1. Summed up in one sentence
Evil ghost/angel aliens inhabit dead human bodies to take over earth. (What percentage of these sentences will end in those same four words?)
2. The Doctor
I think the Doctor is doing pretty usual Doctor stuff in this episode. The TARDIS ends up in the wrong place (embarrassing . . . .). But if they didn't end up in Cardiff, then we wouldn't have those delightful Victorian Welsh accents to listen to!
As usual, the Doctor sees that there's a problem, and he takes measures to "solve" the problem. The initial problem seems to be that the dead people aren't staying dead, the center of this action taking place at a funeral home (also very embarrassing). Since the Doctor and Rose have landed themselves smack dab in the middle of the Spiritual Movement, of course the first conclusion people of Cardiff make is that the deceased spirits are simply coming back to inhabit their bodies.
Now we know the Doctor is hardly one to side with the supernatural assumptions. His speciality is in aliens, so he sees pretty quickly that this is simply a matter of aliens trying to survive and exist in any way they can.
During a seance put on by a servant named Gwyneth, the wispy aliens come through and tell a sob story about how their world and much of their people were destroyed and that they need a place to stay. And once again we find the Doctor swayed by his own issues with his own people being destroyed, and he decides to not only trust them, but use Gwyneth to bring them to earth so they can inhabit all the dead bodies they need.
3. The Companions
This is a fun episode because it's the first in this show where other temporary companions join the party. We can argue Sexy Tree Lady was really the first additional companion, especially since she sacrificed herself to save the Doctor and the rest of the people on the ship.
Anyway, the two others I've decided to lump into this section besides Rose is Gwyneth, and none other than Charles Dickens himself. What a fantastic first historical figure to include in their first trip to the past! He's a great addition to the setting and storyline.
Gwyneth is an interesting character in this story, especially because of her relationship with Rose. They have a candid conversation where Rose tries to rile Gwyneth up to get her past the prim and proper Victorian exterior she maintains. They seem to strike up a friendship, until Gwyneth, through her own psychic abilities, finds out Rose is from the future. Gwyneth becomes understandably frightened, even antagonistic towards Rose. It makes us wonder if our ancestors could truly see our day, how they would react. Excited, or scared like Gwyneth? How would we react to seeing a snapshot of the future? Food for thought. (Also during this interaction is the very first mention of Bad Wolf)
Gwyneth is the hero of this story when the Doctor says they should use her to help the aliens. She offers up herself to the cause, disclosing that these alien entities have been talking with her her whole life. Rose acts as the reasonable, modern woman who outright rejects this idea. Rose feels as if she has more power than Gwyneth to stand up and act because Rose is from the future, and poor Gwyneth is stuck in the Victorian Age, where no one ever really listens to women. But Gwyneth puts Rose back in her place, telling her that just because they're from different time periods, Gwyneth knows her own mind.
As we find out, the aliens' intentions weren't that great, and Gwyneth sacrifices herself to save everyone else and destroy the aliens. (One of the many ladies to sacrifice themselves for the Doctor . . . .)
4. The Villain
It's incredibly satisfying to see what appears to be an old fashioned ghost story taking place in Victorian Britain. I can't think of a more appropriate villain than aliens that appear to be ghosts. Throwing Charles Dickens in there . . . . (chef's kiss).
The ghosty, alien villains are just as creepy and ephemeral as they should be. It's a common trope for a ghost to pose as a victim so they can trick us into doing things we ought not. It's interesting the Doctor seems to fall into the same trap, despite the fact that they aren't actually ghosts. He has to learn the hard way to resist the temptation to project himself on anyone else he deems a victim.
5. The Score
8/10
Being a slut for anything even breathing the slightest hint of Victorian, I was a huge fan of this episode the first time I saw it. Watching it again, of course I still loved it, but I focused more on the actions of the Doctor that nearly got Rose and himself killed. Coming fresh off the review of the previous episode, it's so interesting to see how the Doctor's issues bleed from one to the other, but they do manifest in different ways. In THE END OF THE WORLD, his pain caused him to lash out at the villain, while in this episode it caused him to mistake the villain for the victim.
6. The Very Whoiest Moment
This happens at the end of the episode when it's just Dickens, the Doctor, and Rose. It's their last conversation together, and Dickens is bouncing on the balls of his feet in joy, as opposed to the tired, old, jaded man at the beginning of the episode, far from his family on Christmas Eve. The reason for his improved mood he says, "This morning, I thought I knew everything in the world. Now I know I've just started. All these huge and wonderful notions, Doctor! I'm inspired!"
After the Doctor and Rose enter the TARDIS, Dickens gets to witness the TARDIS dissipate into nothing. He could have been scared, or angry, thinking it's some kind of joke. But instead, it fills him with glee to witness it, and he strides down the streets of Cardiff with a smile on his face as he says "God bless us, everyone."
I just find that part so inspiring. During the episode, Dickens was very resistant to accepting new ideas of aliens and acting in fear. But somewhere along the way, he decided to take it in stride, finding exaltation on the other side of fear. Shouldn't we all delight in new information that challenges the way we saw the world previously? It's another careful fold to add to our origami swan, adding clarity and definition. It's not a threat to us, but a blessing that we ought to feel so grateful to witness.
Let's see what else we discover in the next episode!!!
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