181B. (2.13) Doomsday

After 2 seasons, 1 regeneration, 3 other male companions, Daleks, Cybermen, Slitheen

 and Lady Cassandra, we say good bye to Rose. The pitched battle between the Daleks and

and the Cybermen seems almost minor compared to the instance of Rose being sucked away to

the parallel Earth, forever seperated from the Doctor. We've have some heart wrenching moments

over the past two season, but the final few scenes of this episode take the prize. Even after all these

years, I still get choked up watching the scene on the beach. It just breaks my heart. And despite 

Rose having reunited her family with Jackie, Pete and Mickey, life without the Doctor is just not the

same. The emotion painted across David Tennant's face in the last scenes makes you cry with him.

Never before have we seen such emotion on a Doctor's face with the departure of a companion.

Even the death of Adric didn't ilicit such a reaction. And for the first time since the beginning of the

new show, the Time Lord is alone again. That is until the Runaway Bride pops into the TARDIS.....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doomsday_(Doctor_Who)

181A. (2.12) Army of Ghosts

Welcome to the Torchwood Institute! After a season of teasing, much like Bad Wolf last season, we get full frontal Torchwood. After Queen Victoria founded it, Torchwood has been running all along obtaining alien technology and using it for the British Empire. I remember at the time, being very excited about it but wondering how they co-existed with UNIT all these years. Yvonne Hartley was a wonderful villainess with lots of cute boys at her disposal. Freema Ageman was lovely as Adeola but more on her later. The initial premise of ghosts coming back was a neat tease for the big return of the Cybermen from the other universe invading ours. And we get a CyberLeader again with black handle bars! Mickey pops back up in our universe to save Rose again and he's got an attitude. But its the cliffhanger that's the best ever- the Dales emerging from the Void Ship! This promises of a showdown between the Daleks and the Cybermen has been every fan boys dream for over 40 years.

TO BE CONTINUED!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Army_of_Ghosts

180.(2.11) Fear Her

I don't get this story. It's my least favorite of the season. It's cute to see the Doctor running in the future 2012 Olympics. Engineering a situation that removes the Doctor from the canvas and leaves Rose to save the day allows Billie to carry the story. The foreboding ending also foreshadows the doom that is to come.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fear_Her

179. (2.10) Love & Monsters

Another new tradition to begin this season is the "Doctor-lite" episode. While this story is all about the Doctor, he and Rose actually are feature quite little in it. And that is its brilliance. The guest cast are fantastic with Elton carrying the story. Jackie Tyler also gets the spotlight and you feel the loss that Rose's absence has caused her. It's quirky little story that's a nice pick-me-up for the season.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Love_%26_Monsters

178B. (2.9) The Satan Pit

The Devil made me do it! While they don't clearly state if it is indeed the Devil, it certainly is an ancient and evil entity that may well be older than the universe itself. And regardless of what it's called, it is evil incarnate. The genius casting of Gabriel Woolf as the voice of the Devil, who also played Suhtek in the classic series, creates a very old and deep resonance. The closing line of the story, that the Doctor and Rose are the stuff of legends, is strangely foreboding. The fact that this was David Tennant's and Billie Piper's actual final scene adds an emotional undercurrent that runs so deep.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Satan_Pit

178A. (2.8) The Impossible Planet

The Doctor and Rose are stranded on a planet poised on the edge of a Black Hole. The alien Ood are reciting in chorus warnings from something evil beneath the planet. People are getting picked off one by one. And by the end of part one, we're lead to believe the devil was returning....

