He's one of the smartest characters in the show. In these early episodes, he still lacked experience, but right from the start he has shown he can learn any skill instantly and always know the best way to utilize it. Like in the last episode, when he subtly blocks the path inside the school with the car after crashing through the window, because he knows a strong enough vehicle can pry the TARDIS open. Never acknowledged in the episode, but every episode he's in is full of little things like that.
Mickey’s love for Rose is unrequited. He knows that it would (rightly or wrongly) hurt Rose to see The Doctor mourn another woman. He also respects The Doctor’s need for privacy. Mickey really proved himself this episode.
The historical love story between Louis XV and Madame de Pompadour is almost as beautiful as this. Most royals like to dump their mistresses when they find a new one they like better or when the current one is no longer useful to them, but Louis remained utterly devoted to Reinette even during her fatal bout of tuberculosis, and even nursed her to the very end and was heartbroken when she died.
@@rnw2739 Do you have to be so disgustingly pessimistic about a beautiful story? If she were to live to an older age, he would have been old too. They would have grown old together. You could have spoke of how beautiful that would have been, instead of saying *that.*
I just realised that Reinette is an allegory for true Doctor Who fans. We get introduced when we are young. We stay devoted. But Doctor Who has been around for 60 years, and will be around in some form for another 60 years. The Doctor will outlast all of us.
“I weary traveller must always take the slower path” - A beautiful masterpiece with creepy french robots. What more could you want. The Doctor gets a taste of a life he knows he could never have. Hope you enjoyed Jules!
"Wish me luck. - No" breaks me every time. This episode is easily in my top 5. The chemistry and connection between the doctor and Reinette is so unique and strong, which makes this episode so heartbreaking (but in a good way). Loved that you made the connection between this episode and the previous one, about how the doctor is dealing with losing the people that he love. And regarding all your questions at the end - great questions, and i hope no one in the comments will spoil with some answers 😉 you'll have to go down the slow path, like we did at the time, in order to find out 😉
I always see the Doctor's persona as comprised of two main parts: 1) the giddy joy at seeing the many wonders of life and the universe, and 2) the bottomless grief from being a lonely long-lived creature. (It's like he's the paired tragedy/comedy masks that have come to represent theater today.) The end of this episode gives us a good feel for the latter.
"Fireplace" is one of my two or three favorite Tennant eps. I kinda think if you had to pick a single episode of the show to let someone who'd never seen it before know what Dr Who was about, this would be a great one to pick: time travel, space, humor, sadness, cool monsters - it's really all there. Very nice wrap up this time! Some nice insights. It IS fun to see how far Mickey has come along since we first met him.
Totally agree. The acting, the writing, the music, all builds up to an emotional impact at the end. I remember this hitting quite hard the first time I watched it.
Never realised the parallels between the Doctor meeting Reinette and a certain someone else (no spoilers for Jules) - meeting in childhood, then reappearing many years later, even telling her to pick a star and wait for him.
When you think about it, the repair droids aren't really 'evil'. They're simply following their programming, which was to fix the ship. However, in an oversight, the crew didn't program them to only use standard machine parts. They simply used the term 'parts' but in a loose way, meaning they could technically use anything, so long as it followed those lines of code. The droids, unfortunately, use organic remains during repair which includes human organs (the eyeball as a camera lens, a human heart as a pump, and a brain as a CPU for a computer).
A very well written and acted episode. Such a soft spoken and tragic end to this story. Love the quiet and subdued reveal of why the repair droids chose Reinette.
This was so incredibly sad. What a difference in Rose! Her time with Sarah maybe helped her be not so jealous here, realizing Reinette might be a companion. I’m sure she didn’t like it but she understood Reinette. As far as the doctor, he saves the day a lot. He promised her he’d be back. He failed. It’s not just her death, it’s her waiting and he didn’t come, that is part of his guilt and sorrow
So true!! She was very jealous of Sarah Jane but seemed to quickly understand. I could see she was a little bit miffed, but certainly a lot less so than with Sarah initially. Very sad that the Doctor wasn't able to make it back for Reinette... He does seem to be quite hard on himself at times.
This is THE episode that solidified David Tennant as The Doctor for me. I go back and watch clips or the entire episode and it still cuts like it did the first time I saw it. His acting is just phenomenal.
I've read a lot of the comments for this episode but yet to see anyone mentioning perhaps the true hero and biggest talent here - composer Murray Gold whose soundtrack really makes this episode super-special, IMHO. As a musician myself this is a detail of the show that really stands out to me. Murray has been the composer for most of the new show's run, and his work really goes from strength to strength as the show progresses - season after season, continually tugging at our heart strings, building to the HUGE musical climax at the end of the 10th Doctor that will devastate you. But this episode was the first time Murray's work on this show really got my attention in a big way and showed me that we're dealing with greatness, here. This music just says EVERYTHING. It tells you the whole story… Gold keeps bringing it back to the stripped-back simple music box motif, a constant reminder how the story is always rooted in the past, Reinette's childhood. The waltz rhythm indicates the turning of the clockwork gears, the rotation of the fireplace, the passage of time, the coming full circle, back to that original fireplace, a sense of inevitability. The chord progression is a never-resolving cycle, shifting from minor, to major, always back again to minor, creating a feeling of unfulfilled yearning and bittersweet ambivalence. It is simply a PERFECT soundtrack. A beautiful, haunting piece of music that brings me to tears every time I hear it without fail.
That line - 'what do monsters have nightmares about?' 'ME!' So good. Tennant, like Eccleston, got the balance of joy and pain so right, The Doctor is indeed a lonely angel. He does his best to save who he can, but it's not always possible. But that doesn't stop him trying, and that makes him a hero. Looking forward to your reaction to the rest of the series. From a personal standpoint, it's going to be brilliant.
As much as Moffat's tenure as showrunner grossly overindulged in deconstructing the Doctor and his mystique, I do still enjoy how Moffat's RTD-era episodes peppered in these aspects that he was clearly enamoured about. "What do monsters have nightmares about? Me!" is basically the thesis of what he turned the show into.
Buffy - the Vampire Slayer - says the same sort of comment, somewhere within the 7 seasons of that show. At some point, Ms. Jules will hear it and recognize it, and realize: Buffy said it first.
@@therealpbristow If that is so, then I stand corrected. I'm not so avid a fan -- I haven't seen much of Classic Who, haven't read most (or any?) of the novels, and haven't seen beyond JW's first season -- so I'll take your word for it.
I love the fact that Mickey didn't remain the same as he did in the first episode, and they actually gave him character delvelopment and an arc. Such a sad episode though, despite the humour.
One of the very, very best Dr Who episodes, and in my personal top 3. Brilliant concept, writing and storytelling. Sophia Myles is just wonderful in this, with some fantastic lines, and so charismatic, which is needed to make the Dr's actions believable, and portray quite an iconic historical figure. Really enjoyed your reaction as always Jules.
What i love about this reaction series is seeing you evolve from someone who knew nothing about Doctor Who to someone who has fallen in love with it. You can see it in your joyous reactions. The creation of a fan in real time, and it's glorious! 💜💜
Ever since this episode I have been waiting for a companion the doctor picks up from the path. Reinette was so incredibly well written and intelligent, It's such a pity she couldn't travel with him.
Classic who he hs many of them. Even had a "cave" woman and a scottish highlander from I believe the 1500s or something like that. Can't remember exactly.
