Doctor Who: Thoughts on The Ending (spoilers for Journey's End)

[butterfly]

I knew as I was watching it that some people were absolutely going to hate it. Me, I'm a story junkie. Happy, sad, romantic, whatever. I love a powerful story. If it makes me feel, then I enjoy it. This actually gave me all possible endings and feelings.

Again, I can fully understand why some people don't like the way the stories for Donna and Rose ended (just as I can understand why many people hate that one Daniel/Vala scene in "Unending") but I'm going to lay out all the reasons why I adored them.

First, Donna.

I blink at "but she'll never realize how wonderful she is now" the same way I blinked at "the beach scene makes Rose look like she'll never do anything useful ever again" when that was being bandied around post-"Doomsday". The Donna Noble in that living room at the end has all the basic qualities of the Donna Noble that saved the universe in this episode and in "Turn Left". She can get there without the Doctor (we've already seen that she can). Especially now that Wilf and (especially) Sylvia are aware of how amazing she is. Donna can be magnificent without the Doctor. She will be.

That doesn't mean that this wasn't a great loss (as foretold by the server at the Shadow Proclamation) or that the Doctor wasn't being high-handed and arrogant when he took her choice away from her. Sadly, while the Doctor has changed and grown in the time that we've known him, there's an outside limit on how much he's allowed to change. RTD has to return him in a similar condition to how he found him.

Which, of course, feeds into the Rose ending. Again, the Doctor is being high-handed and arrogant. He plops them down there and expects Rose to just understand that this is the way it has to be (Donna has to prompt the New Doctor into explaining exactly what he's doing).

One problem -- which I mentioned in my review, though in a light, romantic, and humorous way -- is that the Doctor's rules are different for Rose. Rose eats the Time Vortex and changes Jack and, oh, commits genocide, and while the Doctor is willing to abandon Jack at a moment's notice, he never even considers that Rose should be considered wrong for doing what she did. Jack and Martha join up with military outfits and get a stern talking to by the Doctor. Rose joins up with Torchwood and is only shown pride. He is willing not only to die in "Father's Day" but to allow the world to be destroyed by Reapers, simply because he doesn't want Rose to lose her father again. He's willing to let the Dalek in "Dalek" loose because he can't 'kill' Rose a second time. Rose mentions that her Torchwood has been fucking around with a dimensional cannon and receives an indulgent grin and flirty teasing.

He would do anything for her. Anything. And he knows it. He'd destroy the Wire to see Rose's smile again and... the universe might be ending but it's worth it if it means that he gets to hold her in his arms again. He loves her. Completely.

He knows that if he actually talks this through with Rose, she'll convince him that it'll be okay. She can talk him into anything, given enough time. And then this universe would have two Doctors and only one Rose. He gets jealous of Mickey. Two of him and one Rose? He would drive himself crazy with jealousy over... himself. Both of him trying to get her complete attention. And one of them is more obviously and recently broken. And that more obviously and recently broken version of himself can give her a human forever. If they'd stayed and then Rose and one Doctor were fifty years old and the other one still looked the same and people started assuming that he was Rose's son, he'd hate it. He'd hate that they match (also -- note the clothing cues in the beach scene). He'd hate that that other version of himself could give Rose things (like growing older together and like a biological family) that he can't.

He can still hate those things, but they're an entire universe away and he doesn't have to watch as Rose falls in love with someone else (this is the Doctor -- the very few times that he shows insecurity tend to be about how Rose feels about him). This way, she can be happy but he doesn't have to watch as someone else gives her that.

Because they could never have abandoned the New Doctor in the parallel world by himself. The Doctor knows himself too well. He knows just how much he needed Rose's hand to hold during that darkness of recovering from being a killer. He's the only person truly capable of understanding how much he needs Rose. She held the darkness back for him once, until he was capable of trying to do it on his own. He knows that she can do it again.

As for Rose, I really do compare this to regeneration... but also to the John/Joan relationship. Joan wasn't capable of loving the Doctor because she believed that he was on too large a scale to care for her with the intense sweetness that John did. The audience, of course, had seen the Doctor display that sweetness in series two with Rose. We knew that he was capable of it, but his baggage is so heavy. He can't tell Rose that he loves her because knowing that she's going to grow old and die hurts him enough as it is and he's certain that expressing his love would make losing her hurt worse.

