New Who Views- Jodie’s Term Ending With Power

Here’s some random thoughts about the Centennial special.

Thanks to my complete coincidence powers, the 49th Anniversary of Doctor Who was yesterday...and the three of us watched this one again as a family!.

One would think with Thanksgiving ALWAYS on Thursday, I would be able to plan better for that theme. Then again, Doctor Who Day is always this time of year, and no one who knows me should be surprised where my loyalties really lie.
 
Another Doctor passes into history. This one with a huge amount of “Timeless Child” bits left unresolved.
I felt that concept was handled like "The Name of the Doctor" It was shown to not matter, because the Doctor is who she is now. However, the build up felt more like there was going to be a reason or an explanation and the resolution wasn't as clear. (Luckily Jodie is awesome and got it across in her portrayal in a couple of tiny scenes in Flux.)
 
In regards to  “Power of the Doctor” itself-
As much as I love the 50th Special, this level of returning COMPANIONS is what I was hoping for, and was glad to finally get. While we miss incarnations, the Doctor is still the Doctor. Having companions come back seems more special to me, because they're our window to the show. Day of the Doctor felt like a celebration of NuWho, with some references to the past. This episode felt like a celebration of classic Who.
 

It was fantastic seeing the interactions of Tegan and Ace with the new Doctor, their Doctors, and the other companions. It was equally fantastic giving screen time to all the living Doctors “left out” of the Fiftieth. All of them looked to be having a blast. That’s one common thing about Doctor Who actors that always makes me happy, they all seem to have such a strong and loving bond with the show, the fans and usually with each other, even if they don't with all the creators behind the scenes.
  
I was worried about the finale throwing in more open ended items that weren't resolved and also if they could "stick the landing." Both worries were completely unfounded. I was very happy overall. This wasn’t my favorite era of the show, (which I'm not sure I have) but, DANG, she was fun to watch. I'll miss Jodie.
 
Yeah, even knowing he was coming, that regeneration was nuts.
(And the fact that his clothes regenerated?? What? I know there are statements that the only reason it happened was to keep Tennant out of women’s underwear, but having watched him in so many other things I don’t feel like that would have been a problem.)
 

My Wife and Mother both cheered excessively for the return of David Tennant, as neither really gelled with the last incarnation. Anabelle and I really liked her, but were disappointed in the writing often. (Though it was still better than almost anything else on a regular TV.)  However, all of us thought this was her best episode and freaked out over all the returns from the classic series.
 
It took until watching the near final scene for it to hit me. I had complained the 13th Doctor gets saved far more often than the male Doctors. Near the end, she faces the Master a final time, thwarts his plan and they're both left on an exploding planet. Because she's empathic, compassionate and has built "the fam," she gets rescued and therefore wins. 

Dan’s exit was another thing that felt like the classic era. It was an abrupt leaving, which matched all the nostalgia. In NuWho, the exits are normally these huge epic moments.  A lot of the classic departures were, "Hey, you know this person I met about ten minutes ago, I'm staying with them."  Or simply, “This life is amazing but it’s too much for me to handle anymore.”

For Yaz, I feel it was like "School Reunion," but more subtle. Mandip Gil did some amazing acting when meeting Tegan and Ace. You could see her processing that they were never mentioned, and never returned to, because it’s too painful for the Doctor to do that. I think that fueled her leaving.
 
My own opinions of the ultimate in evil Timelords revealed some stuff about me in two parts:
 
A) All the best Masters (present company included) make you think, "THEY MUST BE STOPPED!!!!" . . .
"But please wait a bit because I'm having far too much fun watching them."
 
B) *The Master wipes out actual planets and races* Me- "What a jerk." 
*The Master insults the Brigadier*-  Me -"He has to die now."
 

I know there are all kind of stories, both cannon and expanded universe, about companions meeting up again, but I truly believe that Graham would be the one to go out of his way to put the effort into making a support group for them- with SNACKS! 

We love Graham. 

Honestly, I think Anabelle’s live texting stream during the show summed up all my reactions and emotions far better than anything else I could say. (She started watching at college while we were almost done with our viewing at home.)

