"Army of Ghosts"/"Doomsday"

"Army of Ghosts" immediately kicks off with a wonderful prologue, narrated by Rose that somehow manages to be both joyful and a lament- ‘the story of how I died’. Our interest has been piqued and is sustained by the intriguing scenario- ‘ghosts’ are appearing all over the world and they have thoroughly captured humanity’s attention. Of course, the Doctor realises that something more material and more sinister is behind the ‘ghosts’. The cause is, in fact, the covert organisation known as Torchwood, who have discovered a breach in space-time, through which has come a mysterious sphere which cannot touched, scanned or perceived in any way apart from sight. Torchwood have been waiting for the Doctor to come back for years but, as always, his arrival brings disaster. The ‘ghosts’ are the impressions of beings who have been trying to break through- the Cybermen from the parallel Earth. Millions of the creatures materialise worldwide- but worse is yet to come. The Sphere, which heralded their coming is not theirs. It cracks open- to reveal Daleks!

The ‘event finale’ is a very welcome development that the relaunched Doctor Who brought along with it. The previous series had the outstanding "Bad Wolf"/ "The Parting of the Ways" so expectations were high; to say they were met is something of an understatement. "Army of Ghosts"/ "Doomsday" is, first of all, tremendous, glorious fun from start to finish, so much so that it doesn’t strike one just how brilliantly written it is. The plot is full of intriguing concepts and ideas from the start, with the ‘ghosts’ and the idea of ‘The Void’ (which has a great deal in common with ‘brane theory’ in astro-physics). Torchwood is finally revealed in all its glory- a mysterious secret organisation that ruthlessly protects its airspace from the alien, yet maintain a ‘people-friendly’ working environment. However, there is one thing about this story that has occurred in the dreams of all Doctor Who fans for decades- Daleks v Cybermen. This is a basic ‘fan-fiction’ idea that has been elevated to something else entirely by a great writer. There is no fan-fulfilling contest to see which is best, as that is certain within a few minutes- the Daleks are a race with hugely advanced technology, capable of time travel, the destruction of entire planetary systems etc. The Cybermen are just bionic humans- they don’t stand a chance. The face-off between Dalek Sec and the Cyberleader shows that you can have memorable dialogue between ‘Stephen Hawking and the speaking clock’ in a scene that is funny, without belittling either of the two races. However, this is not merely an all-action shoot-out, but a story featuring real characters and a great understanding of human nature. The effect of the ‘ghosts’ on humanity is brilliantly observed- they have an instant effect on popular culture, but also appeal to a very basic yearning that all people have. Jackie imagines the shadowy figure that appears in her front room has the smell of her deceased father, but it is obvious that she is deluding herself. In the middle of a pitched battle, Jackie meets the alternative Pete in a scene that is funny, touching and, most importantly, does not make us want to fast-forward to the next bit of action. Davies plays with our preconceptions and confounds them with something simpler- and better. We see something called the ‘Genesis Ark’ which must, of course contain Davros. It is, instead, a dimensionally transcendental prison ship- with an army of Daleks inside.

Graeme Harper truly makes this an epic visual feast- the scene where a legion of Cybermen shoot up at a flotilla of dive-bombing Daleks is a sight which, were it to be taken back in time and shown to a 1980s Doctor Who fan, would probably kill them from pure ecstasy. The script has changes of mood and pace that require direction that is equally as sophisticated- and this is precisely what we get. From the nightmarish appearance of a Cyberman in a child’s bedroom to the beauty of the opening scene, Harper shows he is still, very much, at the top of his field. The cast is superb, with Tracy-Ann Oberman being phenomenal as Yvonne- ruthless and driven, but keen to know all of her underlings, and by no means evil. Raji James is also quietly effective as Dr Singh. One of the highlights is the reappearance of Mickey, brilliantly played, as always, by Noel Clarke.

It ends, of course, with the Doctor and Rose separated in different dimensions. These final scenes are beautiful and heartbreaking, a triumph for both Davies and Harper, but also a final showcase for the skills of Billie Piper. Rose was our identification figure for the relaunch of the most bonkers and brilliant idea in television history and Piper never put in a bad performance and this, her last one as a regular, is simply phenomenal. It is odd to remember how apprehensive some were about David Tennant- by the time this was broadcast, he was Doctor Who and he gives his best performance yet.

So it ends with a beautifully heartbreaking scene, very reminiscent of His Dark Materials (a comparison that Philip Pullman welcomes with his typical generosity) that caps a fantastic story and a great season.

NEXT: "The Runaway Bride"