Doctor Who: The End of Time (1)

The Narrator: 'This was the day the Time Lords returned. For Gallifrey! For victory! For the end of time itself!'

With the exception of 2005's 'The Christmas Invasion', Yuletide episodes have never been the show's strong suit. After season three's 'The Last of the Time Lords', I had visions of this year's offering being another gag-laden, testosterone-fueled, face-off between the Doctor and the Master—high on festive cheer, but distinctly lacking in satisfying storytelling. How wrong I was. I was pleasantly surprised by this episode. It wasn't perfect, but the flaws were minor and the storytelling epic. I even enjoyed the Master's return! How's that for a Christmas miracle?

Doctor Who: Planet of the Dead

Carmen: "No, but you be careful, because your song is ending, Sir. It's returning. It's returning through the dark and then Doctor, oh, but then. He will knock four times."

According to Russell T. Davies, 'Planet of the Dead' was the Doctor's last chance to have some fun. It's common knowledge now that the Doctor's just four episodes away from his end, so this was Ten's last chance to embark on one last old-fashioned romp, before the serious business of his dying begins in earnest. Something is returning. Carmen doesn't specify what, but we can be almost certain that whatever it is, it'll mean the end of the road for David Tennant.

Doctor Who: The Waters of Mars

Doctor: 'Is this it? My death? Is it time?'

This was a real landmark episode. In terms of quality, it was head and shoulders above 'Planet of the Dead,' it was beautifully plotted, featured terrifying monsters, and was thick with complex adult themes. Tonight, the Doctor attempted to change the rules of the game. Instead of being hampered by the restrictions of being a Time Lord, he tried to change an event fixed in time, and it all went Pete Tong. People died, and despite his best intentions, the tenth Doctor moved one step closer to his own destruction.

Eoin Colfer - "And Another Thing..."

It was with some trepidation that I started this book. I bought it on release, yet couldn't quite bring myself to read it. Fear of disappointment was my main worry. I'm a massive fan of Douglas Adams' work and of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy franchise in particular. I heard the original radio series when I was in my teens and instantly fell in love with the hapless Arthur Dent. Since then, I've devoured everything to do with the series -- books, radio adaptations, the television series, audio books -- I even managed to derive some pleasure from the movie (though not as much as I'd hoped... it was zarking awful).

Was a sixth book really necessary? Mostly Harmless, the fifth book in the series, brought the increasingly inaccurately named Hitchhiker's "trilogy" to a definite, albeit bleak conclusion. Yet, despite its gloominess, for me at least, it was a worthy ending. Everybody died. The earth blew up. There was closure -- not to mention the comforting reminder that everything that's supposed to happen in life invariably does -- and there's not a whole lot you can do about it.

Except the ending was too depressing even for Adams -- so he always intended to write a sixth instalment, presumably with the aim of giving his now dead characters a more upbeat send off. Plus, as Adams shrewdly noted, five was the wrong kind of number. Six was better. Unfortunately, and to the horror of fans everywhere, Adams died on 11th May, 2001, as did, seemingly, all hope of seeing his beloved characters again.

Then miraculously, on 16th September, 2008, an announcement was made that a sixth volume of the “trilogy” would be published in late 2009, penned by Irish author, Eoin Colfer (writer of the Artemis Fowl series). Initially, Colfer seemed like an odd choice. Most of his back catalogue catered to the young-adult demographic. On the plus side, Colfer was a proven comedy writer -- but the big question remained: could Colfer pull it off?

The answer, in my opinion, is both yes and no. The first hundred pages or so I found an odd reading experience. All the old characters were there -- Arthur, Ford, Zaphod, Trillian, Random, even Fenchurch -- but something about them felt different. Adams' humour was offbeat, unique and often cerebral; Colfer's witticisms, despite being astute and undeniably well tailored, just don't reach that same level of brilliance, and as a result, the book's characters sometimes speak with blander voices. Their comebacks lack sharpness. In fact, for the first third of the book, I couldn't shake the feeling that I was reading fan-fiction. Well written fan-fiction, admittedly -- but something about it just didn't feel right.

