The Doctor Dances

I've just watched "The Doctor Dances" for the second time and find myself reminded of the first time I watched "Vertigo". I knew Hitchcock well enough to expect a rational explanation for the heroine's behaviour, but I had no idea what the hell it could possibly be. Similarly, here we have a lot to explain from "The Empty Child". Thankfully this episode succeeds, and how!

I whooped for joy as it finished. Now /this/ is the best one I've yet seen. I've been critical of some of this series, and with reason - some of them frankly fell flat ("Dalek" in particular being the biggest disappointment since the series began, but that's another story!). But here we have an explanation for everything that happened. It's scientifically credible (well, did the nanobots have to be "sub atomic? What are they made of then?!), it's likeably unusual, and it's got good doses of the Doctor's righteous anger, which we haven't really seen very much since the climax of "The End of The World". It's also a refreshing change to have the Doctor work out exactly what was going on and then open the ambulance to show Capt. Jack what had happened and how stupid he'd been.

And it's witty. "What did you expect in there? Cough sweets?" and "It's mauve! Only humans use red!". The wit is charming - it's very traditionally "who-ish" - in the sense that it's unusual and off-the-wall and deeply funny. Even with all of this, I'd have loved the episode. But there's more. What can I say about the ending that hasn't already been said? "Everybody lives! Just this once!" I almost wept. It's beautiful, and so refreshing. None of yer:

(in fanboy voice).... "The Horror of Fang Rock is interesting in that it is the only story in which all of the characters die...da da da da da."

Yes, that is interesting, but it's also one of the few interesting things about that story and a very depressing fact. This is beautiful because nobody dies. Alright, yes, it's set in the Blitz, which does rather imply a lot of people die, but I wish that whoever pointed that out hadn't done so because the idea of the Doctor having a good day... the look on his face as he's /almost/ praying that it goes his way, and the way he picks the child up high in the air. This is very unusual for any television. It's unusual particularly because "Who" somewhere along the way become a programme in which vast swathes of the "universe's supporting cast" die. And the sight of the Doctor throwing the nanobots at everyone - such a child-like grin on his face and quite literally handing humanity back its future: it's very moving and extremely powerful.

And then, just as Jack thinks he's had it, the TARDIS swoops in and saves him. Is that cheesy? No, because the bloody thing's got you in such a good mood that you're hoping Jack doesn't die anyway. That would have been inappropriately turgid, sad, even a betrayal of your joy. You can tell I really admire this one, yeah?

Alright. I could rant about this one for hours. It's shot at night and looks gorgeous for it, with flesh tones looking particularly good, and it's played very very well (bravo in particular to Nancy), with good doses of horror. But in the end, it succeeds because it's powerful and funny and optimistic.

More of this sort, please. I'm hooked. And the ending with that wonderful music? Gorgeous. No wonder The Doctor Dances. I felt like joining him.