The Empty Child

Dear Gary—

The Empty Child has a little bit of everything; I especially want to single out four strong elements that combine to make this episode a standout: the Doctor, Nancy, humor, and atmosphere. The gloomy streets, the night shoots, the sepia hues, the rumble of planes and distant explosions all lend the right ominous undertone, and then the horror elements are laid on top with the occasional dash of wit. When the Doctor and Nancy inhabit this space it all comes together.

There is a scene early on that highlights all of these components. It starts with the Doctor and this wry observation to a stray alley cat: “You know, one day, just one day, maybe, I’m going to meet someone who gets the whole ‘don’t wander off’ thing. Nine hundred years of phone box travel, it’s the only thing left to surprise me.”

At which point he is startled when the TARDIS’ police phone rings.

Doctor: “How can you be ringing? What’s that about, ringing? What am I supposed to do with a ringing phone?”

It’s a darkly droll moment, and then the mysterious Nancy shows up and warns, “Don’t answer it. It’s not for you.”

The scene is capped as the somewhat amused and bemused Doctor answers the phone to hear the eerie voice of a child repeating, “Mummy? Mummy? Are you my mummy?” Just like that the comical turns creepy, and it is brilliantly played out in the Doctor’s face.

Even though Nancy makes only a brief appearance in that snippet, she fills the scene. Nancy is a fully developed character from the start; possessed of a silent self-confidence, independence of thought and a strong will. Add to that compassion, courage, and wit. There is nothing superficial about Nancy.

Which brings me to Rose.

Whenever the script diverts to Rose it disperses the tension. I don’t mind too terribly because Rose’s storyline sets up some important plot elements and incidentally sows some seeds for the unfortunate Doctor/Rose relationship arc. Besides, it successfully separates Rose from the Doctor thus allowing the Doctor to more fully come alive. Plus it introduces Captain Jack.

The Empty Child is really those two separate tales, the Doctor and Nancy in one and Rose and Captain Jack in the other, with the Doctor and Nancy thread the superior. Being a two part story, the Rose/Captain Jack sections are necessary for setting up the second half but distracting. (“This isn’t business, this is champagne.”)

This occurs throughout the episode. Just when things are getting interesting we switch to Rose flirting with her latest. But it is most evident at the end. The Doctor has made his way to the hospital and Doctor Constantine with his ward full of empty patients. As the Doctor examines one after another his incredulity grows.

Constantine: “Examine another one.”

Doctor: “This isn’t possible.”

Constantine: “Examine another.”

Doctor: “This isn’t possible.”

The repetition underscores the point: “They’ve all got the same injuries.” “Yes.” “Exactly the same.” “Yes.” “Identical, all of them, right down to the scar on the back of the hand.” And then to punctuate, that same scar is revealed on the hand of Doctor Constantine.

“Physical injuries as plague.”

Finally the big reveal: “They’re not dead.”

Struggling with every last word, he directs the Doctor back to Nancy. Then the gruesome transformation as the plague manifests itself in Doctor Constantine.

It’s a powerfully dramatic moment interrupted with the sounds of Rose and Captain Jack arriving in the hospital.

Similarly, we have a contrast in personality insights, and again the depth is weighted towards the Doctor and Nancy.

The Doctor asks Nancy, “Who did you lose?” A simple enough question, but heavy with meaning. The Doctor has a fundamental sympathy with and understanding of Nancy on the shortest of acquaintance. Both have suffered a tragic loss that shapes them and forms a solid connection between them. And it is all simply stated in those four words, “Who did you lose?”

But it is not just in the words. Nancy gives the barest of details about her brother Jamie and the Doctor waxes eloquent about the human spirit (“A mouse in front of a lion”) and it is moving and touching. The power of the moment, however, belongs to the subtleties in Nancy’s expression as she listens to the Doctor’s speech.  She never has to say a word.

When words are spoken, every one counts. Take this gem from Doctor Constantine: “Before this war began, I was a father and a grandfather. Now I am neither. But I’m still a doctor.” And the Doctor’s reply, “Yeah, I know the feeling.” Nothing more needs to be said.

Now let’s examine Rose and Captain Jack.

We don’t just get speech from these two, we get the benefit of psychic paper to bear witness to where their minds are.

Rose: “You just handed me a piece of paper telling me you’re single and you work out.”

And what’s on Rose’s psychic wavelength? “Oh, you sort of have a boyfriend called Mickey Smith but you consider yourself to be footloose and fancy free.”

Profound stuff.

Then there is Rose’s obsession with Spock and scanning for alien tech. “Finally a professional,” she says when Jack does just that, in awe of the flash. (I have to laugh thinking about Peri who always griped that she was bored with the Doctor and now Rose is unimpressed with him. And then I have to laugh even harder when this scene is immediately followed up with the Doctor using his non-showy but handy super binoculars which I wonder if are the same as the first Doctor used so long ago in The Daleks.)

Her preoccupation with TV effects over substance extends even to the name.

Doctor: “Mister Spock?”

Rose: “What was I supposed to say? You don’t have a name. Don’t you ever get tired of Doctor? Doctor who?”

Rose has completely forgotten that the Doctor had earlier shown her his own psychic paper with the name of Doctor John Smith of the Ministry of Asteroids. The name aside, Rose is demonstrating a basic lack of understanding of who the Doctor actually is. Unlike Nancy who needs no psychic paper to be on the same wavelength as the Doctor.

Rose is too caught up in herself and her flirtation and her pretense at being a time agent. She gives an off-handed, look at me I know so much comment about Chula warships, but she doesn’t have a clue what’s going on. The Doctor, on the other hand, asks the right questions. “What kind of Chula warship landed here?” His mind is working. His mind is on serious matters. He might not know what is going on yet, but he is working it out: “Human DNA is being rewritten by an idiot.”

And the big question that needs an answer is left for another episode as the empty child and the hospital patients all ask in unison, “Are you my mummy?”

Once again I’ll leave it on the cliffhanger, Gary . . .