Joan wasn't capable of believing that a man and a Time Lord could love equally intensely.

Rose is. Rose loves the Doctor and, though it will be hard and strange and painful for her, she'll get through this because he does need her and she does love him. And they can be truly happy together (how many people can you really say that about?). And Rose and her Doctor will build a time machine (we already know that she can!) and a space ship and start exploring. And they'll probably have kids at some point. And they'll be happy.

Some part of the other Doctor will know that and that will bring him some measure of comfort.

Because he loves Rose enough that her happiness means more to him than his own.

Comments

[sensiblecat.livejournal.com]

I'm still struggling with Donna's fate but I like your analysis very much. In the end, the Doctor isn't human. We can't just handwave that. He's got very good reasons for believing it wouldn't work to have Rose for her lifetime. Probably, he's right. Love does not conquer all, and you were so right to point out that Rose, simply by the nature of his love for her, tempts him to make the wrong choices and be less than he should be. Right on the money about the dimensional cannon bit - he won't even let Jack wander around with a teleport device.

He knows the love he feels for Rose is blind, it's a madness and a luxury he can't allow himself as the Last of the Time Lords. If anything, S2 proved that, because he made some truly awful choices there.

What really saddens me is that Donna was so perfect for his Time Lord self, and he's been denied that.

[butterfly.livejournal.com]

I'm still struggling with Donna's fate but I like your analysis very much.

Donna's fate is so heartbreaking. I absolutely agree. But I... saw it coming? At the very least, I knew from "The Stolen Earth" and 'the loss that is yet to come' that something horrible would happen for her. I was expecting heartbreak because the Doctor can't give anyone forever. Not the woman he loves and not his best mate.

In the end, the Doctor isn't human. We can't just handwave that. He's got very good reasons for believing it wouldn't work to have Rose for her lifetime. Probably, he's right. Love does not conquer all, and you were so right to point out that Rose, simply by the nature of his love for her, tempts him to make the wrong choices and be less than he should be. Right on the money about the dimensional cannon bit - he won't even let Jack wander around with a teleport device.

Exactly. We saw time and time again that he has different standards for Rose. When Rose is upset, he stops and tries to make it better. He's happy if she's happy. He would indulge her every tiny whim, if only he could. If Rose screws up, no matter how hugely, all she needs to do is be sorry and she'll be forgiven with a grin and a hug. He has a special, soft tone of voice just for comforting her. He treats her like she matters more.

It's relatively safe for the human Doctor over in Rose's world to feel that way. He doesn't have the TARDIS or the weight of being the last of the time lords on his shoulders.

[midnightsjane.livejournal.com]

I just finished watching this, and I had much the same reactions as you did. I cried for Donna, losing her memories of all that she saw and did, but the Donna that woke up was still the brilliant Donna. I think she's going to do fantastic things even without knowing how much she's changed since the Runaway Bride. She will be fine.
I knew as soon as there were two Doctors that one of them was going to stay with Rose; it really was a fitting resolution to her story.
And now the Doctor is alone again.

[butterfly.livejournal.com]

Donna's ending was so heartbreaking but it made sense to me. I mean, she was doomed the second she said to Martha that she was going to travel with the Doctor 'forever'. We just didn't know the shape of it until now.

I'm so glad that she didn't die. She'll get to fantastic, all on her own. I believe in her, even if Wilf doesn't (in an odd inverse of the recent situation, Donna may end up with a very encouraging mother and a disappointed (though trying to hide it) grandfather).

I knew as soon as there were two Doctors that one of them was going to stay with Rose; it really was a fitting resolution to her story.

Yeah. If Rose can't stay, but she'll never stop loving the Doctor and he'll never stop loving her... this is the only way to give both of them a piece of a happy ending. And it won't be easy, at first, and both of them will miss things about the other universe, but they have each other. That hand to hold that drives away the loneliness.

And now the Doctor is alone again.

I have such complicated feelings for this universe's Doctor at the moment. I want to smack him for sending away Rose but I want to hug him because he hurts so much. He let his friends leave who had homes to go to and then forced out the two people who wanted to make his home their home. But it's in character for him. Donna would be calling him such a dumbo, if she remembered.

[okelay.livejournal.com]

that's pretty much the same thing I wrote. how they'll have to adjust but they'll fall in love and be happy together. and how TL!Doctor knows this and though it pains him to leave her, he knows it's the right thing to do and he knows she'll be happy. it's much better than their last goodbye.

