Episode 13: The Girl in the Fireplace and some Cybermen
This week, and by this week I mean three weeks ago since Stephen was lazy and didn’t edit this show, we continue to travel through season 2 .. with Girl in the Fireplace and the two parter of Rise of the Cyberman and Age of Steel ..
Aric hates the girl in the fireplace, Janet falls in love with her, and Stephen just appreciates Madame de Pompadour’s personality but doesn’t think the storyline is scifi enough.
We talk about our likes and dislikes about Mickey .. our distaste for the doctor’s disregard for Rose, and our assumed feelings that the Doctor is a bit of a drama queen, and the stupid name of the ship.
Next we go into in a parallel earth, and see what?! Zeppelins .. Zeppelins = parallel universe.
In the parallel universe we talk about how the Rickey/Mickey interaction just doesn’t work, how the cybermen are kind of a useless villain and how in a parallel universe Jackie is still an annoying bitch…
Until next week .. Don’t Blink!
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Okay, I had to pause halfway through this podcast just to comment on what has been a very frustrating episode. Janet, how do you put up with these two?
So as you can tell (and know already), I’m with Janet (in many thing on DW), including regarding this episode as one of my favourites. Before I get into that, just a few side notes:
- The whole Mickey character is actually out of sync in this episode. Apparently Steven Moffat wrote this episode without reading the end of the previous “School Reunion” episode resulting in a lack of animosity between Rose and Mickey [http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/fireplace-commentary.mp3]
- The end with the working fireplace was explained in the episode, as Reinette explains that the fireplace was moved (thus put “offline” when the link broke). The Doctor reconnected it using the sonic screwdriver.
Okay, so back to why I liked the episode. Well, like you guys were discussing, this was a less “action” oriented episode, but I thought there was incredible depth in character development. I think one reason why both Janet and I love the Tenth Doctor so much is that we get to see a very human and emotional side to him (usually buried or alongside his wacky, crazy, and at times alien self). It’s funny to hear Aric say that he liked Mickey more for showing his humanity, because ultimately we see a very painful episode for the Doctor. This episode is moreorless a tragedy – despite the Doctor doing all he can do to save Reinette, he loses her not to the machines, but to time itself. Despite being a Time Lord, he was essentially too late (Hence my huge outcry on Twitter the first time I saw it on “if he has a time machine, why can’t he go back?” – BTW, since Reinette isn’t with him, he wouldn’t be revisiting someone’s personal timestream, so I still don’t get why he can’t… unless it’s that he won’t.”)
Despite being self-contained in one episode, you see an amazing connection between the Doctor and Reinette. In retrospect, isn’t the childhood visit a bit reminiscent of Amy Pond’s initial encounter with the Doctor? But after the “mind meld” there is a deep connection between the two – similar to the biblical idea of “knowing” another. We see this develop, even within the episode, as Reinette really for the first time in the rebooted series, makes these deep (and dark) observations about the Doctor – on how alone he truly is. Yet as she began to “know” him, they started to share a bond that I don’t believe the Doctor had experienced before (at least not in the rebooted series). I loved the way she got the Doctor to “dance” and the fact that much of it was left to your imagination/interpretation was fantastic. We saw her faith in the Doctor, even to her dying days when even though she knew time was short, she believed that her “lonely angel” would come.
I loved the complication and juxtaposition with Rose. For me, I thought there was a very different and almost more “adult”or mature love with Reinette than this lost-puppy childish perhaps-father-figure-replacement love that Rose had. And when you see the two finally meet, I thought it worked great.
I admired Reinette too – back to the faith in the Doctor and what I believe to be bravery as well, I loved the scene where the party guests were screaming and Reinette yells outs and says “THIS IS VERSAILLES!” I don’t know – there just was a feeling of power in her despite what though she had revealed that she was terrified of what was to be.
Again, I think why I enjoyed this episode so much was that it really revealed and developed a lot in the Doctor’s character – something that we would continue to see (quite masterfully) by David Tennant through his career as the Doctor. I think there’s quite a few parallels between this episode and “The Waters of Mars” (come to think of it) where again, we see the Doctor’s internal struggle with a very “human” character and his limitations.
And overall, I have to say, the episode only got better the second time around. As a “tragedy,” there’s an even greater sense of emotion and irony when we know the ultimate fate and outcome of this story.
Anywhos, I’ll go back to finishing this episode (of Pandoricast) and I already know I’m not going to change Aric’s mind – but still, I think it’s important to understand the elements of what made this episode ultimately so popular with fans. There’s a reason why it really resounded with people and became a nominee and winner of several awards.
Just some food for thought.
P.S. I just found out that apparently Sophia Myles (Reinette) and David Tennant briefly dated starting from this episode. Perhaps that was why there was so much on-screen chemistry.
P.P.S. The StuffYouMissedInHistoryClass podcast (from HowStuffWorks) actually has an episode dedicated to Madame de Pompadour.
Just finished the second half.
Agreed on the dislike of the Cybermen. My problem with them (as well as several other “classic” DW villains) is that they’re already being overused in the rebooted series. I understand the need to have the throwback to classic characters, but I wouldn’t mind seeing some originality for the 21st century (such as the original weeping angels). While they may have been intimidating back in the day, they don’t really strike the same terror and fear today. So with they Cybermen for example – despite being the precursor (and perhaps even inspiration) for the Borg (Star Trek), they haven’t evolved at all. The Borg, on the other hand, despite being extremely similar in nature (assimilating humans into their collective), have been able to evolve and change since the original ST:TNG days and remain a terror on screen through ST: First Contact and ST: Voyager series.
I think that’s what the Cybermen need – to be “updated” and rebooted for today’s audience. They’ve done it with the Master, Silurians, etc. There’s no reason why they can’t here.
As for their villainy and nature, I really do see them very much like the Borg (or perhaps even the machines of Terminator, the Matrix, etc.) – out to assimilate all beings, viewing their emotionless, mechanical nature as perfection and mastery over all others.
But yeah, I’m with you guys. Cybermen = Cyberfail.