The Empty Child

AH! I knew this would be good ever since I saw a preview of it on Tonight with Jonathan Ross. It was being touted as the scariest so far, and I can't really argue against it. It was terrifically scary; my only regret was that 6.30pm today was daylight. I watched it again the same night in pitch darkness and it was very creepy. Well done Steven Moffat!

The whole atmosphere was very eerie. It had the WWII period down to every washing-line and it helped that this is a period of history I have a great interest in. Very 'noirish' as Eccleston puts it, and full credit must go to James Hawes as director. However, the Doctor's comments about evacuation were true. Although you can spot one or two kids going into the anderson air raid shelter which can't be right can it? Doesn't matter to be honest. Still a good episode.

Captain Jack Harkness was very American. Likeable too with some edge but did they really have to cut the alleged 'bisexual' bit? It was a joke as far as I was concerned. It wasn't risque at all. I know he's going to become a companion of some sort, but isn't he nearly the same age as the Doctor? As a companion, they really should be a lot older or younger [in earth terms] than him but its only been his first episode. As the episode drew to a close, we saw some conflict within Harkness and some concern at what was happening to the people around him. So he has some potential.

The whole 'Mummy,Mummy' shriek was very peculiar. To turn a kid into something scary is quite a massive feat and not to mention a great idea. It had been used to great effect in 'Remembrance of the Daleks' and it works even better here. The use of the gasmask too, its lifeless, emotionless face is more scary than any Auton or Voc Robot. Even my dad admitted it was very macabre. At 22, I'm too old to find this particularly scary but the whole atmosphere was something which should give kids nightmares for ages yet! However, I bet I'll even get a few nightmares too! As my dad commented, someone has clearly thought out of the box in telling a tale during the most overused period on television.

The plot is still very much a mystery. What's wrong with the boy? Who has spread the virus? What's with the Tula ambulance? What really is Harkness doing there? And that's why I love this. I prefer the two-parters to be honest. Aliens of London/WW3 is definitely my favourite so far and this one has trumped it as far as I'm concerned. Doctor Who stories do need time to breathe. Different layers of the plot need to be interwoven and properly explained. The cliffhanger for this one was a bit drawn out, but The Empty Child is definitely my favourite so far. I love the fact I've got to wait a week to know what happens next week, and I've still no idea what the hell is going on! Better than sex that is. Well...you know what I mean.

And I'm glad there was no preview of next week at the end, or at least, we got a warning about one which prompted me to switch straight away to BBC3!

And to top it all, I could hear my dad hum from the kitchen "Mummy, Mummy". Doctor Who is back in the people's psyche like it should be!

I just hope The Doctor Dances doesn't dissappoint!