The Runaway Bride

"Get me to the church!"

Writer: Russell T Davies

Format: TV

Broadcast: 25 December 2006

Series: 2006 Christmas Special

Featuring: Tenth Doctor, Donna

Synopsis

No sooner has the Doctor said a tear-stained farewell to Rose Tyler, he finds himself face-to-face with a women in the TARDIS, and she's dressed in a fluffy white wedding dress.

Who is she? Who is she supposed to be marrying? And how did she get on board?

Verdict

The Runaway Bride was a very fun episode to serve as the 2006 Christmas Special! Following on from watching the first two series of the modern era and the first series of Torchwood with Gemma earlier this year, on the eve of becoming parents we thought it would be a lovely time to watch the Special and provide some humour. It's still a while to go until Christmas, but with the wedding focus it didn't feel too much like a Christmas episode which actually works in its favour. Right from the off, there's excitement and humour and they are two brilliant ingredients for an adventure. Donna's reaction to being in the TARDIS is tremendous and the chemistry between David Tennant and Catherine Tate is so good. Those initial scenes where she opens the TARDIS door and realises she's in space, sees the jacket of Rose and accuses the Doctor of conspiring with Nerys kidnap her are just magnificent. They really are so fun. The slaps the Doctor receives are pretty warranted as he is quite intrusive on Donna with his scanning and then he tells her she's not special or important. The innocence of the Doctor at his best. A favourite thing of mine and Gemma's to do is pick out some questionable special effects and it's fair to say that some haven't aged well here with the overview of London and the motorway chase not being too incredible. I think there were also some production errors with at least one sign having Welsh on it despite the London setting! I thought the drama of the Robot Santas returning was great and really good continuity from The Christmas Invasion, events Donna didn't remember due to a hangover which I found fun. Learning of her relationship with Lance was good and I was amused that it was she who was begging for the wedding after only six months together. I've been with Gemma for over four years and that still feels a little while away yet despite the imminent birth of our baby boy. The after effects of Doomsday are felt in just the right amounts here with the Doctor seeing Rose at the reception in a blonde friend of Donna's, and I like how he doesn't name her to Donna until the very end despite alluding to her a lot. Donna's reaction to having the reception without her is terrific and she really does shine. Her constant reference to the Doctor being a Martian is wonderful as well and he has to just go along with it by the end. The emergence of the Racnoss as the power behind the Pilot Fish is good and I think the creature looks very impressive. Its position as an ancient race was excellent and the significance of Gallifrey getting named for the first time in the new series is not lost. It's an emphatic moment, just as it should be. The idea of the Racnoss being at the centre of the Earth is certainly intriguing and the plan to use the Huon particles was good, with Lance's reveal as the one poisoning Donna a very good moment, just when she thought an axe was axe. The ending is incredibly powerful with the Doctor drowning the Thames to drown the Racnoss children stuck below the large drop, with the web star then destroyed in quick fashion. The Torchwood continuity works very well and I like the dark atmosphere of what ultimately ends as an upbeat special. Overall, a great episode!

Rating: 9/10