Review: Doctor Who: The Day of The Doctor

Review: Doctor Who: The Day of The Doctor

Director: Nick Hurran

Starring: Matt Smith, David Tennant, Jenna Coleman, Billie Piper and John Hurt

Running Time: 86 Minutes

WARNING: This review contains spoilers! If you haven't seen The Day of The Doctor yet, drop everything and watch it now!

"Waste no more time arguing what a good man should be. Be one."

Go on. Tell me it wasn't as good as you'd hoped. Tell me it didn't meet all, or any, expectations you had. I dare you!

It's not every day that a British TV show gets to celebrate its 50th Anniversary, not least a rather wacky adventure series about a 1200 year old alien travelling around the universe in a blue police box. Nevertheless, Doctor Who has remained a staple of this country's culture for the duration of its existence - yet for all the 798 episodes that had aired up until now, we were still asking the same question that companion Ian Chesterton had asked in the very first story: Doctor Who?

"No More."

With head writer Steven Moffat (bravely) taking the reigns for Doctor Who's 50th birthday, we're definitely much closer to the man himself rather than simply wandering from adventure to adventure every week. Earlier this year, Moffat promised us a "story that would change The Doctor forever." Well, he didn't disappoint.

For this is perhaps the greatest victory for The Day of The Doctor: rather than just taking the lazy route of fan service (something that former show runner Russell T. Davies was notorious for with often disappointing results), this special secures Doctor Who's future. The entire structure of the show has changed: The Doctor is no longer a lonely traveller wandering through the universe; he is now a man with a mission, trying to find his way back to a safe and secure Gallifrey. 

"Soldier...I'm going to need your gun."

That's not to say that Moffat is just ploughing forward without glancing over his shoulder. From a black and white portrayal of the final days of the Time War to the return of David Tennant's beloved Tenth Doctor - and of course "The Curator" - the level of fan service here is at an astronomical level. Yet the important factor remains: it all matters. Every word, every moment and every reference contributes to the story of the episode.

And what a story it is. Every fan surely started watching this episode with a wishlist of things they wanted to see, be it Matt Smith's wonderfully quirky Eleventh Doctor donning his fez again, Billie Piper's return as Rose (well...more on that later), a few cameos from Doctors and companions past and present - perhaps even a glimpse of the future. Sure, their check lists might not have been completely fulfilled (zero interaction between the Tenth and Eleventh Doctors with Rose will surely upset some) but honestly it's impossible to feel short-changed by the time the credits roll.

"He's going through a grunge phase...he'll snap out of it."

Since its return in 2005, The Doctor's story has been plagued by one defining element: he is the last of his kind, a race known as the Time Lords. During the war, The Doctor was in his ninth form (played absolutely marvellously by acting legend John Hurt) and, after what appeared to be hundreds of years of fighting, The War Doctor decreed "No More." As we already know, The Doctor used a device known as "The Moment" to destroy both the Time Lords and The Daleks.

Or did he?!

In a brilliant twist, the War Doctor is visited by the "Bad Wolf" entity (Billie Piper, showing us that she would be a more than capable incarnation of The Doctor herself) who, in a story reminiscent of A Christmas Carol, gives the War Doctor a chance to meet his future incarnations to discover the man he will become after destroying his home planet.

"Are you afraid of the big Bad Wolf?"

This is where the story really picks up, as the Eleventh and Tenth Doctors meet, the former a little miffed at being airlifted without permission and the latter accidentally marrying Queen Elizabeth the first. They're closely followed by John Hurt's world weary incarnation, ironically looking for The Doctor and mistaking his future selves as companions.

Matt Smith and David Tennant in particular shine as a double act, and there was a genuine feeling of sadness in me when Tennant departed again (and how cruel of Moffat to leave Tennant's final line untouched!) as their chemistry was easily the most fun and appealing part of the special. "Oh I'm The Doctor, I'm so cool, look at me, I'm cool, oops I'm wearing sand shoes!"

There's a risk of course, with such bouncy and charismatic Doctors on the menu, that both of them more or less end up being exactly the same. As Piper's brilliant character cleverly points out, Ten is the "man who regrets", while Eleven is the "man who forgets". It's this sort of interplay between them that leads to some of the more confrontational and emotional moments that really hit to the core of who The Doctor really is and what he thinks of the act he has committed. "Did you ever count how many children there were on Gallifrey?"

"Oh, you've redecorated! I don't like it..."

Yet with the Three Doctors together, aided of course by Jenna Coleman's Clara Oswald, a companion who seems to have become the definitive article of what The Doctor's friend should be, it becomes clear that there may be more than one way to end the Time War - and it doesn't always have to end in death.

Meanwhile, Zygons (remember them? Me neither...) are invading U.N.I.T's Tower of London base - an interesting but slightly unnecessary sub-plot that keeps The Doctors moving forward just like any other episode. It does slow proceedings down now and again though, although perhaps characters such as Osgood and the Brigadier's grand-daughter Kate Stewart will slot in nicely next to Capaldi's Doctor in the future.

"We can only agree to live. Sadly we can only agree to die."

It's a complex plot even for a fan who has been keeping up with the show since 2005, but by its thrilling climax featuring all thirteen - yep, you read that right! - incarnations of The Doctor saving Gallifrey from the Time War and freezing it somewhere unknown in the universe, its impossible not to get swept up in the sheer excitement. From the First Doctor's momentary cameo right up to a triumphant debut for Peter Capaldi - a whole two seconds of his eyes sending a cinema full of people into a frenzy - the final moments of The Day of The Doctor will be hard to beat for the upcoming series.

"All twelve of them...no, all thirteen!"

And yet, it was an undeniably shocking and emotional appearance from Tom Baker, the Fourth Doctor (and also the oldest) that really cemented this episode in the hearts of fans around the world. Anyone who knows the history of Doctor Who will know that Baker - like Christopher Eccleston today, without whom minor parts of the special felt sadly empty - spent the majority of his years after his time on the show refusing to be drawn into its spotlight again, so for him to return in the final minutes as a mysterious curator having a conversation with Matt Smith is nothing short of TV history. 

It's not just any conversation either. Sure, it's left ambiguous, but this moment is The Doctor finally finding his mission. As Steven Moffat and David Tennant have quite rightfully said, this is nowhere near the end: this is simply the beginning of chapter two.

Summary

"At last, I know where I'm going. Where I've always been going."

Series seven's cliffhanger left a lot of explaining to do for The Day of The Doctor, but luckily all involved have been suitably up to the task. Steven Moffat has successfully - miraculously - written a story that pays homage to 50 years of sci-fi genius whilst also looking forward to the future with arms wide open.  John Hurt in particular is incredible as the "War Doctor", while Matt Smith and David Tennant's respective Doctors are written and performed in such a way that is hilarious one second and heartbreaking the next. Yet it's the rousing finale featuring all thirteen Doctors which proves that Doctor Who isn't on a nostalgic end of its run at all - this is only the end of the beginning. Here's to the 100th Anniversary! Allons-y!

"Home. The long way around."

10/10 - Fantastic!