A personal favorite episode from writer Steven Moffat, whom you will hear more about later on, and a a wonderful platform for Ten. Now Eccleston was such a good Doctor, but Tennant is on a whole other level. Handsome, charismatic, threatening, adventurous, but more than that, you can just feel how much he loves playing the role, especially in this episode. Thanks for posting.
This episode sums up why I love Tennant's run... we get action, emotion, humor, suspense... every time with the Doctor is a rollercoaster well worth the ride.
One of the top 10, if not top 5 episodes in the new Who-verse. Sophia Miles is breath taking as Rennette, especially in the golden candlelight. She was brilliant and ahead of her time which is another reason they wanted her "part", and also because the ship was named in honor of her there was a direct link already. They portrayed that time period so great that I wondered what locations they used to film it. And you can't forget Mickey and Rose running about the ship. When the Doctor shows up "drunk" and how Rose reacted to it shows how great the chemistry is between them. Glad you remembered the banana. I almost gave away a spoiler about that earlier.
This episode is my favourite throughout the show. The scenery, story, characters and music is just so beautiful. Sophie Myles who played Reinette was so good in her role as Madame De Pompadour and David Tennant as The Doctor just perfect together infact after they filmed this episode David and Sophie dated in real life because they fell inlove on set. Honestly I would be the same the whole episode was beautiful and the actors felt in their roles perfectly. Sophie speaks so eloquently I never get bored rewatching this episode.
Congratulations. You have watched (thus so far) my favorite episode of Doctor Who. That line about a world of demons for the sake of an angel touched me too. And that’s really the Doctor’s superpower, isn’t it? Against all odds, the people who don’t lose faith and keep hope. Even in the end, even if they could not be together, she kept faith and love for him. There’s an expression I picked up for the tears earned by the Doctor. I’ll share it in the future, but it’s a good one. He’ll make us cry more, but they are well earned.
This was the very first episode of Nu Whu I introduced the daughter child to. She could not stop going on about the costumes and sets for the past and it was a great time watching with her because she gave an interesting comparison to this episode versus one set in victorian era form Classic who we watch, with Sarah Jane by the by, and she was saying how impressed she was with the production team from the seventies having had the same level of practical set and outfits as the modern era. This is why it' so much fun watching with a noob, you always get an insight that is different than your own. Always learning and loving it.
One of my all time favourite episodes. So tragic and yet so beautiful. There is a 3 minute followup here on youtube that was written by Steven Moffat (the writer of this episode who penned some of the most beloved ones, especially before he took over as show runner) and voiced by Sophia Myles, the actress who played Reinette. It is titled "Doctor Who: LOCKDOWN | Pompadour". But beware of heartbreak.
Ah, this is such a fantastic episode... but really sad! I'm so glad you enjoyed it, too. This was written by Steven Moffat, who wrote The Empty Child two-parter in series 1. As I said back then, keep an eye on that one!
This one always gets to me too. Really a Steven Moffat classic episode and Murray Gold's music is amazing. Steven Moffat is a practiced Surrealist at heart.
Two comments about this episode: 1. The scriptwriter is the same as "the empty child" and "the Doctor dance", I again recommend not losing track of him. 2. The actors who play the Doctor and Renee were a couple for a while after this episode.
This is absolutely one of my favorite episodes. I love the historical episodes anyway, but this is one of the best. Madame de Pompadour really was an important historical figure.
I grew up watching Doctor Who with my Nan and baby brother when I was 4 years old, and my Nan always loved the Christopher Eccleston and David Tennant eras of the show. Sadly, my Nan is no longer with us, but that’s why I love watching reactions to Doctor Who as it reminds me of the times watching the show with my wonderful, beautiful Nan. This episode was always one of her favourites and she’d frequently ask to watch ‘The One With The Shop Window Dummies’ (talking about ‘Rose’) or ‘The Empty Child’ or ‘The Girl In The Fireplace’. I love how this show can be a horror story one week (‘Tooth and Claw’), a found footage episode the next, a murder mystery the next, a camp Sci-fi comedy the next (‘New Earth’), a political thriller the next and a romance the next (‘The Girl In The Fireplace’). Thank you for your reaction and I’m so glad you enjoyed this episode.
I got excited when i saw that you were watching this episode, its one of my all time favorites...you could tell he fell for her as much as she did him, he was content knowing he might have to stay there, and was happy when they were about to travel together too, very sad ending though and emotional episode and so good, always like watching your reactions and hope all is well
One of my all-time favourite episodes. A particular standout for me is the music, it's so good. I think Madame de Pompadour's theme might be the most beautiful track in Doctor Who. It has a similar wistful melancholy to the Face of Boe's theme, another of my favourites.
One thing I’ve never understood about this episode. If The Doctor is so in love with Rose, why does he fall in love with Reinette and then abandon Rose without a second thought by smashing through the mirror. It’s always upset me how he treats her in this episode. Is it because he is jealous of her and Mickey and trying to get back at her in a sense? Or is it due to him being a Time Lord and he reciprocates any affection he is given because he knows he will lose anyone he loves eventually anyway?
I think part of it is how well and quickly Reinette was able to connect with and understand him. Without him having to say anything. He surrounds himself with aliens that look like his species but in comparison are still just apes smashing rocks together. So that was probably as close as he's gotten to talking to another Timelord. Part of it also is how short lived and fragile humans are. Another part is that him and Rose aren't officially together. And now her boyfriend is along for the ride.
I think it has more to do with Moffat not liking Rose and being willing to sacrifice existing character development for the sake of his story. But I’m very biased against Moffat.
This episode won an award I believe. It is regarded as one of the best of Nuwho entirely. Also the ship being named after her is why the droids wanted her brain, the logic jump was that because that was the ship name, then they need her brain to pilot it. It makes sense in a cold robot way. The droids just do what they are programmed for.
When Steven Moffat wrote this episode he loosely based it on the book the time travelers wife a book that I highly recommend also he based it of course on real life historical figures
What do monsters have nightmares about? - Me! - Never were better words written to describe the Doctor. Say what you will about him, I think this may be Steven Moffat's finest episode. Tennant and Sophia Myles (Reinette) began dating after this episode, meeting on set. They broke up when their schedules kept them apart (she based her career in LA, and he was filming Who in Cardiff )
I didn't know this lol I know about the other person he met on set. Makes me wonder if there were more. "Oh look what the cat dragged in. The Oncoming Storm." Encapsulates this Doctor specifically. Absolute manic whimsy that takes everyone by surprise.
*This* is Doctor Who. Conceptually great, beautifully acted. Though, the chemistry between Sophia and David wasn't quite just acting, they were together at the point of filming.
I find that this episode makes the 9th Doctor's plea that "Just this once, Everybody lives!" hit so much harder. For all the wonderful things the doctor is and does, he fails quite often.
I love School Reunion and The Girl in the Fireplace back to back. It is so interesting to see life, first from the companion's point of view, and then the Doctor's.
