The Day Of The Doctor: 50 Things We Loved (And A Few Things We Didn’t)
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45. Not sure if it was Moffat’s intent, but the idea of having Gallifrey vanish, leaving the Daleks to destroy themselves in a sudden crossfire is very reminiscent of the end of “Blink,” where the TARDIS departs and leaves the Weeping Angels trapped by their own gaze.
42. The “great men are forged in fire” speech provides a keen insight into just how hopeless Hurt’s War Doctor feels, just how convinced he is that he must totally abandon the persona of the Doctor in order to do what must be done. But as Ten and Eleven point out, “You were the Doctor on the day it wasn’t possible to get it right.”
43. “That sound brings hope to anyone, however lost. Even you.”
44. And finally we hear the promise that the Doctor made, the promise that defines the name he chose: Never cruel or cowardly. Never give up, never give in.
45. “Sorry, did you just say Bad Wolf?” Tennant finally gets to comment on the Bad Wolf in the room…but of course he’s soon distracted by other things. You have to wonder if he looks back on the moment later and puzzles over how those words found their way into that room. This is also another moment where Eccleston’s presence is much missed.
46. “I started a very long time ago.” And here we get one of the special’s best moments. You knew they had to honor all the Doctors that came before, we just weren’t sure how. Bringing them all back in that moment, all united to save Gallifrey might have raised questions of time paradoxes, but damned if it wasn’t emotionally satisfying. And again, Eccleston’s appearance via repurposed footage was a nice touch, but still would have been so much better if he’d been a larger part of the special. Still, that absence is almost made up for by …
47. “No, sir! All thirteen!”
48. “We need a new destination, because…I don’t want to go.” “He always says that.”
49. Tom Baker! As much as I loved Baker’s surprise cameo, I wish it had remained a total surprise. The classic Who actor let the cat out of the bag a few days early, and I still don’t know why. It was a great moment that would have been even greater if I didn’t know it was coming in one form or another. The notion that he was the Doctor at the end of his life, in retirement and trying out “a few of the old favorite” faces is another idea that twists the show’s canon in knots, but the payoff, I think, is worth it. And let’s face it, we all know they’re going to find a way to keep the series going once Peter Capaldi is ready to move on, so who knows what the Time Lord Regeneration rules will look like in 10 years.
50. The notion of the Doctor having a new mission, saving his homeworld, is a nice mirroring of the way the Doctor’s journey began — stealing a TARDIS and running away from Gallifrey. What goes around, comes around, I suppose. And you’ve got to love that ending — all the Doctors finally lined up together, united in purpose, looking toward home.
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