By the time I reached page 100, however, something clicked into place. Perhaps it was just a case of acclimatising myself to Colfer's writing style -- or maybe I'd just stopped endlessly comparing Colfer's style of narrative to Adams' -- but once the transition had been made, the story suddenly came to life.

The main difference between this book and other books in the series is that it focuses less on Arthur Dent (who's relegated to a supporting character) and more on anarchic, ex-President of the galaxy, Zaphod Beeblebrox. At first, this was something of a disappointment to me. For five books now, Arthur's been the eyes and ears through which we've experienced the whole adventure. His stuffiness, his Englishness, are all part of the series' appeal. It's proper English sci-fi -- with proper English accents, lovely cups of tea, quaint humour, and familiar locations. But of all the characters in Colfer's book it's Arthur who feels the most alien (as in strange, not other-worldly). Maybe Colfer is just too Irish to pull off a convincing English gent, I'm not altogether sure, but basing the novel on Arthur would have been a huge mistake.

So the decision to make it Zaphod-centric, despite initially seeming like the biggest mistake known to man, actually turned out to be the right move. Adams' Zaphod and Colfer's Zaphod feel the same. Zaphod's cool, he's funny and more importantly he's neither English nor Irish, so his whacky personality isn't so much tied to geography as it is his massive ego. And Colfer writes great dialogue. Zaphod sparkles throughout this book. He's full of his own self importance, stupid beyond belief, and delivers some hellishly funny one liners.

And there also are enough returning characters to make this book feel like a genuine entry in the Hitchhiker's canon. Prostetnic Vogon Jeltz makes a welcome return (awful poetry and all), as does the immortal Wowbagger (still hell-bent on insulting everyone in the entire universe). Trillian Astra is also back, as are the cows that love to be eaten, so there are plenty of familiar faces to keep the aficionados happy.

There are some fascinating new innovations too. The Tyromancers are worthy of singling out, religious folk from the planet Nano, with their mantra of “appease the cheese”, and their perpetual fear of Edamnation. And Irish property developer, Hillman Hunter (who's seemingly been cursed with the same naming illness as Ford Prefect), provides a nice bridge between Adams' older characters and Colfer's newer creations.

The question remains: was the ending of book six an improvement on book five? Well, undeniably, less people died. That's always a bonus. And, true, most of the characters did finish this story happier than at the end of book five (i.e. they were less dead). But Colfer did seem to dangle a far happier ending in prospect for poor old Arthur -- only to yank it away again at the last minute. What a zarker! So happier - yes! But more satisfying? I suspect that's for the individual to decide.

If you're a fan of the series this book's well worth a look -- even if it's just to scream "sacrilege!" at the end and wish Edamnation on Eoin Colfer.

Doctor Who: Journey's End (2)

Doctor: 'Now then, where were we?'

The faces on Donna, Jack and Rose following the Doctor's aborted regeneration were hilarious. All that tension and upset, dissipated by the Doctor directing the excess regeneration energy into his severed hand, and reverting back to his usual, chirpy self. Not the best way of resolving the cliffhanger, but to be fair, barring an actual regeneration, there was no credible way out. They did their best, bless 'em—but there was a slight whiff of cop-out in the air.

Doctor Who: The Stolen Earth (1)

Doctor: 'I'm sorry. It's too late. I'm regenerating.'

When I first saw the end of this episode, I was totally blown away. I remember looking at my friend in bewilderment, and wondering what the fuck had just happened. Was the news that Tennant had signed on for five more episodes mere propaganda designed to disguise Russell T. Davies dastardly master plan? Was the Doctor really going to regenerate? And, more importantly: who was he going to regenerate into?

Doctor Who: Turn Left

Fortune Teller: 'Turn right and never meet that man. Turn right and change the world.'

Choices change lives. Even seemingly insignificant decisions can alter our lives irrevocably, and tonight Donna was faced with a relatively small dilemma. Should she turn left, or should she turn right? 'Turn Left' explores the would-be consequences of her turning right.

Doctor Who: Midnight

Doctor: 'Ah, I'll be fine. Taking a big space truck with a bunch of strangers across a diamond planet called Midnight—what could possibly go wrong?'

