Doctor Who "The Empty Child" (Part 1 of 2) US PREMIERE Talkback (Spoilers)

[Lord Dalek]

The Trip of a lifetime

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London, 1941, at the height of the Blitz. A mysterious cylinder is being guarded by the army, while homeless children, living on the bombsites, are being terrorised by an unearthly child.

Cast: Christopher Eccleston (The Doctor), Billie Piper (Rose Tyler)

Guest Cast: Kate Harvey (Nightclub Singer), Albert Valentine (The Child) Florence Hoath (Nancy), Cheryl Fergison (Mrs Lloyd) Damian Samuels (Mr Lloyd), John Barrowman (Jack Harkness), Robert Hands (Algy), Joseph Tremain (Jim), Jordan Murphy (Ernie), Brandon Miller (Alf), Richard Wilson (Dr Constantine) Noah Johnson (Voice of the Empty Child), Dian Perry (Computer Voice).

COMMENTS?

[Duke]

Pretty fun episode so far. The scene at the hospital was pretty chilling until the cheesy CG gas mask transforming thingy.

Rose's complaints about the Doctor not being Spock-like are great too. Gotta love the "Doctor? Doctor Who?" bit. :P

Jack reminds me of the Sky Captain. If only we had giant robots...

[rabidrednek]

That gas-mask kid creeped me the HELL out :eek:

[Undrave]

Well maybe the CG isn't up to par with American standard but I tought it was freaky looking.

This episode and next are probably my FAVORITE of the first serie ^_^

[Delthayre]

That was top flight material. I haven't said it before, but I wish I had so I could say, "I've said it before and I'll say it again: gas masks are as creepy as hell." The eponymous Empty Child was very unnerving in appearance and demeanor. My queer insensitivity to visual quality left me quite able to find Doctor Constantine's transformation rather disconcerting. The entire hospital scene was quite unnerving.

The dialogue was very good too. The Spock gag amused me and the Doctor's comically unfortunate inquiry, "has anything fallen from the sky recently?" was great too. Especially Eccleston's expression when he saw the poster and understood the response. The bit of British patriotism was nicely done. I'm a sucker for bits like that. The scene at the raided dinner table was wonderful too.

I've enjoyed the mystery over what exactly is goïng on. It's all very strange, disturbing, and confusing, which are fine qualities for a show like this. This episode makes better use of the two-part format than "Alien's of London" and "World War Three", especially the cliffhanger, which was more concise and punchiër than the aforementioned episode's somewhat overlong end.

Captain Jack Harkness is a little different from what I had expected, but very good, and I'm intrigued by the talk about the, "Time Agency," which I presume is another mystery that will either be explained later or left to linger in extrapolation. He scenes with Rose were especially fun, I'm already glad to know he'll reäppear in this season, as well as season three and Torchwood.

I think, if not for "Dalek", that this would be my favorite episode thus far. It indeed met the fond regards I'd heard of it. I'm very enthused for next week's conclusion.

**** out of **** for "The Empty Child"

[Undrave]

There's something about hospital zombies that make them super freaky don't cha think??

All the jokes about Rose' t-shirt were funny too. These two eps have an awesome balance betweem the funny bits and the more serious ones.

[HellCat]

It'll be interesting to see if the episode airing tonight in the UK will beat this in the creepy stakes as early reviews imply.

Personally, The Empty Child is the best written story in the whole first season for me.

[silvanoir]

Gas mask kid and the hosptial zombies were definetly creepy.

I have a fear of heights/falling, and Rose being carried away on that rope high over London on those blimps as well as standing on top of an invisible spaceship by the clock tower was definetly the stuff of my nightmares.

It was kinda funny when they told the doctor to go see the doctor.

I didn't like Mr.TooCharming, I hope he's one of those characters we don't see past this two-parter.

[Lord Dalek]

I didn't like Mr.TooCharming, I hope he's one of those characters we don't see past this two-parter.I'm affraid you lose.

[Undrave]

I'm affraid you lose.

lol :p

But to be fair Cap'n Jack does get more likeable with time.

[The Guitar Slayer]

Captain Jack is the "action man" in more ways than one. He brings a nice balance to the Tardis. I really like his character, but he does come off a bit lousy in this ep.

This is my favorite arc in the series, but I do like the second part better than the first. I think the first lays all the pieces in place for what happens in Part II which makes it very important but not very exciting.

Rose, Rose, Rose, always looks to see what the rope is attached to before climbing! And I didn't like her hair this ep at all. Too 80s. The Doctor and the kids were very sweet; he always seems to have a natural affinity with kids, no matter what incarnation he's in. I know it was originally marketed toward kids, but even his grumpier parts seem to think kids aren't that bad.

I've gone to see the War Museum in London with its Blitz exhibit and this ep really nails it all. I'm a real nut for history, and apparently so is the writer of this ep, Steven Moffat. He wrote the new one for the second season that I love, The Girl in the Fireplace. Excellent, excellent writer. Hope to see more of him.

And yes, the Empty Child sent me behind the chair the first time I saw this ep. And Dr. Constantine transformation made me want to sleep with the lights on too. It didn't help that the people who watched it with me would go "Muuuuuummmy" at random for awhile afterwards.

(shudder)