Here it is:
 
Dan my beloved *heart*
I love that man
I love Cybermen *Heart hands*
There are many

Oh my God a child
A C E
I love you Ace 
I love her 
AND she’s an art connoisseur 
TEGAN
stop, why are they besties 
I love it 
 
Me- You’ll find out why
 
Oh my God the tinying machine
you know
That machine that tinys people
 
Me- Tissue compression eliminator. 
 
tinying machine
no dan 
no
No dan 
no 
No
Noooo
Noooooooo

Me- Dan has graduated. 

I love you Dan 
*heart hands*
Dan the man 
With the frying pan 
what. 
why is that Dalek FaceTiming her
I hope they bring back the cult of Skaro for the 60th 😗
 
Me- Of course you do. 
 
hehe
ew the master
 
Me- Well. That was a hell of a thing. 
 
Did you finish?

 
Me- Yup
 
I think they should be called Cyberlords and not Cybermasters
Because they are like time lords
but whatever 😗
 
Me- But the Master is vain.
 
No one gives a hoot about the Master
It sounds better *shaking my head*
K a t e 
Oh my God, Oh my God, reunion time
PROFESSOR
P R O F E S S O R
DONT MIND ME, I'M DYING
 
Me- Yeah I did already 
 
slay Tegan
you sass her pants off 
NO NOT GIRL WITH A PEARL EARRING
I don’t care about the others
Oh my God, right - they know the Master too 
ugh my useful queens 
*laughing* why is the master so funny 
he’s definitely done crack
“Pinky-promisey”
Oh my God Vinder
waaaait what if the timeless child or whatever is his kid from last season 
Or his kid could be that random child from the beginning
*LAUGHING *
“Last time I saw you you were half cat”
“A man’s allowed to experiment” 
I disagree Master that episode was bad 😀
Nah
nahhhhh
the tinying machine people MOVE
Cybermens I guess, not people 
oh he’s untinying 
WAH
ugh not that half man half Cyberman again 
YAS SHOOT THEM
LADIESSSS
Me emailing [My Professor] to go ask him 70,000 questions ✨yet again✨ and then I look back at Doctor Who and the Doctor is in a Dalek *shrug*
GOODBYE
NO -O
THE FREAKING RASPUTIN SONG
I JUST WHEEZED
SO LOUDLY
I HAD TO MAKE SURE I WASNT HALLUCINATING
I am JAMMING  RIGHT NOW
Gotta love dancing Master 
Aurora is gonna love this
my soul left my body
that was the funniest thing I’ve ever seen
Forced regeneration ?
what
huh 
what on earth is happening 
wait what
Uh huh
huh 
I am so confuzzled
ah my ladies 
and Kate 
Also one of my ladies 
NO
NOOO
HER JACKET 
YAYAYAYAY
I love you Ace 
Why is the Master being mean to the TARDIS, she doesn’t deserve this?
Dude what on earth are you wearing?
that is a fashion disaster 
 
Me- Every Doctor’s outfit
 
yes, I got that 
it looks atrocious
*LAUGHING * NOT THE RECORDER
AJXJXJSKXKDK
this episode is so chaotic
I love it
 
Me- It is many steps above usual work the past couple seasons 
 
OH MY GOD 
WHAT 
The first Doctor ???? 
bestie oh my God

Me- Mmm hmmm. 

wait it crashed because I got too excited 
Please hold
Now I have to sit thru commercials again 

Me- Ugh sorry

because I literally freaked out so much I accidentally shut the video HAHA 
Okay where was I?
 
Me- About to freak out further. 
 
Yes I saw the 6th Doctor and then the chaos happened
AHH
FIVE 😗*heart*
OMG EIGHT 
bae
Hello baes 
S E V E N
not the 8 slander
This episode is so funny 😭
I love you Fifth Doctor I miss you 
what a time to be alive
*laughing* 7 still ominously rolling his r’s like a weirdo 
we love to see it
rrrrrregeneration 
that was amazing
vinderrrr *heart*
Tegan my QUEEN
 
Me- Huh?
 
