I am – Hercules!!

While we here in America are watching the 27th season of “Doctor Who” on the SciFi Channel, the wily Brits have already seen “Doctor Who” 28.4. The verdicts …

“Dan” says:

Series 2, Episode 4
"The Girl In The Fireplace"

Writer: Steven Moffatt (Coupling, Joking Apart)
Director: Euros Lyn
Guest Cast: Noel Clarke (Mickey Smith), Sophia Myles (Reinette, Madame de Pompadour), Ben Turner (Louis), Jessica Atkins (Young Reinette), Angel Coulby (Katherine), Gareth Wyn Gtiffiths (Manservant), Paul Casey (Clockwork Man) & Ellen Thomas (Clockwork Woman)

Synopsis:
The Doctor, Rose and Mickey arrive in 18th-Century France to find Madame de Pompadour being stalked by clockwork automatons from the 51st-Century...

Diagnosis:
"The Girl In The Fireplace" is a quite wonderful love story, courtesy of Steven Moffatt, a writer who knows exactly how to mix science-fiction with powerful emotions. The story finds The Doctor, Rose and Mickey aboard a spaceship in the 51st-Century that has various "time windows" -- all pointed at the life of Reinette, the Madame de Pompadour in 18th-Century France. But for what purpose were these windows constructed, and why are a gang of clockwork robots travelling back in time this way?

I've often complained about the lack of imagination in recent Doctor Who. Too often the episodes are quite hokey adventures that just so happen to be set in the future, or the recent past, with little credible sci-fi to back it all up. Moffatt is a writer with the type of imagination best suited to Who, with some very original ideas used to layer an imaginative plot packed with big emotions. It's rare that an episode can genuinely chill (an early sequence with a robot "monster" under the bed is a highlight), make you laugh ("I didn't want to say magic door..."), and also produce deep emotion (the final moments are knockout stuff), but Moffat accomplished this.

David Tennant is finally given a half-decent plot to chew on, and rises to the occassion magnificently. Finally his wild streak is tempered by a romantic foil, played to perfection by Sophia Myles as the glamorous Reinette. Billie Piper takes a backseat for once, but has a few interesting things to play -- particularly because this episode marks the second time she's been usurped by another woman interested in The Doctor! Noel Clarke has little to do, but his glee at being involved in an adventure hits the right spot, and it's a pleasure to see his character taking another step away from the annoying sidekick role.

The production design is excellent throughout, particularly the 18th-Century setting, but even the futuristic design of the spaceship is more believable than recent examples. The CGI is generally good (I particularly liked the "eye-ball camera"), although a sequence with The Doctor bursting through a mirror on horseback is a little ropey.

But "The Girl In The Fireplace" isn't really about the visuals, it's about an engaging story sold magnificently by the cast. In many ways this is the perfect Doctor Who episode, managing to bring multiple facets of the show together into a delicious whole. A heatbreaking story that brings laughter, adventure, epic themes, a few chills, and great character interplay.

The Good:
1. Tick, tock, tick, tock. The clockwork villains are absolutely brilliant -- creepy and effective enemies with masquerade ball masks. Perfect.
2. Sophia Myles. Beautiful and talented actress, brilliantly cast.
3. The best performance so far from David Tennant as The Doctor, utterly believable throughout,and particularly excellent in the closing moments.
4. Great production design for both time periods.
5. The central premise and overall narrative is very strong and almost perfect.
6. A quite brilliant closing shot...

The Bad:
1. The CGI horse/mirror sequence -- not terrible, but... not great.
2. There are some elements of the plot that don't quite gel together when you really question it, but most of this can be glossed over with suspension of disbelief.
3. Why didn't the actors at least attempt French accents? There was very little to suggest this was France and not England beyond peoples' names!