They did things differently this year. Since 2006, each season of Doctor Who has contained what's lovingly referred to as a Doctor-lite episode. If it wasn't for the now traditional Christmas episode, there'd be no need, as there'd be more than enough time to film all thirteen episodes—but since Christmas wouldn't be Christmas without a festive Who, concessions had to be made, and the Doctor-lite episode is it.

Doctor Who: Forest of the Dead (2)

The Doctor: 'Stay with me! You can do it! Stay with me! Come on!! You and me, one last time!'

Well, perhaps we didn't get all the answers we were looking for, but there was more than enough good stuff in tonight's episode to compensate—particularly if the hanging threads are picked up in a future episode. Each season of Nu-Who (so far) has produced at least one stand-out story worthy of our praise. This was probably season four's.

Doctor Who: Silence in the Library (1)

Doctor: 'Spoilers!' What is it with Steven Moffat and stories which play on our childhood fears? In season two we had monsters under the bed ('The Girl in the Fireplace'), in season three we had statues coming to life ('Blink'), and now, and arguably most terrifying of all, apparently there are things hiding in the shadows after all. Which isn't great news for adults, let alone children.

Doctor Who: The Unicorn and the Wasp

Agatha: 'Agatha Christie.'
Donna: 'What about her?'
Agatha: 'That's me.'

Agatha Christie's disappearance in 1926 was one of those weird events that we'll likely never get to the bottom of. (Despite many books telling us that they've got to the bottom of it.) 'The Unicorn and the Wasp' was a fun attempt at explaining Agatha Christie's whereabouts during those eleven missing days, and what with details being as scarce as hen's teeth—and Agatha not bothering to elucidate in her autobiography—attributing her disappearance to a giant wasp seems as good a solution as any.

Doctor Who - The Doctor's Daughter

The Doctor: 'You need to get yourself a better dictionary. When you do, look up 'genocide'. You'll find a little picture of me there, and the caption'll read, 'Over my dead body''.

This could have been a great episode. I loved the idea of the seven day war and the concept of two opposing armies, continuously being recreated, for the sole purpose of fighting a never ending war. I also liked the idea of the progenation machine taking the Doctor's diploid cells, splitting them into haploids and then recombining them to form Jenny—the Doctor's daughter. But the episode just wasn't long enough to do all of the plot elements justice. They should have either made it a two-parter, or shaved off some of the unnecessary plot divergences. It may have felt less rushed that way.

Doctor Who: The Poison Sky (2)

Doctor: 'Are you my Mummy?'

For all this season's faults, I couldn't take my eyes off Tennant tonight. His first season in charge was a patchy affair—the scripts alternated between brilliant and cack with tedious regularity—but at this juncture, he's in serious danger of toppling Tom Baker as my favourite Doctor. The dialogue was perfect, his delivery sublime. He totally inhabits the role now.

Doctor Who: The Sontaran Stratagem (1)

Donna: 'He's too skinny for words. You give him a hug... you get a paper cut.'

A triple whammy of returning fixtures tonight, with the Sontarans, UNIT, and the ever lovely Miss Jones. 'Daleks in Manhattan' and 'Evolution of the Daleks' were two of my least favourite episodes of season three, but this felt like a redemption of sorts for Helen Raynor. The Sontarans haven't been in an episode of Doctor Who since 1985's 'The Two Doctors'. How well did they fare in a modern context? Pretty well, I'd say.

Doctor Who: Planet of the Ood

Solana: 'And the comedy classic... Ood, you've dropped something.'
Ood 3: 'D'oh!'

I just knew there'd be some insidious plot behind the Ood's subservience. Voluntary slavery is a tough concept to grasp—especially when you're being treated like crap. That's not to say it's impossible, it just seems to go against all that's natural. So tonight's reveal gave rhyme and reason to our tentacled friends' lack of resistance. They were being exploited, after all. Surprise, motherfuckers!

Doctor Who: The Fires Of Pompeii

Donna: 'You fought it off with a water pistol! I bloody love you!'

At the heart of tonight's episode was a question which has plagued the fictional time traveller since time immemorial: is it permissible to risk the future in order to save the past? For the Doctor, an old hand at these sorts of conundrums, the answer was a resounding no. For Donna, a relative newcomer to wide-scale catastrophe, the question raised all manner of complex considerations, and provided a stark introduction to the moral quagmire of time tourism.

