The Girl in the Fireplace

The Girl in the Fireplace was given a disappointing preview in The Guardian, billed as 'not one of the better episodes, but pleasingly bonkers all the same'. Bonkers yes, but I'll argue that this was one of the best of the new Doctor Who adventures. Some great performances, another excellent script from Steven Moffat and impressive design and effects throughout.

In my opinion the current series has so far consisted of too much running up and down whilst being chased by monsters of one kind or another. I know that as Reinette in this episode so rightly points out, "where there is the Doctor there will be monsters", but at last David Tennant has been given something to get his teeth into.

This episode sees the flowering of Tennant's Who, with the 'lonely Time Lord' theme being carried on from the Ecclestone season. I was beginning to fear too much gurning, posing with specs and the running around but he's settling in very well. Nice touches, too, such as the lighting of the girl Reinette's candle with the sonic screwdriver.

This episode also sees the addition of Mickey Smith as a regular companion. I'd been worried about this as he's not a favourite of mine, but his inclusion worked very well in this story. Mickey allows Rose to be separated from the Doctor for his (semi) romantic pursuits. As well as giving her someone to talk to, he also continues the "wow!" factor that needs to run through the series. With Rose already seeing it all (last week you may recall she was matching Sarah Jane Smith monster for monster) someone is needed to stay excited by what’s ‘out there’.

As for the clockwork robots, they worked a treat. If Steven Moffat was looking for a new catchphrase to match "are you my mummy?" he may not have found it in "we needed the parts", but the masks hiding the glass heads were as original as the WW2 gasmasks last year, as were the jerky movements and slow, deliberate speech. The episode looked expensively staged throughout, with the period settings as convincing as the future, and the most memorable was the scene shift as Madame de Pompadour stepped between the two. I even found the revolving fireplace convincing.

And what was the deal with the horse? Well, it gave Tennant a chance to do his dashing act, but I also noticed that when the Doctor first meets Reinette as a young girl, a sound of an invisible horse is heard in the distance. As he later watches her coffin being drawn away the same sound repeats to mark her departure. More nice touches.

Well, I sit and wait for the Cybermen next week. Let's just hope they take the baton and run with it.