While we're wrapping up with 10/Tennant and awaiting 11/Smith, we do have a few specials. This post is for anyone interested in continuing to read my take on the Whoniverse, and say, off the top of my head, ultimate geeks at sci-fi cons who asked me where I went.  

Just like with all the other shows, this post will lead the way to all things Whovian on I, Spy .

- Matt Smith.

Today, the BBC announced the youngest ever Doctor (yes, younger than Peter Davison) will be 26 year-old Matt Smith.

David Tennant as Doctor WhoThe BBC will announce David Tennant's replacement in the role of British sci-fi's classic hero Doctor Who tomorrow on the BBC One channel. Tennant, despite back injury, is currently filming four special episodes of the series as his farewell from the role.

You see, used the regeneration energy to heal myself, but as soon as that was done, I didn't need to change. I didn't want to, why would I? Look at me.  So, to stop the regeneration from going all the way, I siphoned off the rest into a handy bio-matching receptacle, namely my hand, my hand there, my handy spare hand.

Trust me, I looked and I don’t want you to change either, Doctor.

I’m not fighting Russell T Davies’s obsession with showing us how awesome he is anymore.  Therefore, instead of looking for references to everything he’s done for the Whoniverse, I’m simply going to assume that everything is a nod to something he’s done.  In fact, I’m willing to bet that by the end of this recap, I will be able to find a reference to every single episode RTD wrote / produced / breathed on / made us suffer through by hiring PJ Hammond, not once but twice.  When I first started this, I thought some of my connections would be rather tenuous; they aren’t.  This just proves that RTD is a megalomaniac obsessed with his own continuity.  

Okay, so we actually begin with a recap of last week, featuring Davros-Palpatine, Torchwood, Sarah Jane Smith with her cool boots and car, crazy Caan, Rose, and the reason I wasn’t speaking to Tennant.

I have to wait through the bloody dizzying credits to find out whether or not I’m speaking to him. 

Fortunately, instead of becoming somebody else for whom I am not mentally prepared, the Doctor leans over, and forces all of his regenerative energy into his conveniently placed extra hand.  (It also resolves the issues I was having with Tennant.)  This is the now the fourth time the hand has had a major role.  First, it proved how lucky Ten was.   Then it gave me some creepy ideas as to why Jack had it. This eventually brought Jack back to the Doctor before finally leading us to the Whoniverse’s biggest Mary-Sue.   For a severed limb, it’s got more of a role in this series than my fictional Welsh boyfriend did for the first three episodes of Torchwood.

Despite all of Rose’s pleading with the Doctor not to change, the look on her face when he doesn’t is hilarious.  In fact, while the Doctor is ready to move on with the story, all of his companions share varying degrees of the same expression.

Let me muse for a second on Sarah Jane.  Lately, she’s become very good at giving people a purpose.  First she saved Luke and helped Maria settle into her new home.  Next, she made Clyde think about other people.   Heck, she even made Mr. Smith not evil by telling him to protect the Earth.   Now, she’s made Mickey and Jackie not be irritating for one entire short scene, as they appear just in time to save her.  You automatically receive a get out of snark free card if you save Sarah Jane.

As for my fictional Welsh boyfriend and Gwen, they’re still fruitlessly shooting at the Dalek but looking damn cool while doing it.  I have a feeling that this’ll be one of those moments that sticks in time.  Suddenly, I feel like we’ve entered the Matrix as the bullets have frozen in midair. 

Back in the TARDIS, Ten confirms that he’s hot, because, why would he want to change when you’re that adorkable?  He explains it much nicer than I do, with the quote that begins this recap.  It may also be a chance to directly parallel the whole Doctor/ Rose (slash intended) “is it you?” conversation from ”The Christmas Invasion”  but really, what I get out of it is something I’ve been waiting the past two years for.

So, I finally get the hug I wanted.  The first time I watched this episode that kept me in a good mood throughout, even through the ending.

Anyway, Donna offers to let Jack hug her and Jack refuses.  I’m going to assume it’s not because he finds the amazing Donna Noble repulsive.  Nope, instead, I’m going to guess that he’s not going after Doctor’s companions out of respect, which is why he was so taken aback when Martha kissed him.   Plus, he doesn’t want this getting back to Ianto.  He’s probably going to get instant coffee for the next week and that’s bad enough.  He doesn’t want instant decaf too.

Back at the Hub, Ianto discovers that Tosh, poor, black widow, dead, cover for hung-over Owen because she loves him, and has the second best boobs in the Whoniverse, after Donna, Tosh, created a program that locks the Hub in a time bubble.  I don’t know what protocols she could’ve possibly programmed in to make sure it activated correctly (and didn’t force them into some weird 5-year time loop ), but the woman could build a wacky version of a sonic screwdriver.   Was there anything Tosh couldn’t do other than Owen?