The Geeky:
1. The return of "Banana's are good", a line last seen in writer Moffat's script "The Doctor Dances" last year. And why does Moffat seem to like The Doctor dancing?
2. In a Production Notes column for Doctor Who Magazine #363 (Nov 05), writer Steven Moffat stated that the working titles for the episode were "Madame de Pompadour", "Every Tick Of My Heart" and "Reinette & The Lonely Angel".
3. Sophia Myles (Reinette) is perhaps most famous for her role as Lady Penelope in the Thunderbirds live-action movie and her supporting role in Underworld.
4. The aliens come from the 51st-Century, the same time period Captain Jack Harkness is from (a recurring character created last year by this episode's writer, Steven Moffatt)

RATING: 4.5 / 5.0

“Celtican” says:

Doctor WHo 28.4
'The Girl in the Fireplace'

Written by Steven Moffat who brought us last years brilliant Empty Child/Doctor Dances two parter. This episode introduces to the creepy clock work droids. The episode calls into question the Doctor's sexuality which has been remarked upon in this weeks Radio Times (A UK TV GUide). The Doctor has always been perceived as asexual something which Jon Pertwee and Tom Baker where keen to promote to the family values of the 1970's. A suggestion has been raised that this myth has been perpetuated by asexual fans? As Moffat quite correctly points out, the Doctor has been a husband, a father and a grandfather. His first onscreen companion was his granddaughter Susan. So this draws us into what the episode is about and basically it's a love story and why not? Why can't the Doctor have a love story now and again? He deserves it. The love interest in question is Reinette or to use her proper title, Madame du Pompodour (Sophia Myles); a real life historical figure from the time of Louis XV.

So on to the story
The Doctor, rose and Mickey arrive on a deserted spaceship to find an antique fireplace. On stepping through the fireplace the Doctor finds himself in the bedroom of a little girl called Reinette 3000 years ago in Paris. Hiding under her bed is a clockwork droid which has been scanning her brain, the Doctor manages to take the droid back to the ship where he discovers its composition. Soon they discover that there are time windows/portals located all over the ship and monitoring Reinette's life. As a few moments pass on the ship, years pass in the past and with the Doctor's returning visits, Reinette is getting older and considers the Doctor to be an imaginary friend who she is starting to fall in love with.

The Good
A charming tale guaranteed to have children across the UK checking under their beds tonight. A love interest for the Doctor played by David Tennants real life girlfriend, Sophia Myles. More revelations about the Doctor are revealed including his lonely childhood and Mr. Spock like ability to 'mind meld', hell even warp drive gets a mention. The effects are subtle but very effective including the final shot of Versailles. Mickey gets his first taste of time/space travel with some funny moments. Wasn't sure if their was a dig at hardcore fans in this episode 'every lonely boy someday learns to dance' (lol) well that's up for debate amongst the fans I suppose.

The Bad I'm surprised that Rose wasn't jealous with all the attention the Doctor was giving Reinette considering her attitude to Sarah-Jane the week before. Another 'Doctor Who?' moment. Nothing really that bad, at least nothing worth mentioning.

How does it end? SPOILERS. Serious SPOILERS The droids are waiting for Reinette to reach 37 years of age at which point her brain will be ready for harvesting, why her brain is needed and not any old human brain soon becomes clear. They need the brain to repair their spaceship, these stupid mecahnoids are repair droids using any parts necessary (including organic) to fix the spaceship. They are programmed to repair the ship using whatever they can. Mickey and Rose discover this the hard way when they find that the droids already used their human crew as spare parts.

As the Tardis leaves the spaceship at the end of the episode, a portrait of Reinette/Madame du Pompodour is hanging on the wall. As we cut to an external shot of the ship we see it's designation. The SS Madame du Pompodour...

Celtican

“Kelvington” says:

Doctor Who – The Girl In The Fireplace

When I saw the promo’s for this episode I was completely prepared to dislike it or even hate it. Particularly, since it seemed to base it’s title on something from the series “Bones”. But when I actually watched it, I was surprised at how good it was. I know a lot of people are going to kvetch about The Doctor using a mind meld. He’s done it before, he’ll do it again. But you have to remember that Spock was probably based on The Doctor. Two hearts, alien, super brain, et. all.

