47. The Power of the Doctor

 

I haven't properly watched Doctor Who for around 12 years. Last night I felt like a kid again.

Of course I have dipped in and out, I didn't cut it off just because the 10 era came to an end. I was just busy growing up at the time and Who didn't do me any favours, it wasn't as cool back then as it might be now. Doctor Who has always been a bit of a guilty pleasure, especially for me, and I think it might finally be time to step back into that world.

I've started a rewatch. From Christopher Eccleston's incarnation onwards, in order to really get into the new series I feel like I need to start from the beginning of the modern series rather than picking up from where I'd left it all those years ago.

I like Jodie, I really do, and for last night's episode she did a really good job and I hope she gets to revisit it like the others tend to do.  But I would be lying if I said the real reason for me tuning in was anything other than David Tennant. The tenth Doctor was and always will be my doctor. The fact that there was a possibility Jodie might degenerate back into him was what got me tuning in, and I am sure I wasn't the only one. 

While I'm looking forward to Ncuti I am more excited for Tennant and the fact that Catherine Tate and Bernard Cribbins will be back with him. I loved the Doctor-Donna period because I can relate the most to both Donna and Catherine.

So last night's feature length episode was a cinematic adventure. We had the Master as our main bad guy, who had teamed up with the Daleks and the Cybermen or Cybermasters as some were branded. I dont know if the Cybermasters are a new thing, or how long they've been able to regenerate but it was a fun thing to witness. The costume was clever as any past or present fan could recognize the Gallifreyan headdress so understanding that these knew baddies were Cyber/timelord cross in someway was pretty easy.

Now the Master's reasoning behind this was to basically wipe the Doctor out of existence by trapping her and actioning the old punishment of forced regeneration. He wanted her to regenerate into him-- and it worked. Yas and some other friendly faces, including some past doctors, then race to save the day and bring back the Doctor. Then the Master conducts one last hoorah and the Doctor is forced to regenerate anyway.

Now my thinking here is that when Yas forced the Master to then degenerate back into the Doctor, this affected the Doctor then regenerating as it forced some kind of degeneration jump which must be unstable, only lasts for a small period of time then transforms him to the new face Ncuti. That is just my theory anyway.

Now regarding the actual episode, I felt it was a little rushed. This was 100% a fan service and a way out for Jodie. It didn't feel anything more than a nostalgia trip. The Daleks don't seem as menacing as they used to nor were they really anything to do with the plot other than to cause some havoc in the volcanos and look like it was the ultimate threat team up. The Cybermen were a little bit more threatening although their cosmetic evolution is a bit naff compared to how it was back in my day- and that is saying something. But the focus was obviously meant to be on the Master, who was brilliant, but again I felt like they just threw him into a vaguely threatening plot line, threw in some familiar faces and boom an episode. The idea behind it all was really good, but the delivery was not. If they had taken this slowly and maybe done it across two 90 minute episodes we might have gotten somewhere. We should have had a special send off for the first female doctor. This seemed like a rush to get a happy ending just to get to the Tennant reveal. 

We said hello and then goodbye to so many faces in this episode, there was more than just the goodbye to Yas and 13. We said bye to Dan, we said hello to Graham again as well as Tegan and Ace, and then consequently goodbye again, but no one seems to have focused on that. I did think it was a really great idea of an ex-companion support group though. There were plenty of familiar faces in that room too, I just don't know the names. I can't believe that idea wasn't explored sooner! I sense a spin off coming for that though, which I should add is 100% something I would watch. The adventures of the ex-companions? Could you imagine the trouble they would get into as they split off in teams to sort alien issues? Brilliant! Torchwood could entwine, as could Class and whoever is left from the Sarah Jane Adventures. This is a great opportunity!

Overall then, I score The Power of the Doctor a 7/10. I genuinely felt like a little kid again as I sent myself off to bed to watch this. I am not ashamed to say I cried a little as the old doctors popped up on screen, shout out to my boy Paul McGann by the way. And I certainly cried a little with happiness as David Tennant graced our screens in the role he was born for once again. That was the moment that made this special for me. Otherwise it was just another kid friendly episode. Sorry.

What are your thoughts?

Join me next time for my long awaited review of Amsterdam!