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Series 2 Episode 12: “Army Of Ghosts” (Part 1 of 2)Broadcast on BBC1, Saturday July 1st, 2006
Series 1 Boxset:
Series 2 Part 5:
Series 2 Boxset:
Director:
- Graeme Harper
Screenplay:
- Russell T. Davies
Cast:
- The Doctor: David Tennant
Rose Tyler: Billie Piper
Jackie Tyler: Camille Codouri
Mickey Smith: Noel Clarke
Yvonne Hartman: Tracy-Ann Oberman
Dr Rajesh Singh: Raji James
Adeola: Freema Agyeman
Gareth: Hadley Fraser
Matt: Oliver Mellor
Synopsis: The Doctor and Rose return to present day London to find that the wholeplanet is being visisted by ghosts and a strange sphere in the TorchwoodInstitute could hold the answer…
And so it begins; the final story of the inconsistent second series. RussellT. Davies, a writer capable of atrocity (Love & Monsters), middling pap (NewEarth), and occasional highlights (Tooth And Claw) returns to oversee theclimactic two-part episode, starting here with Army Of Ghosts…
In similar fashion to last year’s BAD WOLF, a plot-point woven throughoutthe entire series and explained in the finale, Army Of Ghosts explains theomnipresence of ‘Torchwood’ this year. It turns out it’s a covert agencybased in Canary Wharf, headed by Yvonne Hartman (the ballsy Tracy-AnnOberman), that studies alien artefacts and technology. Of course, thisrevelation has been obvious to anybody with a brain cell for most of theseries, and also forms the premise to upcoming Who spin-off show Torchwood.Still, there are better kept surprises to redress the balance…
Events begin with a sense of grandeur mostly absent from Who this year, asRose narrates a prologue about her adventures with The Doctor and herimpending death. It’s a beautifully made sequence of flashbacks and wistfulposes from Billie Piper, capped with a great shot of the TARDIS on an alienworld with flying creatures in the distance (a shame the budget will neverstretch to full episodes in such places…)
The meat of the story takes place in, you guessed it, present day London. Ittranspires that, in The Doctor and Roses’ absence, the ghosts of dead lovedones have been appearing across the world at regular intervals. Quite whyJackie Tyler takes this all in her stride so readily, and indeed the worldaccepts this without fuss, is perhaps just one of those contrivances offamily sci-fi. Personally, if a silent blurry grey figure appeared anywherenear me, it would take a great deal to convince me this was a dead relative,but hey… suspension of disbelief, and all that…
The Doctor suspects the ghosts are bleeding through from an alternatereality and whisks Rose (and Jackie, accidentally) to the headquarters ofTorchwood – who seem to be responsible for these “ghost shifts”, and needThe Doctor’s help in explaining a strange weightless sphere they havediscovered…
Russell T. Davies acquits himself very well with this story, helping toerase the bad memory of Love & Monsters (well, slightly). To be honest, itwould be unthinkable that anyone could deflate a story that plays with suchbroad strokes (ghosts, a secret agency, an alternate universe, a bizarrespherical spaceship, the return of the Cybermen…) Yes, the metal menacesreturn in this episode, to better effect than their underwhelming debut inRise Of The Cybermen mid-series, thankfully.
Still, credit where it’s due; Davies injects more energy and charisma intoThe Doctor than most writers, and mostly keeps the lid on his penchant formisplaced gags (well, despite a “ghost weather” report and a scene from TV’sEastEnders with Barbara Windsor berating Dirty Den’s ghost…)
David Tennant proves once and for all that he is an actor at the mercy ofwriting. Some actors can elevate bad material with sheer will and charisma(last year, Christopher Eccleston did this quite regularly), but Tennantneeds a written foundation. Davies gives The Doctor quite a few sequenceswhere he’s genuinely funny (“They might shoot to kill… but I have themoral high ground!”), exciting to watch (the ghost-busting triangle),suitably geeky (3D specs!), and memorably intelligent (the fabulous glasspane explanation). Tennant ensures he’s a whirlwind of activity and grabsthe material by the scruff of the neck. Great stuff.
Billie Piper returns to form, playing an active part in the adventurewithout holding The Doctor’s coat-tails all the time, and reminds us whyshe’s been so popular as a companion. Still, the fact this looks to be thelast adventure for Rose, is still the right decision. The character doesn’tseem to have any more hidden depths. It’s just a shame her departure willmean the end for mother Jackie (Camille Codouri).
The supporting cast are fine, but only Tracy-Ann Oberman is worthy ofmention as Torchwood boss Yvonne Hartman. I enjoyed the character’sambiguity immensely; dictatorial and superior, yet in awe of The Doctor andunsure of herself.
Special effects are very good, although I wasn’t convinced by the murky greyghosts. The spherical orb was neat, as was the alien world CGI with theTARDIS, but the standout moments were the global scenes of Cybermen atfamous landmarks. The music was overblown at times, but ultimately it wasquite refreshing to hear some different themes mixed into the show.
Army Of Ghosts is sprinkled with great moments and humour, and for once thebalance is correct. The pure sci-fi aspect to Who even returns with thesuitably creepy spherical Void Ship! Yes, there are still some clichés andmisplaced gags that don’t work (armed guards applauding The Doctor?) butthey’re few and far between. Ultimately, Army Of Ghosts succeeds because ofits enjoyable premise, engaging mystery, and the fact the writing andperformance all service the story perfectly.
And yes, even I can’t believe I haven’t mentioned the stunning climax to theepisode that becomes a defining moment for the series and ensures nextweek’s finale is must-watch TV.
Fantastic.
NEXT WEEK: Is it the end of the adventure for Rose when full-scale war breaks out across Earth…?
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.