Doctor Who news: Russell T Davies has written a sequel to Rose (and it’s a bit weird)
By James Aggas
Recently, former Doctor Who showrunner Russell T Davies wrote a sequel chapter to his first episode, Rose – one that features a very odd ending…
During the grand re-watch of the episode Rose on Thursday, a couple of interesting items were released by Russell T Davies, former Doctor Who showrunner and writer of the original story. One of these items was a prequel to the episode, albeit one that’s not exactly definitive, due to events in the TV series. But he’s also written another story – one that acts as a direct sequel to the opening episode of the New Series.
Taking the form of an extra chapter from Rose‘s novelization, Revenge of the Nestene reveals how the Nestene Consciousness found a way to survive. It includes a few references to the Time War and features an ending that’s just…well…weird.
Before we get into why though, check out the story for yourself in the below YouTube clip. Jacob Dudman, impressionist, actor and narrator for The Doctor Chronicles, narrates this short little chapter. (You can also read it on Russell T Davies’s Instagram account, where it takes the form of several pages from a Target novelization.)
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A very strange ending
It’s an interesting chapter, particularly with its references to the Time War and the kinds of weapons used in such a war. Just like his prequel story for Rose, they’re a reminder of how dangerous and insane a war fought across history could really be.
However, the end of the story is, quite frankly, a strange one. One common complaint about the current era of Doctor Who is that it’s too political. But Russell T Davies reminds us exactly how political he can get with this chapter’s ending. (If you haven’t listened to the story yet, keep in mind, spoilers follow.)
At the end of the chapter, the Nestene Consciousness – briefly taking the form of a plastic clown dummy – finds a human body in the Palace of Westminster and becomes a perfect plastic copy of it. The figure is given no name, but considering it’s described as a British politician with “blond hair”, it’s not hard to guess who it’s meant to be.
Strongly implying that the actual Prime Minister of the United Kingdom is in fact a plastic alien is a strange way of ending a story. But then again, Russell T Davies has always been a political writer. You only need to look at his most recent series Years and Years or even his Doctor Who episodes Aliens of London/World War Three to see that.
Still, even without directly naming the character, the very strong implication still feels a little too on-the-nose. Even World War Three‘s “massive weapons of destruction” felt subtler than that!
Still, it’s an interesting little story overall. A little bit of fun that perhaps shouldn’t be taken too seriously, and worth checking out, at least.
Next. Eight’s end – Comparing two showrunners’ takes on a Doctor’s final moments. dark
What did you think of Revenge of the Nestene? Do you think it was a strong tribute to the original episode? Let us know in the comments below.