The episode itself takes place on a spaceship in the future and with the use of several time windows, it also takes place in France at the court at Versailles. Where The Doctor keeps popping in on a young woman, Madame Du Pompadour. Where over time he becomes her protector.

The Doctor tries to understand why a spaceship from the far future, and it’s clockwork robot-like crew care about a particular time and person in France’s history. We discover that they need some parts for their ship, and not just spare parts either, it seems a great bit of the crew has been “employed” into the inner workings of the ship. A very clever concept to be sure.

Besides having lots of fun at the French’s expense, the episode moves along at a great pace. And while we pretty much know there must be people under the clockwork masks, when The Doctor pulls the face off one, it looks amazingly complex, and fairly real. I bet most of the budget was used to produce the clockwork head, it was very well done. If it was CGI, it’s even more amazing.

While performing the mild meld it seems that Madame Du Pompadour can read The Doctor’s mind as well. Which brings me to the point in several “Doctor Who” stories lately where we figure out a way to put the phrase “Doctor Who” into the story. I hate this, it’s done WAY, WAY, WAY too much for my taste. We get it, the name of the show is confusing to people, and it’s a funny little bit to have someone say, “Doctor, Doctor Who?” But STOP IT, you’ve done it enough already, the joke is over, we all had a bit of a laugh, not STOP IT.

The other bit I wasn’t very fond of is seeing Ricky (I know he’s Mickey but still) become fairly heroic and brave. This is the same sod that was holding on to Rose’s legs trying to keep Rose from traveling with The Doctor. So as far as I was concerned, he was dead the minute he was got pulled into the wheelybin. PERIOD.

Next week we get to see the return of another great villain, the Cybermen! And while tonight’s episode keeps the current string of great episodes for this series, it’s just a appetizer before we get to next week’s metallic main course.

Just my 2¢

“Supertoyslast” says:

The Girl In The Fireplace
Written by Steven Moffat.

First off - I love the work of Steven Moffat. The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances was far and away the best story of the previous series. Coupling was great right up until Richard Coyle left (now he'd be a good 11th Doctor...). Press Gang may well be the best thing that CITV have ever made. My favourite ever piece of Doctor Who in any medium is a Seventh Doctor short story by Moffat called 'Continuity Errors' in Decalog 3 - http://tinyurl.com/n44ay . And Joking Apart was a wonderful comedy series and homage/ripoff of Seinfeld. Very very funny and out on DVD soon http://www.replaydvd.co.uk/ (hey - Herc can do endless links for DVDs so why shouldn't I?).

Anyway, all that should serve notice that this will hardly be an unbiased review of this episode. And you know what? I loved it.

It's Mickey's first time out in the Tardis and he's thrilled to find that he's landed on a spaceship in the far future. Unfortunately there are more than a few things that are odd about this ship. There is seemingly no crew. It smells like someone is cooking Sunday lunch. The warp engines are on full power but the ship isn't moving. There are windows on every deck looking through to 18th century France. And there's a horse....

This is actually a very well-structured tale, given the narrow focus. The Doctor finds a "I don't want to call it a magic door" through a fireplace where he finds a young girl from 18th century France. He steps through the not-a-magic-door-at-all to meet her. The clock in her room is broken. So why is there still ticking?

The clockwork monsters in this are suitably chilling - although the masks may be a bit reminiscent of V For Vendetta. With the masks off the space-age clockwork inside their glass heads is beautifully intricate (must have taken the props guys ages...). They seem to be droids created to repair the spaceship. But when the mechanical parts ran out they turned to using the crew for spares - making for a gruesome explanation of the Sunday lunch smell. However, they still needed one more part to repair the ship - and it's inside the head of the little girl Reinette.