Hello, Jules!💜 This is one of my top 5 or 10, Doctor Who episodes. Steampunkish, real life characters from history, a wonderful story, and Sophia Myles.😜 This carries on the theme you were just speaking on, last episode. The Doctor, those he meets, with whom he connects, and how that goes, through time.🥲 A very melancholy story, but absolutely one of my favorites. I hope you love it, as well. Let's see!🥰 And, yes, one more aspect - the potential dangers of ill-formed AI. Clockwork repairmen doing their job, with poorly designed parameters. And that leap through the mirror, on horseback! Awesome!😝 I always think that whilst Rose is sad, or worried, for the Doctor, she also senses that, once again, she is not the only one whom shares a strong relationship with her Doctor. The scene when Reinette shares thoughts with the Doctor, "A door, once opened, may be stepped through in either direction." - A moment unlike any the Doctor and Rose have shared There are no morel words to write here. It is a beautiful episode. I am very happy you enjoyed it as well. Wonderful production, writing, acting, and wonderful accompaniment 🥰 I am very happy you enjoyed this one, and I was able to enjoy it once again, with you. Have a great Thursday, Jules.💜 Thank you for continuing to share your journey through this wonderful series. 😊 PS Oh, and Keep on Keepin' On, Jules 👍👍👍🙌😜
I wish I could remember which behind-the-scenes piece of content I was watching when I learned that, during this time of filming, David Tennant was well known to be "on the market". I think it was Russell T Davies who said when it came time to write and cast one-off female leads for episodes, they deliberately would aim for eligible actresses who where "David's type". 😅 Which is apparently pretty, blue eyed blonds. He did eventually marry one of them.
@@julesreacts Yes. It's a shame a device that can travel through space and time, doesn't exist on this show. 😆. My cat, btw, always comes running to my phone when she hears your voice. Her father is shown for my pic. We both love your reactions, from Central New York State. ✌️😁👍🌹
This is such a great, but somewhat underrated episode. It's one of the show's most creative uses of time travel as a plot device and the whole thing is equal part sci-fi and fairy tale. The soundtrack really adds to the air of magic, and I think Season Two is where Murray Gold, the composer from 2005 to 2017, really starts hitting his stride. After Season One being entirely Earth and Earth adjacent based, this is New Who's first proper trip to a spaceship in the future, yet it completely shakes things up. This episode was written by Steven Moffat, and that's a name you should watch out for. He wrote the Empty Child two-parter, hence some callbacks to that story, like the Doctor dancing and "bananas are good". This episode also serves as sort of a prototype for some other stories that will come along down the line, in hindsight it's really interesting to see the seeds of themes and ideas that'll be reworked and reused later. It's also interesting to note that this story was inspired by the novel, The Time Traveller's Wife, which continued to be a source of inspiration for some future stories. If you've never heard of it, the novel was later adapted into a movie and, more recently, a mini-series, which Moffat himself wrote. Oh and on the subject of Time Lords and death, they can actually die, it's just less common for them. They can only regenerate twelve times and then after that, that's all folks. It's also possible for a Time Lord to be killed before regeneration takes place, or for regeneration to be negated by various means. Anyway, I'm glad you liked this episode Jules, it's a perfect blend of sci-fi, magic, romance and tragedy. Next week will be kind of heavy on lore and backstory again, so I can't wait!
Ashley 😊💜 I hope you have had a good weekend so far! I've just started playing Zelda, Breath of the Wild and I'm enjoying it! This episode was pretty awesome. It was so well written and very interesting! The call back to the bananas was excellent 🤣 Nice to see some things don't change from doctor to doctor hehe.
this is probably my favourite episodde of season 2 hands down, its the one i always remember, and even after around 5-6 times watching it still plays on my heart strings... on both hearts....
Hello Jules and friends, I hope everyone is well and having a good week. 😊❤ What a great episode to enjoy today! David Tennant really shines here getting to show off his range and Sophia Myles is wonderful as Reinette. The story is clever with some inspiration from "The Time Traveller's Wife" perhaps, and while it ends on a sad note there are plenty of fun moments with the "thick" robots, drunk Doctor and horse on a spaceship. A contender for best episode of the 'new' Who up to this point imo. Looking forward to the next one with my favorite baddies!
It's all manic and fun until almost the very last. A tragic ending, deep with meaning and regret. A most complex and emotional episode. Another great reaction Jules and still so many more to come this season! 😎
There was a teaser, months in advance, for the climax of this episode in Doctor Who Magazine, written by Steven Moffat when he was guesting for the monthly production notes column (normally written by the showrunner, Russel T Davies), I think written due to him being worried he was going to need to come up with a more... Budget friendly... climax. I might be getting the exact wording of it wrong, but it was something like "A thing on a thing jumping through a thing." - Which, in the context of the actual episode, translates to the doctor on a horse jumping through a mirror. Also the reason why there was a horse on the spaceship, according to Moffat on a forum he was on at the time, is that Moffat was terrified that the audience would get bored and wander off to the pub. So he changed the maid wandering around the spaceship from an earlier draft into a horse to make anyone watching want to stay at least a little longer in order to find out what the horse was about.
I like this episode a lot. It very well structured, and it has the right balance between adventure and emotions. It seems the droids were right in choosing Reinette - she must have a very special brain to be to look back into a Time Lord's mind. I do feel bad for the Doctor, because, since she was able to see everything, he finally had someone he didn't need to explain himself to, they could have a relationship much more honest than with any other human. There's a reason he agrees to "dance" with her ;)
Moffat insists that when he wrote this one, he'd forgotten the whole 'dancing' innuendo from his previous script. But hey, the author's intention is never the final word on how to interpret the work. =;o)
The Girl In The Fireplace is one of the best episodes in the series of Modern Who. Beautifully written, acted and directed. Creepy, witty and sad. My late parents loved this episode. The Clockwork Robots are brilliantly realised.
I love this episode. Definitely one of my favorites from series 2. There's something so romantic and beautiful about it, yet also heartbreaking, for both Reinette and the Doctor. Reinette spends a large portion of her life waiting for him, hoping to see him again, only for him not to return in time, in the end. And I think the Doctor adored her as well - I think he finds uniqueness interesting, and she was unique and different to him. The fact that she could see into him just as much as he could see into her, and she saw a deep, abiding loneliness in him... that's so sad to me. But it was also beautiful that she could see it. In that way, she's one of the few who truly see him. I also like the approach of her character. One would think the viewer wouldn't like her (or wouldn't want to like her), because they want the Doctor to be with Rose. But time and again they manage to make the storylines clever and thoughtful, so we don't mind. We don't mind his love for Sarah Jane, nor for Reinette. After all, our lonely Doctor has two hearts... he has so much love inside to go around. ☺❤
OUR LONELY DOCTOR HAS TWO HEARTS 😭😭😭😭 That's just about the most beautiful thing I've ever read about him, Sherry! I love that... I adore that.... My goodness, I love it.
This is my favourite episode of season 2 and deffo one of my top 5 episodes of NuWho! I've been looking forward to you watching this one since you covered the xmas special a few weeks back haha. It was such a clever idea on how they combined two timeframes in one story, and how their adventure also doubled as a story of Reinettes life. The clockwork robots were interesting in that they weren't evil per say as they weren't trying to take over the world or enslave humanity. They just didn't understand the assignment. Also, horray for Mickey for getting a spaceship on his first try, he seemed so happy! The ending was so sad, but I think it was really respectful of the Doctor to keep Reinettes letter private. I don't think she'd have wanted anyone else to read something so intimate.
Such a wonderful, funny, and bittersweet episode! I feel like you learn a lot about The Doctor and his life and character from this one. One of the best!
