The Doctor has had a lot of companions in the show’s 50-year history, but few have captured the attention and hearts of Doctor Who fans the way Rose Tyler and K-9 have. Rose is the companion that was instrumental in establishing Doctor Who‘s return to television in 2005 by joining both the 9th and 10th Doctors on adventures that would define the show for a new generation of fans. Rose’s relationship with the 10th Doctor, in particular, would go on to be one of the most endearing elements of the new Doctor Who‘s dynamic. Fans simply couldn’t get enough of this pairing, to the point where the show’s writers rigged it so these two could be together forever, in a sense.
K-9, though he’s enjoyed only a very brief appearance in the new series, would have the distinction of serving as a direct link between the classic series and the new series, something that was crucial in establishing the new series’ place in the overall Doctor Who canon.
These two characters only appeared together on the show once, and Rose was not wearing this outfit in that episode, so while on one hand it does make some sense that these two would be packed together, these particular versions of the characters don’t make a lot of sense together. Regardless, both figures are essentials for any Doctor Who 5-inch collection, so it’s nice to be able to get them both in one shot like this.
This set is a reissue of the Rose/K-9 set from 2008. The only differences are the packaging and the paint apps, which are mostly an improvement. Their packaging has been upgraded to the “classic” packaging design that all characters who aren’t from the current series are given. It’s gorgeous and a bit of a shame to open because it does display nicely overall. It’s a clamshell, similar to the old ToyBiz Marvel Legends clamshells, and there’s really no way to open it without destroying it. Not very “collector-friendly,” but once the figures are freed and added to the shelves, it’s surprisingly easy to toss the clamshell in the trash and forget it.
Rose
This is not one of Rose’s more iconic looks by far, but it’s not a bad look for her either. It’s particular to a specific story — “New Earth” — and, unfortunately, this is the only decent Rose figure that’s been produced so far. Aside from being a bit too story-specific, it’s not all that great a figure, unfortunately. At a glance, her limited articulation is plainly evident — this is not a super-articulated figure, not by a long shot. Regardless, the sculpt is excellent, with details that are extremely faithful to the source. Now, Billie Piper (who plays Rose) isn’t crazy about her likeness being used for action figures, so this Rose will likely be the only figure we ever see in 5-inch form.
Her paint apps are beautifully done and capture Rose as faithfully as one could expect, or hope for, in a 5-inch action figure. The original figure from 2008, which I had sold as soon as this set was announced, did not enjoy the detailed paint apps this one does, so even if you have the original release, this one is superior and is worth consideration. In fact, all the newer Doctor Who reissues are superior to what came before, which is great, but it’s been a little bit annoying to buy everything again just to get these better versions. But those gripes evaporate once these new figures are in hand because they’re just so darn good.
In “New Earth,” Rose is possessed by Cassandra, the oldest living human who is now nothing more than a brain and some skin affixed to a metal apparatus. Cassandra approves of Rose’s body, and it’s quite the job in the episode to separate the two. It’s a fun episode, so it’s great to be able to pose Rose with Cassandra.
Rose’s articulation doesn’t allow for much movement at all, sadly. Now, none of the Character Options Doctor Who figures are articulation powerhouses by any means, but this figure is particularly limited. Her articulation breakdown is as follows:
Swivel neck
swivel shoulders
DCUC-style hips
Single-jointed knees
Waist swivel
That’s it. It doesn’t allow for many dynamic poses, but she looks great just standing there in the most basic vanilla pose, fortunately.
K-9
K-9 is more of a pack-in than he is a figure in his own right. The good news is his overall sculpt is totally spot-on. It’s extremely faithful to K-9 as he appeared on the show. Now, K-9 was a staple character during the 4th Doctor’s tenure, and he was brought back along with Sarah Jane Smith during the 10th Doctor’s run in an episode titled “Class Reunion.” In it, both Sarah Jane and K-9 are reintroduced to the Doctor, who fondly recalls each of them on sight. It’s a great episode that succeeds in linking this new series to the classic 4th Doctor episodes from the ’70s, and it was just plain awesome to see K-9 again. My heart melted each time he said “Affirmative.”
To reinforce the idea that a great deal of time had passed between the 4th and 10th Doctors, K-9 was “aged” with some rust. On the show it looked cool and made K-9 all the more endearing and sympathetic, but it doesn’t translate well to the figure, unfortunately. The “rust” spots look more like… well… like K-9 was vandalized with poo smeared on him. Everything else about the figure looks perfect, but the attempt at rust effects falls short in a big way.
K-9 has no articulation to speak of, but there are two features that make him worthwhile as an “action figure.” One of his side panels can be removed by pressing a button on his back. His inner-workings are revealed and the sculpt of his inner workings is detailed and intricate. The paint apps are simple, but they work.
The other feature is literally an action feature: there are four wheels on his underside that allow him to roll around, and his two rear wheels are geared so as to allow him to race around if he’s pulled back and let go. It makes him move way faster than he usually moves on the show, but it’s fun to have K-9 chase the cats around the house.
Both of these characters are crucial additions to any Doctor Who collection, and they’re solid offerings, for the most part. Both do have their drawbacks, but we’re unlikely to see better versions in the 5-inch line, so this set is your best bet if you’re looking to add a Rose or a rusty K-9 to your 5-inch collection.
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