I thought it was a bit sad too. I feel so sorry for Donna having to go home to her mother.

I enjoyed it more than I expected, particularly after a certain moment that had me shaking my head slowly and muttering, "Really, Russell? Really?"

Was that after a certain Captain Jack line? Hilarious.

So much better than I had feared. They stretched the ending out a bit too much, but I was pleasantly suprised.

The Doctor / Rose kiss was a bit gruesome. Maybe I've suspended my disbelief a bit too much, but I couldn't help thinking that given the Doctor is 900 years older than her, the age gap between the two of them is too large.

Much better than I expected. Some of it made cringe, particularly the group TARDIS piloting, but overall it was SO much more satisfying than last year. Torchwood's involvement was a bit meh, but then I really don't like Torchwood and I'd be happy to see what's left of them (excluding Jack) put back in a bubble and forgotten about permanently. I'm so disappointed that Donna will be gone, just as I have grown really fond of her, gah!
I used to have issues with the age difference with Rose. I found her cute & sweet, but so naive and not particularly bright that I just could not accept that the Doctor would be remotely interested in her. He needs an intellectual equal, dammit! Oh well, he seems a bit damaged (again) and she must have matured a lot after everything she has experienced, so I'm happy to imagine them living happily ever after. Good luck to them, I know I want a David Tennant clone of my very own.

pleasepleaseplease, Santa, pleeeeeease

Jack's line? Nah. I've become quite a fan of Capt Harkness.

What sent my eyes rolling was the Deus Ex Machina ... or rather, Donna Ex Machina. I knew it was coming, but did it have to resolve in a torrent of technobabble?

Oh. I didn't see that as a deus ex machina at all because, as you said, one could see it coming. I thought the technobabble was basically a joke.

I'm really hoping that sometime in the next season or two, the Dr's not going to end up going back to Donna to get some time energy or a lost thought or something. I'll have a screaming fit if that scene comes up, as he's going to say, "And, Donna, I'm sorry. I'm really sorry, but..." just as he's said so many times this episode.

The Daleks. So Dr #2 genocided all of them. And that's a bad thing because... why?? The Dr with his "I know they're irredeemably bad, but let's try to save them" only to have them stab him in the back again was getting on my nerves.
"Davros! Come with me, even though you've killed countless sentient life forms and you're an anti-life megalomaniac who would do it all again given a second and re-resurrect the Daleks but even better next time, come into the TARDIS. I'll make tea."
Also, if the daleks destroyed everything, what would they do after that? There's nowhere to go, because there isn't *anywhere* else, and there's no one to exterminate. Sit and reminisce about stuff?
"Oh, 'member when we EXTERMINATEd those people on that space ship?"
"Yeah, good times, good times. *sigh*"

I wonder if Martha and Mickey are going to join Torchwood. I hope at least one of them does.

All-in-all, pretty fun and no huge let-downs as I'd feared.

Oh, it was a huge mess of a finale -- a multiple whogasm, as I said the first part was. But it didn't feel rushed and most of what happened I'm OK with.

The best bit, for me, was possibly when the "Doctor Donna" started spouting Tateisms. I can only imagine that Tennant had wanted to do that all season! Tate, probably, too. They're the types of actors that would play that sort of game off camera.

I liked the six pilots bit. It was one of those fandom apotheoses. See! The saucer section CAN SO separate! It was also a way of underlining this new generation of companions and how he mentors them more.

I didn't feel really good or bad about the Rose stuff. I think they needed to put a cap on it instead of leaving it literally in limbo, and this was as good a way as any. It does sort of leave things open for a later "Two Doctors" episode (even post-regeneration! or with them not regenerating at the same time so Tennant returns to work with the new guy! etc.) Rose -- especially with the accent problems, whatever the hell they were (sounded like major dental to me, but *shrug*) -- just didn't seem like the same person and I thought they might address that but they didn't.

I thought the way the Daleks/Davies pulled the rug out from everyone's expectations -- the five-way teleport -- was the sort of underhanded move you have to applaud even if you don't like it. It was just really annoying that these other subplot loose ends were just terminated, boom, like that.

Not my favorite finale, but better than last year's (which I had bigger reservations about but only slightly disliked).

So Dr #2 genocided all of them. And that's a bad thing because... why?? The Dr with his "I know they're irredeemably bad, but let's try to save them" only to have them stab him in the back again was getting on my nerves.
"Davros! Come with me, even though you've killed countless sentient life forms and you're an anti-life megalomaniac who would do it all again given a second and re-resurrect the Daleks but even better next time, come into the TARDIS. I'll make tea."

Well, remember that The Doctor's last encounter with Dalek Caan was an offer of mercy. Perhaps this had some influence on Dalek Caan's realization that the Daleks were evil and needed to be destroyed. Paradoxically, it would be the Doctor's own offer to save the Daleks that doomed them.

I liked it, but really wish they would have kept Dr. Donna around.