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The End of the World was the second episode of the 2005 British television series Doctor Who. It marks Rose's first trip through time and sheds little light onto the Last Great Time War, which has yet to be explained.

Plot[]

The Doctor asks Rose where she would like to go, saying it's her choice: backwards or forwards in time. She says forwards and he takes her through time, bragging about the time periods and what's changed. She wants to go further and he does so. She steps outside the TARDIS into a room with a metal shutter. He steps out, walks to a control, and the shutter lowers to reveal the Earth with the Sun shining bright behind it. He speaks of how humans always think of death(food, global warming, or asteroids), never wondering if they might survive. He tells her it's the year 5.5/Apple/26, five billion years in her future, and this is the day the Sun expands. At that moment, the Sun seems to explode in light and grow brighter and he welcomes her to the end of the world.

They walk down a hall as a computer voice announces two shuttles are docking. The voice reminds the guests that the station, named Platform One, forbids the use of weapons, teleportation, and religion and that "Earth Death" is scheduled for 15:39 and will be followed by drinks. Rose asks if "guests" means people but the Doctor says it means aliens. She asks what the spaceship is for and the Doctor tells her it's more of an observation deck, saying the great and the good(the rich) are gathering to watch the planet burn simply for fun.

They enter a room with a larger view of Earth. She explains that she thought the Sun expanding took hundreds of years and he explains it takes millions. When she sees the planet looks the same, he says the National Trust owns the Earth and has kept it as a "classic Earth", keeping the continents from shifting and the sun from expanding through the use of Gravity Satellites. Now that the money keeping the Earth alive is out, the Sun will be allowed to expand and swallow Earth. She asks if he is going to save the Earth and he says no, telling her all the people on Earth have left. She gets a sense of loneliness when the Steward(a blue skined humanoid) enters asking who they are. He is paniced because the guests are arriving and they aren't allowed in, but the Doctor holds up a paper and says he and Rose are guests. The Steward apologizes and begins the introduction. The Doctor tells Rose the paper's slightly psychic and shows people what he wants them to see, but Rose is still surprised at the fact he's blue.

The Steward stands at a podium and shorter blue skin humanoids line up. He announces the guests to the Doctor and Rose as they enter. First, representing the Forest of Cheem, trees named Jabe, Lute, and Coffa enter. The Steward tells the guests that gifts of peace will be exchanged and to keep the room circulating as more guests arrive including: the Moxx of Balhoon; the Adherents of the Repeated Meme; and the Face of Boe, who is sponsoring the event.Jabe gives a cutting of her grandfather(which resembles a small trig) as a gift and the Doctor gives air from his lungs, which Jabe finds intermit. The Moxx gives the gift of bodily salivas by spitting in Rose's face. The Adherents give a silver orb as their gift.

As the guests meet, the Steward asks them to consider the Earth below. In memory of the dying planet, he announces the last human: the Lady Cassandra O'Brien Dot Delta Seventeen. She is a piece of skin stretched out in a frame with only her eyes and lips while her brain is held in a jar below the frame. One of her two attendants moisturises her skin as she claims to truly be the last human, speaking of how her parents were born on the Earth and were the last to be buried in its soil. She starts to cry by the attendants wipes her tears away as she presents her gifts: the last remaining ostrich egg and a jutebox(which she says was called an iPod). The Steward announces "Earth Death" will occur in 30 minutes and as the guests mingle and the song "Tainted Love" plays, Rose walks out. The Doctor follows her but not before he is scanned by Jabe. The Steward is offered an orb by the Adherents and he takes it while Jabe argues with the scanner, telling it to identify the Doctor's race. It finally does and she is shocked. Unnoticed by anyone, an orb that was set down opens up and a small robot climbs out and scurries away.

By herself, Rose looks out at the Earth in a hallway. A blue skinned humanoid approaches, scaring Rose. She says "sorry" and asks if she's allowed there. The humanoid says she needs permission; Rose gives her permission and she says guests are allowed anywhere. She says her name's Raffalo and she's a plumber. Rose asks where she's from and Raggalo explains she's from Crespallion which is part of the Jaggit Brocade affiliated to the Scarlet Junction in Complex 56. She asks Rose where she's from and Rose realises that she's with a stranger(the Doctor) and she doesn't even know who he is. She leaves after Raffalo thanks her for the permission, but when Raffalo begins to work in a grate, several of the little machines(which she mistakes for an upgrade to the station) gather around her. She tries to get out but they pull her in.

