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Last of the Time Lords Format Reviewed: TV Review Last of the Time Lords is the finale episode of Series three in the new television adventures of Doctor Who. As with previous series, the tension has been built towards a final blowout in an end of series spectacular episode. The storyline is carried through from Utopia and The Sound of Drums into this episode so therefore should also be considered to be the last episode in a three part story within the series. A year on from The Sound of Drums, Martha is travelling the Earth setting up the resistance to The Master amongst the scattered Human population. She comes to a small group with Dr Tom Milligan and Professor Doherty. They are told of a weapon of four parts that is nearly complete, which is the only way of stopping The Master. Onboard the Valiant, The Masters flying fortress, a sabotage plan is enacted by Marthas family and The Doctor, who has since worked out who the Toclafane really are. They are the Humans from Utopia at the end of the Universe, the only people The Master could reach in the 'locked off TARDIS. The sabotage plan of Marthas family is foiled by the guards, and The Master decides to punish The Doctor by suspending his ability to regenerate and aging his current body to nine hundred years old, thus making him a small, withered creature. Back on Earth, Martha is betrayed by Professor Doherty and is captured and brought to The Valiant where The Master taunts her about the gun with four chemical agents to defeat The Master. She then laughs this off, saying she knew Doherty would betray her and the weapon was infact psychic thought throughout the whole of the Human race, saying the word 'Doctor' at the same time. This happens and his body is returned to its rightful age. Jack then fights his way to the TARDIS, and fires on the Paradox Machine, blowing it up. The Doctor and Master fight over the Vortex Manipulator before a jolt rocks the ship, and time revereses back to just before the American President was shot, thus destroying The Masters empire. With nowhere to go, the Master is captured, but a lone shot rings out with the Doctor promising to help him to change. Lucy Saxon has shot her husband. The Doctor rushes over, urges him to regenerate but he refuses and dies while The Doctor hold him and cries. Captain Jack then decides that he wants to stay on Earth, and goes back to Torchwood whilst inadvertantly revealing the final secret about The Face of Boe. Martha also decides to stay on Earth, leaving the Doctor to go off alone once more. Later, The Doctor makes a funeral pyre and burns The Masters body, but his ring appears to contain his mind and is found by a female hand. Like the previous two episodes, Last of the Time Lords scores really big in atmosphere, tension and mood. Once again this is built throughout, but as this is the finale we are finally let down from the tentahooks we have been placed upon during this trilogy of episodes. The other big winner for this episode is the facf that it really is a good romp from start to finish, with some loose ends tied up ready to begin afresh with the next series. Once again, the cast remains largely the same with only a couple of additions. Also, the outstanding performance once again belongs to John Simm as The Master. He truly does bring an excellent, magical and different quality to the role, thoroughly updating the character for the new series. David Tennant really only briefly appears, as he is mainly played by CG from The Mill with his voice over on top. What he does do though he does well. Martha played by Freema Agyeman though really shines through as a great character here. She is strong, independant and deturmined, all the qualities she portrays in the character and does a good job. Having given the praise earlier about the atmosphere and fun of this episode, there are many negative aspects worthy of note. Firstly, Russel T Davies is very keen on his 'black box' magical solutions to problems. We had Rose and the vortex to defeat the Daleks, and now Humanity saying one word at the same time somehow making the Doctor young again and impervious to guns. I really do not like this method of ending stories, nor was I that impressed by the overall story of the sound of drums back from when The Master was a child. This implies that everything throughout the classic series was geared towards this, but it just doesn't really fit. My biggest disappointment though was the 'Flash Gordon' ending with the ring. This is not just reminiscent of the camp film, but really a blatant rip off of its climax. We will see The Master again, like the Daleks and Cybermen will undoubtedly return. Doing it in this way however really does stretch the imagination one step too far. Overall, Last of the Time Lords provides a suitably atmospheric climax to the first three series of the new television adventures of Doctor Who. There are loose ends tied up well, and above all the episode is fun throughout. There are grievances though, not least of which is the 'black box' nature of the story resolutions that writer Russel T Davies seems to favour. I don't particularly like this type of ending however and consequently it lets the side down a bit after a generally good series.  |