Doctor Who - Series 4 Volume 4 [DVD]

The fourth series of Doctor Who has been perhaps the finest season out of the lot. My main reason for believing that is when I compare this series to the ones before, this seems to have stood out more in terms of overall quality. When judging the series by each episode individually, I've found that Series 4 has been more consistent than anything that's gone before it.

The fourth and final DVD volume of this series justifies my belief. Without doubt, this three-parter is the highlight of Season 4. Collectively and individually, these episodes are real classics and the ultimate way to end this spectacular series. They have everything and features both David Tennant and Catherine Tate at the peak of their abilities.

The first episode, "Turn Left", is truly one of the most outstanding and psychological ever seen in Doctor Who, and it's important for so many reasons. It revisits the parallel world concept first established in Series 2 and explores a very captivating and powerful possibility. What if Donna had NEVER met the Doctor in the first place? Only here, it actually happens. And there are plenty of consequences because of it. As Donna and everything around her falls apart...the only hope is a mysterious blonde woman that's kept popping up throughout.

For those who criticised Catherine Tate and the Donna Noble character, "Turn Left" is an episode that silences all naysayers and puts all unfounded negative comments about her to rest. Catherine gives the performance of her LIFE here. Her portrayal of Donna in this episode represents the epitome of the character's success. Watching this symbolises perfectly just how much the Doctor changed her and her life for the better, and without him to show just how brilliant she was, everything goes to hell and she's powerless to do anything about it.

While Catherine does the amazing job of carrying the nightmarish episode on her shoulders, it would be criminal to ignore Billie Piper, who finally makes her first proper return as Rose Tyler to the series after "Doomsday" and all those cameos throughout Series 4. And she hasn't lost anything at all. Rose acting as Donna's guide is superb and that coupled with her warnings of `The Darkness' plus the shocking ending makes "Turn Left" a diamond of an episode.

This awesomeness continues with "The Stolen Earth", where after so long, the dreaded Daleks make their highly-anticipated return. Bigger and badder than ever, the new Dalek Empire conquers the Earth along with a host of other planets. With the Doctor and Donna nowhere to be found, Earth's greatest heroes assemble to try and oppose their fiercest foes. But in the shadows...lies an enemy long-thought gone. And his return will be their greatest challenge.

Russell T Davies has obviously saved the very best till last here. The fate of the Daleks had been in serious question ever since the events of Series 3's "Evolution of the Daleks" and their inevitable return was bound to be huge. And it's bigger than huge as it turns out. The Daleks have NEVER been deadlier and it's a given fan boy's dream to see the cast of spin-offs Torchwood and The Sarah Jane Adventures appear as well. The circumstances, plot, horrors etc all make "The Stolen Earth" absolutely epic. The Doctor, Donna, Rose, Martha, Captain Jack, Sarah Jane, as well as Gwen and Ianto (from Torchwood) and Luke and Mr Smith (from Sarah Jane Adventures), are all given proud moments to shine and interact yet again. The explanation of the Daleks' comeback is plausible, horrific and brilliant, and the highly-anticipated return of Davros (after 20 years) is the icing on the cake. Finally, the epic cliff-hangers finish off an absolute thrill-ride of an episode.

And "Journey's End" is an exceptional finale. The Doctor and all his friends have all come together now (including Mickey Smith and Jackie Tyler) to face-off against Davros, the Daleks and their deadliest scheme ever to conquer and destroy all of reality. But a haunting prophecy looms over the Children of Time, decreeing that at least one of them will die.

What's sensible about this episode is that it adds an extra twenty minutes. Given all the great characters returning to the action, all the various sub-plots, the excitement and horror; it's far too much for forty-five minutes to contain, so Davies deserves credit once again for making "Journey's End" an extra-long special.

The resolution of each of the character's stories has been so well crafted and couldn't have been written or executed better. Each of the actors/actresses are on top form here but the most outstanding person is unquestionably Julian Bleach for his terrific performance as Davros. Bleach gives the character such new life and makes his return to modern-day Who a resounding success that deserves an award. Chilling malevolence, insidious intellect and a fitting dry wit make Davros an unforgettable villain that even older Who fans can appreciate.

As for the ending, there is great happiness all-round balanced out by an equally heartbreaking moment for...well, I'm sure everyone knows now. The character's departure made me both really angry and sad when first broadcast, and the power of the tragedy hasn't lessened at all. I suppose it's the only logical way to end the series given that there won't be another full-length series until 2010, despite the various one-off specials coming up. But still...the ending creates such a painful paradox for me that I don't quite approve of.

Final analysis? Thank you, Russell T Davies, David Tennant, Catherine Tate and everyone else for this masterpiece of a finale. It's absolutely classic and naturally the best volume out of the Series 4 Dr. Who DVDs. To all fans and everyone else, I advise that you do NOT miss out on one of the best bits of television to grace our screens in recent times. Truly, truly essential.

