Journey's End (TV story)

Template:Pre-broadcast spoiler

The ending approches...People and Planets and Stars will become dust, the dust will become atoms and the atoms will become...nothing. This is my ultimate victory! The destruction of reality itself! Davros

This is the 13th and final episode of Series 4 and will feature 6 companions of the Doctor. It is a continued on a cliffhanger from Episode 12.

Synopsis

The entire universe is in danger as the Daleks activate their masterplan, and enslave 21st century Earth. The Doctor is helpless after regenerating, and even the TARDIS faces destruction. The only hope lies with the Doctor's secret army of companions– but as they join forces to battle Davros himself, the prophecy declares that one of them will die.

Cast

The Doctor - David Tennant
Donna Noble - Catherine Tate
Rose Tyler - Billie Piper
Martha Jones - Freema Agyeman
Captain Jack Harkness - John Barrowman
Sarah Jane Smith - Elisabeth Sladen
Mickey Smith - Noel Clarke
Jackie Tyler - Camille Coduri
Luke Smith - Thomas Knight
Gwen Cooper - Eve Myles
Ianto Jones - Gareth David-Lloyd
Wilfred Mott - Bernard Cribbins
Sylvia Noble - Jacqueline King
Francine Jones - Adjoa Andoh
Davros - Julian Bleach
Dalek Voice - Nicholas Briggs
Voice of Mr Smith - Alexander Armstrong
German Woman - Valda Aviks
Scared Woman - Shobu Kapoor
Chinese Woman - Elizabeth Tan
Liberian Man - Michael Price
Dalek Operators - Barnaby Edwards, Nicholas Pegg,David Hankinson, Anthony Spargo, Gethin Jones

Production crew

to be added

References

Story notes

According to DWM this is the biggest finale of Doctor Who ever.
Blue Peter presenter Gethin Jones operates a Dalek in this episode, returning to Doctor Who since his brief appearance as a Cyberman in The Age of Steel.
This will be the longest series finale at 65 minutes long, longer than most of the Christmas specials, apart from Voyage of the Damned which was 71 minutes.

