The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances (2005) Review

"Are you my showrunner?"  

The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances is such a charming bit of WWII-themed horror, elevated by masterfully atmospheric direction and camerawork.

WRITTEN BY

Steven Moffat, just starting out and bursting with creativity.

PLOT

The Doctor and Rose track a capsule to 1941 London, where they find a peculiar virus spreading amongst the terrified populace and a rogue from the 51st century offering the deal of a lifetime.

ANALYSIS

It's really interesting to revisit Steven Moffat's early work after spending nearly a decade criticising his era. Whilst his particular idiosyncrasies are still present(innuendo, penchant for toying with the audience), he clearly doesn't have the courage to indulge in them yet as he would later on, and is much more focused on telling a memorable story with solid internal logic.

He's also massively supported by the work of James Hawes behind the camera, who's crafted a beautifully dark atmosphere with lots of inventive shots, use of the classic fog machine and plenty of shadows. For the most part, it really put me in the 1940s mindset. Thanks to Moffat's careful unveiling of the plot, the build-up of tension was also executed flawlessly.

If I have anything to criticise, it's that in the second part, the banter between Rose, Jack and the Doctor does slightly undermine the work put into the first part, but the ending is so strong(and even the somewhat tiresome "dancing" double entendres pay off in that brilliant sequence in the TARDIS) that they get away with it.

CHARACTERS

Christopher Eccleston is at the height of his powers, and his stripped-down, iron-willed incarnation fits perfectly into the era. I think my favourite scenes of him were of two extremes - one, where he's cheering Nancy and making the children laugh, and the second, where he and the sombre Dr Constantine discuss the patients. I love how Eccleston can make you feel like the bouncy, carefree and indignant Doctor of old is still in there, but under a compelling maturity and greater understanding of the darker side of nature. Not just as the villain like McCoy, but the victim as well.

Unfortunately not Billie Piper's shining hour, given that Moffat mainly has Rose shamelessly fall for Jack, offer to seduce a guard and convince the Doctor to show her his "moves". All whilst supposedly being in a relationship with Mickey. Billie herself is fine and very, um, appealing, but she's got very little to work with here.

The debut of John Barrowman as Captain Jack Harkness is excellent. Barrowman is so naturally charismatic that it's almost a shame his spinoff was an ensemble effort, because he deserves a Time Agent series where he's off on his own with that little ship. Given the way Moffat displays his various qualities(professionalism, potential shadiness, loyalty and self-sacrifice), it has to be one of the best companion introductions yet.

Richard Wilson was simply superb as the tired old Dr Constantine, and my eyes were glued on him whenever he was around. His haunted, stolid performance lended him a brilliant air of mystery and dignity.

Florence Hoath as Nancy was also really great casting, as she has this ageless kind of quality that fitted the plot twist at the end, not to mention the emotional chops to sell the important scene of rediscovering her motherhood.

NOTES

*The moment where the Doctor re-explains the psychic paper is a bit cringy. It feels like they're not secure in their audience just yet.

*What is the deal with Rose wanting some "Spock"? How have The End Of The World or The Long Game been anything, but Spock? How is Jack's grubby ship Spock?

*Some dude with a moustache nearly convinced me that Henry van Statten from Dalek had sneaked onto the set.

*I love Eccleston's "really?" expression as he notices the anti-German poster.

*How did Rose not notice the rope was tied to a balloon? It wasn't particularly obscured and she looked straight up. Similarly, Nancy misses the Doctor despite looking straight where Eccleston's head was a cut ago.

*The sonic produces an unusual sound as the Doctor scans his fake TARDIS phone.

*Love the classic monster POV shots.

*Why do the kids laugh when the Doctor says he didn't just wake up with a craving for a blonde in a Union Jack? Seems a bit mature for them.

*I feel like the nanogenes are given a bit too much ability. Turning the people into zombies based on an injured little child is all the explanation really needed. Why does Moffat spend the last few minutes adding random stuff like them being converted into Chula warriors? Is that just his way of sneaking in an answer for why the Empty Child had telekinesis and the ability to use speakerphone grills?

*It's funny to see Moffat establish lore for Villengard, such as it being from the 51st century and having banana groves on it, and then completely forgetting all that in Twice Upon A Time. I mean, I guess it could still be around billions of years later, but aren't we supposed to be assuming that the ruination seen in that episode was the same caused by the Ninth Doctor?

*Why does Jack deactivate his ship's cloak when he's talking to Rose at Big Ben? He's just randomly exposing it to anyone who could notice!

*"That was flash. That was on the flash side." Rose says as Jack lights up Big Ben(before the air raid ends!). Was that a saying in 2005, or whenever Moffat was growing up?

*The Doctor has a neat set of alien binoculars that we sadly never see again.

*Why does the simple padlock spark when the Doctor unlocks it with the sonic? Do sound waves chafe against the metal or something?

*How come the infected aren't awoken by Rose and Captain Jack noisily looking for the Doctor?

*Jack implies that he was there on Pompeii, which now irritates me, because that would've been cool to see.

*Why does Nancy tell that random kid: "I thought you were Jamie!" I mean, I get that she may have(but probably didn't) tell the kids she was watching over about him, but not the one belonging to the rich folks!

*How does Rose leap from "digital gun" to "squareness gun"? Is squareness a term?

*Interesting how Jack's sonic gun is designed similarly to the specific sonic design that the Ninth Doctor is using.

*How did Jim not notice the typewriter going without him typing on it?

*I like how the Ninth Doctor is basically trying to do the same thing to the window bars as the War-Eleventh Doctors to the door in Day Of The Doctor(making it resonate and loosen up).

*So why is Rose so compelled to "dance" with the Doctor amidst an emergency?

*The Time Agents stole two years of Jack's memories... fingers still crossed for ever getting a resolution to that storyline. Poor Jack is just stuck doing Torchwood stories til the end of time.

*How can Rose use the sonic well enough to be able to identify between 2000 settings? Are there numbers on it? Is it psychic?

*And how does it reattach barbed wire anyway? It can cut and bond molecules? That sounds an awful lot like it could be used as a pretty good weapon.

CONTINUITY ADVISOR

1) The Doctor tells Rose that the capsule is "jumping time tracks, getting away from us", a subtle callback to The Space Museum, although in this case, the Twilight Zone-esque antics are avoided.

2) The Albion Hospital is the same one where UNIT took the Slitheen's pig in Aliens Of London, which is some neat internal continuity for the era.

3) The Doctor asks Rose "where'd you pick this one up", an obvious reference to the failed companion Adam from The Long Game.

BEST QUOTE

"I've just remembered! I can dance!" - The Doctor, rediscovering his inner Paul McGann.

CONCLUSION

Peak Ninth Doctor, just wonderful.