This one always makes me cry. This is a great example of how amazing this show can be. The lonely Doctor. :( this show breaks your heart over and over and over ... Thank you for your reaction!
The ending to this one is sadder then I remember, though it is brilliant. The clockwork droids are so creepy and brilliantly designed, especially when you consider they're not really malicious, just very literal minded when it comes to going about their duty of keeping the ship functioning. The writer had to fight tooth and nail to be allowed to include the bit of the Doctor crashing through the mirror on the horse (as everyone else told him they couldn't do it) and I'm glad they got to pull it off in the end. I see you haven't quite gotten used to the Doctor's tendency to act silly to throw the villains off guard ;)
One of the best New Who episodes, and probably the one that made me realise the Tennant/RTD era was potentially one of Who’s best eras (it’s inconsistent but it has a lot of very, very magnificent high’s ) Iirc Tennant and Sophia Myles were an item for a while, which accounts for the chemistry. Her portrayal of Reinette is one of the best ever real historical figure portrayals in Who
this is genuinely one of my favourite episodes ever it’s just so so beautifully written. also can i just say i’ve been binging ur doctor who reactions and i love them so much i love how deeply you care about all of the characters 💜
The opening of this episode is one of the best, we don't know who she is yet but she clearly has an idea of what's going on, and then she calls out to the Doctor.... Combined with the ending reveal of why they were after her specifically, it's just beautiful. 'One may tolerate a world of demons for the sake of an angel' I'm sure Buffy could relate..... This is one of the episodes that got a little epilogue written for it during the Lockdowns in the UK, which might interest you Thanks as always for your beautiful reactions, I love getting to see your Who journey :)
Mickey is very lucky. Im his first adventure he went 3000 years into the future. On an alien spaceship in space and also 18th century france 🤣🤣 he got the past, future and space all in one 😂
Lovely job. During this episode the goats and ducklings spent a lot of time whispering together, between bites of popcorn. After the video, they blocked me from getting out. So confronting them, they demanded that I build them a fire place. First I informed them that since they bought a plastic shed, I couldn't do it. Then I told them that I don't know how to do it. Then I told.them the price was too high. They talked to each other and decided that I can't do it, I should invent a retro virus to give them and the alpacas thumbs so they could do it themselves. *sigh* I just pushed them aside and walked out. I hope they forget soon. Have a wonderful day, and give your cats a cuddle.
CAT 🤣🤣 First, they blocked you from getting out which was pretty funny. And THEN the whole thing with the plastic shed and wanting a fireplace built inside! Goodness, they are cute but a little bit silly aren't they 😅 I adore them.... but I do worry about your safety from time to time... Enjoy the rest of your week, Cat! I hope you're feeling much better 🥰
Always love the way Steven Moffat tells time travel stories Yeah, that's all I want to say Oh wait... I hate the way Steven Moffat tells time travel stories... cause it just makes your heart being broke and shattered...
No, but it's widely believed they were dating for a while afterwards. (Never been confirmed by either of them. as far as I know, but at the very least they became friends... And DT has said that when he'd met her once before, he'd tried to chat her up but got nowhere!)
This episode is really good, even if I don't love it the way I love my favourites. Not sure why I don't really revisit this one much. It's a nice look at the way The Doctor falls for people and the impact he has on the people he gets close to in that way. The way Reinette recognises that she and Rose feel the same way about how it's worth all the monsters to spend time with The Doctor is a nice parallel. I always loved the design of the space-age clockwork repair droids, the way they fuse an old fashioned technology with advanced high-tech designs is really cool! Lastly, the Doctor saying "I'm always all right" hits really hard rewatching this one...
This is not one of my personal favourites, but it is a good story. I suppose I’m not keen on sad endings! Moffat later recycled the basic idea of this story for the opening of Series 5, but he gave it a happier ending, which suits me better. However, I don’t think Madame de Pompadour is ever seen again in Doctor Who.
I adore that Mickey recognizes the Doctor needs a moment alone. It's a small thing for his first outing, but I think it speaks to his character a lot.
He's one of the smartest characters in the show. In these early episodes, he still lacked experience, but right from the start he has shown he can learn any skill instantly and always know the best way to utilize it. Like in the last episode, when he subtly blocks the path inside the school with the car after crashing through the window, because he knows a strong enough vehicle can pry the TARDIS open. Never acknowledged in the episode, but every episode he's in is full of little things like that.
Yeah, that was a huge line for him, for his character. It really builds him up as a quality guy.
Mickey’s love for Rose is unrequited. He knows that it would (rightly or wrongly) hurt Rose to see The Doctor mourn another woman. He also respects The Doctor’s need for privacy. Mickey really proved himself this episode.
The historical love story between Louis XV and Madame de Pompadour is almost as beautiful as this. Most royals like to dump their mistresses when they find a new one they like better or when the current one is no longer useful to them, but Louis remained utterly devoted to Reinette even during her fatal bout of tuberculosis, and even nursed her to the very end and was heartbroken when she died.
More understandable as she died young. I doubt he would have been as devoted if she grew into an incontinent crone...
@@rnw2739 Do you have to be so disgustingly pessimistic about a beautiful story?
If she were to live to an older age, he would have been old too. They would have grown old together. You could have spoke of how beautiful that would have been, instead of saying *that.*
Man I love this episode. In Reinette we get a brilliant, poetic look at what it’s like to live a life believing in the Doctor. She is all of us
_"She is all of us."_
Beautiful sentiment. Truly.😌
I just realised that Reinette is an allegory for true Doctor Who fans. We get introduced when we are young. We stay devoted. But Doctor Who has been around for 60 years, and will be around in some form for another 60 years. The Doctor will outlast all of us.
Mind blown 😳
The Doctor has been destroyed by Russell T. Davis. Let's hope he can regenerate when the current insanity has passed.
“I weary traveller must always take the slower path” - A beautiful masterpiece with creepy french robots. What more could you want. The Doctor gets a taste of a life he knows he could never have. Hope you enjoyed Jules!
One of my favourite "blink and you miss it" jokes is Mickey saying "even French?" when told about the TARDIS's translation powers.
"I'm not winding you up" is such a great Moffat line. He is easily one of the best writers of the modern Doctor Who era.
i would argue Russel T Davies is better, but Steven Moffat is amazing aswell and was well deserved to be showrunner after R.T.D
I'd argue that "Godspeed, my lonely angel" is a better Moffat line. No pun... just beautiful linguistics.
@@johna5635 for sure, one of the best lines in the show, but as a showrunner i like RTD better
"Wish me luck.
- No"
breaks me every time.
This episode is easily in my top 5.
The chemistry and connection between the doctor and Reinette is so unique and strong, which makes this episode so heartbreaking (but in a good way).
Loved that you made the connection between this episode and the previous one, about how the doctor is dealing with losing the people that he love.
And regarding all your questions at the end - great questions, and i hope no one in the comments will spoil with some answers 😉 you'll have to go down the slow path, like we did at the time, in order to find out 😉
I always see the Doctor's persona as comprised of two main parts: 1) the giddy joy at seeing the many wonders of life and the universe, and 2) the bottomless grief from being a lonely long-lived creature. (It's like he's the paired tragedy/comedy masks that have come to represent theater today.) The end of this episode gives us a good feel for the latter.
Mmmm you're exactly right!!
