My prediction for the rest of your Series 4 reviews: Turn Left- 9/10 Stolen Earth - 10/10 Journey’s End - 8/10 The Next Doctor - 4/10 Planet of the Dead - 4/10 Waters of Mars - 8/10 The End of Time - 7/10
The irony is that this episode is a reflection of the political mindset that's been running since the early 2000s - one where group think and heard mentality has overtaken the rationale of the average person. Resulting in those using evidence and science being labelled as 'tin foil hat wearing conspiracy theorists'. Well done mate - you miss the point. Now off you go to invade Iraq, you know those WMDs won't find themselves.
Honestly, I cannot be the only one as a kid who would always pause the screen when the pilot said he saw something, and would always try and see the what he saw!
I remember the Doctor Who magazine did a challenge where it asked viewers to imagine what the Midnight creature looked like, it was a really cool competition.
I kind of hate when people say this, if you’re new to who, don’t watch blink or midnight or eleventh hour or the pilot or the woman who fell to earth etc. just watch Rose and start from the beginning 😂
@@obiwankenobi687 What I'm saying is, Rose can be a little boring for a new viewer, this episode keeps them constantly engaged and questioning what's happening instead of just being sat, watching something that perhaps isnt as entertaining
It was kind of like a Blink and you'll miss it when the Doctor said "Allons-y" to the Hostess at the start, and then Sky starts saying it as the Doctor is getting thrown out, is when the Hostess realised that "Oh shit, Sky isn't back to normal, she's still that creature."
Also, the hostess didn't think the creature was in him because she let Dee Dee explain and then agreed that the creature was possessing the Doctor. The allons-y and molto bene confirmed her suspicions.
The moment where the Doctor asks what the hostesses name was, and nobody knew was probably the saddest part of the episode. She saved everyone and nobody cared to ask her name once until she was dead.
I love in the end of this episode where the doctor is terrified and sits in silence after he talks to Donna, he has fought daleks, committed genocide and this is the most broken he is. Which just adds to how brilliant this episode is
Probably one of the best episodes of Who ever, bringing back David Troughton for a guest role is a brilliant choice, it ends up being what could be described as the Classic Who episode of New Who, a very low budget but fantastic storytelling. An easy Top 10 episode choice.
i really love when stories are in these small, single location sets. It keeps the story grounded and means the episode has to rely on good writing, ideas and plot instead of cgi spectacle.
There's one small yet significant detail you haven't mentioned in the vid. When the Doctor yells "If you wanna survive here, you will need ME!", the creature immediately stops repeating anyone except him. And that is terrifying to understand when rewatching the episode!
I binged Doctor Who 4 years ago for my ex and I haven’t watched since, but I remember this episode. I remember the moment he says this and it starts just repeating him, I said “yup, all it needed was the leader”. It needed the person who was going to save them or try to be the person they were firmly against. It needed the biggest Divide it could find and all it took was the doctor. He didn’t even have to say his name. All he had to do was establish a dominant role and boom. I think it picked the her because she verbally acknowledged her fear of it coming for her, therefore calling attention to herself. Giving it an opening, a bigger flame of fear in the room. She’s also one of the oldest of the group, so I think that put her in some sort of “leadership role” because there’s the universal idea that elders are wiser and we should follow them. The scientist and parents weren’t open candidates because they didn’t believe as much as she did. She admitted it when she openly screams it’s coming for her. It’s amazing really. Usually the antagonist needs to hear verbally that he’s The Doctor. This one didn’t. It already knew. He’d said it. It didn’t matter. It needed him to assert dominance. It needed a bigger split in the group. And it got it.
the Doctor survived Midnight and it *still* feels like he lost because he had no control of the situation at all and nothing could have prepared him for the very people he usually protects being so willing to throw him out in the grand scheme of the franchise, I wonder if this is one of thsoe moments that reminded him the most of the time war, because he _has_ seen people do things out of desperation before
The weirdest thing is i saw this episode quite a few times when I was younger and for some reason I have a false memory of seeing something move when the pilot says he saw something. Even thought I remembered the sound effect when there was movement. Only now I'm realising there was nothing, had to pause this and check on bbc iplayer. Just goes to show how simple but effective this episode was.
