From Somewhere, Volume Two

You think that hurt? Try watching it.

One of the many the awful truths of Doctor Who is that regeneration will suck. And not just because you’ll miss whoever happens to be the Doctor- no, really Leigh- its because the story it takes place in is usually quite bad.

Off the top of my head, there are only two regeneration stories in the history of series that I’d consider really good.

The War Games was Patrick Troughton’s finale.  And it’s a loonnnng goodbye-10 parts, no less- and when the Time Lords do show up at the end- having heard of them only through reputation up to that point in the series-you know it won’t end well.

The Caves of Androzani was so good, it actually served to redeem much of Peter Davison’s lackluster run as The Doctor.  Also, the best cliffhanger ever, just saying.

The previous nu-Who regeneration story, 2005’s The Parting of the Ways, adequately dealt with the Doctor’s guilt over both ending and surviving the Time War- a plot device which had set the events surrounding the return of the show into motion . Unfortunately, this story was also saddled with an unnecessary pseudo commentary on the popularity of reality television and game shows.  That story signaled the arrival of David Tennant’s Tenth Doctor and series head writer Russell T. Davies’ preoccupation of not knowing quite when to stop.

And if you feared RTD  just was not going to reign it in for his last Who hurrah,  you get a gold star. Unfortunately, that also means you get “The End of Time- Parts One & Two“.  I’m sorry- I’m so, so sorry.

Thoughts and possible mild spoilers after the jump…. (continue reading…)