Doctor Who: 10 Things Russell T. Davies NEEDS To Do
9. The Tease And The Reveal
That moment as the episode Turn Left came to a close, when Donna is trying to remember the two words that Rose said to her in the alternate universe, stands as one of the greatest moments in all of the revival of Doctor Who. It wasn't simply the fact that Bad Wolf is a cool phrase, but rather than for four seasons, the audience had been warned of its power.
Davies was excellent for setting up a reveal, either blatantly or having it introduced slowly. Harold Saxon was referenced in The Runaway Bride, long before he ever appeared on-screen. Torchwood was name-dropped in season one, before appearing in the flesh from the second season on.
Even the Bad Wolf reveal was preceded by the events of the first season. Talk about playing the long game - Davies knew how to tease just enough of a plot thread to make the payoff work, even years down the line. If we are to assume that Davies will remain with the show for some time to come, then we shall hopefully be on the lookout for new little clues from his first episode.