Love & Monsters [TV/2006.6.17]

★★★★☆

  It's not really surprising that Love & Monsters got the terrible reputation this has, but once again, I'm siding with the critical re-evaluation train. This is an amazing episode on many fronts, giving viewers a rare opportunity of jumping into the Dr. Who world as a mere witness to the Doctor's adventures, and getting to meet and lose friends along the way. These people have their stories too, their goals in life and why they decided they've become interested in the Doctor. They're going to leave you soon, and you're gonna make mistakes as well, but that's the risk you take when you take the leap into the sidelines of this insane traveller. Who knows? Maybe you'll find out something about your own past as well. Careful on your way inside.

  Key to the success of Love & Monsters is the casting of Elton Pope, and Marc Warren brings exactly the right kind of nerdiness and affable charm to the role. Without him, I suspect this episode really would've been as awkward as its reputation holds it out to be. Elton is cute, he's sincere, and he's a caring sort of bloke that knows when injustice is being done and how to stand up to it (in his own awkward way, of course). His little fling with Jackie is one of the most interesting things Russell T Davies has done during his time on the show, and it's one of those moments that make you realise just how different the new series is to its classic predecessor. We care about these random characters, so much so that they are practically the emotional hinge of a full Dr. Who episode and we don't even blink an eye! It's a culmination of years and years of expanded universe explorations of family and people, all tied up in a uniquely RTD knot; it's a glorious thing to watch, and it's even more glorious that select moments of Love & Monsters hit like a brick even after all these years. Maybe I'm just a sucker for good pop music, but young Elton's scenes with his mum -- as tried and true those methods are, they still get me. I fully beloeve in Elton Pope as a character, and therefore I believe in the episode as a whole. It's about him as much as it is about the Doctor (in fact, I'd say the episode is much more an Elton episode), and it takes a couple of bold steps without forgetting how to be funny as well. Awkward funny, of course... it's awkward, but in an intentional way that's highly amusing. You might not find this any good, but I think it's a brilliant, subversive piece of Dr. Who.

  If the Abzorbaloff really throws you off that bad, though, I feel sorry for you. Fun little thing, the Abzorbaloff. Goes to show that Who was always quite strong on the prosthetics, bodysuit and makeup departments.