The Empty Child

An ongoing debate in fandom is who actually created Captain Jack. Whilst Steven Moffat was the first to write the character, Russell T Davies gave the character to Moffat to introduce in his two parter. Personally, I see Steven Moffat as the character's creator as he is the one who first established the character's personality onscreen. Without Moffat's writing first, Jack may have been a completely different character with a completely different personality. Whilst I'm not as in love with The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances as other members of the Whovian fandom, if it wasn't for this story Captain Jack may not have become arguably the most compelling of the new series' recurring characters to date.

The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances finds the Doctor (Christopher Eccleston) and Rose (Billie Piper) arrive in WW2 London, where a young child called Jamie (Albert Valentine) is terrorising the population by spreading what appears to be a disease that turns everybody he touches into gas mask zombies. Whilst Rose searches for a young boy crying for help and is rescued hanging from a barrage balloon by con man Captain Jack Harkness (John Barrowman), the Doctor meets the young boy's 'sister' Nancy (Florence Hoath). Eventually the Doctor and Rose learn that the gas mask zombies have been created by nanogenes (robots that take on the appearance of glowing specks and are capable of healing wounds) from a Chula ambulance that Jack crashed in the middle of war-torn London. In order to save London from the nanogenes, the Doctor, Rose and Jack must reunite Jamie with his mother.

It's not hard when looking at this story to see why the character of Captain Jack became so popular. John Barrowman as Captain Jack is perfect casting and is extremely fun to watch. There is literally never a dull moment when Jack is around, his cheeky nature balancing nicely off Christopher Eccleston's more serious take on the Doctor. One great scene shows Jack admiring Rose's arse through a pair of binoculars. To me that is the scene in this two parter that sums up Jack's character best; it shows how progressive Doctor Who as a show is and always has been that it introduced its first bisexual character in 2005. That's at least 10 years before other television shows started introducing bisexual characters, maybe even longer than that. The only other bisexual character in a television show I can recall is Marcus Dent in Coronation Street and he wasn't revealed as bisexual until 2012, when he developed feelings for hairdresser Maria Connor.

Christopher Eccleston is much better here than he is in other Series 1 stories as the Doctor too. By this point he feels much more comfortable in the role, especially with the humour that the part requires. Earlier in the series some of Christopher Eccleston's more light-hearted lines felt a little forced but here it sounds somewhat more natural coming from his mouth. The line 'Oh, that's just humans. By everyone else's standards, red's camp.' would have probably felt stiff said by early Eccleston but here the way he says it to Rose works well. He still isn't the best Doctor at the more comedy-orientated elements (hell, he's probably my least favourite Doctor out of all the actors to play the role) but it shows that he might have improved had he stayed on for a second series. This is something that even Christopher Eccleston himself has begun to acknowledge; in recent interviews he has stated he regrets leaving Doctor Who after such a short space of time and could have improved at the comedy had he continued. Here's hoping Big Finish can convince him to record some new audio adventures of the Ninth Doctor as it could be a Colin Baker scenario: the audio Ninth Doctor being better than the TV Ninth Doctor (NB: Christopher Eccleston has since joined Big Finish to record audios as the Ninth Doctor, and the audio Ninth Doctor is more comedic than the TV Ninth Doctor).

The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances has possibly one of the best one-off characters in any episode of the show too. Florence Hoath is brilliant as Nancy; an extremely likeable young woman who feeds homeless children in her shelter. She's a woman with a heart of gold, yet she's certainly no Mary Sue. Her weakness is actually pretty dark for Doctor Who, in that she refuses to accept a kid of hers who in her mind is a 'mistake'. You see, Nancy is a mother who gave birth at the age of sixteen. She's the victim of an unfortunate young pregnancy. It can perhaps be argued that in the same way Kill The Moon is a subtext for abortion, The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances is more the story of a young woman facing her 'mistake' and having to accept him for who he is rather than as someone who wasn't meant to happen than it is about gas mask zombies. Nancy could have made a brilliant companion and it is a wonder that she didn't join the ninth Doctor, Rose and Jack in the TARDIS (although it would have been a bit crowded).

My problem with The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances is that I don't find the gas mask zombies that convincing as a threat. The catchphrase 'Are you my mummy?' is creepy in the way it is spoken regardless of the character's age in a childlike voice but it isn't clear enough what the gas mask transformation does to its victims. Do they lose their humanity? Is it like a mental condition such as dementia where they're no longer the same person but merely a reflection of who they used to be? Do they have the same memories or only simplified versions of them (does Jamie only remember Nancy being his mother?)? None of this is made clear enough in the two parter and it would have been nice to have had more clarity by Steven Moffat as to how tragic becoming a gas mask zombie is.