I think it’s really interesting how the older characters are eager to throw the doctor out. They’re spurred on by the mob mentality whereas the younger characters are slightly more open to accepting the outsider. Jethro’s mum even compares the doctor to an immigrant which was slightly on the nose.
This episode was my introduction to Doctor Who. My mate and I were hanging out, and he insisted I shut up and watch an episode. I was bored and didn't have anything else to do, so he turned on Netflix, and we watched what I still consider one of the most brilliant horror episodes I've ever seen of any TV show.
Harry: mentions Merlin Me: starts crying about the ending yet again after seven years. Edit: just in case anyone's interested there are some unofficial series six scripts by some of the writers and a channel called "Balencian" is about 10 episodes through reading them as audiobooks. Of course it's not the same as the show but they're amazing and I've cried at every one so far😂
I hated the ending so much, not the ending, but the 'after credits' part where he's old. Though I dont like the 'after credits' part of Harry Potters ending either
I love all the little details in this episode, like how when The Doctor says that he is the smartest person in the room is when the Midnight entity starts to copy only him, or how it possibly jumped to him because he has the coldest body among the passengers and it was hiding from the heat like a cockroach cowering from the light
On the other side of that though, maybe that's what led to the entity's death in the end anyway. It thought that as a non-human, The Doctor would be a better fit, but when The Doctor is possessed his face shows that even though he isn't in control of his body, he is completely aware of everything going on, perhaps even able to stall. When Sky was possessed, there was no sign of the original Sky anywhere on her face or in her eyes. Had the entity stayed inside her, the outcome may have been much worse. Maybe the entity also has a bit of the human arrogance that puts the characters into this situation in the first place; The Doctor couldn't move, about to get thrown out, it had won. Its own glee at succeeding is what brought it down in the end.
I love this story, cause never does a story end with the doctor losing to this degree, the only real comparison for it is something like the angels take Manhattan. The doctor lives through it by the skin of his teeth as always but he had no chance if it wasn’t for the hostess, the doctor didn’t save the people in the carriage nor did he win any moral victory, his morals got torn apart and almost saw him and everyone else killed, and it was one person’s individual immediate decision to kill someone that saved them all. You could frame the story as being from the perspective of anyone else on the carriage and the story wouldn’t be any different, because no-one in the situation could actually control the narrative in the end. I love this episode to death.
Possibly my favourite episode of NewWho tbh. It's amazing how much this episode acheives on basically 1 small set and the secrecy of the Midnight entity really increases the scare factor here. It's also a perfect example of show, not tell, which Orphan 55 (another holiday resort episode) greatly contrasts with. People always try to theorise what the entity could be but the whole point of the tension of this episode is that we're not meant to know in the first place.
But he also was with the best.. that attendant gave her life for a total stranger. Yes the show hammers how that we never knew her name however it goes deeper than that. Often when someone else sacrifices themselves to save the Doctor its from someone thats already seen the fantastic feats hes accomplished (Voyage of the Damned) or its someone that idolizes the Doctor already (A Good Man Goes to War).. here is just someone that came in to work her shift one day and sacrificed themselves to save a quirky stranger from being murdered.
I remember watching this as a kid and being even more glued to the screen than normal and having that same feeling of "that poor hostess didn't even have a name", such an amazing episode
The actual reason to why no one knowing her name was brought up was because they assaulted the daughter for not being trustworthy as he would not give them his name.