Doctor Who: Partners In Crime

Donna: 'I'm waving at fat.'

After 'The Runaway Bride,' I was unsure whether having Catherine Tate as a permanent companion would be good for the show. There's already a thick seam of humour running through Nu-Who—would the introduction of a renowned comedienne upset the already precarious balance of humour and drama? Thankfully, her character this season was a far cry from the Donna we saw back in 'The Runaway Bride'. This was a more vulnerable and wistful Donna. Gone is the shouting fishwife—and I have to say, I think it was a change for the better.

Doctor Who: Voyage Of The Damned

Astrid: 'That's a spaceship?'
Doctor: 'Oy! Don't knock it!'

Well, this year's Christmas Special was definitely more festive than 'The Runaway Bride'. (Not difficult, I know.) It looked stunning, the costumes were beautiful, and there was festive nonsense galore—but something about it just didn't click for me.

Doctor Who: Time Crash (Children in Need Special)

Tenth Doctor: 'Wibbly wobbly...'
Both Doctors: 'Timey wimey!'

I love the Children In Need specials. Despite being irregular, they're always of a decent quality and, although seldom giving us anything significant in terms of plot development, they always entertain. And what's not to like about seeing Peter Davison grace our screens again? Sure he's a bit older and little heavier—but the man's still got it.

Torchwood: Children Of Earth (Day 5)

Jack: "You said yourself, the world is going to hell any second. Before it does, give us a moment of grace. Just take Gwen home, please. I can't look at her any more."

I was in tears with this one. A tragic finale really. In the end the children were saved. But the cost was so terribly high, that it was difficult to see it as a victory. Steven's gone. Ianto's gone. Jack's gone. Torchwood is seemingly in tatters. I feel quite glum.

Torchwood: Children Of Earth (Day 4)

Ianto: “Don't forget me.”
Jack: “I never could.”

Did they seriously kill Ianto? Is that what just happened? I kept on thinking... don't panic, he'll wake up any minute... they must surely have taken precautions against the virus (somehow)... a pill, maybe... they're just pretending. But Jack's face told a different story. He was absolutely devastated. So that's Suzie, Owen, Tosh and now, Ianto... all dead. At this rate there won't be enough people left for a fourth season. Now there's an unnerving thought.

Torchwood: Children Of Earth (Day 3)

The 456: “We are here!”

At first glance, the new Torchwood Hub (imaginatively named Hub 2) seemed a poor replacement for the now levelled Torchwood Three. No fancy gadgets, just a few old armchairs and a coffee making facility. But it's home now, and with the aid of some electricity and a laptop, Torchwood are back in business. Kind of. Jack still needed kitting out with some decent clobber. Thank God Ianto had the foresight to buy him some sensible clothes. Track suit bottoms? Still, I suppose we should be grateful he was wearing something.

Torchwood: Children Of Earth (Day 2)

The 456: “We are coming... tomorrow.”

Not so long ago John Barrowman made the comment “as long as they pay me the right money, I'm ready to get out my cock and balls." All I can say is, he must currently possess a big fat wallet (no euphemism intended). It was brief... and mostly hidden by the letter X (I didn't zoom in, honestly). But they were definitely out, weren't they? I noticed, too, that Gwen couldn't resist a quick look later in the episode. Real subtle, Gwen. Seriously.

Torchwood: Children Of Earth (Day 1)

The 456: "We are coming. We are coming... back!"

Wow... that was pretty damn decent. I was unsure how well the mini-series format would suit Torchwood, but it actually worked rather well. I was listening to an interview with John Barrowman on Radio One this afternoon and he seemed to suggest that, in future, they may use the extended story-arc format again (assuming for a moment that Torchwood has a future). If tonight's episode was anything to go by, then bring it on!

Doctor Who: Gridlock

Doctor: “Janis Joplin gave me that coat.”

A never ending traffic jam? I think I was in that once. This was a visually stunning episode, with a theme we can all relate to—particularly if you're familiar with the M25.

Doctor Who: The Shakespeare Code

Doctor: 'Which house? Make that witch house.'