She’s cool 
That’s all 
 
Me- Oh. Yes
 
Ace skydiving like a beast 
we love to see it
MY QUEEN BACK IN THE TARDIS 
I love her 😭
THE BAT
WICKED
I CANT HANDLE THIS
OH MY GOD
FIVE AND TEGAN
NOO
THE BESTIES
CHRIST I CAN’T DO THIS RIGHT NOW
ADRIC????
NO
BRAVE HEART 😭
GOODBYE
THIS IS THE DAY I DIE
Oh my god Seven and Ace ? 
SEVEN AND ACE
ACE
OH GOOD GOD 
😵
Me Right Now
NO
“All children leave home sooner or later” GOODBYE
NOOOO
WE'RE ACE ???
CHRIS CHIBNALL
UR KILLING ME
GRAHAM
GRAHAM
GRAHAM
GRAHAMMMMMMM
this is the best episode of Doctor Who I have seen in a long while 

 
Me- Right? Like where was this Chris Chibnall the past few years?

I don’t know but I sure am glad he’s here now 
I love Kate 
but I am worried for her well-being at the moment 
TEGAN LOOK OUT
stop, not him calling the Daleks “fam”
I would lowkey do that if I was working with them though so I can’t judge him too much
Oh my God that other lady
What’s her face

Me-The Fugitive Doctor

lowkey forgot about her but slay 
YAY the Cybermen are regenerating 
They’re soo cool 
oh good they’re bringing the Doctor back 
and yet when she wears that outfit  
It looks better 😗
Bye bye Doctor I forgot about  
 
Me- It’s like Chibnall is admitting all his continuity changes and side plots didn’t matter. 
 
KATE NO
HELP KATE
TEGANNNNN NOOO THATS NOT HELPING KATE
ahA. Slay  
stop- so much was happening I forgot about Graham 
my bestie
why is he even there 
I don’t care I’m too excited
I will accept any explanation
KATE IN THE TARDIS YAY
 
Me- Mami said “Finally! after all these years!”
 
Mami spit straight facts 
Why is Ryan in Patagonia 
Bye Vinder, I love you 
no, there’s only like 15 minutes left
that is devastating
Oh shoot
homegirl just got whacked by that laser
Aw Yaz
every time Ace appears on screen I screech in my head a little 
Oooo she’s regenerating 
Her hand is glowin' 
Ice cream ?? I am in shambles 
Yas a Dan mention 
my king 
I don’t want her to leave :(
I am gonna miss her 
not the commercials kicking in while I am sobbing my eyes out 
We hate to see it 
OH MY GOD
THE BESTIES
DAN AND GRAHAM
Oh my God Graham 
OH MY GOD!
IAN???
MEL
???
WAS THAT JO?
 
Me- IT WAS
 
CHRIST ALMIGHTY
MY HEART IS BARELY BEATING
MY BABIES
*Laughing a lot*  Ian 
NOOO NOT HER TALKING TO THE TARDIS
Be right back dying
no don’t go ☹️
noo 
noooo
Nooooooo
n o
welp 
not you again 
good evening David Tennant 
 
Me- Mami cheered quite a lot
 
*LAUGHING* 
the “what?”
iconic
is that the end?
 
Me- Why did the clothes regenerate is what I want to know?
 
Magic 
Obviously something weird happened
was there a teaser?
 
Me- We didn’t see a teaser. 
 
okay 
well dear Lord Jesus that was a trip and a half
I don’t think I will ever recover
did you delete it off the DVR 
 
Me- No it’s still there. 
I may just use your text stream as a review 
 
Ah they posted a teaser on YouTube 
It’s like 10 seconds 
but Ncuti is in it
We must rewatch together
 
(on the trailer: Me- Weird, her- Yes.) 
 
 
wow that was amazing
where has that BEEN
??????
 
Me- Trying to do too many new things instead of tributing the show he loved 
 
aside from “Kerblam” obviously 
A masterpiece 
Notice how Ian is literally 24/24 on my companion rankings but I still lost my absolute mind when I saw him
Easy #1 for this season
Easy.