@@GameBreaker1055 No, thats not the case. Theres other times in the series where the doctor asks if anybody knew somebodys name after they sacrificed themselves. The answer is always "uhhh we dunno" and then him giving a sad face back
You started off with the best episodes. I started with the first episode with the 9th doctor. It feels really dated now, but it will always have a special place in my heart
@Voltaic Fire It's certainly less of a mistake than thinking the members of Parliament sit inside Big Ben's clock tower, tee-hee... (Apologies, but I'll never forget that one...)
The episode is set in the far future, presumably Kliks is derived from modern klicks but we have no way of knowing if the length is the same or different. It’s even possible that the similar name is just coincidental and that space kliks are completely different
@Zel Zwrd I also happen to have the same opinion, if i had to give a very quick reason why it would be because of the deep metaphorical and symbolic impact that the situation has of 12 character ark the impact and effect of grief is monumental and thats not even mentioning the beautiful ending scene which i still hold as the most incredible short piece of television ive ever seen.
Hands down my favourite episode. Masterpiece. Small things like Sky’s eyes, how she comes across as an ally to the doctor at the start, the level headedness and rationality that is completely flipped into a truly terrifying figure.
Oh man I've been waiting for this review. There's so much I like about this episode. It perfectly encapsulates the feeling of the fear of the unknown. Easily one of the best episodes of all time.
This is my favourite Tennant episode next to Waters of Mars and I think it so CREDIBLE underrated I know everyone loves the library episodes and the family of blood and blink but this one is such a rare episode since even currently the doctor is always made to be the problem solver but rare cases like this when he/she isnt are reason why I love doctor who
I love the little pause, and expression, before the Doctor says '...John Smith,' like he's thinking '900 years and I couldn't think of anything better...'
In the confident tone he said that Kliks are a fictional measurement I was totally convinced that I was just wrong... I was already doubting my knowledge (which is mostly derived from movies anyhow so ... oh no!) But no... actually he is wrong... now that’s a first!
Actually, if you look at the scene with the mechanic panicking, there *is* something dark moving outside. If you watch in slow-mo and look on the bottom left side of the screen (it’s not where the mechanic is pointing later), you will see a shadowy figure running down the diamonds.
I also love that the Midnight creature doesn't ever act in hostility. Like, they could have just sat in the shuttle and waited for the rescue people to take her to a hospital and sus out what was wrong. It's all in their heads, and I do believe Skyler's enhanced panic and hysteria was the reason the creature was able to take her, poetic justice I suppose.
i loved this episode, its the fact it exploits the paranoia and how humans can be when under fear, the fact you never see the monster(and the fact how it got into the veichle but had no hull breach), only hear it mimic your voice in an isolated location and the music is chilling but brilliant
I like how when the doctor becomes alone from his companion for a episode shows the sadness and frustration that he can't save everyone. I think the final scene is where the time lord victorious emerges since the Christmas special with Donna.
Midnight is a masterful example of how to do horror correctly, its not all about the gore which seems to be what too many creators think is scary but the real scare comes with no understanding something, not knowing what is going on and what is lurking in the shadows what your audience imagines will always be more frightening than anything you can create
Imagine how funny this episode could have been if Donna had been with the Doctor. The creature would never have been able to match the Donna sass. It would be toast!
This is and has always been my personal favorite DW episode of all time. Better than Blink, which I can rewatch and not be afraid of, Midnight is absolutely PAINFUL every single time I see it. It is the one episode that sticks to you even after the credits roll as you wonder just what you would have done if put in that situation. On an aside, I love this interview from the box set, between RTD and Tennant: David Tennant: We did rehearse the pi-number quite a lot… Russell T. Davies: I remember you learning that the day after you got the script! DT: Yeah, I just thought, “Oh, I see…” RTD: You walked into the Sontaran read-though and just rattled off the square root of pi! DT: I got the script the night before, and thought, “He’s given me the square root of pi to 30 decimal places… I’m gonna show him.” RTD & Alice Troughton: [big laugh] DT: …and I got up early, and learnt it over breakfast RTD: And it was brilliant! [more laughter from all] Oh and also seeing a bit of Time Lord testosterone come out when he goes toe to toe with Biff was just an added bonus.
