Wow . This year ’s Doctor Who Christmas special explored some intimate soil for author Russell T. Davies — and yet it was utterly mesmerizing , mostly thanks to guest principal David Morrissey . Spoilers below .
So . As you might have guessed beforehand , Morrissey is n’t in reality playing a future Doctor in last night ’s sequence — although the show did a good job of teasing the possibility that he was a Doctor who ’d lose his memory . Instead , he was Jackson Lake , a Victorian valet de chambre who lose his memory after the Cybermen killed his married woman and nobble his son . He happened to bet into an “ information - cast ” about the Cybermen ’s enemy , the Doctor , and it impress on his idea . So he turn himself into a kind of Doctor - manque , complete with transonic screwdriver , TARDIS and fellow traveler .
It could have been tongue - in - cheek , but instead it was warmness - rive , thanks to Morrissey ’s performance . He was , in a sense , the RTD - era edition of the Doctor writ large — full of jokes and bravado , but with a terrible loneliness and grief lurking just under the surface . Just when I thought Davies could n’t wring one more taradiddle out of the idea that the Doctor is terribly sad and lonely , he go and finds one . And it ’s quite a estimable one .
( It almost feel a flake unneeded when the Doctor give that actor’s line at the end about why he always finish up alone . And yet , in a way , it cap off the episode ’s theme nicely and showed how some matter never change . )
Sure , it ’s sort of a recap of the late instalment , where Donna got imprinted with the Doctor ’s knowledge and became the “ Doctor - Donna , ” and it ’s also pretty secretive to the “ Family Of Blood , ” where the tiddler had the fobwatch that whispered to him about the admirableness of the Doctor . But who like , when it ’s this well done ?
To be clean , David Tennant was also on rarefied course here — treat his “ other ego ” very cautiously and with a strange deference . His behavior towards the “ other Doctor of the Church ” changes only gradually , as he starts to realize this is n’t actually a succeeding self he ’s address with . He undermines the Morrissey Doctor here and there , but never outright start to condescend to him . He takes to the “ associate ” use quite well . And even though I ’ve heard Tennant say “ I ’m so sorry ” a hundred times by now , he seems to intend it more than usual when he points out that Jackson Lake ’s luggage is too much for one person .
So , okay , David Morrissey is n’t really playing a future Doctor here . Whatever . He could still take over the role when David Tennant leaves , correct ? I entail , there ’s precedent for it . Romana was so impressed with Princess Astra , silly name and all , that she chose to await just like her when she regenerated . It makes total sense for the Doctor to feel the same way about Jackson Lake . correct ? Okay , probably not .
Oh , and there were Cybermen . aboveboard , that part was sort of forgettable alongside the much more interesting “ two Dr. ” plot . I mean , there was nothing wrong with it . Dervla Kirwan was great sport to watch , and the whole Dickensian child - labor manufacturing plant place setting was nerveless . And , as various people have already take down , there was a cool “ steampunk ” vibration cash in one’s chips on with it . particularly the ginormous engine with the immense gears . But it really only captured my attention in the last ten minute , when the Cybermen on the spur of the moment sprain into Megatron . Which , how can that be regretful ?
( Still — and this is really my only complaint — RTD ’s tic were in full effect here . Once again , you have a terrible enemy of the Doctor who is operating on “ low power , ” or actor’s line to that gist , thus forcing them to call on people into fuzz , or hide behind a secret plan show satellite , or turn dog-iron into Cyber - wraith and habit infostamps , etc . etc . etc . I ’m also a fleck tired of the too - tight links between each Dalek / Cyberman story , so that we ’re always meeting refugee from the previous battle . And then once again , the Doctor block up the Cybermen by push full awareness on ( one of ) them . These are fairly underage quibbles , but they ’re things that I ’m not go to miss about the Davies era . )
In any case , back to praise the episode , which prompt me why I often enjoy Davies ’ penning for Who . It was disturbed and over - the - top and ridiculous and jammed full of fruit . But at its heart , there was a really move , truly human story that managed to chance something new to say about the Doctor . That ’s a reasonably great achievement , after four seasons full of variations on a theme .
Doctor WhoDoctor Who RecapTelevision
Daily Newsletter
Get the good tech , scientific discipline , and refinement tidings in your inbox day by day .
News from the future , extradite to your present .
You May Also Like