This is an episode which improves over repeated viewings. Sixteenth century London looks simply stunning: from its bustling streets, to the period magnificence of the Globe, to the rippling calmness of the Thames. Admittedly, someone throwing a bucket of piss out the window did dampen the mood somewhat (though thankfully, nobody's clothes), but it did little to faze Martha, who's seen far worse working night-shifts in A & E.

Doctor Who: Smith and Jones

Doctor: 'Welcome aboard, Miss Jones.'

For me, 'Smith and Jones' typifies Russell T. Davies' weakness as a writer. There are some really good ideas on offer, but they're wrapped in such poorly thought out story dressing, and contain such bizarrely illogical character beats, that the whole effect somehow gets lost in the fog. This felt like a first draft of a story in need of several rewrites.

Doctor Who: The Runaway Bride

Donna: 'God, you're skinny. This wouldn't fit a rat.'

After Donna almost ruined Rose's swan song back in 'Doomsday', I can't say that I was looking forward to this year's Christmas special. Although I liked Tate in The Catherine Tate Show, I wasn't overly convinced that her and Doctor Who would be a good fit. After watching tonight's episode, I'm not altogether sure I was wrong.

Doctor Who: Doomsday (2)

Rose: 'I love you.'

Doctor: 'Quite right, too. And I suppose, if it's my last chance to say it. Rose Tyler...'

Season two's been a mixed bag for Rose. Her enthusiasm and growth throughout season one were a pleasure to behold, but this season the writers have seemed uncertain of what to do with her. In fact, she's been downright annoying at times, so perhaps now was the right time for Billie's departure. That's not to say she won't be missed, she's was instrumental in reviving a much loved British institution, and breathing life into arguably the best loved companion since Sarah Jane. But it's better to bow out when you're on top, and Rose definitely went out with a bang.

Doctor Who: Army Of Ghosts (1)

Doctor: 'How long you going to stay with me?'
Rose: 'Forever.'

'Army of Ghosts' and 'Doomsday' will forever be remembered as Rose's swansong. It was the end of a two year adventure which saw her transformed from inexperienced shop girl into seasoned time traveller. Rose swearing to stay with the Doctor forever, shows us just how strong her commitment to that new life is. She's in it for the long haul. Her and the Doctor are as 'together' as they're ever likely to be—but that's all about to change. Rose's monologue at the start of the episode prepares us for the worst. And despite the Doctor's reassurances to the contrary, it appears that the Beast was right, after all. Rose is going to die.

Doctor Who: Fear Her

Rose: 'I was attacked by a pencil scribble?'

One thing I've found particularly frustrating this season is the show's general lack of consistency. How many times have we seen a potentially good storyline ruined by either poorly judged dialogue or a badly realised villain, or great characterisation nullified by poor storytelling? The thing that really irks me is, it doesn't have to be this way. They are capable of getting it right. 'School Reunion' and 'The Girl in the Fireplace' are proof positive they can crank out a good story—but they've so rarely hit the mark this season. Which is a shame for Billie and David, because they deserve better scripts than this.

Doctor Who: Love And Monsters

Jackie: 'She's so far away. I get left here sometimes and I don't know where she is. Anything could be happening to her, anything. And I just go a bit mad.'

Three years on and I'm still in two minds about 'Love and Monsters'. Was it a clever experiment which paid off, or ill-conceived filler necessitated by a tight schedule and Tennant's inability to be in two places at once? I don't have a problem with the Doctor-lite episodes, but tonight's offering had more than its fair share of problems, and the source of those problems can be summed up in one word... Abzorbaloff.

Doctor Who: The Satan Pit (2)

Beast: 'The lost girl. So far away from home. The valiant child, who will die in battle, so very soon.'

When this episode first aired, it was widely rumoured that Billie would be leaving the show at the end of the season, and this was our first possible hint as to the nature of her character's departure. Whatever happened to a nice gold watch and a box of chocolates?

Doctor Who: The Impossible Planet (1)

Doctor: 'I promised Jackie I'd take you back home.'
Rose: 'Everyone leaves home in the end.'

When the visual effects are as stunning as this, it makes you wish that we were off-world more often. K37 Gem 5 looked spectacular, as did Krop Tor and the ruined city. Even the Ood, despite their rubber exteriors, were a triumph. It's amazing what you can do with a ballcock float, a bulb and a beard o' tentacles.

