Doctor Who review: Rose Tyler’s first series ends with The Last Party on Earth

At the end of the world, the Powell Estate has one Last Party on Earth in the final episode of Doctor Who spin-off box set Rose Tyler: The Dimension Cannon.

For the final episode of the Doctor Who spin-off, Rose Tyler: The Dimension Cannon pairs Rose with her mother Jackie. We’ve met parallel versions of her in The Endless Night and Ghost Machines, but it’s really lovely to have the real Jackie feature once more.

Once again, the world Rose lands on is ending. In this particular case, an asteroid is heading their way, guaranteeing that all life will be wiped out. (It’s basically Armageddon but with no one to save them, which of course they reference.)

But despite that situation – or perhaps because of it – The Last Party on Earth is a surprisingly optimistic story. When everyone is forced to accept the reality – that everyone will be facing the end at once – the human race offers much of its best.

Oh, don’t get me wrong – we see the worst of it, too. The anger, the despair, the just plain destructive. But in the final days of planet Earth, people come together and find some happiness. They do the very best that they can. And they even find love.

The Last Party on Earth cast (L to R): Amerjit Deu, Waleed Akhtar, Camille Coduri, Syrus Lowe, Elizabeth Uter.

(Image Courtesy: Big Finish Productions.)

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Lovers and friends

That’s what stands out about The Last Party on Earth – that it’s a love story. A rather lovely one involving two members of the Bad Wolf band, Patrice and Mook, who previously featured in Russell T Davies’s novelization of Rose. It’s fantastic to see minor characters transferred from one medium to another, even parallel versions of them.

Jackie gets a good storyline in this episode as well, as she’s reunited with a friend she never expected to see again. This was probably my favorite part of the whole episode. As great as Patrice’s and Mook’s storyline was, Jackie meeting her old friend Odessa – one not too different from the person she once knew – is really sweet. Along with focusing on how it feels to see someone back from the dead, the episode highlights the importance of another character. One who doesn’t feature in this episode, or even this series, but an important character, all the same.

The Last Party on Earth isn’t an explosive finale or anything like that. Instead, it’s a quieter story that, like other episodes, does a great job of exploring the relationships of many characters we know, as well as those that we don’t. It’s also a strong story in its own right. It doesn’t resolve the series neatly or lead directly into Turn Left, but I’m actually glad about that. Because with stories as good as this, I think The Dimension Cannon is a series that could easily benefit from another box set.

Do you enjoy a good love story, even one set at the end of the world? What’s the most optimistic apocalyptic story that you know? Let us know in the comments below.