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Series 2 Episode 4: “The Girl In The Fireplace”Broadcast on BBC1, Saturday May 6th, 2006
Series 1 Boxset:
Series 2 Part 2:
Director:
- Euros Lyn
(Cutting It, Casualty)
Screenplay:
- Steven Moffatt
(Coupling, Joking Apart)
Cast:
- The Doctor: David Tennant
Rose Tyler: Billie Piper
Mickey Smith: Noel Clarke
Reinette, Madame de Pompadour: Sophia Myles
King Louis XIV: Ben Turner
Young Reinette: Jessica Atkins
Katherine: Angel Coulby
Manservant: Gareth Wyn Gtiffiths
Clockwork Man: Paul Casey
Clockwork Woman: Ellen Thomas
Synopsis: The Doctor arrives in 18th-Century France to find Madame dePompadour being stalked by clockwork automatons from the 51st-Century…
The Girl In The Fireplace is a quite wonderful love story, courtesy ofwriter Steven Moffatt, who knows exactly how to mix science-fiction withpowerful emotion. The story finds The Doctor, Rose and Mickey aboard aspaceship in the 51st-Century that has various “time windows” — allentrances to various moments in the life of Reinette, the Madame dePompadour, in 18th-Century France. But for what purpose were these windowsconstructed, and why are a gang of clockwork robots travelling back in timethis way?
I’ve often complained about the lack of imagination in recent Doctor Who.Too often the episodes are quite hokey adventures that just so happen to beset in the future, or the recent past, with little credible sci-fi to backit all up. Moffatt is a writer with the type of imagination best suited toWho, with some very original ideas used to layer an imaginative plot packedwith big emotions. It’s rare that an episode can genuinely chill (an earlysequence with a robot “monster” under the bed is a highlight), make youlaugh (“I didn’t want to say magic door…”), and also produce deep emotion(the final moments are knockout stuff.)
David Tennant is finally given a half-decent plot to chew on, and rises tothe occassion magnificently. Finally his wild streak is tempered with aromantic foil, played to perfection by Sophia Myles as the glamorousReinette. Billie Piper takes a backseat for once, but has a few interestingthings to play — particularly because this episode marks the second timeshe’s been usurped by another woman interested in The Doctor. Noel Clarkehas little to do, but his glee at being involved in an adventure hits theright mark, and it’s a pleasure to see his character taking another stepaway from annoying sidekick.
The production design is excellent throughout, particularly the 18th-Centurysetting, but even the futuristic designs of the spaceship are morebelievable than recent examples. The CGI is generally good (I particularlyliked an “eye-ball camera”), although a sequence with The Doctor burstingthrough a mirror on horseback is a little ropey.
But The Girl In The Fireplace isn’t really about the visuals, it’s aboutan engaging story sold magnificently by the cast. In many ways this is theperfect Doctor Who episode, managing to bring multiple facets of the showtogether into a delicious whole. A heatbreaking story that brings laughter,adventure, epic themes, a few chills, and great character interplay.
NEXT WEEK: An alternate Earth… with the Cybermen…
Reviewer of movies, videogames and music since 1994. Aortic valve operation survivor from the same year. Running DVDfever.co.uk since 2000. Nobel Peace Prize winner 2021.