1)"Peter Alan Tyler, my dad..." So, now we come to the "tear-jerker" episode. I gather Paul Cornell based the character of Pete Tyler on his own father, even down to some of the things he has Pete say. I'm not the biggest Cornell mark int he world, but he did a pretty good job with this episode. Shaun Dingwall did a good job as Pete as well. I thought the way he came to believe Rose was his daughter from the future was reasonably well handled, without becoming too implausible.
2)Piper was quite good in this as well - I especially liked the way she played her shock at seeing what her parents were really like in those days, playing up the fact that people pass down an "edited" version of their own histories to the next generation.
3)A good performance from Eccleston as well, conveying both his concern for and anger with Rose. "I did it again, I picked another stupid ape." I liked his interaction with Jackie "I might've known you'd argue" and the infant Rose "Well, now, Rose, you're not going to bring about the end of the world, are you?" as well. And we get more of a sense of what he's lost "My entire planet died, my whole family - do you think it never occurred to me to go back and save them?" and "My people would've stopped this. They're all gone. Now I'm going the same way" and of what he feels he's never had, as when he tells the young couple that he's never had a life like theirs. The empty TARDIS shell was a nice touch, too.
4)I also liked the way that young Mickey imprinted on Rose - "God help his poor girlfriend, if he ever gets one."
5)"Time's been damaged, and they've come to sterilize the wound." Where were these Reapers all the other times he or someone around him has messed with history?
6)Some Fun Quotes:
- "Your wish is my command, but be careful what you wish for."
- "The past is another country. 1987's just the Isle of Wight."
- "An ordinary man. That's the most important thing in creation."
- "Where's that useless article of a dad got to?"
- "You never used to like them mental."
- "Jackie gave her to me to look after. How times change."
Overall: A very emotional story. Eccleston has said that this was his favorite episode, and I can see why. Everyone seemed to be at the top of their game here.
Replies
I always saw this as a sort of "answer" the the opening minutes of "TIME-FLIGHT", when Peter Davison argues with Tegan and Nyssa about how he CAN'T go back and save Adric, since HE saw it happen. Now we know.
That's a question that wouldn't have even needed answering, if we all didn't suspect that, deep down, even the Doctor couldn't stand Adric.
I was also thinking in terms of later episodes that I suspect you haven't seen yet, so I'm avoiding details.
Henry R. Kujawa said:
I liked the multiple iterations of Rose and the Doctor at the beginning of the episode and the events that led to "rip in time."