Having seen off the clockwork droid in Reinette's room the Doctor returns to the spaceship for a moment. But time seems to flow at different rates either side of the magic door, so when he comes looking for Reinette again quite a few years have passed. And,my, hasn't she grown...

Sophia Myles (Lady Penelope from the Thunderbirds film) does a marvellous job as the accomplished, seductive and flirtacious Reinette; or Madame de Pompadour - the mistress-to-be of Louis XV. But her role in the story could prove controversial with some fans. Remember the uproar about Paul McGann's Doctor kissing Maggie? That was nothing compared to this.

This is a charming love story as only Doctor Who could tell it. The Doctor meets a woman who is his equal and their fondness for each other grows through (disjointed) time. While trying not to give too much away, this works as an extension of the themes in the previous episode (School Reunion) of how time passing can effect the Doctor and the people he encounters. As the Doctor skips back and forth through the "magic door" time does not pass for him but Reinette is forced to take the "slower path". I've always wanted to see a story about the effect that the Doctor could have on someone by meeting them at random points throughout their life and here it is - and it works marvellously. (Although I could have done with seeing Rose getting jealous as Reinette's affection for her "fireplace man" grows - a shame that this aspect is missing).

Random irritations? The Doctor doing a mind-meld (has he done that before?). Rose boasting to the clockwork androids about how powerful the Doctor is without finishing her sentence. "You know the Daleks? They have a name for him. They call him...." But she never gets to say "Ka Faraq Gatri" (or whatever it is). Why not? This is pointlessly irritating as it would be a cool fan moment - a bit like the wax things in 'Rose' not being called Autons.

Random coolness? The Doctor geeking out. "Space-age clockwork? Oh that is beautiful...". "I just snogged Madame de Pompadour!" A genuine Scooby Doo revolving fireplace (activated by a hidden lever!). The references to Empty Child/Doctor Dances. The Doctor does dance with Reinette - but we don't get to see it! "Bananas are good!"

Doctor Who Confidential made the fitting revelation that even though the Doctor skips forward randomly through time when entering the 18th century the seasons progress from Spring to Summer to Autumn to Winter. 'Fitting' because of the closing scenes. Moffat certainly knows how to provide just the right ending. And why were the droids after Madame de Pompadour specifically? The Doctor never finds out. But we do, in the very last shot. (I know that the reason will be revealed in other reviews, but I really really hope it won't be because it hit me as being absolutely perfect. It would be a shame to spoil it.).

So, all in all, I loved it. This episode pulled off the tricky feat of moving between the past and the future in one episode. At the same time it was moving, charming and funny. And Sophia Myles was absolutely beautiful.

As good as The Doctor Dances? No. But pretty fucking good all the same.

Four stars.
****

(Oh, and Sophia Myles is David Tennant's girlfriend. Lucky bugger.)

“James” says:

Episode 28.4 - The Girl in the Fireplace

Writer - Steven Moffat (episodes 27.9 The Empty Child, 27.10 The Doctor Dances)

Director - Euros Lyn (episodes 27.2 End of the World; 27.3 The Unquiet Dead, 28.3 Tooth and Claw)

I apologise for the depth and length in advance - this is a classic Moffat script (if you can say that after 2 previous shots!) - multi-layered, so much going on, but in this case crammed into a 45 minute episode

Synopsis - 18th Century France, and a masked ball at the Palace of Versailles is invaded by masked aggressors wearing full Venetian masks and walking with an odd gait. A woman is in a bed chamber, talking to a man, saying how the clock is cracked, and how someone is coming to save them, she knows this because he has always been there for her, a man she loves as much as the one she is talking to. She tells the man to go protect the Queen, and then looks into the fireplace and calls out for the Doctor

The Fireplace? This isn't Hogwarts you know. But there is a perfectly good reason. Post credits we cut to the Tardis, landing on a ship in a distant galaxy in the 51st Century that is not operating and appears to be abandoned

Hold on a minute - we were in 18th Century France just now - why on earth has the Tardis materialised 33 Centuries later? After some digging around, the Doctor, Rose and Mickey stumble across a genuine 18th Century French Fireplace. On a 51st Century Space ship. Bizarre. But then, he sees a young girl lookin through the fire place and asking him why he is in there. It turns out this is a time portal (the reason why the ships warp drives are powered up but the ship is not moving).