So now we know Gwen and Ianto will stay safe and be available for the very short Torchwood series three, but they really can’t do much to help at the moment and have to rely on Jack.  This has to be a particular relief to Gwen, considering she’s the one wearing a red shirt.

The hugging went on far too long in the TARDIS as it gave the Daleks a chance to catch it in a temporal prison, and bring it safely to “The Crucible” – which is where the Supreme Dalek is, not the Arthur Miller play.

The abduction of the TARDIS is witnessed by Mickey, Jackie and Sarah Jane.  Since the dimensional jump things we haven’t seen for a while need a half-hour to charge, the only thing the trio can do is put down their weapons and surrender.

At Chez Jones, Martha is once again forced to walk the earth alone, without the help of the Doctor while having to trust a teleport device she knows little about.  This is becoming a bit of a habit, except this year it’s for UNIT and the Osterhagen (not the Haagen-Dazs) key.

She teleports 60 miles outside of Nuremburg and I have to admit, I laugh as the Daleks fly around yelling “exterminate!” in German.  Also, Martha still looks perfect.  I’m not bitter.

Cue the exposition!  After the Doctor and Rose have an immature moment (The Doctor won’t move on until Rose admits she was trying to come back to him – probably inspiring 5.5/apple/26 fanfics), she explains what’s going on.

Jadis:  Who is the female?

Donna: Donna.  I’m a human being.  Maybe not the stuff of legend but every bit as important as Time Lords, thank you.

Definitely every bit as important, Donna; don’t you forget it!

Last week, I theorized Russell T Davies was not planning on leaving Doctor Who before he had one last kick at the awesome-can.  Almost everything he’s brought to the Whoniverse (Rose, Martha, Jack, Mickey, hell, let’s just say practically everyone) or brought back to the Whoniverse (meaning: Sarah Jane, The Cult of Skaro, but, unfortunately no John Simm Master) makes an appearance over the final two episodes.  Yes RTD, we’re impressed, you can move on now all happy that you’ve left a hell of a hole for Moffat to fill.  You know what would be nice though?  At least leaving him with a couple of toys in your really big metaphorical sandbox.

We begin almost where we left off last week.  In fact, this is an episode of almosts.  Almost everything RTD created is present or referenced.  It is almost the end of the season and this episode almost stopped me from speaking to Tennant for all eternity.  So the almost at the beginning is that the Doctor and Donna have travelled back to Earth, instead of starting with the sound of the cloister bell and the Doctor’s bad TARDIS driving (flying, transporting, whatever the correct verb is).  Plus the Earth looks almost normal.

Heck, there’s even a milkman making his rounds.  That’s got to prove that everything is almost normal, right?  According to the Doctor, just because it’s Saturday and the milkman is delivering, does not mean that Rose Tyler crossing between parallel worlds isn’t a harbinger of doom.  Okay, Doctor, I know the whole splitting apart time and space is a bad thing but I thought you’d share a little of my Rose-induced squee.

Just as the Doctor and Donna go back into the TARDIS, the milk float starts shaking, indicating something’s wrong.  In a random comparison moment, I once saw the same tactic used in an episode of The Avengers, which was all about an army base losing an hour.   Geez, I hope the baddie in this one turns out to be an evil dentist too!  Do I have to add a spoiler warning for something from 1965?  Either way, I hope there’s something scarier than falling roof tiles and a shaky milk float.

In an obvious piece of foreshadowing, we get a shot of the Doctor’s severed hand.  The only way it could be more obvious is if the hand was saying “I’m the most important prop over the next two episodes,” in sign language.

Oh Donna, did you need to make me love you more?  I wasn’t entirely sure it was possible, but here you are, pointing out the wonderful fact that despite the universe potentially collapsing in on itself, Rose Tyler is back.  Squee!

I was like you. I used to be you. You traveled with him Donna. You traveled with the Doctor in a different world… He died underneath the Thames on Christmas Eve but you were meant to be there. He needed someone to stop him; that was you. You made him leave. You saved his life.

These next three episodes give us the final arc of the season. They also give us the ultimate in fandom continuity tests. Seriously, it’s as if RTD decided that since he’s leaving, he’s going to remind us of all the stuff he’s accomplished over the last four seasons. It’s one large LOOK AT HOW AWESOME I AM, complete with capslock. I’m Canadian, and we do passive aggressive like nobody’s business, and that’s what I’m sensing here as RTD prepares to hand over the reins to Moffat.

All she’s got is our voices.

If everyone could remain calm… everything’s under control.

Recappers' Note: This recap was written on the evening of July 1. It is brought to you by a lot of coffee and green gladiator sandals. Spy & Travellingone .