Turn Left has to be one of the best stories that the new series has thrown up. Visiting the planet of Shan Shen, Donna wanders away from The Doctor and is tricked into making a decision that will change the course of human history - and result in the Timelord's death. The now familiar `Doctor-lite' episode weaves a malign web of destruction, and only Donna - with the help of a surprisingly familiar face from The Doctor's past (or is it future?) - can save the Earth. The episode sets the scene for the series finale, a two-parter that concludes the story arc and re-introduces the Doctor's ultimate foe, and this episode has what is surely one of the best Doctor Who cliff-hangers ever devised.
The Stolen Earth cranks up the pace significantly, as the series hurtles towards its conclusion. The production team have pulled out all the stops to create the most memorable climax to a series to date. The Daleks are back and this time they have a particularly nasty surprise for The Doctor and his companions. Other highlights include the coming together of the so-called `Children of Time' and the insane Dalek Caan, whose delirious rantings are both chilling and prophetic. The Medusa Cascade and The Shadow Proclamation, both mentioned in earlier stories, are brought stunningly to the screen, and old friends reunite to call The Doctor back to Earth and defend it against the deadliest threat it has ever faced...
The rollercoaster ride that is the final episode is an action-packed extravaganza that is as relentlessly exciting as it is intriguing. The Daleks have their new masterplan in place and only one of The Doctor's companions will be able to save the day...This is a real treat for fans of the Doctor Who spin-off shows: The Sarah-Jane Adventures and Torchwood, The Doctor needs all the help he can get as The Daleks threaten to destroy reality itself. Superbly-acted, dynamic and invigorating, there are plenty of twists and turns and a sting in the tail that will surely bring a tear to the eye of the most hardened viewer. With a tantalising glimpse of the Christmas 2008 story, this is a triumphant production and a well-earned victory for the production team, as well as a feast of epic proportions for viewers of all ages.

Three fantastic episodes of Doctor Who! What really stole the show for me was the Doctor and Rose meeting again. It is clear from the beginning of 'Turn Left' and more at the beginning of 'Stolen Earth' of their desperation to meet again, even more so because they're closer to meeting than ever before.
'Turn Left' is a great insight into how the world would fall apart without the Doctor and this shows what an amazing man the Doctor is. The fabulous Billie Piper returns as Rose Tyler and is a guide for Donna. The best of Donna's character is brought out in this episode and we really see how the Doctor has transformed her life for the better, like he did for Rose. I love the ending of this episode, where the Doctor realises that Donna has met Rose, and we get the return of Bad Wolf.
For me, 'Stolen Earth' is the best of the 3 episodes and one of my all time favourite episodes of Doctor Who. Right from the start, you see that even though the Earth is in great danger, you can still tell the Doctor's desperation to find Rose or at least speak to her again. We see the return of many familiar faces; Torchwood with Captain Jack, Jackie, Mickey, Martha, Sarah Jane, Harriet Jones. The moment in which the Doctor and Rose run towards each other is just magical.
I enjoyed the finale `Journey's End' as well as it brings an ending to all of the companions of series 1-4 stories. I liked how the Doctor and Rose got some time on screen together just them. I like the moment where Martha asks who the girl with the Doctor is (Rose) and Rose tells her, and then she says `Oh my god, he found you'. I love the look Rose gives the Doctor and it lets Rose know that the Doctor never stopped thinking about her. The idea of the three Doctors was genius and a great way to save the world! I love the scene in the Tardis with all of the companions together. Rose's ending was a disappointment for me though as she just got fobbed off with a clone Doctor. I loved parts of his scene though. Like where the Doctor says how Rose made him better. And he made such a sacrifice for her as the real Doctor wanted to be with her but instead he gave her the clone Doctor so that she'd have someone to live her entire life and grow old with. You know what they say, if you love someone let them go. I think this was a great example of that. I would have loved it if the Doctor could have told her he loved her out loud as we all knew that what's he was saying! And I would have also loved it if the one kissing her was the real Doctor.
The only thing that let it down for me is that I think they could have done more with Rose's return. This has been waited for all through series 3 and 4 and Rose is a character that hasn't been forgotten. Although I loved having all the companions together, I think it would have been nice to have had an episode with just Rose & the Doctor to give her character a proper ending, as I don't believe she truly got one.
New writer Steven Moffat saying that the companions from series 1-4 were overused is a load of rubbish and sadly, series 5 has ruined Doctor Who for me. The character of the Doctor has completely changed and he doesn't seem to take anything seriously anymore. The only thing that would make me watch it again is if Rose were to return or a new decent Doctor arrives. As you can probably tell, I am a massive fan of the Doctor & Rose and whether you are or not, I would still really recommend buying this DVD!