@@febinvarghese7576 I started watching doctor who in 1973 with Jon Pertwee. The 70's was the golden era of classic who with he and Tom Baker as 4th, legends. The modern era doctors are good, and I enjoy all of them (9-12) but they will NEVER compare to 3rd and 4th. So yes, I agree, series 4 is the best series of the modern era, but not all up!
The Midnight Entity is the single scariest Dr Who villain/monster/whatever for me. The fact that by the end, the Doctor, a man with an almost infinite amount of knowledge of the universe and everything in it, doesn't know what he just went up against and neither do we. What species it was, how it could survive out there or what it's goal even was.
Great review man, you touched on so many excellent points including several I hadn't ever noticed despite having watched this episode so many times. Top notch analysis as usual, I'm really gonna miss seeing you tear apart awful episodes when season 13 comes around. One of my favorite parts of this episode is actually when the creature has just infiltrated Sky, and the seats are torn up around her and she's crouching, frozen, face hidden from view. And then she slowly starts to turn her head towards us. I was honestly terrified that whatever it was had caused her face to be mutilated and grotesque and horrifying to behold, but I couldn't look away. And then it was just her face, which was somehow even better.
This is probably one of my favourite episodes of dr who ever. It's creepy and unsettling, it's funny, it's entertaining. I'm glad they've never gone back and done anything on the midnight entity (that we know of) because honestly, the fact that we still have no idea what it was, or if there are more is terrifying. Bottle episodes can be fantastic, and this was a great example.
I never put much thought into the ending before, but i think you're right with it showing the doom to come. If you think about it, her copying him at the end could also be foreshadowing to the finale, where she literally starts to think and talk like him. Which would explain why his 'No, don't do that' is so dark, because it's the thing that's going to lead to this version of her 'dying'.
I remember watching the making of this episode (To prove it, it was made in an aeroplane thing or it had to be quiet but planes kept going over them and they had to dub over their onscreen stuff which Tennant found hard. I watched this over a decade ago now.) and being creeped out but nothing much watching it as I was stupid and did not understand. Re-watching it I was bloody terrified. I loved the ending.
My biggest problem with Midnight is that you have to be in the mood to enjoy it. I remember thinking it wasn't that great once or twice when watching it. Also Klicks is a real measurement of distance.
One of the actors complained that they went days without seeing the sun? Pretty sure most office workers experience that on a weekly basis during winter
This is such a great, scary episode. We have no idea what the midnight monster truly is. The unknown, the claustrophobia, the instant death that waits outside, the invisible monsters that dwell inside human psychology. A testament that the doctor isn't infallible and without his authority and status as the doctor, he could be just as vulnerable as anyone else. This and water from mars/ silent library subvert expectations- a hostile planet having a psychological horror that could survive the barren planet? life giving water and vegetables turning people into zombies? literal shadows killing people out of thin air? These are scarier than any cyber men, weeping angel, sontaran, zygon, etc. Because all three of these instances, all the doctor could do was survive. Thy could not be stopped, only escaped from
One thing I liked about this episode was how it was 1 word from the doctor which he said a few times in the episode was the give away and the rose cameo was great as well just for a spilt moment but with all the chaos no one noticed
I just want to thank you for making content that I can watch in these trying times. Seriously, I haven't been able to think about new who /seriously/ alongside another individual in years. Your videos over the past year have been amazing. Just, thanks.
The part of this episode that really gets me is the absolute state everyone is in at the end of the episode. I like that this isn’t an episode with a cast of professionally trained characters; it’s not all scientists and soldiers just ordinary people. Apart from the setting it feels like something that could totally happen in real life.
you for got to mention that the adults argue about seeing the thing pass from Skye to the doctor and the younger passengers get talked over much like the no one believes the kid in horror after they say they've seen the monster
4:10 I've watched this episode every year since it came out, and every time, without fail, I will pause it at the cockpit scene and try to see if I can spot the creature.
