Review: The Empty Child (9th Doctor)
Sorry that this one is late, folks. I had a going away party that I had to attend last evening…’cause it was for me. Then the being busy getting ready for my new job. Anyway, this is the first half of the two-parter for which Steven Moffat received the Hugo Award. I would also like to note here that I want Rose’s t-shirt. (I think that it would go well with the 55 pairs of silly socks that I received as going away presents at that party I mentioned.) Now, onto the spoilery stuff!
Episode: The Empty Child by Steven Moffat
Rating (1 to 5): 4.5
Baddie: Gasmask Zombies/ The Empty Child
Rose is Trapped: surrounded by the gas mask people
The Doctor is Trapped: surrounded by the gas mask people
The Doctor Enjoys: Nancy’s plan to feed the children.
The Doctor Dislikes: When companions wander off. Jack.
Doctor-y Strangeness: The way he approaches the ringing TARDIS phone…like it might explode if he touches it.
Scary Stuff: Mummy! (especially right at the end of the episode), The gas mask zombie transformation, the monkey with cymbals.
Does someone local help out? Nancy, Doctor Constantine, and Jack (who is kinda local)
Bad Wolf? Next episode.
What we learn: Mauve is the universally recognized color for danger. You can knock around in space for about five days before running into Earth. It’s best not to wear a Union Jack t-shirt in the middle of an air raid. Jack is omnisexual. The Doctor knows that it isn’t easy being the only child left out in the cold. The first rule of active camouflage is park somewhere you’ll remember. We’re reminded that The Doctor was once a father and a grandfather.
The Doctor’s Death Wish: Well, he’s wandering around during an air raid…
The Doctor Apologizes To: No one this time.
My Favorite Bits: The Doctor talking to the cat. “Excellent Bottom” “You’re not even in focus” “My nose has special powers.” “-I like to think of myself as a criminal. -I’ll bet you do.” “-Are you a doctor? -I have my moments.” “-Before this war began I was a father and a grandfather. Now I’m neither, but I’m still a doctor. -Yeah, know the feeling.” “Flag girl was bad enough, but U-boat captain?”
Observations and musings:
Rose and The Doctor spend most of this episode apart. Lucky for her that Captain Jack saw her dangling from that balloon. It’s good to know someone with an invisible spaceship when you’re about to fall out of the sky to your death. I love that during Jack and Rose’s “negotiations” she refers to The Doctor as her “companion.” When Jack does a scan for alien tech, after Rose had asked The Doctor to do that exact thing earlier (he didn’t), I couldn’t help but think that The Doctor had a few problems in his future. Look out Doctor, Rose fancies Jack.
When Nancy told The Doctor that he needed to speak to “The Doctor”, I’ll bet that he was wondering exactly who she was referring to. The Doctor knows something about motivations, doesn’t he? He knows that Nancy is caring for those kids because she lost someone. I wonder if he realizes that he has a similar motivation for his constantly trying to save everyone. The Doctor does some medical stuff this time around. I suppose after hanging around with humans off and on for 900 years, he knows a thing or two about their physiology. Gotta love that Rose has decided to give The Doctor the pseudonym of “Mr. Spock.”
Behold! Captain Jack. He who has the thousand watt smile. So, of course because Rose likes him, The Doctor automatically doesn’t. As I recall, “Chula” was the name of a restaurant where the series one scriptwriters gathered to discuss work. I think that it was in one of the extras on the DVD box set. I love Glenn Miller. Hmmm…Jack and the Doctor have fancy binoculars, spaceships, and psychic paper. A bit similarly equipped, eh? Albion Hospital, where The Doctor goes to see “The Doctor” is the same place that the pig alien was taken in Aliens of London. I love the camera work in this episode, especially the bit where The Doctor goes through the gates of Albion hospital. Ack! Scary ending! The resolution? Next week!
The Empty Child, Steven Moffat, Doctor Who, 9th Doctor
Image Source: http://www.time-and-space.co.uk/
February 25th, 2007 at 11:06 am
Long live Flag Girl and U-Boat Captain!
I agree the “Scan for Alien Tech” and “Mr. Spock” bits were great. It was nice to see someone comment on something like that.
Why could not The Doctor scan for alien tech and be done with it? Because if he did he would miss out on the adventure.
I think you are spot on with The Doctor’s motivations. If ever someone had survival guilt it would be The Doctor.
February 25th, 2007 at 4:14 pm
Woot! A review I can finally read as I just saw this one!
February 25th, 2007 at 4:17 pm
Glad you like the review, The Vig. Mind you, I still think that he could have done that scan for alien tech.
February 25th, 2007 at 4:24 pm
Paul, rock on! Next week I’ll post part two, and it should even be posted on time.
February 26th, 2007 at 1:27 pm
I finally saw the new movie version of “The Producers” and when they got to “Springtime for Hitler” I kept thinking “That lead singer/tenor sure looks an awful lot like Captain Jack.” Turns out…it was! Dude can sing, too…
I had to mention that because I wanted to add something to this review, but Elisa covered it pretty well.
I will say that this is the first episode ever where I really got the “Hiding behind the sofa” bit they always talk about. It scared me more than about a handful of scary movies…and I loved it! This two-parter was my favorite story from the first series.
March 3rd, 2007 at 12:36 pm
I really hid on this one too. And yeah, I had forgotten that he was in the new Producers until I was watching it. Then I remembered something that he’d said about sending a picture of himself to his mother while he had blond hair.
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