{"id":36823,"date":"2022-10-25T00:20:00","date_gmt":"2022-10-24T23:20:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thedoctorwhocompanion.com\/?p=36823"},"modified":"2022-10-24T19:21:49","modified_gmt":"2022-10-24T18:21:49","slug":"reviewed-doctor-who-the-power-of-the-doctor","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thedoctorwhocompanion.com\/2022\/10\/25\/reviewed-doctor-who-the-power-of-the-doctor\/","title":{"rendered":"Reviewed: Doctor Who — The Power of the Doctor"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>\n

Among the political machinations over the last few weeks, which have played out like an unfolding, unbelievable, absurd, and terrifying political drama, The Power of the Doctor<\/em> has been somewhat of a relief. It\u2019s a fast-paced adventure story with a frankly bonkers plot, that somehow manages to be more satisfying than much of the Chris Chibnall\/Jodie Whitaker era.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For all the call-backs to the last few years \u2013 Sacha Dhawan\u2019s Master, the Lone Cyberman Ashad, Vinder from Flux<\/em>, the Fugitive Doctor, and the \u2018Time Lord\u2019 Cybermen \u2013 there was a Trussian level of u-turns here. UNIT has returned to pretty much full funding after being clumsily written out in Resolution<\/em>. The Daleks are back as an invasion force, despite the Dalek War Fleet being destroyed in the Flux<\/em> event.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Timeless Child story arc that cast a shadow over the Whittaker era is not even mentioned, let alone resolved. In fact, the inclusion of mostly classic-era Doctors at \u2018The Edge\u2019 seems to suggest they are still the Doctor\u2019s main incarnations, not a myriad of Morbius <\/em>Doctors, tortured children, Old Uncle Tom Cobley and all. Of course, the \u2018explanation\u2019 is that the Doctor\u2019s memory of pre-Hartnell incarnations is hidden. Then how come she can conjure up a convincing Fugitive Doctor hologram? (Whatever, Jo Martin is simply brilliant, if underused again.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While Dan Lewis (John Bishop) exits in the most underwhelming companion farewell since Mel (more of her later) \u2013 why no walk into the sunset with Diane? \u2013 Yasmin (Mandip Gill) and the Doctor\u2019s unrequited love is completely sidelined, despite it being such a signposted revelation at the end of Legend of the Sea Devils<\/em>. If you missed that, then the end of The Power of the Doctor<\/em> plays out like two good friends saying goodbye rather than two people who are in love with each other parting forever. And I don\u2019t buy this \u2018doing the next bit alone\u2019 and Yaz passively nodding. If you love someone deeply, you wouldn\u2019t abandon them to face death (basically) solo. For all of Yaz\u2019s becoming independent and determined spirit in this episode and previous adventures, she once again becomes shrug-the-shoulder compliant in the end.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Chibnall trick of setting a plot between multiple timelines, locations, and empty planets is in force but somehow manages to be relatively coherent. As is Chibnall\u2019s introduction of a hugely powerful and mysterious thing (a Quoronx) that has never been mentioned before, but the Doctor knows all about and has to explain in a technobabbly speech, and that kind of works here too. That\u2019s because the pace is frantic, much of the plot holes and fudges come and go when the next spectacle appears.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

For long-term Doctor Who<\/em> fans, the inclusion of ’80s companions Ace and Tegan is a thrill (particularly the glimpses of them interacting with versions of their Doctors). Also, the cameos of the First, Fifth, Sixth, Seventh, and Eighth Doctors bring a sense of celebration to this BBC centenary special. (I imagine Colin Baker did it for the love of Who<\/em>, rather than the corporation that treated him so badly in the 1980s.) Great to see glimpses of all of them, but any moments of McGann on-screen are precious. They seem to get David Bradley back for all occasions. We can only hope a full episode with McGann is part of the RTD2 plans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The AA-like meeting at the end of the Doctor\u2019s former companions is another cockle-warming toast to all of fandom. But for most viewers, it was a bunch of people in a room with no explanation as to who they were. Except, isn\u2019t that Carmel \u2013 Bonnie Langford \u2013 from EastEnder<\/em>s? What\u2019s she doing there? You just can\u2019t conjure up nostalgia for something you have never experienced, unless you put time and effort into the story, like they did with Sarah Jane in School Reunion<\/em>. And where was Polly (Anneke Wills)? And Martha? And Mickey– yes, probably best not to go there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite this being Whittaker\u2019s final regular appearance as the Doctor, she seemed a little sidelined in all the spectacle. The Master was given much better lines and profile, with the Thirteenth Doctor disappearing in the middle only to return in other forms (another repeated Chibnall trope). The sad fact is that this episode is likely to be boosted through iPlayer views, not with people wanting to see how Jodie exits but to cheer at David Tennant\u2019s return. Jodie deserves more, frankly. But her Tigger-and-teatime turn as the Doctor never fully meshed into a convincing incarnation. Jodie is capable of so much more, but was given such a passive and (slightly) annoying persona that never transcended the too often sub-par material.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But, you know, despite all that, I rather enjoyed it. And so did my children (son aged 11 and daughter, seven). My son declared that it was a much better episode than he\u2019d seen recently. My daughter, who had stopped watching all episodes and eras after the Flux<\/em> (who can blame her?), declared that she enjoyed it and had, \u2018missed Doctor Who<\/em>.\u2019 For all the fans who \u2013 whatever the BBC and production team deny \u2013 have fallen away over the last five years, I hope the teasing of Tennant brings them back. And the brilliance of Russell T Davies as showrunner and lead writer keeps them there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Well, goodbye, Jodie. You did quite well, quite well (given the circumstances and material). But it’s reassuring to know that the future is in safe hands…<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(And I don\u2019t mean Rishi Sunak.)<\/p>\n

<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

What did the DWC think of Jodie Whittaker and Chris Chibnall’s final Doctor Who?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":16,"featured_media":36775,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_publicize_message":"Reviewed: #DoctorWho -- The Power of the 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