That is how it is supposed to be
So I wrote this. It even starts mid-sentence, as if you’ve just turned to the last pages.
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I love that website
Rose actually kept me from watching until 2022. 
Watched it without any background at the time and I probably didn’t even finish it. Still not a fan but I can appreciate at least some parts now.
Does anyone have the recent illustrated version of the novelisation? I hadn’t been interested in these initially but there looks to be some fun additions to the illustrative element, especially the photos of other Doctors that Clive has.
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I finally gave this one a rewatch! What a great way to kikc off the new series, even if it is showing its age.
There’s no better way to pull in viewers old and new than that classic title sequence with Murray Gold’s beautiful rendition of the theme tune!
Rose is firmly told from the companions’ point of view, establishing her role as an important audience surrogate. Those opening moments tell us all we need to know about her, her everyday life, and the world she lives in. And mere moments after that, RTD effectively introduces creepy killer mannequins (the Autons, not seen since the 70s!) and the mysterious, leather-clad stranger telling Rose to run for her life (the Doctor, not seen since 1996/1999/2003!).
Moving at a brisk pace, there’s still a good time to develop Rose, her relationships with Mickey and her mother, and the mystery surrounding the Doctor’s identity. RTD throws in hints at a major war in the Doctor’s past while firmly developing the rather simple alien invasion plot (the least interesting aspect of the story). The characters are relatable, the humour is silly but properly fun, and the action and tension are palpably believable.
Overall, this is a sharply written episode, effectively introducing new audiences to the premise of the show while comfortably bringing back old fans. There are bits of old Doctor Who here, but it’s all been firmly inserted into a modern, 21st-century mould.
Christopher Eccleston is very different from the textbook Doctor from the Classic Era—energetic, dropping pop culture references, and looking somewhat normal in that leather jacket and with that buzz cut—but he also shows familiar quirky alien qualities that make him recognisable to old fans. The most interesting part is how he hides his anger, sorrow, and depression under layers of false cheer.
With her strict mother (the commanding Camille Coduri) and goofy but helpful boyfriend (the he-who-fandom-is-trying-to-forget Noel Clarke), who sadly is only here for comic relief and doesn’t get the respect he deserves as a character, Billie Piper is the ideal choice for a modern-day female companion.
Looking back at the visuals today, Rose (and the entire Series 1) is showing its age. The weird white glow effect is very distracting, and some of the bigger visual effects look strange (the wheelie bin bit and the Nestene Consciousness). Then again, the practical effects of the Autons are very effective. And there is a certain charm to wonky special effects, as fans of the Classic Show surely agree.
The climax with the Nestene is a great moment for the Doctor, as he gets to have a proper speech to save the day. The final few moments are wonderfully tense. The anti-plastic thing is a bit of a simplistic solution, but it doesn’t hamper the story too much.
I love the iconic TARDIS reveal scene! I also love the way Nine treats Auton-Mickey!
“Lots of planets have a north!” xD
What a horrible way to leave Mickey hanging like that!
My score: 8.6/10
I also read the prequel and sequel short stories, both of which are okay, but not particualrly exciting. The prequel has a nice sense of dramatic epicness leading up to the regeneration, while the sequel is a bit weird and has that strange twist at the end.
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I’ve gathered all the sundry Rose-related links together into this Wakelet if anyone wants easy access to the prequels, sequels, confidentials, music, Youtube clips and info on the novelisations, action figures and and fan-writings based on this story.
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To be fair, if Rose had actually been attached to Mickey and given him the respect he deserves as a boyfriend, she wouldn’t have left, and she needed not to have any reason to stay.
(And he did go off and start dating someone else when she was gone. The second time, anyways.)
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The anti-plastic thing is, of course, a convenience because the story isn’t about the Doctor defeating the Autons.
And to be fair, it’s only an addition to the long list of macguffins the Doctor has employed throughout the series to solve the dilemma in the closing moments.
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I’d probably give it less flack if it wasn’t called “anti-plastic”, and if I wasn’t already comparing it to Spearhead In Space, and how things were resolved there…
(In fact, I hate to say it, but I’d have preferred him disrupting the communication between the parts of the Nestene Consciousness with his sonic screwdriver because it’d have made more sense to me.)
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Beast of Babylon, the 50th Anniversary Puffin e-short should go on here too since it’s expressly stated to occur in the gap between the Doctor’s invition to Rose to join him.
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This was well timed…
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Yep, just added this today 
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Here’s a funny coincidence:
Today’s the 19th anniversary of Rose boarding the TARDIS (in-universe)!
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I love Marie-Clare’s World! I still need to catch up on her Classic Who reactions, I think I last paused in the middle of Enlightenment
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At this point, she’s caught up with all of classic, and decided to go ahead and do a rewatch of new Who afterwards.
I don’t think I watched her react to all of classic who, because I was skipping anything I hadn’t seen yet, but I’ve watched a fair amount of them!
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Maybe it’s my age but I just can’t see the appeal in watching people react to shows. I did used to watch Gogglebox although it got a bit repetitive and that had the mix of people all reacting to stuff but watching a single person staring at their screen and talking a bit just doesn’t do it for me.
I suppose I do listen to Toby Hadoke doing his podcast in the same way but I think the difference there is that he’s a wealth of information about the show. I’m not sure I’d have the tolerance for watching someone’s first reactions to something.
It’s a trend I just don’t get.
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Sometimes, it’s nice to remind yourself a bit about something you’ve watched before without just straight rewatching it. It can be nice watching people’s first reaction to something you like or don’t like as well. And sometimes they notice things you hadn’t, or have a different perspective on things.
Sometimes you find someone reacting to things that actually has fairly insightful commentary on things, and will also talk at length about what they just watched and their thoughts, which can be nice. (For example, Haarute often has interesting things to say after watching things, and watches Doctor Who and Buffy.)
Also, sometimes it’s something I’m putting on in the background that I don’t have to pay attention to while doing something else, much like when I put on youtube videos of people taking an old computer (say, a 486 or C64 or Amiga or such) they acquired somehow, cleaning it up, recapping it, and figuring out and fixing all the issues with it. (Or not managing to fix, occasionally.)
And sometimes I’m just not up to doing anything meaningful…
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For me I enjoy watching reactions for the same reason I show Doctor Who to my family and friends, and a similar reason the Eleventh Doctor talks about taking on companions: something you’ve seen before can be even more fun when you’re seeing it through someone else’s eyes.
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I agree with above couple comments. Sometimes it’s fun watching someone view old episodes you’ve seen many times. Can bring a new perspective.
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I watched the reaction videos for all of Doctor Who by a guy who calls himself FailWhale34. It was just so much fun watching his reaction to things. It’s a good replacement for if there is no-one left in your friend and family circle who will watch it with you haha 