I absolutely loved how everyone is getting along and being best friends and than 30 minutes later there all screaming and trying to kill each other. This is RTDs masterpiece. My one criticism is that I think it would be scarier without any music.
I don't know if it was intentional, but after rewatching this episode I noticed something interesting. In the part of the episode shown at 6:23 if you take out the shadow of the hair dangling below Sky's chin, you get a shadow outline that looks like Tennant, literally forshadowing his possesion by Sky later in the episode.
It's very interesting when you read the book RTD did (The Writer's Tale) on his last couple of years on the show. This script was written by Russell last minute after a script from another writer couldn't be polished enough to shoot, and the budget was getting eaten up by the finale! Makes you realise it's not always about huge CGI shots and practical effects, a lot of the best stories are those that strip things back and just play on basic ideas and let great acting do the heavy lifting (Blink, Heaven Sent, Amy's Choice (to a lesser extent), sure there are others too)
This episode sets my anxiety off with everyone yelling over each other its horrible but i love the fact they never really explained what the creature was/is and ever returned to it. I love the fact that they high lighted how no one new the hostesses name, it was very powerful.
Complete masterpiece of an episode. Easily my favourite episode of Dr Who, and possibly my favourite episode of any TV series ever made. The level of acting needed to pull this episode off is so much higher than your average episode, and yet it was nailed. Despite everything the Doctor has faced, he was clearly out of his element here, and it made his fear seem genuine. In fact, him being there potentially made the situation worse than if he wasn't. The monster copied his knocks initially, and he couldn't stop talking to it out of curiosity which enhanced it's learning. He continually aggravated all of the other passengers with his arrogance and assertion of authority (which usually works to his advantage in other episodes), and really sealed it when he told everyone he was more intelligent than them. This episode was so unnerving, because a bunch of terrified humans were just as much as a threat as this unknown monster. As mentioned , the sound design and music is perfect, along with everything else in the episode imo. Of course, the mystery makes this episode even more scary as you never find out what the creature is, a perfect use of Lovecraftian Horror. And the setting of a small room for pretty much the entire episode, is simple but perfect. Fun fact, it is possible that the creature can be seen in the cockpit scene. I saw a comment another video point it out, but for a split second you can see a shadow moving across the ground in the corner of the screen, which is very likely to be the creature. This episode alone has more tension and dread than most horror movies combined, and I really can't express my love for this episode enough. It's so great because it is in Dr Who, but so unique compared to other episodes. It really would be hard to recreate something like this
This remains my absolute favorite episode of Doctor Who. No fancy sets or complicated storylines. Just 8 people in a bus and great dialogue make for an amazing episode
![DID IT SUCK? | Doctor Who [SERIES 4 FINALE MEGA MEGA REVIEW]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/g-Vs5STqLgE/mqdefault.jpg)
![DID IT SUCK? | Doctor Who [SERIES 4 FINALE MEGA MEGA REVIEW]](/img/tr.png)
![DID IT SUCK? | Doctor Who [THE WATERS OF MARS REVIEW]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/cA6BHf7FuOU/mqdefault.jpg)
![DID IT SUCK? - Doctor Who [ARMY OF GHOSTS/DOOMSDAY MEGA REVIEW]](/img/n.gif)
For those of you that have been asking me to review this episode fooooorrr yeeeaaarrs, this video is dedicated to you.
Fictional measure of distance? Kliks is the short version of kilometres.
My prediction for the rest of your Series 4 reviews:
Turn Left- 9/10
Stolen Earth - 10/10
Journey’s End - 8/10
The Next Doctor - 4/10
Planet of the Dead - 4/10
Waters of Mars - 8/10
The End of Time - 7/10
@@QuokkaCore ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
The irony is that this episode is a reflection of the political mindset that's been running since the early 2000s - one where group think and heard mentality has overtaken the rationale of the average person. Resulting in those using evidence and science being labelled as 'tin foil hat wearing conspiracy theorists'. Well done mate - you miss the point. Now off you go to invade Iraq, you know those WMDs won't find themselves.