"Fireplace" is one of my two or three favorite Tennant eps. I kinda think if you had to pick a single episode of the show to let someone who'd never seen it before know what Dr Who was about, this would be a great one to pick: time travel, space, humor, sadness, cool monsters - it's really all there.
Very nice wrap up this time! Some nice insights. It IS fun to see how far Mickey has come along since we first met him.
Awww thank you! I'm so glad you enjoyed the episode ☺️
Yea for me it's this and Blink. They're both brilliant and Doctor Who at it's peak.
Totally agree. The acting, the writing, the music, all builds up to an emotional impact at the end. I remember this hitting quite hard the first time I watched it.
‘Pack a bag…’ the most heart wrenching words The Doctor can tell you…. 💔💔💔
OR if you invite the Doctor for Christmas dinner and he says "Alright then, you go first, I just have to park the TARDIS properly…"
Never realised the parallels between the Doctor meeting Reinette and a certain someone else (no spoilers for Jules) - meeting in childhood, then reappearing many years later, even telling her to pick a star and wait for him.
Both written by Moffat.
When you think about it, the repair droids aren't really 'evil'. They're simply following their programming, which was to fix the ship. However, in an oversight, the crew didn't program them to only use standard machine parts. They simply used the term 'parts' but in a loose way, meaning they could technically use anything, so long as it followed those lines of code. The droids, unfortunately, use organic remains during repair which includes human organs (the eyeball as a camera lens, a human heart as a pump, and a brain as a CPU for a computer).
My take was that the behaviour of the droids was related to the damage to the ship's computer.
@@bryandoehler8962 Yeah, that would make sense tbh.
AI at its “Best” 😅😬
The Doctor has been an imaginary friend to millions over these 60 years. Wonderful reaction as usual Juliette.
Thank you so much, Alexander 😊
A very well written and acted episode. Such a soft spoken and tragic end to this story. Love the quiet and subdued reveal of why the repair droids chose Reinette.
Very satisfying to discover something that the Doctor didn't too!
This was so incredibly sad. What a difference in Rose! Her time with Sarah maybe helped her be not so jealous here, realizing Reinette might be a companion. I’m sure she didn’t like it but she understood Reinette. As far as the doctor, he saves the day a lot. He promised her he’d be back. He failed. It’s not just her death, it’s her waiting and he didn’t come, that is part of his guilt and sorrow
So true!! She was very jealous of Sarah Jane but seemed to quickly understand. I could see she was a little bit miffed, but certainly a lot less so than with Sarah initially.
Very sad that the Doctor wasn't able to make it back for Reinette... He does seem to be quite hard on himself at times.
This is THE episode that solidified David Tennant as The Doctor for me. I go back and watch clips or the entire episode and it still cuts like it did the first time I saw it. His acting is just phenomenal.
not only his....
I've read a lot of the comments for this episode but yet to see anyone mentioning perhaps the true hero and biggest talent here - composer Murray Gold whose soundtrack really makes this episode super-special, IMHO. As a musician myself this is a detail of the show that really stands out to me. Murray has been the composer for most of the new show's run, and his work really goes from strength to strength as the show progresses - season after season, continually tugging at our heart strings, building to the HUGE musical climax at the end of the 10th Doctor that will devastate you.
But this episode was the first time Murray's work on this show really got my attention in a big way and showed me that we're dealing with greatness, here. This music just says EVERYTHING. It tells you the whole story…
Gold keeps bringing it back to the stripped-back simple music box motif, a constant reminder how the story is always rooted in the past, Reinette's childhood. The waltz rhythm indicates the turning of the clockwork gears, the rotation of the fireplace, the passage of time, the coming full circle, back to that original fireplace, a sense of inevitability. The chord progression is a never-resolving cycle, shifting from minor, to major, always back again to minor, creating a feeling of unfulfilled yearning and bittersweet ambivalence.
It is simply a PERFECT soundtrack. A beautiful, haunting piece of music that brings me to tears every time I hear it without fail.
That line - 'what do monsters have nightmares about?' 'ME!' So good. Tennant, like Eccleston, got the balance of joy and pain so right, The Doctor is indeed a lonely angel. He does his best to save who he can, but it's not always possible. But that doesn't stop him trying, and that makes him a hero. Looking forward to your reaction to the rest of the series. From a personal standpoint, it's going to be brilliant.
As much as Moffat's tenure as showrunner grossly overindulged in deconstructing the Doctor and his mystique, I do still enjoy how Moffat's RTD-era episodes peppered in these aspects that he was clearly enamoured about. "What do monsters have nightmares about? Me!" is basically the thesis of what he turned the show into.
Buffy - the Vampire Slayer - says the same sort of comment, somewhere within the 7 seasons of that show. At some point, Ms. Jules will hear it and recognize it, and realize: Buffy said it first.
@@menachemsalomon ... Except that the line first appeared in a Doctor Who novel several years before Buffy came along. =:o}
@@therealpbristow If that is so, then I stand corrected. I'm not so avid a fan -- I haven't seen much of Classic Who, haven't read most (or any?) of the novels, and haven't seen beyond JW's first season -- so I'll take your word for it.
Of course he's on the horse :)This is one of my favourite David Tennant episodes, it's beautifully written and beautifully acted.
The horse!! Such an epic moment 🤣
I forgot how many amazing episodes are packed into season 2, some of the best doctor who episodes I've ever seen
I love the fact that Mickey didn't remain the same as he did in the first episode, and they actually gave him character delvelopment and an arc.
Such a sad episode though, despite the humour.
One of the very, very best Dr Who episodes, and in my personal top 3. Brilliant concept, writing and storytelling. Sophia Myles is just wonderful in this, with some fantastic lines, and so charismatic, which is needed to make the Dr's actions believable, and portray quite an iconic historical figure. Really enjoyed your reaction as always Jules.
Thank you, Neil! I appreciate your kind words 💜
it's honestly impossible for me to watch his episode without tearing up at the end, it's such a brilliant but emotional episode
What i love about this reaction series is seeing you evolve from someone who knew nothing about Doctor Who to someone who has fallen in love with it. You can see it in your joyous reactions. The creation of a fan in real time, and it's glorious! 💜💜
Aww thank you so much 💜 it's hard not to fall in love with this journey!
Ever since this episode I have been waiting for a companion the doctor picks up from the path. Reinette was so incredibly well written and intelligent, It's such a pity she couldn't travel with him.
Watch Classic Who
Classic who he hs many of them. Even had a "cave" woman and a scottish highlander from I believe the 1500s or something like that. Can't remember exactly.
A personal favorite episode from writer Steven Moffat, whom you will hear more about later on, and a a wonderful platform for Ten. Now Eccleston was such a good Doctor, but Tennant is on a whole other level. Handsome, charismatic, threatening, adventurous, but more than that, you can just feel how much he loves playing the role, especially in this episode. Thanks for posting.
Thank YOU for watching 💜😊
One of the best stories ever squeezed into a single episode, it has every element you could wish for.
one of the best episodes, ever 😢 the writing, the acting, the music... wonderful stuff
This episode sums up why I love Tennant's run... we get action, emotion, humor, suspense... every time with the Doctor is a rollercoaster well worth the ride.