Headline text

Myths and Rumours

The Doctor will have to make an inevitable decision between two companions, deciding which companion will live and which will die.
Mickey Smith or someone from Pete's World's Torchwood will save Sarah Jane, Ianto and Gwen from the Daleks. This is likely as only one of the 'most faithful' companions would die - and no one else.*The Doctor's regeneration is misleading: remember what happened with Jenny? She was shot but didn´t regenerate. Instead she recovered (see The Doctor's Daughter). But that was likely due to being within the first fifteen hours of that incarnation-Time Lords, after regenerating (or being created, in Jenny's case), can recover from seemingly any injury for a period soon after.
The Doctor's name will be revealed, or at least there will be a clue, since his name "is hidden under the Cascade of Medusa herself" (see The Fires of Pompeii). Unlikely. It would take away the mystery and intrigue of who he is.
The 27 planets are part of a machine that affects time and space. Davros is planning to use that machine to destroy reality (see above).
Since The Doctor didn´t obey the demands of the Shadow Proclamation, it's possible that they could show up in order to arrest him. Unlikely, as the 27 planets were 1 second out of phase with the rest of the Universe, and the TARDIS barely made it through to the Medusa Cascade, so how could the Shadow Procloation make it there?
The Doctor's perceived regeneration is actually a disguised Dalek transmat, which forms part of a plot by Davros to bring the Doctor to the Crucible as part of his wider plans, whilst leaving a genetically-engineered impostor aboard the TARDIS. (Another clue that the Doctor may not regenerate yet is the fact that River Song recognises the 10th Doctor, indicating that he meets her before he regenerates. Yet another, more conclusive clue, is that DT is appearing in all four specials in 2009.
There are rumors that Harriet Jones is imprisoned,instead of exterminated as it appeared. However, this is unlikely.
Harriet Jones escaped just before being exterminated via teleport. This is unlikely as Harriet's words to Jack do not indicate that she planned to survive her encounter with the Daleks. She also seems to accept her fate. However, the screen of the subwave system went out as the daleks said "exterminate" which seems to indicate the daleks destroyed "the source of the subwave" rather than Harriet. Just a suggestion Also if she developed the Subwave Network with the help of the Copper Foundation, Mr Copper developed a teleport using the technology he worked with on the Titanic. So Harriet used this to escape
Gallifrey is restored. Every reference to the loss of Gallifrey is that it was destroyed (or "burned"), not missing as the other planets are. In addition, all 27 missing planets were identified at the Shadow Proclamation (presumably - three of them were speculations of the Doctor's behalf). However, it could be restored like Davros.
Rose dies. This is unlikely - it is rumored that she will star in the Christmas special. Also would Russell T Davies kill off Rose? This is unlikely
Donna dies. This had been foreshadowed in Silence in the Library/Forest of the Dead, although Donna did already "die" in Turn Left. But then there was the "Sorry for your loss" line in The Stolen Earth, this could be Donna's memory loss.
Martha dies. Possible as the weapon she has (The Osterhagen key) is rumoured to be a suicide weapon.
The TARDIS is destroyed or sacrifices itself. Dalek Caan's insane rantings of "prophecy" states that the "most faithful companion" would die, and most assume this means one of the Doctor's companions. This would seem to be the TARDIS, as the TARDIS is indeed a living organism. Possibly supported by video of the TARDIS in flames flying into an "exhaust port" on a fortified moon with only Donna aboard in the Official BBC Trailer for Journey's End Unlikely as pictures on the internet indicate that the TARDIS is in the Christmas special, as well as the Proms special. And if the TARDIS is gone then it's the end of Doctor Who itself. Not necessarily there were more TARDISes before the war maybe Davros captured one. River Song's Diary is styled in the same way as the TARDIS, meaning she must have seen it in the future when they do meet, so if it is destroyed it is somehow restore before their meeting - she also referred to the Doctor 'clicking his fingers to open the doors of the TARDIS. Also, if the Master escaped the Time War using a TARDIS it may still be in existence. Finally the TARDIS is Doctor Who lore - it's impossible to think it would ever be destroyed.
The Osterhagen key is either a reset button or a suicide weapon. Also, why would Harriet Jones of all people be opposed to using a reset button? Is it possible that it may be linked to the TARDIS? UNIT know what the TARDIS is.
Assuming the ambiguous theories of a 'Botched Regeneration' are plausible, we could be seeing an early version of the Valeyard. In The Trial Of A Time Lord, the Valeyard is seen as an incarnation of the potentially evil side of the Doctor between the twelfth and thirteenth regenerations. Though a couple of regenerations early, the "Osterhagen key" roughly translates as 'graveyard' or 'boneyard' (insults that the Sixth Doctor used against the Valeyard in 'The Trial of a Time Lord').
K-9 makes an appearance. Unlikely as the rights to K-9 have been sold, meaning the BBC cannot use him.
The Doctor's hand is still in the jar, and is still bubbling, as we were pointedly reminded in a shot near the start of the previous episode. Since it contains his biological code and is part of his tenth incarnation, it may prevent him from changing form. It was also bubbling in the background as his regeneration started. Another thought; the episode synopsis states that the Doctor is "helpless" in this episode. If he does not change form when regenerating, that could count as a botched regeneration. He had a bad enough time in The Christmas Invasion, so this might be even more traumatic.
Sylvester McCoy to make a surprise reappearance. He was interviewed as part of Doctor Who Confidential for "The Stolen Earth" in his seventh Doctor costume, whereas Peter Davison was interviewed in "Civilian" clothing, rather than his cricket gear of the fifth Doctor. - perhaps an unsubtle hint relating to a botched/inverted regeneration. We've never seen the Doctor executed by a Dalek before (or have we?), perhaps he could go back a few incarnations?
Dalek Caan in the previous episode talks of the coming Doctor as the "threefold man". This could give us a clue. We may well have three doctors in this episode. This includes Jenny, as she is in effect a clone of the Doctor, and therefore a part of The Doctor himself. Jenny is not a clone of the Doctor but his daughter born through asexual reproduction. She is still part of him, being his daughter, but she is not a clone of him.