The Steward enters his office and sets the orb down. The computer talks to him in beeps. I activates the intercom and asks if the owner of the blue box in Private Gallery 15 would please report to his office. As he also reminds them that the use of teleportation is strictly forbidden under Peace Treaty 5.4/Cub/16, the orb opens and a machine crawls out.

Rose sits by herself as the station's voice announces "Earth Death" to take place in 25 minutes. She juggles the orb, then sets it down and begins talking to the cutting of Jabe's grandfather, but then realises what she's doing and stops. The orb she has opens and another robot emerges. In another part of the station, the shorter aliens move the TARDIS and the Doctor makes his way to Rose. All over the station, the robots are crawling around and the robot near Rose slips into a vent just as the Doctor enters. He asks what she thinks and she claims it's all great. She talks about how the aliens are just so alien to her; she comments on how they all speak English and the Doctor tells her that she's hearing English. He explains that the TARDIS has a telepathic field that gets inside her head. She's angry that his machine gets inside her head and changes her mind and he didn't event ask her. Rose asks him what alien he is, what he's called, where he's from and he becomes defensive, saying that who he is right now, right here.

Rose makes a joke, complaining she can't just call for a taxi. The Doctor takes her phone and does a little "Jigery Pokery. He hands it back to her and the phone shows her mom's number. She calls her and speaks with her for a minute. When she hangs up, Rose talks about how the call was five billion years ago and that her mother is dead now. A tremor shakes the station and the Doctor sees that as something that's not supose to happen.

In his office, the Steward is panic striken as he argues with the computer. He announces over the intercom that gravity pockets may occur. Worried that the guests may sew, he does a scan of the station and picks up readings. The computer asks what it is and he states they're small and metal; the computer asks what they look like and one of the robots crawls onto the desk. The Steward says it's not supose to be there and when he asks it how it came onboard, the robot presses a key on the Steward's keyboard and a voice announces the room's sun filter is descending. The robot hurries out as the Steward tries to raise the filter. The room is filled with bright light, burning the Steward to death.


Cast[]


Production[]

  • Written by - Russell T Davies
  • Produced by - Phil Collinson
  • Directed by - Euros Lyn

Location(s) of the episode[]

Quotes[]

  • Doctor: This is the year 5.5/Apple/26: five billion years in your future. And this is the day...hold on.(The Sun shines brighter.)This is the day the Sun expands. Welcome to the end of the World.


  • Computer: Shuttles Five and Six now docking. Guests are reminded Platform One forbids the use of weapons, teleportation, and religion. "Earth Death" is schedueled from 15:39, followed by drinks in the Manchester suite.
  • Rose: So when it says "guests", does it mean people?
  • Doctor: Depends what you mean by people.
  • Rose: I mean people. What do you mean?
  • Doctor: Aliens.
  • Rose: What are they doing aboard this spaceship?
  • Doctor: It's not a spaceship, really; it's more of an observation deck. The great and the good are gathering to watch the planet burn.
  • Rose: For what?
  • Doctor: Fun.


  • Steward: Ladies and Gentlemen and trees and multiforms, consider the Earth below. In memeory of this dying world, we call forth the last human...(The doors open and Cassandra is wheeled in.)The Lady Cassandra O'Brien Dot Delta Seventeen.
  • Cassandra: Oh, now, don't stare. I know. I know. I've completely gotten rid of my chin, but look at the difference. Look how thin I am; thin and dainty. I don't look a day over two thousand. Moisturise me. Moisturise me.(One of her attendants sprays her with a mist.)Truly, I am the last human. My father was a Texan; my mother was from the Arctic Desert. They were born on the Earth and they were the last to be buried in its soil. I have come to mourn them and say good-bye. Oh, no tears. No tears. But behold, I bring gifts.(One of the staff enters.)From Earth itself: the last remaining ostrich egg. Legend says it had a wing span of 50 feet and blew fire from its nostrils. Or was that my third husband? Oh, don't laugh. Don't laugh. I'll get laughter-lines.(The staff wheels in a jutebox.)According to the archives, this was called an iPod: it stores classical music from humanity's greatest composers. Play on.(Soft Cell's "Tainted Love" plays.)


  • Rose:(To the cutting of Jabe's grandfather,) Hello. My name's Rose. That's a sort of plant. Maybe we're related.(Thinking,) I'm talking to a twig.


Pictures[]

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