One of the top 10, if not top 5 episodes in the new Who-verse. Sophia Miles is breath taking as Rennette, especially in the golden candlelight. She was brilliant and ahead of her time which is another reason they wanted her "part", and also because the ship was named in honor of her there was a direct link already. They portrayed that time period so great that I wondered what locations they used to film it. And you can't forget Mickey and Rose running about the ship. When the Doctor shows up "drunk" and how Rose reacted to it shows how great the chemistry is between them. Glad you remembered the banana. I almost gave away a spoiler about that earlier.
The banana! Haha! He does seem to like a good banana 🤣
@@julesreacts Of course he does! Good source of potassium! ;)
This episode is my favourite throughout the show. The scenery, story, characters and music is just so beautiful. Sophie Myles who played Reinette was so good in her role as Madame De Pompadour and David Tennant as The Doctor just perfect together infact after they filmed this episode David and Sophie dated in real life because they fell inlove on set. Honestly I would be the same the whole episode was beautiful and the actors felt in their roles perfectly. Sophie speaks so eloquently I never get bored rewatching this episode.
Congratulations. You have watched (thus so far) my favorite episode of Doctor Who. That line about a world of demons for the sake of an angel touched me too. And that’s really the Doctor’s superpower, isn’t it? Against all odds, the people who don’t lose faith and keep hope. Even in the end, even if they could not be together, she kept faith and love for him.
There’s an expression I picked up for the tears earned by the Doctor. I’ll share it in the future, but it’s a good one. He’ll make us cry more, but they are well earned.
Awww 💜 they are well earned tears indeed 🥹
This was the very first episode of Nu Whu I introduced the daughter child to. She could not stop going on about the costumes and sets for the past and it was a great time watching with her because she gave an interesting comparison to this episode versus one set in victorian era form Classic who we watch, with Sarah Jane by the by, and she was saying how impressed she was with the production team from the seventies having had the same level of practical set and outfits as the modern era. This is why it' so much fun watching with a noob, you always get an insight that is different than your own. Always learning and loving it.
"What do _monsters_ have nightmares about?" "ME!" 😆
Aaahhahaha yes!!
One of my all time favourite episodes. So tragic and yet so beautiful.
There is a 3 minute followup here on youtube that was written by Steven Moffat (the writer of this episode who penned some of the most beloved ones, especially before he took over as show runner) and voiced by Sophia Myles, the actress who played Reinette. It is titled "Doctor Who: LOCKDOWN | Pompadour". But beware of heartbreak.
Oh thank you!! I didn't know about that... I'll check it out!
Ah, this is such a fantastic episode... but really sad! I'm so glad you enjoyed it, too. This was written by Steven Moffat, who wrote The Empty Child two-parter in series 1. As I said back then, keep an eye on that one!
This one always gets to me too. Really a Steven Moffat classic episode and Murray Gold's music is amazing. Steven Moffat is a practiced Surrealist at heart.
Two comments about this episode:
1. The scriptwriter is the same as "the empty child" and "the Doctor dance", I again recommend not losing track of him.
2. The actors who play the Doctor and Renee were a couple for a while after this episode.
This is absolutely one of my favorite episodes. I love the historical episodes anyway, but this is one of the best.
Madame de Pompadour really was an important historical figure.
I grew up watching Doctor Who with my Nan and baby brother when I was 4 years old, and my Nan always loved the Christopher Eccleston and David Tennant eras of the show. Sadly, my Nan is no longer with us, but that’s why I love watching reactions to Doctor Who as it reminds me of the times watching the show with my wonderful, beautiful Nan. This episode was always one of her favourites and she’d frequently ask to watch ‘The One With The Shop Window Dummies’ (talking about ‘Rose’) or ‘The Empty Child’ or ‘The Girl In The Fireplace’.
I love how this show can be a horror story one week (‘Tooth and Claw’), a found footage episode the next, a murder mystery the next, a camp Sci-fi comedy the next (‘New Earth’), a political thriller the next and a romance the next (‘The Girl In The Fireplace’).
Thank you for your reaction and I’m so glad you enjoyed this episode.
Thank you so much for watching, Dylan 😊💜
Mickey: "What's a horse doing on a spaceship?"
The Doctor: "Mickey, what's 18th-century France doing on a spaceship? Get a little perspective."
"Of course, quite right" 😢
I got excited when i saw that you were watching this episode, its one of my all time favorites...you could tell he fell for her as much as she did him, he was content knowing he might have to stay there, and was happy when they were about to travel together too, very sad ending though and emotional episode and so good, always like watching your reactions and hope all is well
Thank you so much for your kind words 💜 I've been doing very well! This year is speeding ahead... it's crazy 😮 I hope you've had a nice weekend ☺️
Rose: "You're not keeping the horse!"
Ten: "I let you keep Mickey, now go. Go!"
BAHAHA
One of my all-time favourite episodes. A particular standout for me is the music, it's so good. I think Madame de Pompadour's theme might be the most beautiful track in Doctor Who. It has a similar wistful melancholy to the Face of Boe's theme, another of my favourites.
One thing I’ve never understood about this episode. If The Doctor is so in love with Rose, why does he fall in love with Reinette and then abandon Rose without a second thought by smashing through the mirror. It’s always upset me how he treats her in this episode. Is it because he is jealous of her and Mickey and trying to get back at her in a sense? Or is it due to him being a Time Lord and he reciprocates any affection he is given because he knows he will lose anyone he loves eventually anyway?
I couldn't agree more with you. I just posted about the same thing
I think part of it is how well and quickly Reinette was able to connect with and understand him. Without him having to say anything. He surrounds himself with aliens that look like his species but in comparison are still just apes smashing rocks together. So that was probably as close as he's gotten to talking to another Timelord.
Part of it also is how short lived and fragile humans are.
Another part is that him and Rose aren't officially together. And now her boyfriend is along for the ride.
Because The doctor is what we commonly refer as as "fukboi".
I think it has more to do with Moffat not liking Rose and being willing to sacrifice existing character development for the sake of his story. But I’m very biased against Moffat.
I honestly have no idea! Sometimes there doesn't seem to be a lot of consistency between episodes, and maybe it's down to different writers.
This episode won an award I believe. It is regarded as one of the best of Nuwho entirely. Also the ship being named after her is why the droids wanted her brain, the logic jump was that because that was the ship name, then they need her brain to pilot it. It makes sense in a cold robot way. The droids just do what they are programmed for.
One of many Hugo Awards for science fiction that Steven Moffat won for his Doctor Who scripts.
Beautiful episode by Steven Moffat, brings a tear to my eye every single time.
It was a lovely one for sure 💜
When Steven Moffat wrote this episode he loosely based it on the book the time travelers wife a book that I highly recommend also he based it of course on real life historical figures
What do monsters have nightmares about? - Me! - Never were better words written to describe the Doctor.
Say what you will about him, I think this may be Steven Moffat's finest episode. Tennant and Sophia Myles (Reinette) began dating after this episode, meeting on set. They broke up when their schedules kept them apart (she based her career in LA, and he was filming Who in Cardiff )
I didn't know this lol I know about the other person he met on set. Makes me wonder if there were more.
"Oh look what the cat dragged in. The Oncoming Storm." Encapsulates this Doctor specifically. Absolute manic whimsy that takes everyone by surprise.
22:04
"-Are you alright?
-I'm always alright."
:(
"Is 'alright' special time lord code for 'really not alright at all'?"
"Why?"
"Because I'm alright too."