Dalek Caan's insane rantings of "prophecy" states "Death is coming. Oh, I can see it. Everlasting death for the most faithful companion". Most people have assumed this means the Doctor's companion. This may refer to Caan himself, as companion to Davros
Again we're told in the previous episode that there's something on Donna's back after the events of Turn Left (and also long before, in Planet of the Ood). This gives a means to do a "reset" as the entire season could itself be an aberrant time line being ridden by another time beetle. The Shadow Proclamation said there WAS something on her back. The Time Beetle is dead and everything that's happened is happening in the true reality.
In The Stolen Earth when Donna is sitting on the stairs of the Shadow Proclamation she is seen wearing a large black ring, very possibly the same ring that was the Master's. Although it is unlikely he will appear, it may have something to do with the fact that it will be Donna's last episode. The Master's ring was VERY different to the one Donna was wearing. The Master's was green, whereas Donna's was black.
When the Sub Wave network starts, there is a tone similar to that used by the Master's Archangel Network in the Series 3 finale, all possible hints at Donna having some level of involvement with The Master. The drumming sound when Donna is on the stairs is a heartbeat, possible a slight echoed beat of two hearts, but it's not the same as the Master's beat. Futhermore it is possible that the Arch Angel Network is still in use.
As Sarah Jane is about to be exterminated Mickey suddenly teleports and saves her while Jackie does the same with Torchwood. Possibly, although Jackie will probably have more help than being on her own to stop a Dalek invasion of Torchwood.
Davros claims reality is to be destroyed, and in Turn Left The Doctor mentions realities bending around Donna. This is because Donna is still in "The Library". Unlikely, as the only remaining people inside the library computer are River Song and her companions and C.A.L.
The events/characters of the "Trial of a Time Lord" may factor in--maybe the Valeyard. The Doctor mentioned in "The Stolen Earth" that the earth had been moved once before, and the only time we've seen that happen was in "Trial of a Time Lord." Actually, the Doctor states that someone attempted to move the Earth before, but states that it couldn't have been them. He is, of course, referring to the events of Dalek Invasion of the Earth in which the Daleks attempt to convert the Earth into an interstellar war machine.
Ostenhagen key could quite possibly be a self-destruct function for the earth. Highly unlikely, as when Martha was given the key, her general suggested that it was for the good of the human race rather than its destruction.
Harriet Jones is infact in conniving with the Daleks against the Doctor. She used the subwave network on Davros' orders to bring the Doctor to earth. The warning not to use the key was given on Davros' request as it would destroy Daleks. Unlikely, as Penelope Wilton is not credited to appear in this episode. Furthermore Martha was unwilling the use the key when it was given to her.
The TARDIS sacrafices itself, and in some way, Donna saves it by fusing herself with the heart, becoming the new TARDIS heart. Support for this theory being that she's mentioned many times that she " wants to travel with the Doctor forever." What better way? Also, in the BBC trailer for Journey's End, she's seen alone in the TARDIS, it being on fire and in danger. The fortune teller in Turn Left, in fear, asked her, "What will you become?" In The Stolen Earth, the lady at the Shadow Proclaimation building said, " I'm sorry for your loss," a possible loss of humanity or freedom. This would justify the phrase "'everlasting' death for the companion" by Dalek Cann. As well, it is similar to the pre-release speculations surrounding Astrid, suggesting that her character was, in fact, the heart of the TARDIS. River Song also said "Oh, YOU'RE Donna." indicating some significance - possibly related to seeing Donna before fusing with the TARDIS.
The word 'osterhagen key' also is an anagram spelling 'earth gone' this suggests that the key is not just a suicide weapon for humans but for the earth.
There may be something related to Rose's looking in the heart of the TARDIS back with the ninth doctor. I say this because when she destroyed the Daleks she said,"You are tiny. I can see the whole of time and space, every single atom of your existence, and I divide them. Everything must come to dust. All things, everything dies." This seems similar to the Davros quote above so it may tie in.
Donna unwittingly activates the Ostenhagen Key, which defeats Davros and destroys all the Daleks. The Doctor is forced to remove her memories of this event as she is overcome with remorse for destroying an entire race. Unlikely as Martha is in posscession of the key, and due to the danger of using, she is unlikely to put it in a place where Donna could activate it.
There is some speculation about whether Donna's Ring is the Master's. It would seem that most people were saying "Why Would Donna even be there". Is it possible a Time Beetle was used on Donna to make her find it? The Doctor mentioned in Turn Left that usually "The Universe makes up for the little changes" (or something similar) . So i'm not suggesting that this is another parallel world. All the evidence points towards Donna not being fully "human". And the women from the Shadow Proclamation on The Stolen Earth could have been talking about a different beetle to that in Turn Left, as in the "original world" it would seem the beetle was on her back for only a few seconds.
The word 'osterhagen key' is an anagram spelling 'earth gone' this could be a experimental teleportation devies but on a larger scale, like “Project Indigo”. This could be why Harriet Jones did not want to use it. It's not an anagram if the letters S K E & Y are left over after you make the words you want from the source phrase.
A double heart beat is briefly heard when Donna is fonding her ring, as mentioned above. In Italian, "Donna" means "woman", her much mentioned career of "temp" is a prefix in English and Latin meaning "time", and "Noble" can encompass "Lady" or "Lord". Put these points together, and you get the possibility of a Chameleon Arc ring hiding Donna's true persona as a "Woman Time Lord".

Discontinuity, Plot Holes, Errors

Davros has fewer teeth. Perhaps he lost some in the Time War? You've counted his teeth!!! Seriously! Come on your looking to deep for errors its a stupid point, just look at the state of the teeth anyway, they're black you shouldn't be suprised hes lost some teeth. Perhaps he used teeth to spawn new Daleks? ;)

Continuity

To be added

DVD and Other releases

This is due to be released in the Series 4 boxset in November 2008 along with the rest of the Series.
It will be released as part of Series 4 Volume 4 alongside Turn Left and The Stolen Earth on 1st September 2008.

External links