The Dodo he’s mentioned before that he doesn’t like end of time much
Honestly, I cannot be the only one as a kid who would always pause the screen when the pilot said he saw something, and would always try and see the what he saw!
You are not
Omg same when I got the dvd I kept pausing it to try see the monster lmao
I remember the Doctor Who magazine did a challenge where it asked viewers to imagine what the Midnight creature looked like, it was a really cool competition.
@@aperson6505 bruh those magazines were dope af!
The toys had me buying them basically every month
Bruh the amount I've stared at that one shot is too long
I find it ironic how, despite Donna being my favourite companion, my favourite episode of S4 is the one where she's barely in it.
I know, right? I love Donna but this episode is just perfect.
Oh my god YES!
That’s so true, I never realised that
I'm the exact same
I'm kind of the same but with Blink. The Doctor and Martha are barely in it but it still stands as one of the best episodes ever.
Even 12 years later, this episode is still as great as I remeber, this is the perfect episode for somebody new to who to watch...
I kind of hate when people say this, if you’re new to who, don’t watch blink or midnight or eleventh hour or the pilot or the woman who fell to earth etc. just watch Rose and start from the beginning 😂
@@obiwankenobi687 What I'm saying is, Rose can be a little boring for a new viewer, this episode keeps them constantly engaged and questioning what's happening instead of just being sat, watching something that perhaps isnt as entertaining
Don't watch this one first. Watching the best ones can set them up for disappointment. Also this one is not much like the other ones.
@@jeck8005 I agree, dont watch this one first, but watch it after you have watched 10-15 episodes
Yeah, I introduced a friend to Who through this episode
I find it utterly baffling that a episode that easily would have been a filler episode ended up being one of the best of the RTD era
It sucks
@@eloii you suck.
Possibly even THE best
It was kind of like a Blink and you'll miss it when the Doctor said "Allons-y" to the Hostess at the start, and then Sky starts saying it as the Doctor is getting thrown out, is when the Hostess realised that "Oh shit, Sky isn't back to normal, she's still that creature."
It was a brilliant piece of writing right there.
or the molto bene thing too
Also, the hostess didn't think the creature was in him because she let Dee Dee explain and then agreed that the creature was possessing the Doctor. The allons-y and molto bene confirmed her suspicions.
r m Melone is that you?
this episode couldn’t possibly suck bc it stars young emo merlin
Yes ahahahahaha
The moment where the Doctor asks what the hostesses name was, and nobody knew was probably the saddest part of the episode.
She saved everyone and nobody cared to ask her name once until she was dead.
I love in the end of this episode where the doctor is terrified and sits in silence after he talks to Donna, he has fought daleks, committed genocide and this is the most broken he is. Which just adds to how brilliant this episode is
When she repeats what he said, it’s like he’s got PTSD from it, because it’s the only time he had no idea what he was dealing with
Probably one of the best episodes of Who ever, bringing back David Troughton for a guest role is a brilliant choice, it ends up being what could be described as the Classic Who episode of New Who, a very low budget but fantastic storytelling. An easy Top 10 episode choice.
i really love when stories are in these small, single location sets. It keeps the story grounded and means the episode has to rely on good writing, ideas and plot instead of cgi spectacle.
I believe episodes like Midnight are called bottle episodes
@@maldon3659 yes
"I will be reviewing Torchwood"
YYEEEEESSS
"Exclusively on Patreon"
NNOOOOOOOOO
That might just be the thing that convinces me 😂
There's one small yet significant detail you haven't mentioned in the vid.
When the Doctor yells "If you wanna survive here, you will need ME!", the creature immediately stops repeating anyone except him.