Doctor Who: The Idiot's Lantern

Tommy: 'Don't you get it? You were fighting so little twerps like me could do what we want, say what we want. Now you've become just like them.'

This was a hard episode to write about—mainly because I neither loved nor hated it. It inhabited that dreaded dead-space reserved for all things unremarkable. There were bits of it I liked, but it felt far too much like Who-by-numbers. The characterisation was uneven, the plot lacklustre, and I hate to say it, but even the Doctor got on my nerves this week.

Doctor Who: The Age Of Steel (2)

Pete: 'I thought I was broadcasting to the security services. What do I get? Scooby Doo and his gang. They've even got the van.'

A marked improvement over last week's episode. I'm not sure it was enough to lift the story up to 'epic' status, but it's certainly not languishing on the naughty step any more. The clever dialogue returned, as did the witty retorts—in fact, all of the things which make for an enjoyable episode were back. But I still have several gripes with it, which I'll touch upon once I've covered what wasn't utterly hopeless.

Doctor Who: The Rise Of The Cybermen (1)

Doctor Kendric: 'It's alive!'

Well, after a promising start to the season (and two of my favourite episodes ever), we came down to earth with a bang this week. No TV show's perfect—there's always something to complain about—but tonight, the negatives far outstripped the positives. Which is a shame, because the return of the Cybermen should have been a cause for rejoicing—but as has been the case so many times this season, something went drastically wrong. So I apologise in advance for the negativity of this review.

Doctor Who: The Girl In The Fireplace

Reinette: 'Godspeed, my lonely angel.'

After last week's episode, I wasn't expecting another emotionally charged story—but this was an absolute delight! It didn't resonate in quite the same way as 'School Reunion'—Sarah Jane was a well known and much loved companion, whereas Jean Antoinette Poisson (apart from clanging some vague historical bells), was a bit of an unknown quantity—but by the end of the 45 minutes, my heart strings definitely felt moderately jangled.

Doctor Who: School Reunion

Doctor: 'You can spend the rest of your life with me. But I can't spend the rest of mine with you. I have to live on. Alone. That's the curse of the Time Lords.'

This was a hard episode to find fault with. I'd even go as far as saying that it was my favourite episode of Nu-Who thus far. Sarah Jane was the first companion I ever knew, and tonight's episode offered a fascinating insight into her life thirty years on. Her face when she first saw the TARDIS was a delight, as was her reaction at seeing the Doctor again. He's a different looking man these days—gone is the curly dark hair and shark-like grin. The burning question is: why hasn't the Doctor mentioned Sarah Jane before?

Doctor Who: Tooth And Claw.

Queen Victoria: 'What exactly is that creature?"
Doctor: "You'd call it a werewolf, but technically it's more of a lupine-wavelength haemovariform.'

'Tooth and Claw' was a curious mixture of the good and the not so good. In terms of atmosphere, it was right up there with the best of them. It had a genuinely creepy feel to it (helped massively by some beautiful location shoots at Treowen Manor and Penilyn Castle), and the period costumes were unobtrusively effective. So in terms of ambiance, it scored big. But what on earth was going on with the Doctor and Rose this week?

Doctor Who: New Earth

Rose: 'I love this. Can I just say—travelling with you. I love it.'

If memory serves me correctly, this is the first Nu-Who adventure to take place on an alien planet. We made it into outer space last year with 'The Long Game' and 'The End of the World,' but I don't recall us landing on alien terra firma. The visual effects team certainly went to town this week making 'New Earth' look as futuristic as possible. Good job guys!

Doctor Who: The Christmas Invasion

Jackie: 'What do you mean, that's the doctor? Doctor who?'

I have to admit I'm not usually a fan of Christmas episodes. They're a little too sickly for my tastes. Too much good will to all men going on, and not nearly enough maniacal Santas trying to blow up London with mortar-launching tubas. So imagine my joy when a sanity-challenged Santa showed up after the first 15 minutes! His musical weapon of choice? You've guessed it. Which can only mean that Russell T. Davies has been reading my Christmas wish list.

