The Girl in the Fireplace

Fireplace, fireplace, fireplace.

ItВ’s the one word echoing in my head after watching В– for the first time В– the first four episodes of Series Two. So why is my head not also chanting В“Cassandra, werewolf, KrillitanesВ”? Possibly because Steven MoffatВ’s new episode is the best IВ’ve seen sinceВ… well, since The Doctor Dances, his previous effort, last year. It might even surpass it. LetВ’s have a look at why.

1. A wonderful mood-setting opening sequence. Sophia Myles is already impressive. And why is she crying into a fireplace? I love a good mystery at the opening of a story.

2. The Doctor-Rose-Mickey TARDIS partnership works incredibly well. Better than I imagined, actually. Mickey Smith, meet the Universe. See anything you like? His excitement at the В“realisticВ” galaxy is even more special to me than RoseВ’s В“culture shockВ” in her first couple of episodes.

3. The DoctorВ’s visits to ReinetteВ’s bedroom. Anyone else whoВ’s read The Time TravelerВ’s Wife will know exactly what IВ’m talking about here. A man visiting a woman from her childhood to her adulthood? The perfect fusion of romance and science-fantasy.

4. The design of the service robots. With the masks and without them. Beautifully stitched costumes, and underneath, intricate clockwork minds. They deserve an award. Or several.

5. The human eye and heart wired into the ship. Disgusting, yes, but a unique concept. And still thereВ’s that mystery В– why are they there?

6. Arthur. For some reason, that horse looks gorgeous under that greenish lighting. And the Doctor somehow has chemistry with it. Weird.

7. The concept of the В“time windowsВ”. This is just so cool, and so in tune with the kind of science fiction that I love, I just canВ’t express it enough.

8. The Madame falling in love with the Doctor. And, yes, vice versa. ItВ’s about time. And this is real, too. We know itВ’ll be brief, but to me, it just feels right.

9. В“And soВ’s your dad.В” Nuff said. Oh, and В“No, youВ’re not keepinВ’ the horse!В”

10. ReinetteВ’s В“weary travellerВ” speech. Sophia Myles is just amazing, isnВ’t she? This speech brought tears to my eyes.

11. Breaking the mirror. Yee-haa! Who didnВ’t let out a cheer when Arthur burst through?

12. The idea that the Doctor is stuck in France. I love the repeated references to В“the slow pathВ”.

13. В“Pick a star, any star.В” The Doctor loves her, through and through. But the tragedy is waiting for him, and although I could see it coming, I wasnВ’t prepared for the sheer emotion of the situation. Louis loved the Madame, too. But he wasnВ’t loved back. You can see it in his eyes. The poor man. The lonely king and the lonely god, and she only loved one of them.

14. The punchline. This story was so well thought-out, and the final shot combines a brilliant joke with an В“Oh! So thatВ’s what it all means!В” moment. Neil Gaiman was right В– Steven Moffat deserves another Hugo nomination for this marvellous piece of television.