Fear Her [TV/2006.6.24]

★★★★☆

  As part of my goal to always stick to my guns and be honest with my opinions, I have the honour of informing you all that I find this episode such a charming little slice of Dr. Who. Low ranking in the Doctor Who Magazine polls be damned, I find Matthew Graham's work on this a wonderful job. From the writer's own words, this is an episode aimed for children, and much like the best picture books and films and television shows for children, there's a uniquely eerie senes about it. Children can be so creepy, let's admit it, and Fear Her takes advantage of that innate fear in all of us to great effect. Euros Lyn has gone on record to talk about how it's not the best it could've been, but I think he still gave it a stellar shot in execution; the scribble creature is realised well, the TARDIS gag at the beginning is fun, and the direction really ramps up its style during the second half (particularly when Chloe's "dad" tries to come down the stairs). Heck, even the stop motion drawings used for some scenes -- that's something Dr. Who should be doing more often, becoming more creative with the visual medium. I enjoy the presentation of this episode thoroughly, is what I'm trying to say.

  Not only that, but since we're nearing the end of Series 2, both the Tenth Doctor and Rose are at their post-honeymoon, post-jitters stage where they've gelled with each other so perfectly that they're practically one gestalt entity. Probably not the most flattering way of putting it, but what I meant was that David Tennant and Billie Piper act being in love with each other so well at this point. Even down to how the Doctor doesn't sport his tie brings a lot to how the episode as a whole feels; it's undoubtedly high-stakes, and it touches on very important issues (it deals with child abuse really well, actually... properly, like), but there's such an ease about the visual storytelling as well as the developments of the script that it's hard not to get sucked in this fantastical tale about alien entities wanting friends and abducting millions on a whim, set in the middle of a boring Stratford street. The final moments with the Doctor in the middle of the Olympic stadium, flame in hand, is just the kind of ridiculous I want in my Dr. Who... more of this, please! I don't care if the general populace hates this episode to bits, I love Fear Her and its bleeding heart for lonely children. I'd go as far as to say we need more compassionate and creative episodes like this, ones that break the boundaries of low budget and visual limitations. I mean, a child's scribbles being a legitimate monster that physically threatens someone... you don't get that in any other show, you just don't.