Doctor Who: Born Again (Children in Need Special)

The Doctor: 'Back to your mum. It's all waiting. Fish and chips, sausage and mash, beans on toast... No! Christmas! Turkey! Although, having met your mother, nutloaf would be more appropriate.'

The Children in Need Special follows on directly from last season's finale. After a lengthy recap, the story picks up minutes after the Doctor's regeneration. The Doctor's full of energy, enthralled by his new body, his new appearance and his new existence. Rose, however, is far less enthusiastic. On finding herself aboard the TARDIS with a man she's never seen before, she can only conclude that the Doctor's been captured and that the man before her is an impostor.

Doctor Who: The Parting Of The Ways (2).

Rose:  'You are tiny. I can see the whole of time and space. Every single atom of your existence and I divide them. Everything must come to dust. All things. Everything dies.'

This was such a good episode that I'm not sure where to begin. For a start, it was a very emotional episode, similar in tone to 'Father's Day'. And I have to admit, I did shed a tear or two at the end (and maybe in the middle somewhere, too). Too much heroism. Too much loss. And maybe I'm a big softie, too.

Doctor Who: Bad Wolf (1).

Doctor: 'Rose.'
Rose: 'Yes, Doctor?'
Doctor: 'I'm coming to get you.'

I didn't see the trailer for this week's episode, so I was totally caught off guard by the re-emergence of the Daleks. So what started out as a fairly innocuous poke at popular British television, suddenly, and rather deliciously, transformed into something quite wonderful. I was chuffed at the prospect of seeing one Dalek this season—but to see half a million of them? I must be dreaming!

Doctor Who: Boom Town.

Mickey: 'What are you captain of? The innuendo squad?'

After three top notch stories in a row, this week felt like something of a letdown. I'm not against the slower, more reflective episodes—it's nice to take time out to explore the knock-on effects of prior events—but, after three of the most cleverly plotted/realised stories of the season, this felt like something of a dud. The moral dilemma faced by the Doctor was genuinely engaging—or at least it would have been had they not fudged it. I was curious as to how the Doctor would respond to Blon's plea for mercy. Would he send her back to Raxacoricofallapatorius and certain death, or would he come up with a more humane solution? Unfortunately, we never got to find out. She shed her skin and turned into an egg.

Doctor Who: The Doctor Dances (2)

Doctor: 'Go to your room. I mean it. I'm very, very angry with you. I'm very, very cross. Go to your room. [Pause] I'm really glad that worked. They would have been terrible last words.'

Not only would they have been terrible last words, they were a slightly ropey resolution to last week's cliffhanger. I suppose there was a modicum of logic to it, but it still feels like we were cheated. Still, not to worry—there was enough good stuff in tonight's episode to make up for its somewhat shaky start.

Doctor Who: The Empty Child (1)

Rose: 'Not very Spock, is it? Just asking.'

Well, Rose finally got to meet her Spock—and kind of went to pieces over him. I'm not gay, but I suspect that if I were (or a woman for that matter), then I'd probably go to pieces over him, too. Captain Jack Harkness (played by the impossibly handsome John Barrowman) is clearly one fine looking human—and he's everything that the Doctor isn't. He has a sexy spaceship, better (not to mention bigger) sonic equipment—in fact, he has all the trappings of a intergalactic hero. Even the way he wears his criminality is oddly charming.

Doctor Who: Father's Day

Pete: 'Who am I, love?'
Rose: 'My daddy.'

This episode shouldn't have worked! It had too many things wrong with it. It was more soap opera than sci-fi, the special effects were naff, and some of the science was truly appalling. (Where the hell did that glowing TARDIS key bollocks come from?) Yet it was my favourite episode of the season so far! How the did that happen? I'll tell you how—because despite its many shortcomings, on an emotional level it did everything right.

Doctor Who: The Long Game

Adam: 'It's going to take a better man than me to get in between you two'.

Okay, well that was pretty blunt. Clearly, it's now obvious to all and sundry that something is developing between Rose and the Doctor. Adam can see it, the Dalek last week could see it, Jackie knows it, and even Rose looked distinctly unfazed at the thought of there being something less than platonic about her relationship with the Doctor. Maybe next week they should just be done with it and have someone singing 'Rose and the Doctor sitting in a tree, K.I.S.S.I.N.G.'