I find Russell Davies to be rather like his own description of the Tenth Doctor... he's terrible and wonderful and sometimes he needs someone to stop him. Supposedly he was uncertain about that long ending, saying farewell to the companions, but Julie Gardner (the other EP) wanted it to stay. RTD ought to have listened to his instincts.Wilma wrote:Most the special was pretty good except those drawn out depressing parts (I was pretty depressed at the time I watched and I expected it to make me feel better.
The episode was fantastic (stupid stuff like surviving a fall from a spaceship not withstanding), UNTIL that long drawn out end, where RTD tried to do Hamlet. Until that point, it might have gone up to be my favorite Who ever. LOTS of great stuff for the classic fans.
But then he went with the sobbing, whining doctor, and he tried to play regeneration as "death" (like death, sure. Actual death? No). He played and overplayed and heaped on the SAD STUFF until it wasn't sad at all. I was hoping an ateroid would smash into the doctor (and take that silly ood out) before he even made it into the TARDIS. And I'm a fan of DT's doctor. But it was TOO flippin' much. Ruined the end.
But the other stuff.. the actual finale plot.. that was awesome.
Blink and Midnight are quite possibly the best Who episodes of nuWho, and maybe all of Who. Not necessarily my favorites, but the best.
Russell Davies wrote Midnight, and when he does well, he REALLY does well (it's only when he goes overboard that it's a problem.. if only someone would sit on him a bit, he'd always write spectacular stories).
He was not the only doctor to do that. DT could channel every single previous doctor, which was incredible. There were bits of all the other ones in there, such as Tom Baker's "Well" to William Hartnell's "Hmm?" As a teen I watched the Tom Baker eps, but only since seeing Midnight a couple of years ago have I gone back to watch classic Who.He has this peculiar way of saying 'well' -- I bet even 'well' itself had no idea it could be such an expressive little word.
What really strikes me is now no matter who played the doctor, and despite some superficial differences, it's always the same character. Different actors playing the exact same character.
I'm going on so long here, I'm gonna break this one into two posts... hope that's okay.l
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) It seems in the older series the Time Lords were around and the Doctor went on trial and stuff? 
I remember thinking the begining was good and the buildup was so great in the previous 2 episodes. 
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It was plushly purple all the way through, and also scary and exciting. And the fourth Doctor (my first) will always be dear to my heart.
Wish things had worked out for him to have featured in a new TV series.
. I have been lurking for the past couple of months but I just not been able to reply to posts in the fashion I would like as quickly as I would like. So my posts have to be short.
You make me very happy!