I’m happy with the resolution and internal logic of this two parter.
And, whoa, talk about sexual tension - on so many levels. I wonder what the networks would make of that in the US, especially since it’s a kiddie show.
However - from the preview it looks as if Capt. Jack will be tagging along, and I don’t like him. The WWII girl, Nancy, would have been a much smarter choice. Also - the preview shows farting alien babies on stereoids again… :shudder:
In the preview, it looks as if the Tardis might get damaged or destroyed. Good thing Jack’s got a time machine too.
As for the sexual tension, I rather suspect Dr Who has routinely played on levels that both kids and adults can enjoy.
Jack’s time machine blew up, didn’t it?
And the sexual tension was quite homoerotic. Maybe a six year old wouldn’t pck up on it, but a twelve year old wouldn’t doubt for a second what was implied.
What? I never got any homoerotisism from the show, unless Rose is really a guy…
I quite like Jack. He could be a good recurring character methinks!
Well…
Hmmm, I suppose it was expecting too much of Russell T Davies to script an entire Dr Who season without bringing including something about sexual politics. I’m just not sure if it fits in with the general ethos of the show.
I already hate Jack. What is it about British shows that compel them, in order to attract US attention, to always include an American who’s hipper, funnier, swingyer and all round more happening-dude than all the other characters? Adam, for god sake, was more preferable to the cliched American fly-boy. I vote for a tragic accident next week in which Jack buys the ranch in a stunning act of self-sacrifice.
But a good episode despite the Yank. Nancy was brilliant.
My vote for the daftest moment goes to Jack sitting astride the bomb in mid air. What the hell was that about??? And I’m not sure what the flatulent aliens did so well that merits having them back for another episode.
Dr Strangelove?
Apparently the man who lived in the house was also doing things with the butcher. That was a weird side note.
Stealing food. Not so weird.
He mentioned that in “The End of the World” episode too when Cassandra declared herself the last human alive. I thought it meant that underneath, Jack was a huge gelatinous blob and he was warning Rose not to let him get his tentacles inside 
Not wierd but not stealing. Exchanging a roast of meat for some sausage methinks
Just rewatched, and you’re right! I assumed the wire cutters had something to do with him stealing from the butcher on first watch but occams razor interprets the line “your missus isn’t fooling around with the butcher, you are” pretty easily!
Personally, I read that as meaning that one of his third cousins, twice removed, is part, intelligent evolved dolphin, and part human. No tentacles where there should be, but a bit of genetic mixing with compatable humanoid races.
I agree that in the future, human seem to be a bit more fleable, but as for number three, I thought the Doctor was commenting of the fact that he was not sure that Rose wanted to Dance with him, or with Jack. She chose the Doctor, figuring that it is important to make the statement that her loyalties lie with him.
P.S. I mean dancing, not “Dancing”, btw.
Shouldn’t be, not should. :smack:
I re-watched.
Rose (standing next to jack): “Actually… Doctor… I thought Jack might like this dance.”
Doctor (snapping fingers):“I’m sure he would, Rose. I’m absolutely certain. But who with?”
Jack: :gulps:
I just had a horrible, horrible thought: Could it be that the new writers are trying to create a recurring enemy, like the Daleks, for the 21st century edition, with the Flatulent Aliens?
I hope they read fan reactions.
On the whole I enjoyed this two parter very much. In general I thought the whole sexual tension thing in this episode was massively overdone and not at all subtle. Part of the character od the Doctor is that in the past he has always seeemd to be asexual (as in not sexually active, not sexless), now it seems as though with the demise of his home and family he’s on a mission to shag everything in time and space. What’s next a threesome with a Dalek? “Oi Mate, watch where you’re shoving that tentacle”.
The fear factor was reduced in this episode, but there were still some edge of the seat moments. I suspected that the Doctor would rescue Captain Jack and was pleasantly surprised when he actually did. Not sure I would want Jack to be a permanent member of the TARDIS crew, but for a few episodes he might be tollerable. IMHO he would make a better occasional guest character, who inadvertently causes problems for the Doctor to fix.
I noticed the Dr Strangelove reference in the riding the bomb part too.
Like others here I saw the trialer for the next episode and cringed. Not only were the Slitheen the weakest and stupidest Dr Who villains since the Candyman (a robot made out of sugar), we now have to put up with them for a third time. Is Mr Davies running out of ideas already? I hope not, but it does not look good for the ratings by bringing these cretins back.
I am keen to have a recurring adversary for the Doctor, but not one whose main weapon is fart gag type humour, let’s get a real villain with decent motives and abilities. Not necessarily an old enemy, I would be happy with a new one as long as they’re credible and don’t keep returning after certain death like the Master and Davros in the original series. Although I am willing to make an exception to this case for the Daleks, RTD and Co. can create as many hokey ways of bringing them back as possible and I will keep watching. The little tin pepperpots are the greatest who villains ever, especially now that without Davros they are actually a race in their own right not just metal minions.
would it not have been written (if not filmed) before the first episode was aired?
Indeed. The whole season was filmed long before the series began to air. Maybe the Slytheen (however they’re spelled) are more nefarious than they appeared. They could turn out to be cool. I doubt it, but who knows?
I felt this episode was very much like a “Sapphire and Steel” idea. Kind of cool.
And all the gay/bi references in this one will probably be because the writer also created and wrote “Queer As Folk”.
I accept that the series was filmed prior to the first episod airing, but surely someone at the Beeb had the sense to say “these farting aliens are shit, what say we bring back the xxxxx (fill in with monster of choice)”.
Yes Russel Davies wrote Queer as Folk, but why does all tv these days seem to have a political agenda? Can’t they just get on with writing good quality science fiction instead of trying to make a point? If RD wants to write more stuff about sexual politics, let him write another series of queer as folk.
I watch Doctor who for the adventure, the escapism, the stories and the occassional moral dilemma. I do not watch it for sexual politics.
The moral debates I want to see are “should I destroy the daleks/slytheen/ etc?” not “should I sleep with the human/dalek/sytheen and then decide whether to blow them up?”
There is a place for sexual politics on tv, but Dr Who is not it. Let’s just have goo quality adventures. Dr Who has never been hard sci-fi, it has always been about the adventure rather than the science, let’s not have it turn into a time travelling soap opera as it is in danger of becoming.
To be pedantic, these two “The Empty Child” episodes weren’t written by Davies, but rather by Steve Moffit, who’s rather better known for exploring heterosexuality in Coupling - even if, with Jeff, we’re talking the weirder reaches thereof.
No doubt though, Davies overall role in series probably has encouraged the individual writers scope to toy with such issues.
Personally, the unresolvable sexual tension between the Doctor and Rose has - probably inevitably, even in what’s officially a kids’ show - been implicit from the first episode and I felt that Moffit spun it in an unpredicted direction. Better to somewhat ironically acknowledge the issue than pretend it isn’t there.