In a time when the series was on the airways across the country several years ago, kids imagined fights between Daleks and Cybermen and these were realised in playgrounds all over the country.
It was an idea that the classic series, mainly due to reasons of cost, avoided. In fact, it’s something we have all spent time trying to realise what such a battle would be like. Imagining what a massive army of Daleks and Cybermen taking on each other would look like and now we have a perfect visualisation of all our dreams from our childhood.
We not only have the epic concept of the Daleks and the Cybermen, but there are just about moments for everyone in this script. We have the Bond type organisation in Torchwood with Tracy Ann Oberman being perfect in the role of Yvonne, a very modern kind of leader which makes this part of the episode.
While Torchwood is impressively realised here, it’s introduction has not been popular with the fans. I would say that it’s no different from the Bad Wolf theme from the last series. The difference this time is that we knew what Torchwood was going to be from the beginning. I can imagine that it would have been better if the spin off series starring John Barrowman hadn’t been announced before the start of series 2.
There’s funny moments with the ghosts crossing from one world to the other. We have the Doctor doing Ghostbusters and the cameos (and they are even less than Anne Robinson and Davina McCall last year) from Barbara Windsor, Trisha Goddard and Derek Acorah which all involve the ghosts.
The silly moments became horrific within the script. The bit where the Daleks ask Dr Singh to kneel sounds quite silly and almost childlike. However, it shows the power that the Daleks have. They can use a human being as a plaything and then when they have had their fun, they then kill him off by squashing his head and then burning him to a death. An effect bought to shocking effect in the story.
Parts of it feel like a full scale action film with the direction of the battles between the Daleks and the Cybermen as well as the fight on the bridge between the Cybermen and the Torchwood soldiers.
Suffice to say, it’s difficult to really find any weaknesses in this two parter. The script is arguably Russell T Davies’ best to date (although Tooth and Claw might still win that battle) and an impressive guest cast bring the whole thing to life on such a grand scale.
Graeme Harper’s direction is easily his best for the series, beating his very own high standards, while the sets and the computer generated effects all look fantastic. While he has come in for some criticism for previous episodes, I must mention that Ernie Vincze’s photography and lighting look simply beautiful and add a great layer of gloss to the whole piece.
The other thing that will be remembered for is the surprises that we had on screen. We had the surprising death of then rumoured new companion, Freema Agyeman, the return of the Daleks arguably giving us the best cliff hanger of the entire series. We also get Billie’s Piper’s exit, rumoured and hyped to be her death, which doesn’t happen despite the numerous threats on her life at this point. If that isn’t enough, the emergence of Catherine Tate at the end will have surprised everyone, though I confess to not recognising her at first.
I’m not sure I really want to single out performers, but it’s them that give this episode the emotional impact that is needed. The regular Tyler clan of Pete, Jackie and Mickey are superb and the moment where Pete and Jackie and “re-united” is one of the most moving, fun and brilliant moments in the series. They have been bought to life impressively throughout by Shaun Dingwall and Camille Coduri. Noel Clarke has got better as Mickey as the series has gone on.
David Tennant has arguably settled into the role far more by this time. He gets some fantastic moments, such as his goading a Dalek during the final episode while the emotion that he gives the ending his arguably his best performance in the series.
However, the series so far as belonged to Billie Piper as the only person on the crew to be involved in all 27 episodes of this new series. Slated before she took the part by the majority of fandom, she has proved every single person wrong and turned herself into one of the hottest actors around at the moment.
Her exit from the series is heart wrenching. It’s implied by the pre-credit sequence to both episodes that she dies. We think the moment will arrive when she let’s go off the lever that she’s hanging on to for real life, but Pete comes through to save the day. I had debates with friends and we all didn’t want Rose to be killed off, but we all came to the conclusion that this ending was worse than her dying in terms of the emotion. It’s a great exit for the actress and the character.
This two parter is the perfect way to end the series though I wonder how they will ever top series 3 after this. One thing’s for certain, I can’t wait for it.
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