Phwoar what a start!

Immediately Rose is so quick to distinguish itself from the classic era by hitting us with the high-paced montage. None of the budgetary-mandated loitering that some of the not-so-great serials force us through as an audience. I think the change from 20-minute 6-parters to a shorter series with hour-long episodes was warranted at the time and allows for much more of an arc over the course of the series, especially considering that this arc is my personal favourite.

We get our first taste of horror in Rose’s introduction to the Autons, and I can’t think of any other line that would work so well in introducing the Doctor as ‘Run!’. Everything is so aggressively 2000s and I love it, so nostalgic.

Jackie is immediately so funny; Mickey is immediately Mickey. All the characters are so realised, you can easily believe that we’ve stepped into Rose’s life at the point where the Doctor shows up, but that she has lived a real human experience before then.

It’s goofy as f*ck and I’m so happy with it, I know some people don’t like the cheese, but I feel like it’s a fun nod to the classic era. The JFK zoom out of Christopher Eccleston mewing is so hilariously camp.

Being placed in Rose’s POV recontextualises all the previous lore and prevents information from being shoehorned in, which is incredible in terms of assuming your audience’s intelligence, particularly the younger generation for whom this will always be their doctor (I was 2 when I saw this episode for the first time).

The music is amazing, we get certified bangers like Westminster Bridge, Seeking the Doctor, and even a sneaky snippet of Doomsday when our resident it-girl enters the TARDIS for the first time, which is some gnarly musical foreshadowing if I’ve ever heard it.

The plot isn’t too complex but imagine how much of a brain ache it would be if it was, like the Zygon subplot in Day of the Doctor. Clive’s death is poignant and marks the start of the new era’s more graphic and emotional deaths, he has knowledge, he’s resourceful, but ultimately none of that saves him in the face of brutish violence, his last seconds spent realising it was all for nothing.

This is an amazing first episode of the revival era, and it was the earliest point of reference I had of this show until I watched an Unearthly Child 2022.

Looking back on it, I think this Episode is a great introduction but as an episode, it’s kinda just okay? Don’t get me wrong the moment where Eccelston bursts in and says “I am the doctor, nice to meet you rose, run for your life” is amazing. In general, both Billie and Chris make it a really solid piece, as a story? It’s fine. The Autons I find are very underused in Who and could be used for some greater effects. I think it’s very much solid, great way to bring Who into the 21st Century, other than that? Just an episode I respect more than I really enjoy/love.

As it's my personal 10th anniversary of discovering Doctor Who, I've decided to do a full rewatch of the series (something I haven't done in at least 6 years) to both celebrate the show and prepare myself for the 60th anniversary specials and upcoming series of the show. Rose, to this day, still stands as the best possible introduction to the world of Doctor Who. Every single detail of this episode perfectly sets up the universe to someone completely unfamiliar with the series, and despite some iffy special effects, the episode still holds strong today. The story also does an excellent job introducing another aspect of Who, the cheesiness. To fully enjoy the show, it's my belief that one has to be okay with a lot of camp, and this episode, with the Auton Mickey and killer mannequins, does exactly what it should in setting the viewer up for the program. Overall, a fun episode, and one that certainly excites me for the journey ahead.

Pretty strong opener to newcomers to Doctor Who, Russell did a phenomenal job reintroducing the Doctor and the story's impressively strong from beginning to end.

This is probably the nu-who episode I re-watched the most and I realize how much it successfully pulled off everything it attempted. The episode works perfectly as a re-introduction of the Doctor as a character while also introducing his character arc of a Doctor traumatized by the time war and trying to come to terms with himself and in only a handful of really well written interactions we instantly get the stakes of the character, his mysterious lore and heavier backstory with a lot of emotional impact (I especially really like Eccleston's monologue comparing himself to how the earth is spinning). What I think is great is also how everything is balanced with a lot of comedic bits to avoid making an episode who is too heavy or too dark emotionally (I really like all the Jackie bits) and while I think some moments are definitely too cheesy for their own good (The plastic mickey bit especially) or that the pacing is a bit weird at times, I still think it's overally well executed and that the highlights overshadow easily those flaws.

Overall a great introduction and a stellar first episode for one of the best new who seasons.