So Long and Thanks for all the Eyebrows

For a moment during the last 10 minutes of Doctor Who, I thought I was watching the last 10 mins of Lord of the Rings 3, but without the beards and furry feet. Some good twists, a few things left open (hope we see more of John Simm as the Master. Did anyone see him sneak off? me neither), but for me it got a bit too caught up in the whole farewell thing. Not sure if you're allowed to say the words 'self indulgent' and Doctor Who in the same sentence, but I just did - the heavenly choirs over the final stagger into the Tardis were a bit, um, well.

Plenty of morality tales in there;
- the Doctors' refusal to take up arms against others,
- what you become through the choices you make - the Doctor refuses Wilfs gun because 'that's how the Master started'.
- Interesting ideas about what reward you get for the good you've done in this life, and the Doctors path being portrayed as a very bleak and lonely one. Is there a reward? Does it matter if there isn't? Would it make any difference?
- the Time Lords ethereal vision of the afterlife, which meant you could do what you want to physical space and time - bit of a pop at fundies there? Would be an interesting clip to use as an introduction to a seminar on Tom Wright and the theology of the resurrection.

The knocking 4 times was very very clever, and it was spot on that, in the end, the Doctor lost his life saving that of someone else. But it was all about Tennants final bow, and a final farewell to the most famous arched eyebrow in the known universe.