I can’t decide, whether you should live or die….

Utopia – Up!
The Sound of Drums – Up!
Last of the Time Lords – Crash and burn…

I have already read a number of reviews glowing in praise for the show called Doctor Who. As a lifelong fan I almost feel guilty for feeling the way I do. Indeed some fans have already told me I’m wrong! It’s particularly for Last of the Time Lords. There have been some great stories this season. I enjoyed Evolution of the Daleks, despite some shortcomings that have been commented far and wide by reviewers. Utopia – a joy just for seeing Derek Jacobi being wonderful and Masterley! Then The Sound of Drums – a great preamble for the finale, the Doctor completely at the mercy of the Master! At the end where the Toclafane descend to ‘decimate’ you know that the timeline has been altered – you know the TARDIS, as a paradox machine, is allowing the alterations to be made. You know there will be a ‘none of it ever happened’ speech at the end. As Doctor Who deals with time travel those endings are allowed – not like ‘he woke up and it was all a dream’ as the events did occur.

Sadly it then lost its way. What should have been an action packed fast paced episode just… wasn’t!

One year later…

Which is fine. Great to see some time spent setting things up and we start to get a perspective on what the Master has done. Some nice ‘apocalyptic Earth’ settings with people hiding. The Professor who was introduced immediately reminded me of Mrs Moore from Rise of the Cybermen/The Age of Steel and sadly was used about as well. The chap playing the paediatrician did OK – nothing standing out too much, which is worrying as people are hinting he might be the next companion. Honestly Russell, you can employ someone you haven’t worked with before! Nice build up with the gun – though it does make no sense that the 4 chemicals were stored separately around the world. Again – the betrayal worked well… all good so far..

Meanwhile the Doctor gets to be old. Martha’s family working as servants around him. Jack, still immortal chained up. And what have they done in the space of a year. Attempted a revolt – presumably only the one which fails badly and for quite obvious reasons. And then the Doctor is reduced Golem in a cage. He even seems more active than when he was aged 100 years. And he keeps saying “think about what you are doing.” Not the best way to solve the problem.

Martha is captured and we find out the gun was a blind – good! It made no sense and was never going to be too easy to use. And now the Doctor’s brilliant plan comes to the fore. If enough people believe in the Doctor, the magic psychic energy will rejuvenate him and give him floaty power…. What?

It’s not been hinted at, at all! I mean no odd psychic occurrences when, say, Japan was fried? That should have kicked up something surely.

Time winds back – the paradox reverted.

The Toclafane – humans from Utopia who made themselves into mad spherical Cybermen are trapped at the end of the universe.

What?

The end of the universe and it was all pointless? No way out? Just madness and the end? What a downer from all that hope in Utopia!

The Master is left weeping on the floor in the Doctors arms. The Doctor says “I forgive you.”

What?

Being the last of the Time Lords must be not too much fun but… What!

This is a man – rightly pointed out by Martha’s mum who killed billions of people.

I mean billions! And that was just this time. Let’s see if we can work our way back.

He killed hundreds if not thousands in the 3rd Doctor’s era.

No end of Time Lords in the Deadly Assassin

Several people on Traken in the Keeper of Traken

Oh yes – a good portion of the Universe in Logopolis.

And that was all some time ago….

I’m sorry, if I was Martha’s mum I would have shot him and then said – I’ve only killed one person, going to forgive me now?

The Doctor seems to have become this creature of the most diabolical double standards. How can he imprison the Family of Blood in such terrible circumstances and then say come and live with me in the TARDIS.

How can he complain about anyone wanting to extend their lifespan when the only reason the Master exists is that he was resurrected to fight the Time War. But that’s OK. He used those skills and powers to abuse people. And that’s fine too! He has killed people wilfully for entertainment. That’s OK as well?

Now what would have happened if he’d killed Rose?

It makes no sense. None at all.

I’m sorry; the Master is the Universes most prolific mass murderer. No second chances? Unless he’s a Time Lord? I’m just frustrated with this sloppiness with the writing and character. I also don’t like ‘magical’ endings with esoteric powers used – particularly with no preamble. We’ve had three. One for each climax of the season. It just galls me no end.