Having said that, the climax of 'everybody lives' still remains one of the most heart-warming moments the show has ever had. You truly feel the Doctor's joy when he says it and it feels like a natural conclusion that makes sense given what has happened earlier in the story. The foreshadowing is all there for a satisfying pay-off and is expertly written by Steven Moffat, in a way that I couldn't possibly imagine this story having any other ending. It's sort-of like if Steven Spielberg directed a Doctor Who episode: the kind of magical conclusion you'd get from a Spielberg film like E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if Spielberg movies were an inspiration for Moffat when writing this two-parter. Maybe one day the show could even get Steven Spielberg to direct a Steven Moffat episode?

The two parter also features one of the most impressive scenes in the 2005 revival so far: Rose hanging from a barrage balloon. This scene was filmed in front of a green screen at a hangar at RAF St Athan (in the Vale of Glamorgan) and in my view wouldn't look out of place in a blockbuster movie. It's jaw-dropping how convincing it looks and there are no obvious signs that it is green-screened (as can be found in some TV Shows with a higher budget).

The CGI in that scene by The Mill is still incredible today, the tractor beam Captain Jack uses to beam Rose up being another effect in that scene that feels extremely real. If you showed thatto anybody without bias towards Doctor Who and asked them how old the CGI is, I would predict their response would be '2024' rather than '2005'.

Overall, I might not have as much love for The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances as other Whovians (personally I prefer Silence In The Library/Forest of the Dead) but it is still a great two-parter and a successful introduction for Captain Jack Harkness. John Barrowman was perfect casting as Jack.

Christopher Eccleston gives one of his best performances as the Doctor and Nancy is one of the show's most likeable one-off characters. The gas mask zombies may not have impressed me as they did other viewers but their catchphrase is certainly creepy, even if what the gas mask transformation even means for its victims isn't explained enough in the two parter for me to really care or find them scary. The CGI is still amazing though (especially the barrage balloon sequence) and would still look impressive in a modern 2020s production.

The Empty Child and The Doctor Dances are two episodes which have become iconic. It’s the first writing credit for Steven Moffat on the TV series. It’s the first appearance of John Barrowman as Captain Jack Harkness. It features the ‘the Empty Child’ and the ‘gas mask zombies’ who have remained a striking, recognisable image for even casual viewers of the series.

It’s also a story which, typical of me, I was underwhelmed by on broadcast. I don’t think I’ve watched it since. Series 1, as a whole, was enjoyable at the time – not least because of it being brand new Doctor Who after the long years in the wilderness – but was, as a series, utterly eclipsed by what came next and, in my mind, wasn’t an era I was desperate to revisit.

The beauty of Doctor Who though (and something I really think the more rabid, kneejerk denizens of fandom forget (or wilfully ignore)) is that it is eminently rewatchable and more often than not, as this marathon has proved time and time again, when I revisit a story which underwhelmed me on broadcast, I find I enjoy and appreciate it much, much more.

Already immersed in World War Two what with The Churchill Years and particularly, my last entry on the Torchwood episode, Captain Jack Harkness, and previous to that Victory of the Daleks (or at least the first half of it) the story immediately struck a different chord. The way that war-torn London is depicted is immediately on a much larger scale than those previous stories. Torchwood was restricted to period costumes and set dressing in a dance hall and Victory of the Daleks spent its budget on a new paradigm of Daleks.

The Empty Child has entire sequences of Rose hanging from a barrage balloon whilst planes zoom around her and explosions rock the ground and sky. An invisible spaceship is tethered to Big Ben and plays Glenn Miller. There are numerous locations: a family home complete with Anderson shelter; a ‘deserted’ hospital; a crash site surrounded by barbed wire and armed soldiers. Everything is presented in glorious period detail and the atmosphere of doom and desperation pervades the story, making the climactic scenes all the more joyous.

