The Girl in the Fireplace

This episode was simply a masterpiece. I am trying very hard to think of any other show (besides classic "Who") that can so seamlessly incorporate so many genres in one episode. Horror, Sci-Fi, Romance (and done in a way that even I, as a guy, thought was very touching), and adventure all rolled into one. As for the romance part, there is no reason whatsoever that the Doctor has to be asexual. He is infinately smarter than any human but any time the Doctor has ever run into someone like Rinette, who is above and beyond your standard human, he is fascinated and it definately doesn't hurt that she's gorgeous! Also, it's good to get his and Rose's relationship more plutonic. Though I don't mind the Doctor at all falling for a woman for once, it should not be his companion no matter how great she may be.

This was an episode that I felt really worked in the 45 minute format. Of course, I would love to have seen more background on the clockwork robots, the ship and France in general but it really wasn't necessary. This was a stunning performance by David Tennant who is truly one of the best Doctors ever. He gives a vibrance to the part that hasn't been here since almost as far back as Troughton. Of course Pertwee, both Bakers, Davidson...all of the previous Doctors had things they brought to the character and were all excellent. Tennant really seems to incorporate traits from all of them into a brand new model.

I read the previous reviews before I wrote this so I have a bit of an unfair advantage--HOWEVER--I don't know what people mean when they say this series is not as good as the last and Tennant is not a very good Doctor! Eccelston was awesome no doubt about it. He showed an anger not seen in the Doctor except on occasional episodes. He was hurt by the Time War mentally and physically. The arc with the Daleks was perfect for him because he was able to resolve that part of his existence and show Rose how much he really cared for her. But when the Daleks were wiped out, it was time to throw a little more range into the character of the Doctor. This isn't to say that Eccelston as an actor was incapable of range, but as he played the Doctor it was mostly somberness and anger (as a character who lost his entire civilization required) and the humor seemed a little forced. In this episode in particular thanks to Rinette seeing inside the Doctor's mind we see that he still feels alone but he hides it much better. He's moved on and as he said in The Christmas Invasion he is a new man. The suit with sneakers is such a perfect look that fits in any situation, his great intellect and compassion hidden behind a facade of goofyness, his amazement at the sight of werewolves, clockwork robots and the like. Tennant is an amazing actor and he brings reality to this character. Pop references and goofy scarf and shades wearing is even ok because he is expressing his love of humans and is ready to pounce on the enemy at the drop of a hat.

Poor Eccelston never once saved the day in series one. Sure he took the energy from Rose at the very end but seriously, in almost every case he stood back and let things happen around him and several times people on the side were the real heroes. When I wrote reviews for series one I said that was ok because perhaps it was a "humans need to do things on their own" attitude and I am definately ok with that. However now the Doctor is back to his roots, solving problems and helping people like no one else on planet Earth could do.

The magic of Doctor Who is sort of like the cop show Law and Order in the US. I really can't think of another show that has changed entire casts so many times and yet stays relevant and vibrant. You can have an entirely new main character from costume to attitude to enemies to friends and at its' core it is still Doctor Who. It feels like Doctor Who, and this character (as talked about quite a bit in School Reunion) has lived a long time and has years of experiences to learn from. Is this show perfect? Of course not. 45 minutes has been too short many times. Mickey is finding his way into finally becoming a somewhat likeable character but it's taken a very long time. It would also be nice for the Doctor to use something other than his sonic screwdriver. It scans things, can create fire, can scare of robots of all kinds, open doors, lock doors.... I mean, I understand wanting to keep things simple but one other device would be nice. Still, the pluses outweigh the minuses of this show about a billion times. Besides Battlestar Galactica, no one has reinvented a show so brilliantly and RTD deserves everlasting praise for his job. The Girl in the Fireplace has the future, the past and most importantly the feel of Doctor Who and each episode of Series Two is better than the last. Will the Cybermen beat this one? No matter what I'll be there!