And that is terrifying to understand when rewatching the episode!
I binged Doctor Who 4 years ago for my ex and I haven’t watched since, but I remember this episode. I remember the moment he says this and it starts just repeating him, I said “yup, all it needed was the leader”. It needed the person who was going to save them or try to be the person they were firmly against. It needed the biggest Divide it could find and all it took was the doctor. He didn’t even have to say his name. All he had to do was establish a dominant role and boom. I think it picked the her because she verbally acknowledged her fear of it coming for her, therefore calling attention to herself. Giving it an opening, a bigger flame of fear in the room. She’s also one of the oldest of the group, so I think that put her in some sort of “leadership role” because there’s the universal idea that elders are wiser and we should follow them. The scientist and parents weren’t open candidates because they didn’t believe as much as she did. She admitted it when she openly screams it’s coming for her. It’s amazing really. Usually the antagonist needs to hear verbally that he’s The Doctor. This one didn’t. It already knew. He’d said it. It didn’t matter. It needed him to assert dominance. It needed a bigger split in the group. And it got it.
@@dexterity2814 But what was it?! I gotta know
@@shinji1264 I don’t think we ever find out
the Doctor survived Midnight and it *still* feels like he lost because he had no control of the situation at all and nothing could have prepared him for the very people he usually protects being so willing to throw him out
in the grand scheme of the franchise, I wonder if this is one of thsoe moments that reminded him the most of the time war, because he _has_ seen people do things out of desperation before
The weirdest thing is i saw this episode quite a few times when I was younger and for some reason I have a false memory of seeing something move when the pilot says he saw something. Even thought I remembered the sound effect when there was movement. Only now I'm realising there was nothing, had to pause this and check on bbc iplayer. Just goes to show how simple but effective this episode was.
Same here. I distinctly remember that you saw an outline of something amongst the diamonds just as the shield lowers down.
I always rewatched the episode looking for the creature but never saw anything. Always thought I hadn't looked hard enough.
If I recall correctly in the commentary the CGI artists confirmed there is no moving shadow, or at least none they added themselves
I remember something blinking and a sound effect too
Same here. There was a shadow moving from peak to peak.
I think it’s really interesting how the older characters are eager to throw the doctor out. They’re spurred on by the mob mentality whereas the younger characters are slightly more open to accepting the outsider. Jethro’s mum even compares the doctor to an immigrant which was slightly on the nose.
This episode was my introduction to Doctor Who. My mate and I were hanging out, and he insisted I shut up and watch an episode. I was bored and didn't have anything else to do, so he turned on Netflix, and we watched what I still consider one of the most brilliant horror episodes I've ever seen of any TV show.
That's a pretty damn perfect introduction to Who! ....
Harry: mentions Merlin
Me: starts crying about the ending yet again after seven years.
Edit: just in case anyone's interested there are some unofficial series six scripts by some of the writers and a channel called "Balencian" is about 10 episodes through reading them as audiobooks. Of course it's not the same as the show but they're amazing and I've cried at every one so far😂
1. We all are 2. What is this bullshit about him not reviewing it😂
Weight Merlin has a sad ending? I am only in the second season so don't spoil!
I hated the ending so much, not the ending, but the 'after credits' part where he's old. Though I dont like the 'after credits' part of Harry Potters ending either
@@vallaby2042 oh I envy you, I envy you so much. You don't know the horror........
(Edit: it is worth it tho just thought I'd better say that😂😂)
@@dannymccrea9642 yesssss like why tf won't he review it😭
I love all the little details in this episode, like how when The Doctor says that he is the smartest person in the room is when the Midnight entity starts to copy only him, or how it possibly jumped to him because he has the coldest body among the passengers and it was hiding from the heat like a cockroach cowering from the light
Wow, I've never thought of that before, but yeah, the Doctor having a different biology/better compatibility could have been a good reason.
