Doctor Who 4:13 Addendum (aka episode spoilers plus spec)
Ok. So, I stand by my secondary analysis of Journey's End. IE, it's better than I originally gave it credit for, I missed major plot points, and quite possibly the directorial/writer's intent in my dizzying WTF-ery when I first viewed it. I believe we are meant to grok in fullness that Caan played everybody, Davros was a pawn, as was Rose, Donna, and even HandTen, and it was all an elaborate set-up to once and for all for the Daleks to win the war against the Time Lords. Ten has been completely isolated from everything and everyone he loves. Rose seemed none-too-happy to be left on that bloody beach again, faux Ten by her side or not. I gather HandTen is none-too-happy himself. He's been fobbed off on Rose, away from what to him still feels like his TARDIS, and taken out of Time as he has previously experienced it. Also, he has been separated from HIS other half, the DoctorDonna, who in turn has lost herself in more ways than one, and got a seriously sucktastic ending that did not involve dying nobley (excuse the pun) or finding her soul mate from the LIbrary.
Also, I have been spending much time commiserating with my fellow Ten/Rose shippers who are utterly pissed at RTD. From what I understand, the remains of the British Empire want his bits on a platter with a side of mushy peas.
And then, I had another epiphany. My gut impression was ALSO right. This is utter shite. Which brought on another epiphany:
Journey's End = The Empire Strikes Back
Utterly bleak. Lovers torn apart. No hope (or not much) on the horizon. The bad guys are unstoppable. In short, it's utterly brilliant.
And also---it's a middle.
Journey's End can't be the end. It can't. It can't it can't it can't. Doctor Who is a show for kids. Its constant core is hope. No writer of conscience would end a children's story this way. And I am banking on RTD being that writer of conscience. And god wiling, he will give us at Christmas our sappy Ewok-dancing end to the divine love story of Rose/Ten, and give this poor bastard some small space of peace and healing, so we can all move on. Leaving Ten, alone in his drenched shirt sleeves---bloody brilliant IF and ONLY IF it;'s the middle chapter.