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A Doctor Who a Day - Day 25 - Review: Army of Ghosts & Doomsday

Updated: 9 hours ago


Doctor Who Series 2, Episodes 12 & 13, Army of Ghosts & Doomsday

Original Air Date: 1st & 8th July 2006


"Location Earth! Lifeforms detected! Exterminate! Exterminate! Exterminate! Exterminate!"


I have a bad habit when I dip in and out of Doctor Who. I often watch part one of two parters and miss the second part. I have no idea why. Perhaps I just enjoy the first parts more? Does anyone else do this or is it just me? Anyway, this means it has been quite some time since I last watched Doomsday, and it caught me off guard. So let's say goodbye Rose all over again with a review of Army of Ghosts and Doomsday. Got your tissues ready?


I have complained a little bit throughout my series 2 reviews about TenRose. They just weren’t for me. I preferred the Ninth Doctor and Rose dynamic. I also thought Rose changed in this series, and not for the best. She became selfish, and at times, I thought she was plain old mean. It all seemed a world away from the girl who stopped the Doctor from shooting a Dalek and helped heal a broken alien. With that in mind, I thought I would just brush this finale off with a shrug and be on my way, but I actually welled up watching it. I never well up! There are only two things that ever get me tearful - Up and The Snowman - but other than that I am a heartless bastard.


I can only put this down to how fabulous brilliant Billie Piper is and was. What a stunning, heart-breaking performance she puts in here.


"I ain't afraid of no ghosts!"


This is what we have come to get used to in an RTD finale, and I don't mean that in a bad way. We get a slow build up in the first part as clues are strewn around before a sensational twist, that means all hell is breaking out in the second part.


I bloody loved it. 


It may look a bit dated in parts, the levers for the ghost shift (sorry to bring them up Rose fans) and the Torchwood warehouse look a bit iffy, but hey, what show from 2006 doesn't look a bit iffy now? Torchwood is revealed and Martha Jones is getting smashed in her lunch break, then killed. I like her, what a shame I won't get to see anymore of her...!


Daleks firing at a group of Cybermen in warehouse

WHAT! A! FUCKING! AMAZING! CLIFFHANGER!!


Kids at the time must have been losing their absolute shit! It still gets me excited even now as the Daleks suddenly zoom into sight. Yes, yes, yes!! Cybermen fucking everywhere, Daleks on the scene, superb!


"Exterminate! Delete! Exterminate! Delete! Exterminate! Delete!"


The Daleks and Cyberman battles are actually quite laughable, and it most definitely was pest control for the Daleks! The Cybermen got their arses well and truly handed to them, but it was still a thrill. I think it has been said that Russell is a massive Dalek fan (and why wouldn't he be?!) and it shows here, they don't even get a scratch.


I always try to look at Doctor Who through the eyes of a child, imagine how exciting this must have been? 


The Doctor looking at Rose on Bad Wolf Bay. He looks sad
@BBC

Jackie Tyler, as ever, is a bloody legend, and I love her scenes when she meets Pete again. They somehow manage to be hilarious and moving at the same time. I loved her on the phone to the Doctor and trying to explain which staircase she was on as well.


"Am I ever going to see you again?"


I think a lot of people have fond (or perhaps not very fond) memories of the music in this episode, and in particular Doomsday. It is such a great piece of music, and when we follow Rose to Bad Wolf Bay it hits hard. The Cyberman is another piece of music that adds to the sense of occasion going on. As the Doctor and Rose cling on for dear life, as Daleks and Cybermen fly past them back into the void, it is a thrilling piece of television.


And so we bid goodbye to Rose Tyler and Billie Piper on Dårlig Ulv Stranden. I had my issues with Rose in Series 2, but Billie was a truly inspired piece of casting, she was fantastic. A large part of me reviewing these episodes again all these years later is because Doctor Who was such a hit, and a big part of that was because Billie was so brilliant. So thank you Billie Piper. Maybe I will see you again at Christmas?


Was this the end of a GOAT Tardis team in the GOAT finale? Have there been better cliffhangers than Army of Ghosts? Should I stop using the term GOAT because it is annoying as fuck? Let me know in the comments below.





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© by Matty James

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