Saying Goodbye to David Tennant

What’s that expression,  it’s all over except the crying? David Tennant has completed his time as The Doctor and I don’t think there’s anyone, including David himself, who is glad to see him go.

Yesterday, I got a look at the special features on the February 2nd Doctor Who DVD release that will cover David’s final episodes. There was a camera following him around on that last day of shooting and it was heart-wrenching to watch. I know it’s only a TV show, but it was clear that saying goodbye to the show wasn’t easy for David or anyone connected with the series. It was obviously a tough spot to be in, knowing that it was time to move on but not really wanting to.

As far as his farewell performance goes, I was both moved and underwhelmed – a conundrum worth of Doctor Who, don’t you think? On the one hand, I didn’t feel that the final plot line really did his character justice. I’m not sure why, but I wasn’t as drawn in as I usually am when I watch the big holiday specials. Maybe it was the change in tone. Seeing The Doctor losing his joy and wonder was hard to watch. On the upside, if you can call it that, I was blown away by the final scene where he had to rescue Wilfred from the chamber. When I heard that knocking on the chamber door, I literally whined out loud. Four Knocks! Unfortunately, the blow was slightly softened by my brain going to Sheldon on The Big Bang Theory. . . Penny (knock, knock, knock). . . Penny. . .  Still, what a scene that was. Of course, when he dropped to the floor and curled into a fetal position, I expected him to stand up as the new Doctor, so that was a nice surprise. It must have been hard for the writers to keep the suspense going when everyone knew the out coming going into the show.

And then there were the Doctor’s final visits to all of his close friends. Again, I had mixed feelings about this section. I loved the idea. I thought Martha’s and Rose’s sections were both lovely. I’ll admit that I was confused by the book author and I had to look that one up on line to get the significance. I was also confused by the letter at Donna’s wedding. I guess I’m not a die-hard enough fan to pick up on all the nuisances. As for Jack. . . another toughie. I’m always glad to see him but I thought that his setting was all wrong. It was so Star Wars Cantina, and even though there are plenty of silly monsters on Doctor Who, this felt too humorous for the tone of the episode. I’m also surprised that they went to the trouble to put that whole scene together for that short amount of air time.  The gag was funny, and wasn’t that the kid from Being Human who sat down next to him? The werewolf? I guess I just wanted more of a connection between Jack and the Doctor before we said goodbye.

After I watched the final episode, I watched a Graham Norton Doctor Who Special which had clips of David from two different visits. When Graham asked him about leaving the show, he said that he wanted to go while it was still enjoyable. He didn’t want to get to the point where he felt like filming the series was a chore. I applaud him for that. This way, it will always be a wonderful memory for him and us.

When will we see him again? Possibly here on American TV. David filmed a pilot called Rex is Not Your Lawyer about a great lawyer who has panic attacks so he teaches his clients to represent themselves. I’m sure he’d be wonderful in it, but the plot itself doesn’t sound very promising. After that, who knows. I’m sure David Tennant won’t have any trouble finding work and what ever work he finds, I’ll likely be watching. Will you?

Photo: BBC America