*This* is Doctor Who. Conceptually great, beautifully acted. Though, the chemistry between Sophia and David wasn't quite just acting, they were together at the point of filming.
I find that this episode makes the 9th Doctor's plea that "Just this once, Everybody lives!" hit so much harder. For all the wonderful things the doctor is and does, he fails quite often.
Fantastic Line :
"What are monsters afraid of?"
"ME!!!!"
Murray Gold's music in the end is so beautiful and sorrowful.
I love School Reunion and The Girl in the Fireplace back to back. It is so interesting to see life, first from the companion's point of view, and then the Doctor's.
Hello, Jules!💜
This is one of my top 5 or 10, Doctor Who episodes. Steampunkish, real life characters from history, a wonderful story, and Sophia Myles.😜
This carries on the theme you were just speaking on, last episode. The Doctor, those he meets, with whom he connects, and how that goes, through time.🥲
A very melancholy story, but absolutely one of my favorites. I hope you love it, as well. Let's see!🥰
And, yes, one more aspect - the potential dangers of ill-formed AI. Clockwork repairmen doing their job, with poorly designed parameters.
And that leap through the mirror, on horseback! Awesome!😝
I always think that whilst Rose is sad, or worried, for the Doctor, she also senses that, once again, she is not the only one whom shares a strong relationship with her Doctor. The scene when Reinette shares thoughts with the Doctor, "A door, once opened, may be stepped through in either direction." - A moment unlike any the Doctor and Rose have shared
There are no morel words to write here. It is a beautiful episode. I am very happy you enjoyed it as well. Wonderful production, writing, acting, and wonderful accompaniment 🥰
I am very happy you enjoyed this one, and I was able to enjoy it once again, with you. Have a great Thursday, Jules.💜 Thank you for continuing to share your journey through this wonderful series. 😊
PS Oh, and Keep on Keepin' On, Jules 👍👍👍🙌😜
I wish I could remember which behind-the-scenes piece of content I was watching when I learned that, during this time of filming, David Tennant was well known to be "on the market". I think it was Russell T Davies who said when it came time to write and cast one-off female leads for episodes, they deliberately would aim for eligible actresses who where "David's type". 😅 Which is apparently pretty, blue eyed blonds. He did eventually marry one of them.
Loved this episode and liked your video. If only The Doctor had a time machine, he could go back in time and visit her, before she died. 🤯
If only such a machine existed.... Oh well... 🤣
@@julesreacts Yes. It's a shame a device that can travel through space and time, doesn't exist on this show. 😆. My cat, btw, always comes running to my phone when she hears your voice. Her father is shown for my pic. We both love your reactions, from Central New York State. ✌️😁👍🌹
This is such a great, but somewhat underrated episode. It's one of the show's most creative uses of time travel as a plot device and the whole thing is equal part sci-fi and fairy tale. The soundtrack really adds to the air of magic, and I think Season Two is where Murray Gold, the composer from 2005 to 2017, really starts hitting his stride.
After Season One being entirely Earth and Earth adjacent based, this is New Who's first proper trip to a spaceship in the future, yet it completely shakes things up. This episode was written by Steven Moffat, and that's a name you should watch out for. He wrote the Empty Child two-parter, hence some callbacks to that story, like the Doctor dancing and "bananas are good". This episode also serves as sort of a prototype for some other stories that will come along down the line, in hindsight it's really interesting to see the seeds of themes and ideas that'll be reworked and reused later.
It's also interesting to note that this story was inspired by the novel, The Time Traveller's Wife, which continued to be a source of inspiration for some future stories. If you've never heard of it, the novel was later adapted into a movie and, more recently, a mini-series, which Moffat himself wrote.
Oh and on the subject of Time Lords and death, they can actually die, it's just less common for them. They can only regenerate twelve times and then after that, that's all folks. It's also possible for a Time Lord to be killed before regeneration takes place, or for regeneration to be negated by various means.
Anyway, I'm glad you liked this episode Jules, it's a perfect blend of sci-fi, magic, romance and tragedy.
Next week will be kind of heavy on lore and backstory again, so I can't wait!
Ashley 😊💜 I hope you have had a good weekend so far! I've just started playing Zelda, Breath of the Wild and I'm enjoying it!
This episode was pretty awesome. It was so well written and very interesting! The call back to the bananas was excellent 🤣 Nice to see some things don't change from doctor to doctor hehe.
this is probably my favourite episodde of season 2 hands down, its the one i always remember, and even after around 5-6 times watching it still plays on my heart strings... on both hearts....
Both hearts 😜😅
One of my all time favorite episodes. Wonderful new "monster" the connection they had and then the loss at the end.
Such a bittersweet story.
This remains one of my favorite episodes to this day. ❤️
Glad you enjoyed it! It was a good one 💜
Hello Jules and friends, I hope everyone is well and having a good week. 😊❤
What a great episode to enjoy today! David Tennant really shines here getting to show off his range and Sophia Myles is wonderful as Reinette. The story is clever with some inspiration from "The Time Traveller's Wife" perhaps, and while it ends on a sad note there are plenty of fun moments with the "thick" robots, drunk Doctor and horse on a spaceship. A contender for best episode of the 'new' Who up to this point imo.
Looking forward to the next one with my favorite baddies!
Thanks, my week has been very good so far.
Much love back from Germany. 🫶
Do not be alarmed! This is a kindness! 🤭🥰🤝
I still don't know, why Doctor didn't vist madame de Pompadour just with Tardis and time travelling...he didn't need the ship with the time windows.
It's all manic and fun until almost the very last. A tragic ending, deep with meaning and regret. A most complex and emotional episode.
Another great reaction Jules and still so many more to come this season! 😎
Thank you, Steve! That's awesome to know you enjoyed this one 💜
There was a teaser, months in advance, for the climax of this episode in Doctor Who Magazine, written by Steven Moffat when he was guesting for the monthly production notes column (normally written by the showrunner, Russel T Davies), I think written due to him being worried he was going to need to come up with a more... Budget friendly... climax. I might be getting the exact wording of it wrong, but it was something like "A thing on a thing jumping through a thing." - Which, in the context of the actual episode, translates to the doctor on a horse jumping through a mirror.
Also the reason why there was a horse on the spaceship, according to Moffat on a forum he was on at the time, is that Moffat was terrified that the audience would get bored and wander off to the pub. So he changed the maid wandering around the spaceship from an earlier draft into a horse to make anyone watching want to stay at least a little longer in order to find out what the horse was about.
It's amazing how much of an impact the doctor can have on a child, for good and bad possibly.
I like this episode a lot. It very well structured, and it has the right balance between adventure and emotions. It seems the droids were right in choosing Reinette - she must have a very special brain to be to look back into a Time Lord's mind. I do feel bad for the Doctor, because, since she was able to see everything, he finally had someone he didn't need to explain himself to, they could have a relationship much more honest than with any other human. There's a reason he agrees to "dance" with her ;)
Moffat insists that when he wrote this one, he'd forgotten the whole 'dancing' innuendo from his previous script. But hey, the author's intention is never the final word on how to interpret the work. =;o)
The Girl In The Fireplace is one of the best episodes in the series of Modern Who. Beautifully written, acted and directed. Creepy, witty and sad. My late parents loved this episode. The Clockwork Robots are brilliantly realised.
