Doctor Who Series 1 Episode 8: Father’s Day

Director:

Joe Ahearne

(Doctor Who: Dalek, Strange, Ultraviolet)

Screenplay:

(Doctors, Holby City)

Cast:

Synopsis: Rose persuades The Doctor to let her witness her father’s death in 1987, with disastrous consequences after Rose changes history…

Another week, another episode not written by Russell T Davies, and (consequently)another great Doctor Who episode!

“Father’s Day”, written by Paul Cornell, puts the emphasis on the wholeparadoxical nature of time-travel. After Rose saves her father’s life in 1987,the past is changed and strange creatures known as Reapers descent on Londonto take advantage of the situation (by “deleting/eating” people).

As with most time-travel stories, not everything here makes sense, but thegist of things is sound enough and allows some interesting developments – notto mention some great acting from all concerned.

Christopher Eccleston again relishes being able to bring much-neededdrama and anguish to his role, while Billie Piper is finally given a dramaticsituation to sink her teeth into. Both prove extremely capable actors,brilliantly assisted by Shaun Dingwall (Pete Tyler) and Camille Coduri (Jackie Tyler).

The performances are the best there has been on Who, primarily because there’sa tangible, human, tragic aspect to the story that all actors are morecomfortable with emoting.

The effects throughout are of a high quality, particularly the excellentReapers (imagine a pterodactyl-gargoyle hybrid, above-right) and even theincidental music (so often the bane of Who this year) proves quiteemotionally-charged.

It helps that the potentially complicated story is realised quite succinctlyby Cornell, despite some illogical moments – for example, if 1987-Jackie knowsnow about Rose’s time-travelling, why is she so surprised by events in theprevious episodes set in 2005? It would be nice if future episodes revealedthat Jackie always knew The Doctor would come a-calling. But, regardless ofsuch illogical moments, “Father’s Day” has an underlying emotional weightabsent from all previous Who episodes this series.

Overall then, this is a deft and emotionally satisfying story with some greatperformances from the cast. Yes, there are some moments that don’t quite makessense (why does the driver who missed hitting Rose’s dad keep appearing andvanishing outside the Church – the accident didn’t happen there, and there’sno reason for this “blip” to exist anyway…), but if you’re not anal abouttime-travel logic (like I can be!) then “Father’s Day” is a fulfillingexperience for all Whovians and general audiences alike.

Next Week: Another two-part episode, as The Doctor and Rose travel back intime to World War II, where a mysterious cylinder is being guarded by theArmy. Meanwhile, homeless children, living on the bombsites, are beingterrorised by an unearthly child. And when Rose meets the dashing CaptainJack Harkness, it seems she may have found a hero greater than The Doctorhimself…

DIRECTION
PERFORMANCES
PLOT
SPECIAL FX
SOUND/MUSIC



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