(Spoilers)
The Day of The Doctor, the day many a Dr Who fans have been waiting for. This feature length episode was in celebration of 50 years of Doctor Who on our TV screens, and boy what a party it was. In addition to this special episode it was also released into cinemas and in 3D. I could not turn this opportunity down and quickly booked myself a ticket. I’m aware that this wasn’t a film however because I saw it in the cinema and I loved it so much I am just gonna call it the Dr Who movie! It was just fantastic.
Firstly I have to mention the few extras those in the cinema got that the TV viewers didn’t, and for these reasons I’m so glad that I made the trip to the cinema. The beginning saw a short clip entitled ‘Cinema Etiquette’ and this was hosted by the Sontarans and as you imagine was wonderfully funny and caught everybody’s attention immediately. This was followed by a brief introduction to the main event by the main men themselves, Matt Smith and David Tennant. This included the Doctor switching the 3D on with his sonic screwdriver, again brilliant.
Now in terms of the actual episode it was just phenomenal. I have to admit that ever since series 6 of Dr Who my interest has been flagging. The issue for me has been the poor standard of writing as all the cast always put in stellar performances. This has resulted in me not actually watching a lot of the last 2 series, but something told me that this special was going to be different. I was right, the story all came together so effortlessly and was magnificent to watch. The on screen chemistry between the 3 doctors was most definitely the best thing about this entire episode (the top of a very long list of positives). The banter that they had with each other was so funny, and it’s honesty was probably why it was such a success. The constant references to past episodes also assisted in the success of this episode and was a treat for any long-term Dr Who fan. The side story in this episode featured that of the Zygons. At first I was skeptical about these creatures however I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed their involvement and it provided a strong side plot which complemented the main plot well. Joanna Page gave a flawless portrayal of Elizabeth I and provided much comedy, something that this special wasn’t short on.
The actual story was so clever and just a soon as you thought you had it figured out another curve ball was thrown straight at you, the story was brave and this should be praised. This has actually completely changed the course of the shows history and will bring a whole new perspective when watching old episodes. If you had told me that this was the plan for this special I would have dismissed it as ridiculous and stupid. However for some reason it works. Now my one criticism of the special is the confusion around the ordering of the doctors and whether or not John Hurt is in fact another doctor, I’m not really too fussed on this but I just didn’t enjoy the confusion. John Hurt was also fantastic and brought in another portrayal of the Doctor and was highly captivating to watch. There is so much more about this episode I loved and I could write for pages and pages, most likely when I post this entry I will immediately remember something that I forgot to mention there just was so much! That very short cameo from Peter Capaldi, Clara Oswald – possibly the best assistant ever?!, the revelation of what is to come for the Doctor at Christmas, Billie Piper’s involvement…the list really does go on!
BIGGEST FLAW – Confusion caused over the order issue
BIGGEST ACHIEVEMENT – The banter between all the Doctors
This is by far the best ever episode of Doctor Who that I have ever watched, it has reignited my love for the show and it was got back to its roots of excellent writing and story telling. I have never been sure of the show since Steven Moffat took over but he has cemented himself here as a superb writer and has restored my faith in this wonderful show. I can’t recommend it enough.
Rating – 10/10
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