I love this episode. Definitely one of my favorites from series 2. There's something so romantic and beautiful about it, yet also heartbreaking, for both Reinette and the Doctor. Reinette spends a large portion of her life waiting for him, hoping to see him again, only for him not to return in time, in the end. And I think the Doctor adored her as well - I think he finds uniqueness interesting, and she was unique and different to him. The fact that she could see into him just as much as he could see into her, and she saw a deep, abiding loneliness in him... that's so sad to me. But it was also beautiful that she could see it. In that way, she's one of the few who truly see him.
I also like the approach of her character. One would think the viewer wouldn't like her (or wouldn't want to like her), because they want the Doctor to be with Rose. But time and again they manage to make the storylines clever and thoughtful, so we don't mind. We don't mind his love for Sarah Jane, nor for Reinette. After all, our lonely Doctor has two hearts... he has so much love inside to go around. ☺❤
OUR LONELY DOCTOR HAS TWO HEARTS 😭😭😭😭 That's just about the most beautiful thing I've ever read about him, Sherry! I love that... I adore that.... My goodness, I love it.
that last sentence was the most beautyful, i read for quite some time...
A wonderful episode. Tennent really shows his 10th Doctor chops in this one. 😊
@@johnrob3215 Fixed!
This is my favourite episode of season 2 and deffo one of my top 5 episodes of NuWho! I've been looking forward to you watching this one since you covered the xmas special a few weeks back haha. It was such a clever idea on how they combined two timeframes in one story, and how their adventure also doubled as a story of Reinettes life. The clockwork robots were interesting in that they weren't evil per say as they weren't trying to take over the world or enslave humanity. They just didn't understand the assignment. Also, horray for Mickey for getting a spaceship on his first try, he seemed so happy!
The ending was so sad, but I think it was really respectful of the Doctor to keep Reinettes letter private. I don't think she'd have wanted anyone else to read something so intimate.
Such a wonderful, funny, and bittersweet episode! I feel like you learn a lot about The Doctor and his life and character from this one. One of the best!
Hey Chris! I loved this one too ❤️
"I'm always alright"
Rose doesn't look convinced 😔
This one always makes me cry. This is a great example of how amazing this show can be. The lonely Doctor. :( this show breaks your heart over and over and over ...
Thank you for your reaction!
Thank you so much for being here!
The ending to this one is sadder then I remember, though it is brilliant. The clockwork droids are so creepy and brilliantly designed, especially when you consider they're not really malicious, just very literal minded when it comes to going about their duty of keeping the ship functioning. The writer had to fight tooth and nail to be allowed to include the bit of the Doctor crashing through the mirror on the horse (as everyone else told him they couldn't do it) and I'm glad they got to pull it off in the end. I see you haven't quite gotten used to the Doctor's tendency to act silly to throw the villains off guard ;)
One of the best New Who episodes, and probably the one that made me realise the Tennant/RTD era was potentially one of Who’s best eras (it’s inconsistent but it has a lot of very, very magnificent high’s )
Iirc Tennant and Sophia Myles were an item for a while, which accounts for the chemistry.
Her portrayal of Reinette is one of the best ever real historical figure portrayals in Who
One of those episodes that always gets a few tears from me. Thanks for your reaction :)
My pleasure 😊
I am so upset about the end, it’s tragic af and I hate it but I love it at the same time
This episode is great but everyone else has already said why. All I'M going to say is... I cannot WAIT for the next episode!
Always makes me cry, great editing,
Thank you so much, Brian! Very appreciated 😊
This is the episode I show to people who are on the fence about Dr Who. This episode is, in my opinion, perfection.
this is genuinely one of my favourite episodes ever it’s just so so beautifully written. also can i just say i’ve been binging ur doctor who reactions and i love them so much i love how deeply you care about all of the characters 💜
Jess, thank you!! I appreciate that very much 🤗
The opening of this episode is one of the best, we don't know who she is yet but she clearly has an idea of what's going on, and then she calls out to the Doctor....
Combined with the ending reveal of why they were after her specifically, it's just beautiful.
'One may tolerate a world of demons for the sake of an angel' I'm sure Buffy could relate.....
This is one of the episodes that got a little epilogue written for it during the Lockdowns in the UK, which might interest you
Thanks as always for your beautiful reactions, I love getting to see your Who journey :)
Thank you so much, Kit! I'm so glad you enjoyed this episode ☺️
One of the best and saddest episodes of new Doctor Who.
This is the first episode of doctor who I ever saw. It's just as good each time I watch it.
I love this episode, especially the music notched up the emotional level for me. Great reactions.
Mickey is very lucky. Im his first adventure he went 3000 years into the future. On an alien spaceship in space and also 18th century france 🤣🤣 he got the past, future and space all in one 😂
Lovely job.
During this episode the goats and ducklings spent a lot of time whispering together, between bites of popcorn. After the video, they blocked me from getting out. So confronting them, they demanded that I build them a fire place. First I informed them that since they bought a plastic shed, I couldn't do it. Then I told them that I don't know how to do it. Then I told.them the price was too high.
They talked to each other and decided that I can't do it, I should invent a retro virus to give them and the alpacas thumbs so they could do it themselves.
*sigh* I just pushed them aside and walked out.
I hope they forget soon.
Have a wonderful day, and give your cats a cuddle.
CAT 🤣🤣 First, they blocked you from getting out which was pretty funny. And THEN the whole thing with the plastic shed and wanting a fireplace built inside! Goodness, they are cute but a little bit silly aren't they 😅 I adore them.... but I do worry about your safety from time to time...
Enjoy the rest of your week, Cat! I hope you're feeling much better 🥰
I'm not worried, they're basically good at heart.
"The monsters and The Doctor. It seems you cannot have one without the other."
"Godspeed my lonely angel" - tears
Always love the way Steven Moffat tells time travel stories
Yeah, that's all I want to say
Oh wait... I hate the way Steven Moffat tells time travel stories... cause it just makes your heart being broke and shattered...
Awww hahaha. They do love to break our hearts, don't they!
This episode broke my heart
This is definitely my favorite episode of either modern or classical periods. I just simply love it.❤❤❤
This is my favourite of series 2, definitely in my top ten for the entire series so far.
Nice!! I have to say it's one of my favourites too, Joe! I hope you've had a lovely week so far 😊
This was a really good episode. Tennant and Myles had some great chemistry together and were a couple when the episode was made.
No, but it's widely believed they were dating for a while afterwards. (Never been confirmed by either of them. as far as I know, but at the very least they became friends... And DT has said that when he'd met her once before, he'd tried to chat her up but got nowhere!)
This episode is really good, even if I don't love it the way I love my favourites. Not sure why I don't really revisit this one much. It's a nice look at the way The Doctor falls for people and the impact he has on the people he gets close to in that way. The way Reinette recognises that she and Rose feel the same way about how it's worth all the monsters to spend time with The Doctor is a nice parallel.
I always loved the design of the space-age clockwork repair droids, the way they fuse an old fashioned technology with advanced high-tech designs is really cool!
Lastly, the Doctor saying "I'm always all right" hits really hard rewatching this one...
Always all right... 😢
This is not one of my personal favourites, but it is a good story. I suppose I’m not keen on sad endings! Moffat later recycled the basic idea of this story for the opening of Series 5, but he gave it a happier ending, which suits me better. However, I don’t think Madame de Pompadour is ever seen again in Doctor Who.