[butterfly.livejournal.com]

It really is. They each have something to hold onto (though more... literally, in the case of Rose and the human Doctor) and they know that they love each other. The Doctor knows that Rose has a chance to be happy and Rose thinks that the Doctor has Donna.

[principia-coh.livejournal.com]

I'm too tired to post more coherently/completely right now, but I will say that on first watching the episode reminded me very heavily of the dreaded 1986 AP English question, in which it is stated as a quote from a critic that all great works of literature produce a mixture of equal parts pleasure and disquietude.

For me, much of this seems to stem from Ten's conviction that he doesn't deserve happiness. It's also possible knowing that this new iteration of himself, who has his full background knowledge and yet still didn't hesitate to end the Daleks again (much like Donna didn't hesitate to kill the Vespiform at the end of TUaTW!) versus remaining The Man Who Never Would (as his original self was at the end of TDD), might swiftly come to hate himself even more than Ten hates himself... and that nothing good is likely to come of that, especially left unchecked.

[butterfly.livejournal.com]

I'm too tired to post more coherently/completely right now, but I will say that on first watching the episode reminded me very heavily of the dreaded 1986 AP English question, in which it is stated as a quote from a critic that all great works of literature produce a mixture of equal parts pleasure and disquietude.

Ooo. I kinda like that.

For me, much of this seems to stem from Ten's conviction that he doesn't deserve happiness. It's also possible knowing that this new iteration of himself, who has his full background knowledge and yet still didn't hesitate to end the Daleks again (much like Donna didn't hesitate to kill the Vespiform at the end of TUaTW!) versus remaining The Man Who Never Would (as his original self was at the end of TDD), might swiftly come to hate himself even more than Ten hates himself... and that nothing good is likely to come of that, especially left unchecked.

Good point. He hates himself for pulling the trigger at the first end of the Time War and has only made peace with himself since then by being The Man Who Never Would. A constant reminder that he once was and could be again a Man Who Could If Pushed Hard Enough would be painful all on its own.

[antigone921.livejournal.com]

The longer I've let it all settle in my mind, the more accepting I've become to how everything has panned out for Rose and the Doctor (the Donna stuff is gonna take a much longer, though). There's a lot of stuff that still upsets me quite a bit, sure, but I'm not as devastated as I was at first. At least not on Rose's end. On the Doctor's end (the original Doctor), I'm still completely devastated, even though I agree that knowing that Rose is happy (or at least believing that she is happy) will help him heal, just a little bit.

[butterfly.livejournal.com]

Donna's ending is just flat-out heartbreaking. I agree completely. Thematically, it really works for me, though. In a painful way.

For Rose and the human Doctor, I really do think they have a chance at being truly happy together. Rose gets a chance at a happy ending and that definitely would help the original Doctor cope.

I don't think he'll ever reach the heights of giddy joy that we saw him show with Rose in Series One and Two and then ever so briefly in the recent two episodes, but he'll survive. Knowing that there's a him out there giving Rose everything that he ever wanted to give her is going to be both painful and helpful, I think.

[crossoverman.livejournal.com]

Russel T Davies, king of misogyny - gives Rose a pseudo-Doctor, even though she almost destroyed all of reality just to get back to the man she loves. Then mind rapes Donna for simply saving All of Reality and having close to the power of The Doctor.

Oooh, boy.

[butterfly.livejournal.com]

We have very different perspectives on what happened in the episode!

[crossoverman.livejournal.com]

We always do.

[kammgirl.livejournal.com]

I didn't hate it. My heart breaks for Donna, but I am happy with the D/R ending. There were things I didn't care for as with any finale, but overall I liked it.

[butterfly.livejournal.com]

Donna's ending was so heartbreaking. But I believe that she can make it on her own.

And the Doctor/Rose stuff was just so lovely. They adore each other so much.

[kammgirl.livejournal.com]

Yay someone else who is happy about the D/R resolution.

[kitkatbyte.livejournal.com]

Yes, yes, YES!!! EXACTLY!

[butterfly.livejournal.com]

Hee! It's nice to know other people feel the same way.

