The Doctor Dances pt2 S01E10

 1. Summed up in one sentence

The one in which you start out very scared and then end up crying like a little baby (or I do at least . . . .)

2. The Doctor 

The Doctor solves two mysteries in this episode, the first one being that the villain isn't actually a villain, but just some nanogenes that were actually trying to help people, but got a little confused. But the ultimate mystery he solves is why the child is looking for his mummy: because Nancy isn't the older sister to Jaimie, but his mother. She lied to everyone, including her own son to probably make life a little better for the both of them. 

But the Doctor helps her accept the truth, and urges her to tell the child that she is his mummy. When she does, and the nano bot things finally understand what to do to fix the child, the Doctor sends the nano bots to fix everyone else. I will talk more of this part in the last section, but the Doctor's excitement and tenderness when he's able to save everyone are overwhelming.

3. The Companions

In the previous episode, Captain Jack thinks he's quite the smooth criminal with all the angles figured out. What he realizes near the climax of this episode, however, is that his actions are what caused this mess to come about in the first place. You can see his "dancing through life" attitude start to crumble apart when the Doctor confirms that his actions will most likely cause the decimation of the entire human race. In the previous episode, Jack jokes that Pompeii is a lovely place to time travel to, but you gotta make sure to set your alarm clock for volcano day. The Doctor doesn't find this joke tasteful at all, and in the moment where Jack sensed the gravity of the situation, The Doctor throws his joke back in his face saying something like, "Is this a bit too close to volcano day for you?" Jack has just enough of a good heart to let that sink in and spur him to action to sacrifice himself so he can stop a German bomb from landing on everyone.

Of course the Doctor saves him at the end of the episode, and Jack thinks that he can cut in with Rose and the Doctor while they are dancing. But the Doctor asserts himself and claims the next dance with Rose. Jack's face is like, "Yeah, I know I deserve to be knocked a peg down, but I really don't like it."

4. The Villain

These episodes I think are quite rare, but when they happen, I find I can't control myself from bursting into tears: the episodes in which the perceived villain isn't actually a villain after all. In fact, they are trying to help. I can only think of one other time off the top of my head when that happens, but I won't name the episode just yet.

I really don't remember crying when I saw this episode for the first time. I do remember being deeply touched, but not shedding actual tears. 

This rewatch was a different story however. The part I am referring to is when Nancy approaches the boy and finally tells him that she is his mummy. The gas mask boy doesn't get it at first, but once Nancy kneels in front of him and embraces him, that's when the nano bots finally get it and start fixing the boy for real this time. 

This is me when that happens.

I don't know if it's because I'm a parent or what, but man. 

Man alive. 

5. The Score

8/10

I can't help but give episodes that make me cry a high score. What an unexpected, emotional, and freaking inspiring end to what started out to be one of the scariest Doctor Who episodes. 

It doesn't happen very often when a scary story has a touching ending. I can only think of one scary movie where that is the case, and that is Dragonfly. I honestly can't remember if it was a good movie, but I do remember it was some kind of creepy ghost story that ended with the protagonist realizing it's just his wife trying to tell him that she loves him and that she's okay. (if you really want to say something nice to the spouse you left behind, can't you find a way to say it in a less creepy way so we can avoid the confusion?)

Maybe it's not done often because it's difficult to execute? I don't really know, but this episode was really effective in that department if you ask me. Something about mixing the heightened emotions of fear and love, can be quite the one two punch. 

6. The Very Whoiest Moment

I knew what this moment was going to be long before I rewatched this episode, because it's my favorite moment of the Ninth Doctor for the entire season. 

It's how he reacted to the problem being solved: he was elated, hardly able to control his joy. Once he makes sure the nanogenes fix the others who were affected, he exclaims, "Everybody lives, Rose! Just this once, everybody lives!"

I find this part so potent because where there is the joy that everybody gets to live, there are equally intense and opposite moments of pure agony, when death runs its course in the Doctor's life. But it was not this day! He finally gets to see it all work out fine. 

What a lovely moment. I don't remember another time where the Doctor is this genuinely, manically happy.

Well there you go! We only have a few episodes left of the Ninth Doctor, which makes me sad. Let's enjoy it while it lasts!