Series 1 (Season 27), Episode 8: Father's Day

Rose tells her dad of the future. I wonder if she remembered to tell him about this blog?

To further develop Rose's character and to gain a greater understanding of the ever increasing laws of the Doctor Who universe, a story was commissioned to feature the aftermath of Rose changing an important event in her own history. Paul Cornell, who writes this episode, had worked on the Doctor Who books range along with Russell T Davies following the shows cancellation in 1989 and subsequently was asked to write this episode. A heavy feature of this episode is flashbacks to Rose's past in which her mother, Jackie, tells her all about her loving dad. Once Rose visits the past however she discovers that things are not as she imagined them.

Synopsis: After remembering a conversation she once had with her mum, Rose asks the Doctor to take her back to see her dead father while he was still alive. The thing that sticks in Rose's mind is that her dad died alone and so she convinces the Doctor to take her back so that she can be there with him when he dies. Rose, however, messes up her first attempt and instead of going with the plan on her second attempt, rescues her dad from his impending fate. This releases the Reapers and destroys the 'dimensional transcendental' powers of the TARDIS which make it bigger on the inside. With Reapers on the loose around the church and no way out, there are not many options left open to the congregation. The congregations last chance of survival is destroyed when Rose touches her younger self and a Reaper breaks in and kills the Doctor...

Featuring: The Ninth Doctor (Christopher Eccleston), Rose (Billie Piper) and Jackie (Camille Coudri)

Enemies: Reapers

Afterthought: There is real sense of emotion in the latter scenes of this. How old is Mickey meant to be; three, four, five years older than Rose? What about the driver, did he not think it was a bit weird when he found himself driving somewhere he didn't need to be at the end of the episode?

Verdict:

Story: 4/5, A really emotional script with a slightly darker approach to the Doctor's attitude!

Effects: 4/5, An exciting brilliance, except when the Doctor is eaten.

Humor: 3/5, A good attempt but the mood is dampened by the episodes impending doom.

Mark Campbell: 4/5, He agrees with me!

TOTAL SCORE: 15/20

Elsewhere:

Wikipedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Father's_Day_(Doctor_Who)

Official Site - http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0074drw

The Doctor's 'constant companion is death' - Chameleon Circuit. Next Time: The Empty Child & The Doctor Dances

Reapers attack!