Who Review: The Doctor Dances
The Doctor, Rose, and Captain Jack Harkness narrowly escape being turned into gas-mask zombies, but their respite from danger is short-lived. All around, the sick and dying are growing gas masks and crying out for their Mummy, following the lead of the little boy who started it all. The Doctor makes the connection between the hospital ship that Captain Jack directed to Earth with the nanogenes that are making everyone just like gas-mask boy. And it seems the nanogenes are going airborne, making it harder to prevent the inevitable wiping out of the human race. There’s more to the boy in the gas mask than it seems. His sister Nancy appears to be holding back vital information, but with German bombs dropping every few minutes, there’s not much time to get to the truth. And even then, will the Doctor be able to stop the nanogenes and save the world?
SPOILER ALERT!! My comments may (and likely will) contain spoilers for those that haven’t seen the episode. If you want to stay spoiler-free, please watch the story before you continue reading!
If you’ve read my review for “The Empty Child,” you already know I consider this two-part story “Must-See” Who, and, along with “Dalek,” the best of the season. Lots of good, witty dialog, some very creepy moments, and the best kind of resolution, when all the clues that have been laid over the course of the story come together and it makes sense.
The first clue is the nanobots, or nanogenes, that Captain Jack unwittingly picked up from the “ambulance.” He used them to heal Rose’s hands in the first part, and here, the Doctor uses them to repair his hands. But the Doctor explains how they work, and makes the connection between the nanogenes and the craft that Jack crash-landed in London. At first, the Doctor thinks the nanogenes are just running wild, turning everyone into gas-mask zombies. But then, as he discovers more about what’s going on, the pieces start to come together.
We met Nancy in the first part, and learned that the gas-mask boy is her brother, Jamie, who was killed when the ship crashed. The nanogenes brought him back to life, but now whoever he touches becomes like him. Out of her loss, Nancy has taken on the care of the waifs and strays of the area, giving shelter to them, and feeding them with the abandoned meals of families hiding in air raid shelters. But Nancy has a secret, one that, in 1941 she dare not tell. There’s a reason why her brother keeps asking “Are you my Mummy?” and is drawn to his sister. Nancy is, in fact, his Mummy. And this is critical information, because they share DNA. Once the nanogenes figure out their relationship, they can fix Jamie based on what his Mum is like (since his Mum has the dominant genetic information). When the Doctor brings Nancy and Jamie together, urging Nancy to tell the boy that she’s his Mummy, it seems as if he was hoping to at least put the boy’s mind at rest before he converts her. When she doesn’t turn into a gas-mask zombie, you can see the light turn on in the Doctor’s eyes. He realizes what’s happening. And when he takes off Jamie’s mask and he’s okay, there is genuine joy. But the best is yet to come. He sends the nanogenes over to the assembled zombies–an upgrade, he calls it–and, with better information as to what humans look like, they “fix” everybody. Everybody lives, and the Doctor dances.
In the midst of this happening, we have some sniping between Jack and the Doctor. Writer Steven Moffat claims the Doctor is hopelessly in love with Rose, and feels threatened by Jack. I don’t know about the “hopelessly in love” bit, but he certainly feels a bond with Rose, and enjoys impressing her. Jack, with his “proper” space ship, his sonic blaster, and his gadget that scans for alien tech, makes an impression on Rose, and the Doctor feels one-upped. This leads to some wonderful exchanges, like the “assets” banter in the corridor. I’m not quoting it–you need to watch it. 🙂
Perhaps the best of the creepy moments–and one that gave me a chill when I first saw it–happens when they are in Dr. Constantine’s room, and the Doctor plays the tape of the session. We hear the boy saying “Are you my Mummy?” on the tape. And we continue to hear the boy’s voice. Then Rose asks, “What’s that noise?” We hear a flickering sound, and the Doctor says, with a wry smile, “The tape ended thirty seconds ago.” Cut to the tape reel spinning, the tape end flicking with each rotation. Cut to gas-mask boy on the other side of the window, looking at them. EeeK!
The word “dance” is clearly used as a euphemism both in the title, and the story. Sure, the Doctor “dances” for joy because, “Just this once–everybody lives!” But “dance” also refers to either sex, or, at least, engaging in a relationship that is more than just friendship. Does the Doctor dance? Clearly, Captain Jack dances with all manner of beings. Jack is more than able to dance with Rose, but what about the Doctor? Given the Doctor’s character, I don’t think “dance=sex” applies to him, but it certainly applies to the Doctor’s ability to open up and allow himself to be involved in a meaningful relationship, something he has probably closed himself up to as a result of the Time War. We’ve come a long way from episode 2, “The End of the World,” where the Doctor struggles to tell Rose anything about himself or his past. Jack challenges the Doctor to open up, pull down the barriers, and let Rose–and others–in. It’s perhaps telling that in the next story, “Boom Town,” we meet up with the Doctor, Jack, Rose, and Mickey around a table in a restaurant, laughing and telling stories.
What more can I say? If you don’t watch any other story from New Who Season One, watch “The Empty Child” and “The Doctor Dances.”
