Father's day (2005)

Review
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Review

This episode was first broadcast on May 14, 2005. A brief and somewhat spoiler-ish summary of the plot: what would you do if you could turn back time and save your father's life?

After 'The last of the Time Lords', the awful last episode of season three, I had pretty much lost interest in the new series. Reviewing these season one episodes serves as a reminder of just how good new Doctor Who was when it started.

Good things about this episode:

it's very well-written and well-acted
the 1980s period detail is nicely done
it's a very emotional episode, but the emotion never goes out of control. The story 'earns' every bit of emotion that it evokes in the audience by making the characters into real people that we grow to care for. It also refrains from milking dramatic events for every last drop of emotion, the best example being - beware, spoiler ahead - the apparent death of the Doctor. Rather than bringing the action to a full stop so Rose can get in her tearful 'I love you...'s, there's just a brief moment of shock before everyone goes on fighting for their own lives
it's a story about relationships first and a time travel story second, but the way that time travel is dealt with makes perfect sense within the context of the story

My verdict:

Brilliant!

Sweet.

More about Doctor Who

An introduction:
Doctor Who reviews: introduction

More "brilliant!" Doctor Who:
Doctor Who reviews: brilliant!

More new Doctor Who with Christopher Eccleston:
Doctor Who reviews: 2005

Similar stories:
Doctor Who reviews: time travel

Original version of this review:
08/01/14

More about this episode

Episode guides:
BBC Episode guide

Episode reviews:
Behind the sofa
Outpost Gallifrey

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