RETRO TV REVIEW: DOCTOR WHO: The Day of the Doctor
Given that Doctor Who is a fandom facing deep internal divisions after Season 12, it“s always nice to see them reuniting to enjoy old fan favorites. One such example of this is the recent #SaveTheDay hashtag, where Doctor Who revisited the 50th Anniversary episode from 2013. This new airing came complete with a new introduction written by Steven Moffat, the writer and showrunner of the original episode. Under the circumstances, it seemed a good time to revisit “Day of the Doctor”“ and see how well it“s held up after two regenerations and nearly seven years.
I can happily report that “Day of the Doctor”“ remains not only one of the great episodes of the Steven Moffat era, it easily ranks as a modern classic of New Who. The Moffat era of Doctor Who is not perfect, and it“s had its stumbles after Moffat“s spectacular debut in Season 5 as showrunner. However, Moffat is a writer who deeply understands who The Doctor is as a character, and he respects the lore of Doctor Who as a true fan of the character does. He“s also a writer who excels at single-episode stories that dive into deep character drama that shows The Doctor“s true heart as a character. “Day of the Doctor”“ manages to weave all these elements together in a fan-pleaser that can be enjoyed by old and new Who fans alike. It serves as a celebration of every age of the Doctor and every incarnation of the character, even to the point of giving Twelfth Doctor Peter Capaldi (who had yet to appear) a brief cameo towards the end. In short, “Day of the Doctor”“ is the perfect example of how to do well-written fanservice without coming across as overdone or manipulative.
Of course, the primary draw of a celebration episode like “Day of the Doctor”“ is that it“s one of the rare multi-Doctor episodes. Such episodes are a time-honored tradition since “The Three Doctors”“ from the Pertwee era, though they“re done infrequently over the course of the previous 57 years of the show“s history. When these crossovers are done, they“ve always had impact and are usually among the most memorable episodes of the show. In this case, “Day of the Doctor”“ offers two fan-favorite Doctors meeting: David Tennant“s Tenth Doctor and Matt Smith“s Eleventh Doctor. Moreover, the story also features the legendary John Hurt as the mysterious War Doctor. The three Doctors”” hilariously referred to in-episode as Chinny, Sandshoes, and Granddad””are excellent together. In fact, they“re so good that it“s easy to believe these three incarnations are the same man from three different points in time. Their funny banter and amusing moments like Ten and Eleven comparing screwdrivers steal the show, but the performances are also strong during the serious moments. When Hurt“s Doctor asks his future selves about how many people died on Gallifrey, there is real tension and emotion as the Doctors struggle with their past sins. Moffat“s writing gives the actors leverage, but the acting picks it up and runs with it, leading to good emotional moments on camera. By the time that the Tenth Doctor and the War Doctor return to their TARDISes and leave, we“re sorry to see them go, and that“s the sign of a truly great multi-Doctor event.
While the three Doctors are the fixture of the event, the supporting cast deserves mention as well, because they do some of the heavy lifting. At the time, the main Companion of the series was Clara, played by Jenna Coleman. While I“ve found Clara in general to be inconsistently portrayed and sometimes even badly written, that“s not the case here. Steven Moffat always had the best handle on Clara, portraying her with more emotional intelligence as a balance to The Doctor“s exaggerated genius. In fact, this episode showcases her finest moments as a Companion, seeing the simple answers that The Doctor (all three of them) overlooks because they“re looking for the complicated solutions. Even at the worst of times, Coleman“s a good actress, but when given material like this, she gives Clara real personality and humanity. My regret is not her performance or writing here, but that the show didn“t continue this portrayal into the Capaldi run. Her dynamic with Matt Smith“s Eleventh Doctor was always the best, and that comes through here. In fact, that relationship sells the episode, because it“s crucial to the resolution of the story.
Beyond the show itself, “Day of the Doctor”“ offers fun and interesting extras for fans of the show. I“d especially recommend the “Night of the Doctor”“ short featuring Eighth Doctor Paul McGann, which is available on the official Doctor Who YouTube channel for free. McGann“s performance shows the kind of Doctor he might have been in live action had he gotten the chance, and it“s worth seeing for that alone. However, there“s also another short that shows the Fall of Arcadia which is worth a look, even if it“s less interesting. The new intro written by Moffat is funny and entertaining, focusing on the miniaturized Sontaran Strax, played by Dan Starkey. Strax was always a great character during Moffat“s time on the show, and that“s no less the case in the intro. Even the oblique references to Chibnall-era episodes are worth a laugh regardless of your opinion on the past two seasons.
For those who missed the #SaveTheDay event and still haven“t seen the 50th Anniversary episode, I can highly recommend this show. While this is not an episode to jump into Doctor Who for a first-time viewer (“Rose”“ or “The Eleventh Hour”“ are far better for that), it“s a delight for anyone who“s a dedicated fan of the show. “Day of the Doctor”“ stands proudly among Steven Moffat“s finest episodes of New Who, and it stands tall even compared to many episodes of Classic Who. For anyone who“s been missing some well-written Doctor Who, “Day of the Doctor”“ celebrates everything to love about the show and the character.
Score: 5/5
Director: Nick Hurran
Starring: Matt Smith, David Tennant, Jenna Coleman, Billie Piper, John Hurt, Jemma Redgrave, Ingrid Oliver
Writer/Showrunner: Steven Moffat
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- Steve Sellers had been a fan of superheroes ever since Superman: The Movie. But it took the JSA, the Legion of Super-Heroes, Dragonlance, Lord of the Rings, Twilight Zone, and Chris Claremont's legendary run on the X-Men to make him a writer and a longtime fan of comics, fantasy, and science fiction. Steve is the co-creator of WHITE DRUID & MICHAEL NERO and GUARDIANS OF ELAYIM for Omen Comics, and he is also the creator of BLITZ and SHOCKWAVE for Revelation Comics (an imprint of Omen Comics).
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