TO BE CONTINUED

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Impossible_Planet

177. (2.7) The Idiot's Lantern

Mark Gatiss' contribution to this season is another modern classic that shows the fun and the peril in equal shares. Rose in 1950's garb is a treat set against the backdrop of the Queen's coronation. The concept of an alien monster living inside the television is brilliant. But it's the family dynamic of young Tommy, his mum and his dad that is the heart of the story. Except for poor Mr. Magpie, no one dies and we have a happy ending. 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Idiot%27s_Lantern

176B. (2.6) The Age of Steel

Jackie is captured and converted into a Cyberman. Mickey's twin Ricky is killed. Mr. Loomis is converted into the Cyber Controller. And Mickey decides to leave the Doctor and Rose and stay in this universe. This story ups the ante and we see people we've grown to care about die. The concept of loosing ones humanity and being converted into a Cyberman is shown in terrifying detail. But it's the emotional impact of Mickey leaving, because he'll never be to Rose what the Doctor is to her, packs another emotional punch we didn't see coming. 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Age_of_Steel

176A. (2.5) Rise of the Cybermen

Parallel Earths. Pete's alive. Jackie's a biatch. Rose is a dog. And there are TWO Mickeys! But best of all, this story brings back to nuWho the second most famous monster- the Cybermen! And they return in style with panache! While not the Cybermen of our universe, these new Cybermen pay homage to the originals and live up to their legacy and then some. Just as terrifying and just as emotionless, this story firmly re-establishes their place behind the Daleks. This time we're giving a mad man in a wheel chair as the creator of the Cybermen, to upgrade the human race. The return of Rose's dad from the dead is also a brilliant twist. The cliff hanger of an army of Cybermen marching towards the Doctor is thrilling!

TO BE CONTINUED!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rise_of_the_Cybermen

175. (2.4) The Girl in the Fireplace

Steven Moffat contributes one of the most heart breaking stories ever and lays the seeds for this tenure as Executive Director. The Doctor's relationship with Renette a/k/a Madame de Pompadour over the course of her life is touching and beautiful. The promise of her becoming as companion is too alluring, too tempting, too much to dare to hope for. Her ability to touch his mind in a way that Rose opens the Doctor up in a way we hadn't seen before and shows his hearts in a different light. The final moments of the story, when the Doctor arrives just a few moments too late so see Renette leave in her  casket for Paris, me make me cry every time. Her final words to the Doctor in a letter are tear us apart and we will always remember Renette.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Girl_in_the_Fireplace

174. (2.3) School Reunion

Sarah Jane Smith. You don't need to say anything else. She's a legendary character played by a legendary actress, Elizabeth Sladen. This episode finally connected the nuWho with classic Who is a beautiful way and returned to the screen a beautiful woman. Considered pretty much the best companion of the classic series and possible all of Doctor Who, Sarah Jane owns this story. Her reunion with the Doctor is heart breaking and elating at the same time. Her banter with Rose is classic and her fostering of Mickey is lovely. And we can't forget about the return of K-9!

Of course this story relaunched Elizabeth's career as Sarah Jane, spinning her off into her own series of adventures with young companions, aliens threats, a new K-9, an adopted son and an adopted daughter. She was even reunited with the Brigadier, Jo Grant, the 10th Doctor and the 11th Doctor. It was the most amazing time and reminded us of how much we loved Sarah Jane and Elizabeth. When Elizabeth died of cancer, our hearts broke. We would see no more of her beautiful face on our screens, giving us the best of times, but we learned to cherish every second of screen time we had been blessed with for over 40 years. We will always love you Sarah Jane and Elizabeth!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/School_Reunion_(Doctor_Who)

173. (2.2) Tooth and Claw

Who's afraid of the big bad wolf? Literally! Besides an actual werewolf, there are ninja monks, Torchwood castle, Scottish Mounties and Queen Victoria. The celebrity historical has now become an annual event with famous actors playing famous historical figures. It's a lovely new tradition. This story picks up the Torchwood thread from the Christmas Invasion and propels it forward quite a bit. The story also shows the amount of fun and enjoyment the 10th Doctor and Rose has traveling together. Their bet to get Queen Victoria to say "I am not amused" is quite amusing. Their knighthood and exile from the UK at the conclusion is a bit confusing but the Queen's final decree that the Torchwood Institute's charter is to fight the Doctor is an ironic twist.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tooth_and_Claw_(Doctor_Who)