So? The Doctor steps through, hears ticking, but notices the clock is broken - so he hunts for the monster, that turns out to be under the bed!

Eh? A ticking monster under the bed? Yep, and it is one of those masked odd walking things you was in the opening scenes. At this point 2 + 2 gets put together (by us before the show!) that they are clockwork robots, who are apparently here for the young girl, although she is not ready yet.

So who is she? Jeanne-Antionette 'Reinette' Poisson. Or as she is more famously known, Madame de Pompadour, mistress of Louis XV of France. The clockwork robots are from the ship, and they have set up time windows into various stages of Reinette's life, which is why the Doctor appears at random stages in her life, and she notes how he doesn't age while she takes the "slow path", even though on the 51st Century side of the Time window only minutes have passed (reminiscent of "The Time Traveller's Wife")

Hold on a minute. Madame de Pompadour, 51st Century Spaceships, clockwork robots, time windows.... next thing you are going to be telling me that the Doctor is going to fall in love with this woman. Funny you should say that.... the third time she sees him is the night she danced with Louis XV and was installed as his mistress. The Doctor intervenes through a wall size mirror because another robot is about to "attack" her - so he pops through with Micky and Rose, a couple of Fire fighting guns, and they freeze the Robot, only for it to escape before they get an answer why they are chasing it - so the Doctor sends Micky and Rose back to find the Robot. And while they are lookign for it, they find body parts being used in the systems of the ship - an eye here, a heart there.... and the Robot turns out to be Robots. Who in turn drug and capture Mickey and Rose

Oh dear, more Assistants in Danger. Yes, but the Doctor is deeply involved in reading Reinette's mind to find out what they are after... only for her to follow the stream back and read his, which surprises him. And she comments on his solitude, his lonely childhood, and calls him her Lonely Angel. And then she takes him out to the ball going on by saying "Will the Doctor Dance?" (self-reference by the writer always to be expected in Who

So, the Doctor completely loses himself in the moment and doesn't spare a thought for Rose and Mickey? More importantly for Rose. This story tackles loss, mortality and love, issues brought up in previous episodes this season, especially in the last one, with themeeting of Sarah-Jane. The message here is that this Doctor is not the one infatuated with Rose, in fact is one who sees past regrets, realises that all his assistants die, that all his own have died, and so he seems to embrace his wants more, his moment.

The Doctor, of course, does come back, and saves the assistants, but then when he works out why they are waiting (the ship is 37 years old, the robots want a brain to power the ship, her's is apparently the right brain, but they have to wait until she is 37). The robots also block his route to save her

So why not hop in the Tardis? Because, as he says, they have been brought to solve a problem in the 51st Century, and he canot (won't be allowed by the Tardis, more like) leave until the problem is solved. And solve it he does, by breaching the time wall to the period she is in danger, but in the process isolating himself with no way back. And Rose realises that he has given her up for this other woman.

Any Good? This story is not a monster story, although it has that aspect in it for the kids. It is yet another one tackling loss, the bigger ramifications of the Doctor's actions, establishing this one as a far more reckless, passionate and yet ruthless Doctor. There also seems to be something bigger going on - there are hints to do with the Lonely Traveller, isolated childhood, etc, that tie into the words of the Face of Boe in 28.1, which makes me wonder if they are going to take the Doctor in the direction laid out in one of the novels, Lungbarrow, where the Doctor is in fact the reincarnation of The Other, one of the original triumvirate who established the Time Lords - it would make sense as RTD was involved with the New Virgin Adventures (which this was a part of).

