The Girl in the Fireplace [TV/2006.5.6]

★★★★★

  For a newcomer, it would be hard to believe that there was a time when Steven Moffat had an overwhelmingly positive reputation among the Doctor Who fanbase. Yet, it's true; after the success of Series 1's The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances, Moffat's sophomore episode for the subsequent series managed to cement his status as one of the new series' most popular writers. Considering its atypical concept — a love story for the Doctor, something unseen in the TV show since The Aztecs, probably — it's a miracle that Moffat managed to make it this beautiful.

  As with everything, there are factors that account to The Girl in the Fireplace's brilliance. There's David Tennant delivering one of his most delicate performances, his very real romantic chemistry between Sophia Myles, and Euros Lyn's beautiful direction. Lyn is possibly one of the oft-unsung heroes of the modern series; his grasp on bringing scripts alive has constantly proved to be from very good to immaculate. Murray Gold's music comes in clutch once again and adds an extra touch of the whimsical, the tragic childhood fairytale come alive with monsters and a lonely angel. If you're looking for a particularly strong showing of either Rose or Mickey, you've come to the wrong place (although the former does get a touching scene with Madame de Pompadour that adds quite a lot to Billie Piper's character: the longing, the jealousy, the nagging thought that loving a traveller from the stars could end badly) — but that's okay. Sometimes, all a Doctor Who story needs is a strong, novel take on the Doctor and a real emotional force. Both are provided in droves here; no wonder I love it so much.

*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ  

  The Girl in the Fireplace is Steven Moffat letting loose his wild imagination, cooking up a wonderful, whimsical story about space-time warpholes and French aristocrats. His notion of the Doctor as a childhood imaginary friend turned real would be used again during his own tenure of the show, but its use in this particular episode feels just as strong. It's a fantastic showcase of David Tennant's acting talent, and an equally fascinating look into the Doctor's, especially this incarnation's inclination to let emotions drive his actions and its consequences. I haven't watched this episode in ages, and today proved to me that I've been seriously missing out on a very special kind of wonder, fun and heartbreak.