365 Days of Doctor Who: Rewatching The Parting of the Ways

Some finales feel like the culmination of everything that has come before, while others serve as a gateway to something new. The Parting of the Ways, first broadcast on June 18, 2005, is both. Written by Russell T Davies and directed by Joe Ahearne, this episode had the monumental task of concluding the Ninth Doctor’s story while paving the way for the Tenth. It had to provide closure, deliver high-stakes spectacle, and—perhaps most importantly—cement Doctor Who’s return as something not just worthy of its legacy but capable of surpassing it. Seventeen years later, it remains one of the most emotionally resonant regenerations in the show’s history.

The episode picks up immediately from Bad Wolf’s cliffhanger. The Doctor, Rose, and Jack are faced with an impossible situation: a Dalek fleet, 200 ships strong, poised to wipe out all of humanity. But this is not just any Dalek invasion—these Daleks are being led by the Dalek Emperor, an entity that has gone mad in the aftermath of the Time War. The revelation that it has rebuilt its army from the corpses of humans, reshaping them into Daleks and twisting their sense of purity, adds a grotesque horror to their return. These are not merely enemies; they are perversions of life itself, reflections of the Doctor’s own worst fears.

Christopher Eccleston delivers his final performance as the Ninth Doctor with remarkable depth. He is still the energetic, battle-worn survivor we have come to know, but there is an air of finality about him. His decision to send Rose back to Earth—seemingly betraying his own philosophy of running towards danger—shows just how much he values her safety. His quiet, almost resigned moment as he records a holographic message for her is heartbreaking, and it is clear that this Doctor has been preparing himself for the possibility of his own end since the moment we met him.

Billie Piper’s Rose, however, is not one to sit idly by. Her frustration at being stranded on Earth, powerless while the Doctor faces certain death, is raw and real. Jackie and Mickey’s return serves as a reminder of the life she could return to, but it is clear that Rose has grown beyond the person she was in Rose. Her desperation leads her to the Bad Wolf graffiti scattered across London, triggering the realization that she has been part of a larger plan all along. The moment she absorbs the Time Vortex from the heart of the TARDIS, becoming a near-omnipotent entity capable of reshaping reality, is breathtaking. In many ways, this moment solidifies her as the most significant companion of the modern era, someone who is not just a bystander to the Doctor’s world but an integral part of it.

John Barrowman’s Jack Harkness also gets his moment in the spotlight, proving himself as the fearless leader he was always meant to be. His fate—executed by the Daleks before being resurrected by Rose’s godlike power—sets up his future in Torchwood, but in this moment, he serves as the perfect counterbalance to the Doctor. Where the Doctor is burdened by the weight of history, Jack embraces the chaos of the moment, fighting to the very end.

The climax of The Parting of the Ways is among the most beautifully tragic in Doctor Who history. The Doctor, confronted with the horrifying decision of whether to activate the Delta Wave—an action that would destroy the Daleks but also wipe out all life on Earth—chooses not to. “Coward, any day,” he says, rejecting the same destructive path that led to the Time War. But it is Rose, now infused with the power of the Time Vortex, who ultimately saves the day. Her words, “I bring life,” undo the Daleks’ destruction, proving that, even in a show filled with darkness, compassion remains its most powerful force.

And then, the moment of transformation arrives. The Doctor, mortally wounded by the Time Vortex energy he absorbs from Rose, takes it all in stride. There is no fear, no regret—only gratitude. His final words, “You were fantastic. And do you know what? So was I,” are a perfect summation of the Ninth Doctor’s journey. He came into this era a man scarred by war, bitter and lost, and he leaves it renewed, ready to become something new.

Rewatching The Parting of the Ways in 2025, it still stands as one of the strongest regeneration stories in Doctor Who history. It balances action, emotion, and spectacle without ever losing sight of the characters who make it all matter. Eccleston’s departure is handled with grace, paving the way for David Tennant’s Tenth Doctor to step in with an effortless, cheeky confidence.

A Tribute to Christopher Eccleston’s Ninth Doctor

Christopher Eccleston’s tenure as the Doctor was brief, but it was monumental. He was the face that reintroduced Doctor Who to a new generation, the actor who brought weight and gravitas to a role that, at the time, could have so easily been dismissed as a relic of the past. His performance was layered—wounded yet hopeful, fierce yet kind, alien yet deeply human. His Ninth Doctor was shaped by trauma, but he was also a healer, a traveler rediscovering his love for the universe through Rose Tyler’s eyes.

Behind the scenes, Eccleston’s departure was fraught with controversy. It later emerged that creative and workplace disputes led him to leave after just one season, a decision that would shape his public relationship with the show for years. For a long time, it seemed as though he would never return to the role. But in 2021, after years of distance from the Doctor Who fandom, he stepped back into the TARDIS for Big Finish audio dramas. His return was a victory—not just for fans, but for Eccleston himself, reclaiming a role that had always been his as much as any other Doctor’s. His Ninth Doctor, even in just 13 episodes, left a legacy that still resonates today.

Ranking the Ninth Doctor’s Adventures

10. The Long Game – A solid episode but somewhat overshadowed by the larger arc.
9. Boom Town – A slower, introspective entry that works better on rewatch.
8. Aliens of London / World War Three – The Slitheen are divisive, but the political satire holds up.
7. The Unquiet Dead – Ghostly horror with a Dickensian twist.
6. The End of the World – Establishes the Ninth Doctor’s pain and wonder with a stunning cosmic spectacle.
5. Father’s Day – Emotionally devastating and beautifully written.
4. Rose – The perfect way to relaunch Doctor Who for a new audience.
3. Bad Wolf / The Parting of the Ways – A dark, satirical setup and a perfect culmination of Eccleston’s era.
2. Dalek – A brilliant reintroduction of the Doctor’s greatest foe.
1. The Empty Child / The Doctor Dances– One of the scariest Doctor Who episodes ever. “Just this once, everybody lives!”