Some may comment on the "crapness" of the "bad guys", but by the end you realise they were not bad, they were performing the function they were supposed to do, namely repair the spacecraft with the correct parts. Tehir "ease of defeat" misses the point - this was not a "Villain of the Week" episode, but a character story hidden in a villain of the week story - the advertising for the episode was highly misleading on this fact!

The script is beautifully written, the direction and filming subtle, the performances all top draw - even annoying Mickey is becoming a decent Assistant. This one will split Who fans for many reasons, but it is definitely up there with Moffat's other two scripts, which are the high water mark of the current run of the Series. It sums up the Doctor's dilemma that for his long life, his assistants and those he grows to love are merely fleeting - this is emphasised more by his "occasional" (in her eyes) interaction with Reinette, as well as by the ending, playing the themes laid out with Sarah-Jane in School Reunion. For Rose it is almost the end of a childhood crush - she does not see the transience of her existence in his life, but the Doctor's relationship with Reinette brings this home more to him - themes that will be explored over the coming episodes, I am sure.

This was clearly also a "Doctor" show, with little Rose in it, although, as stated above, there was probably as much growth in her fleeting appearances as there has been in all the episodes to date. She even did with Reinette what Sarah-Jane had done with her, explaining that the Doctor will be there when she needs him, just don't expect him to always be there. And yet, like Sarah-Jane, Reinette longs for the Doctor to the last, only in this case for the Doctor to be just too late by the end, and the impact hits him harder than a time scoop.

This one also has some of the most quotable lines of the show so far - the script is a veritable cornucopia of quotations that will end up as people's message board signatures for years to come.

I think I have worked out the reason why Tennant works so well. He plays funny and pathos well (see Casanova). He plays the tortured soul well (see Taking Over the Asylum). But he also plays pure sociopathic psycho maniac to absolute perfection (see Goblet of Fire and Secret Smile). There is an absolute subtlety to his acting performances, and yet he can go from impish boy to focused executioner in a heart beat, something that gives a multitude of dimensions to the Doctor for the first time. This episode has now put him clearly over the top for me, and personally think he outranks CE in the pantheon of Doctors. And for kids of this generation, there is no question - DT will most definitely be their Doctor Who, in the way that Tom Baker is for those of my age

And bang on to the creators - I know RTD said last season was about re-establishing Who, which they did so well, but this season has had episode after episode at the high end of quality. Next season, with bigger bidgets and a bigger sound stage, things are promising to get better still

How does it end? As hinted at above, the Doctor gets stuck in 18th Century France, but Reinette has a way back for him. He wants to take her with him, another Assistant, but when he comes back through, she can't go with him. And as the Tardis leaves the ship in the 51st Century, we find out just why the purely Logical Clockwork Robots wanted her brain in particular.....

And then it cuts to a preview of next week, set on an alternate Earth. The return of the greatest Who villains of all time (imho) - the Cybermen - also sees a reunion of Tennant with Roger Lloyd-Pack... I think I may be moving my couch forward so I can hide behind it :-D

Rating? 4.5 out of 5

Look! Old-school Doctor Who!
Doctor Who: The Five Doctors
Doctor Who: The Androids of Tara
Doctor Who: The Dalek Invasion
Doctor Who: Robots of Death
Doctor Who: Tomb of the Cybermen
Doctor Who: Vengeance on Varos
Doctor Who: Rare Episodes

Some of Herc’s favorite pre-“Star Wars” sci-fi movies:

The Abominable Dr. Phibes
Charly
Comedy of Terrors
Day of the Triffids
The Day the Earth Stood Still
Five Million Miles To Earth
The Fly
Forbidden Planet
Invasion of the Body Snatchers
Metropolis
Quatermass 2
The Thing From Another World
Things To Come
This Island Earth (MST3K Edition)
2001: A Space Odyssey
When Worlds Collide