[unfolded73.livejournal.com]

Very good points, all. I was arguing with my husband last night (at 1:30am, ugh) about the in-characterness of proper!Doctor's decision to take them to the parallel world and leave them. Husband thought it was too pat and contrived, but I thought it was exactly right. Proper!Doctor knows (or believes, anyway) that if they stayed with him, Rose would choose other!Doctor and he'd have to watch. He is often high-handed in making decisions for Rose's own good. He did it in PotW and DD. So yeah, agreed.

[butterfly.livejournal.com]

Yep. He's so incredibly in character in that moment. Being a dumbo, as Donna would say.

[demeter918.livejournal.com]

I agree. This whole episode is bugging me out but at the same time?

I know Rose will get through it with this new Doctor (alt!Doctor? New!Doctor? MarkII!Doctor?) and it'll be fun to see fanfics about it.

Because he loves Rose enough that her happiness means more to him than his own.

*weeps* Yes.

[butterfly.livejournal.com]

I'm already enjoying the fics that are popping up. There's so much new ground for people to cover.

[shinyopals.livejournal.com]

While I can't pretend this post makes everything better for me (I am currently a miserable wreck), thank you for it. It does begin to put things into perspective somewhat.

I just wish the Doctor in our universe could have had *something* though. It just completely feels to me like being dragged through too much angst — I just wanted him to have something of a happy ending because even after all that's happened he's still ended up alone. That hurts far too much.

[butterfly.livejournal.com]

It does hurt for the Doctor. A lot.

What he does here and how he feels afterward makes me think of a Buffy quote. After Xander leaves Anya at the altar, he's talking about how it makes him feel and he says, "But then I left... and ever since... I've had this painful hole inside. And I'm the idiot that dug it out."

The Doctor in such agony at the end of the episode created that ending for himself. Because he really does hate himself that much for being a killer in the Time War. Which breaks my heart for him. He doesn't believe that he deserves to be with Rose. "There's someone for everyone," and he just made it so that Rose can have someone else. Everything that the New Doctor says about Donna, about her attitude covering up her insecurity, that's true of the Doctor who stays in our universe, as well. He's arrogant and high-handed and... believes that he destroys everything he touches and couldn't possibly deserve a chance at happiness.

Seriously, at this point in time, I can see the Doctor doing the River relationship. He already knows she's going to die (for him, oh, for him), he doesn't really want someone else in the TARDIS anyway, so that part's all right. Giving her that dying request of hers could function as something of a penance for what he feels he took from her.

[wanderlustlover]

Oh, gods. Yes. This small piece right here is how I've felt about the whole ending. How it could easily be manipulated into River Song and Moffat's series because of how it leaves him emotionally and meantally.

[butterfly.livejournal.com]

It's like Russell knows exactly what he's doing. He's aware that Moffat writes the Doctor differently (views the Doctor and how he treats love differently) and is shifting the Doctor over so that it won't be painfully jarring for the continuing viewers.

[thunderemerald.livejournal.com]

YES. Yes yes yes yes yes. This is exactly it, and thank you.

[butterfly.livejournal.com]

You're welcome!

[threerings.livejournal.com]

I'm a story junkie. Happy, sad, romantic, whatever. I love a powerful story. If it makes me feel, then I enjoy it. This actually gave me all possible endings and feelings.

Yes, this is me, too. I will always put aside my personal feelings in the sake of story.

Thanks for continuing to write wonderful meta.

[butterfly.livejournal.com]

I'm glad you enjoyed it!

But yeah, as a story, I really loved that. It made me giddy with glee in places, positively heartbroken in others, and contained all these fascinating, complex people (especially the Doctor).

[annerose.livejournal.com]

He gave Rose a choice, but not Donna. Sure, he biased the choice by being himself at her, not "saying the words", but she did choose.

And poor Donna! Although, I suppose living is better than dying. But I wanted her and the Doctor to go off and, clinically, repopulate the Time Lord species. I'm not really ready for Donna/Doctor, still.

[butterfly.livejournal.com]

Donna's story was completely heartbreaking. But I think she'll go and be wonderful all on her own (especially if her mom starts actually treating her like she thinks she's special).

[bunnythenavia.livejournal.com]

Thank you.
And Donna will always be brilliant.

z

[butterfly.livejournal.com]

Yes, she really will. And she won't remember being a Time Lord and saving the universe, but she's a human being and that's just as good. As 'just a human', she saved the Doctor in "The Runaway Bride".