The plot here isn’t anything special honestly. The Daleks and the Cybermen have their showdown. The Daleks easily win, which then robs any further showdown between them of most of its potential excitement or tension. If we know the Daleks can just mow down the Cybermen without taking any real damage, then there’s no tension here. The Cybermen just become fodder for the Daleks to kill, except because the Cybermen are also villains there isn’t even any tension as to whether or not they survive. The previous episode set up this grand climax with the Doctor’s 2 biggest, most iconic enemies. Then one of those enemies is immediately shown to be basically ineffectual for most of the story. So basically these whole Dalek vs Cybermen story very quickly becomes pretty underwhelming.

There is the whole plot about the Genesis Ark. But, on this rewatch I realised that this is all a big load of nothing. If it wasn’t in the episode at all it wouldn’t really make any difference. I mean you setup that the Daleks have this weapon called the Genesis Ark, and that it’s Time Lord technology. That’s cool, I’m intrigued, I wonder what it’s going to be. The answer is just more Daleks. So honestly what was the point? It doesn’t change anything in the episode. Before the Ark is open the stakes are that the Daleks, are fighting the Cybermen, people are getting caught in the middle & killed, and humanity may not survive the chaos and destruction. After the ark has opened the stakes are are that even more Daleks, are fighting the Cybermen, people are getting caught in the middle & killed, and humanity may not survive the chaos and destruction. It doesn’t make a shred of difference to the Doctor either. Once the ark has opened and we’ve explained what’s inside, I don’t think the Doctor mentions anything about it again. He just continues with his plan, which is exactly what he would’ve done if there was a Genesis Ark in the story or not. Considering how much time they spend on this plot point, it has basically no actual impact on the episode. It just makes the episode look bigger I guess.

Whilst the villains are fighting each other, the Doctor figures out how to send them all back into the void. The catch is that anyone who has crossed from one dimension to another will also get sucked in as well. This includes everyone from Pete’s world, and of course the Doctor and Rose. The Doctor wants everyone (including Rose, Mickey and Jackie) to transport over to Pete’s world to stay safe whilst he just holds on tight. Rose obviously refuses and transports herself back to be with the Doctor. They successfully suck everyone in, but Rose has to let go to stop the void from closing too soon, and is subsequently getting sucked into the void. Just before she dies, Pete pops back to grab her and deliver her safely to the alternative Earth. The world is saved, all the villains are trapped in the void, and it’s a nice tidy ending. Except of course that the Doctor and Rose are separated, and now that the void has closed they have no way to get back together.

And this is where the episode really shines. The world ending stuff may not be that compelling, but that’s because the episode is far more interested in its characters and their emotional arcs. As much as I’d like a good end of the world story in this finale, I’d rather have the story focus on its characters. If the episode is unable to deliver both, they at least chose the correct side of the finale to focus on.

The end of this episode is entirely focused on the characters. The day has been saved and Rose (with her family) is stranded on another Earth, unable to get back to the Doctor. There are tears, a vague dream, and a chance to say goodbye on a Norwegian beach whose name translates as Bad Wolf Bay. The Doctor is able to transmit a hologram of himself to interact with Rose for a couple of minutes before the cracks between dimensions are all finally closed.

I don’t like the 10th Doctor and Rose together. I think they bring out the worst in each other, and I find their default dynamic comes across as self-satisfied and self-absorbed. Their relationship feels somewhat co-dependent. Even in this episode when Rose is talking about staying with the Doctor and not with her family, I find her to be very dismissive and disrespectful to Jackie. All season it has been a detriment to the characters and to the show.

I also don’t like how RTD has written multiple times in the Series leading up to this finale that Rose was going to die (both parts in the two part finale start with Rose saying this) and it’s said in other episodes as well. She doesn’t die. I don’t care that you can argue that she’s listed amongst the dead, so is officially listed as having died in the battle of Canary Wharf. I don’t buy any argument along the lines of “she’s died emotionally”. She doesn’t die. It was all just a cheap way to force some extra drama into the finale.

I also think when you look at it Rose gets a mostly happy ending. She has her Mum, her Dad is (sorta) alive again, she’s even still got Mickey. Heck she’s even rich now. It’s sad that she can never see the Doctor again, but she still gets a much better life as a result of her adventures with the Doctor. When you stop and think about it, Rose’s ending here is not nearly as tragic as the show would have you believe.

Except of course that it is as tragic as the show would have you believe. I may have problems with a lot of the lead up to this moment. I may have quibbles after the fact when I think about it. But when I watch the episode I can’t help but feel the tragedy of their parting. The performances and Murray Gold’s score in that final scene completely sell it. Even the things that I might’ve found unbearably smug in other episodes (the Doctor saying ‘Quite right too” for example) are pitched just right here. I don’t think this ending is as devastating as some people do. I definitely still don’t want these two to be together. But I absolutely believe how much they want to be together. I absolutely believe how much it hurts them to be apart. Their heartbreak is absolutely heart-breaking to watch.

I still prefer the finale to the first season. That finale is also more interested in the characters than the battles. But the threat here feels pretty run of the mill and doesn’t even have enough actual plot to sustain the episode. Whereas the threat in ‘The Parting of Ways’ was more experimental and gave the Doctor an interesting moral conundrum. I also find the character/emotional arcs more satisfying in Series 1. But somehow against all odds, I find myself moved by this finale and actually invested in the Doctor and Rose.