separated from
his companions and he stirs to find he is in the Big Brother House of the
future. There he meets Lynda Moss, Lynda with a Y. Played absolutely
brilliantly by Jo Joyner. Honestly, I would love to have seen far more from Jo
Joyner. For me as a one-time companion for Chris's Doctor she succeeds in all
the ways that Billie fails for me. I love her character, she is kind, decent,
asks relevant questions and for a while is totally loyal to the Doctor, which
for me is so wonderful to see. Jo and Chris share some beautiful scenes
together that when it came to her extermination by the Daleks I was totally gutted.
Lynda with a Y could have done with a lot more time to get to know her. But
instead, she joins the pantheon of "could have been a companion"
actors and actresses, and I for one am chagrined by that no end.
Martha Cope is also an absolute
revelation as the poor wired up Controller of Satellite 5. She is absolutely
superb in her channelling of an enslaved human being on the edge of insanity.
You instantly feel sorry for her and her performance is riveting in the
extreme. I absolutely love how she gives her life in betrayal of the Daleks and
dies a hero. Her death scene marks one of the highlights of the Eccleston era.
But even saying my love for this character again, I still have some annoyance
that again she meets with death when we could have seen so much more from her.
Mind you I should be glad that in a series that would go on to be obsessed with
characters never truly dying then a few characters actually properly dying is a
breath of fresh air.
It is also highly amusing to have both
Davina McCall and Anne Robinson, contributing voices to the Davina droid and
Anne Droid. Anne particularly is still the same old battle-axe made to be rude
character she always was on the Weakest Link. Although to be true they could
have done with making her a bit ruder. She does seem a bit tame in terms of her
insults in this two-part epic. But the murderous way it appears she kills
contestants is stark and well directed. And as the realisation of the deadly
edge to the game dawns on Rose, then these scenes are superb and very tension
packed. Rose must play for her life and I will admit Billie gives some good
fearful acting when she realises, she is the weakest link in the final round.
That she must have a showdown with Paterson Joseph's character of Rodrick is a
good point to mention too in that Rodrick is a totally self-centred and
loathsome human being. The way he dismisses Rose as a non-contender and
delights in his win marks him as a nasty little piece of work. That he doesn't
get his prize is amusing!
I can't really say much about the
involvement of Trinee and Suzannah bots too as I don't know a great deal about
the pair or their own programme. but just in Doctor Who story terms they are
characterised with a good dose of macabre humour. But I am sure the scene of
John Barrowman nude before a defabricater is totally unnecessary and not
needed. I don't get anything from it except I don't like this tasteless scene
at all.
The Daleks of this story are totally
ruthless and black hearted though. This is one thing I will give this story
credit for. The Daleks here are not to be trifled with at all. There is no
comedy as the Dalek army boards the satellite. These daleks are truly a force
to be reckoned with. However, I am not sure if the realisation of the Emperor
Dalek here works. Nick Brigg's voice is superb for the master of all Dalek
Mutants. But the prop itself looks more cute than ugly and thus really doesn't
engender much fear in me at all. But the bloodthirsty way the Daleks kill in
The Parting of the Ways has an epic feel of dread and doom that the new era has
actually seldom ever done before or since. There is a total atmosphere of
oppressive claustrophobia that makes the story far more interesting than it
otherwise would have been. The faction of gameplayers stranded in outer space
in the satellite is incredibly done. You truly feel so very stressed with them.
The CGI in this story for once also is not too bad. The scenes of thousands of
daleks spilling from their war ships is a scene we could never have had in the
classic era.
There is also a bucketload of emotion in
store as Rose is sent back to earth to save her from the Doctor's final
showdown with the Daleks. That she tries so doggedly to re-join him must be
counted in her characters credit here. Though I still find it hard to like her,
here she does act more like a decent person and not just a common idiot so I
would say this is one of her best moments because just for a few minutes she is
not annoying and even I hope she does get back to the Doctor. Although the final
climax of her ripping open the TARDIS console and the vortex energy filling her
is a bit akin to waving a magic wand. How easily then the Emperor and his
minions are dealt with by dispersal feels like a damp squib ending to what was
before then a gripping yarn indeed.
Chris is also at his absolute apex in
this story. Particular the scene of when he informs the Daleks that he has no
plan, but simply states "Yeah, and doesn't that just scare you to
death!?" is an absolute die-hard classic Doctor Who moment. I was
absolutely sold on his Doctor already, but here was the scene when I said oh I
wish this man would stay for far longer than the time he did. Then there is a
second superb scene, where the Doctor before the Emperor states he'd rather be
a coward any day than a butcher. These are absolutely defining moments of his
Doctor's moral strength. It is so brilliant to see the war wounded time lord
show he is sick of killing and this gives Chris one heck of a swansong all in
all.
And then we come to the moment. The
devastatingly short era of the Ninth Doctor is so bittersweet and Chris felt he
could only commit to one season on screen. This for me was so sad because,
excuse the pun, I thought his portrayal of the Doctor was fantastic. He brought
back the Time Lord with such style and elan. He ensured the show could live in
the modern era. And so, to see him depart from the role after just one season
is so disheartening. Whilst I am delighted to see David Tennant come aboard for
a new era, the shock at the too brief stint the Ninth Doctor had was memorable
for his sublime display of acting. I was absolutely overjoyed when I heard Big
Finish had finally persuaded Chris to come back to the role for their Ninth
Doctor adventures. It rather begs that old time but assuredly true remark: He's
back and it's about ruddy time!
Bad Wolf/ Parting of the Ways is overall
a very fitting tribute to Christopher Eccleston. Doctor Who was resurrected by
Russell T Davies, but they had to get the right man for the role. Fortunately,
they truly did. Chris was amazing, and he deserves to be remembered for the
excellent new Doctor he brought to our screens so very well back in the mists
of time in 2005. We fans should never do anything but offer him heartfelt
gratitude and thanks.
