Father's Day

"Can we go and see my dad when he was still alive?"

Writer: Paul Cornell

Format: TV

Broadcast: 14 May 2005

Series: 1.08

Featuring: Ninth Doctor, Rose

Synopsis

The Doctor takes Rose back to 1987 to witness the day her father died, at her own request. But when she interferes in the course of natural events, the monstrous Reapers are unleashed upon the world to repair the wound in time...

Verdict

Father's Day was a decent episode to continue my way back through Series 1, but despite its qualities I think it is definitely the worst of the Ninth Doctor run. That sounds negative but it's really not because it is very much a good little episode, I just think that it's comfortably not as good as the rest of the series. Thankfully, this was something Gemma and I agreed on as we make our way through the series together for the first time. I think the pace at the start of the episode is slightly off-putting in that it's just a lot slower than everything that has come before it and whilst it is an incredibly powerful story, it's just a bit bland and the threat doesn't seem so severe with the answer staring us in the face with every scene of the car going in and out of the wound in time. I do like the realism of Rose wanting to change the past with the TARDIS and when you haven't grown up with a father and seen your mother alone while she raises you, who could blame her? The Doctor's willingness to take Rose to the day her father died was intriguing and I really liked how understanding he was, whilst also assuring her of what she was setting out to do. He even gave her a second go to give her dad company at the end as the stories she had been told from her mother had a common theme of nobody being there for Pete at the end. That's really sad and the idea of Rose wanting to be that person is really good. Compassion at its finest. The highlight of the episode for me is undoubtedly the moment where the Doctor opens the doors of the TARDIS and there is no interior. That really is glorious as the way Christopher Eccleston sells that is outstanding. The horror of the realisation that he's lost the TARDIS is incredible and that's something really good to play with. I thought the relationship between Jackie and Pete was terrific and I really liked how the reality of them as a pairing was incredibly far removed from the stories Rose had grown up on. That was very nicely done. The Doctor having to explain to Rose that her actions in changing time were wrong was challenging and I was surprised that Rose didn't shun a reaction when the Doctor used the example of his own planet and people dying and him proposing that he'd thought of going back and chaining things. To be honest, Rose just comes across as a little selfish in this episode and I find that a bit of a shame as there's no indication of that in the first half of the series. The Doctor mentioning how the time element of the TARDIS convinced her to join in Rose was fantastic and it is good that she slowly realises she's the cause of the Reapers as the episode goes on, but I just didn't like her arrogance in taunting the Doctor and being confident that he'd come running back. Pete was definitely a brilliant character and his working out that he was not supposed to be alive was very good. The way everything comes around full circle with Pete saying an emotional goodbye to Jackie and who he knows as his grown up Rose before taking the hit from the car and seeing his life end was powerful. He was so happy to get those extra hours and see his Rose all grown up which was lovely. It was also fitting that Rose was able to end up being there for him at the end was a nice touch and probably a deserving ending. The Reapers throughout are pretty useless if they're defeated by a church, but the moment they consume the Doctor is so sudden and really impactful. Overall, a decent episode! 

Rating: 7/10