Key also to the story’s success is Florence Hoath as Nancy. She is the entire heart of the story; the secret key to everything that is happening. As I understand it, Hoath has since retired from acting, which is a shame, as she is a powerhouse in this story showing steel and vulnerability in equal measure. She would have made a superb companion. Rose, in contrast, doesn’t actually get much to do aside from flirt with Captain Jack. Her main function seems to be to aggravate the Doctor by commenting on Jack’s more appealing sci-fi credentials. I’m not a huge fan of Rose but it does seem that Moffat is happier writing for Nancy’s pseudo-companion and of establishing Jack’s ‘loveable rogue’ credentials before he, himself, does join the TARDIS crew.

I’m never going to be a massive fan of the 9th Doctor either but this is definitely one of Eccleston’s better stories. Unsurprisingly, his scenes with Nancy are the best, particularly the scene where he appears at the dinner table with the children. The way they interact at a level of almost equals is fascinating. The Doctor knows less than Nancy about the situation so respects her advice and intel. He also simply accepts the way she has to live without judgement. There has been much said about how the Doctor is Series 1 is a facilitator, often taking a back seat to other characters solving the dilemma. It was an aspect I found frustrating. In this story, however, it works better than in others because whilst Nancy is the key to solution, the Doctor isn’t completely passive in the resolution.

The macguffin of the nanobots causing the gas mask ‘infection’ is a fun idea which allows for an ending that is slightly unusual in Doctor Who and earns the Doctor’s unbridled joy in the climactic scenes (as well as earning Richard Wilson’s gag about Mrs Harcourt’s extra leg (which itself seems to riff on Moffat’s other ‘too many legs’ joke in Coupling)).

The one aspect of the story which I’m not sure is warranted or needed is the whole ‘Doctor Dances’ theme. As a metaphor for ‘sex’, it seems a little on the nose when Rose invites the Doctor to ‘dance’. As a way of contrasting the Doctor with Jack, I’m not sure it is needed as the ‘sci-fi’ credentials schtick is more than enough ( especially the amusing sonic screwdriver scene). I know the modern series has been more in touch with the Doctor’s sexuality than the classic series ever was, but having an episode with a title that effectively means ‘The Doctor has sex’ seems a bit too much.

But it’s a minor niggle with a story packed with great performances, a tangible atmosphere deriving from excellent period detail and some exciting and chilling set pieces.

❤️49/50 = Superb! = Essential!

Thworping through time and space, one adventure at a time!

THE COMMENTARY:

I love the high-speed chase that pulls us into the episode; it yet again shows what kind of action this new series is capable of.

Written by Steven Moffat. I wonder if he's any good!

This immediately begins building on the atmosphere with the eerie gas mask kid and the slow reveal that we are in London during the Blitz. The palpable wartime story mixes perfectly with the creepy alien mystery, which is why this two-parter is an instant classic.

It's amusing how the Doctor becomes perplexed about the TARDIS telephone ringing when it's not a real phone. Moffat will use this gimmick a couple of times during his tenure as showrunner.

The visuals range in quality: the costumes and sets look great, but some of the bigger VFX shots are wonky (i.e., Rose clinging to a blimp during an air raid; it's an awesome scene, but not fully believable).

John Barrowman introduces Captain Jack by having him save Rose, instantly establishing him as a sexy, dashing, and fun character, as well as a man ahead of his time.

I like the “Lost Boys” seen here, led by the determined Nancy. Chris Eccleston has great chemistry with the children and fits very naturally into this dark point of British history.

You are aware that the gas mask child is frightening, even if you are unaware of the reason (a specialty of Moffat's!). That constant, “Are you my mommy? Mommy?!?" is freaking scary.

I love how casually Nancy gets to insult the Doctor's nose and ears.

This episode strikes a balance between the Doctor's involvement in the creepy alien mystery and Rose's introduction to Jack, whose connection to the threat remains unclear despite his charming nature.

The fact that Captain Jack is a flashy, irresistible individual means that Rose is immediately infatuated with him, which rubs the Doctor the wrong way, and this adds a fun element to the story to ease the tension over the heavier stuff.

This one is surprisingly tense and engaging, despite being one long set-up for the second half.

The scene featuring the legendary Richard Wilson portraying Doctor Constantine is a timeless masterpiece. It feels wrong from the start and culminates in one of the scariest transformations in all of Doctor Who, as Constantine becomes a gas mask child.

“Don't you ever get tired of Doctor? Doctor who?” Well played there, Moffat!

The tail end of the episode breaks our hearts by revealing that Captain Jack is a con-man, and the crashed alien ship is an ambulance that has been rewriting human DNA. We then end the episode with an instant classic cliffhanger, as several empty children closein on the Doctor, Rose, and Jack...