On the other side of that though, maybe that's what led to the entity's death in the end anyway. It thought that as a non-human, The Doctor would be a better fit, but when The Doctor is possessed his face shows that even though he isn't in control of his body, he is completely aware of everything going on, perhaps even able to stall. When Sky was possessed, there was no sign of the original Sky anywhere on her face or in her eyes. Had the entity stayed inside her, the outcome may have been much worse. Maybe the entity also has a bit of the human arrogance that puts the characters into this situation in the first place; The Doctor couldn't move, about to get thrown out, it had won. Its own glee at succeeding is what brought it down in the end.
I love this story, cause never does a story end with the doctor losing to this degree, the only real comparison for it is something like the angels take Manhattan. The doctor lives through it by the skin of his teeth as always but he had no chance if it wasn’t for the hostess, the doctor didn’t save the people in the carriage nor did he win any moral victory, his morals got torn apart and almost saw him and everyone else killed, and it was one person’s individual immediate decision to kill someone that saved them all. You could frame the story as being from the perspective of anyone else on the carriage and the story wouldn’t be any different, because no-one in the situation could actually control the narrative in the end. I love this episode to death.
Possibly my favourite episode of NewWho tbh. It's amazing how much this episode acheives on basically 1 small set and the secrecy of the Midnight entity really increases the scare factor here. It's also a perfect example of show, not tell, which Orphan 55 (another holiday resort episode) greatly contrasts with. People always try to theorise what the entity could be but the whole point of the tension of this episode is that we're not meant to know in the first place.
I think so often we see the Doctor with the best of humanity, it was soooo refreshing to see the doctor with the absolute worst of humaniry
Not even the worst, just the average of humanity really
But he also was with the best.. that attendant gave her life for a total stranger. Yes the show hammers how that we never knew her name however it goes deeper than that. Often when someone else sacrifices themselves to save the Doctor its from someone thats already seen the fantastic feats hes accomplished (Voyage of the Damned) or its someone that idolizes the Doctor already (A Good Man Goes to War).. here is just someone that came in to work her shift one day and sacrificed themselves to save a quirky stranger from being murdered.
This is still THE gold standard for New Who.
I remember watching this as a kid and being even more glued to the screen than normal and having that same feeling of "that poor hostess didn't even have a name", such an amazing episode
The actual reason to why no one knowing her name was brought up was because they assaulted the daughter for not being trustworthy as he would not give them his name.
@@GameBreaker1055 No, thats not the case. Theres other times in the series where the doctor asks if anybody knew somebodys name after they sacrificed themselves. The answer is always "uhhh we dunno" and then him giving a sad face back
The first episodes of WHO i ever watched
-silence in the library
-waters of mars
-and THIS masterpiece
Damn, started out with the cream of the crop. What's next, "Heaven Sent"?
You started off with the best episodes. I started with the first episode with the 9th doctor. It feels really dated now, but it will always have a special place in my heart
Anthony Duran is that the one with the Slitheen in downing street?
@@wardy6224 No, it was the one with the plastic mannequins coming to life. Micky turned into a mannequin in the episode
Anthony Duran ahhh yeah no i remember now
I think Kliks is supposed to be Klicks, as in Kilometers.
It is, it's a real measurement.
it could also mean that they are 'clicking'. A double meaning.
@Voltaic Fire It's certainly less of a mistake than thinking the members of Parliament sit inside Big Ben's clock tower, tee-hee... (Apologies, but I'll never forget that one...)
It is. Scouting typically refer to it as Klicks when measuring distances on maps rather than kilometres
The episode is set in the far future, presumably Kliks is derived from modern klicks but we have no way of knowing if the length is the same or different. It’s even possible that the similar name is just coincidental and that space kliks are completely different
Completely agree, the unseen thing "running towards" the vehicle still gives me chills. I always check to see if I can see something.
Harry "pretty weird once SIlence has Fallen"
*me - checking arms for tally marks*
also me: huh when did i draw III?
I really like Dee Dee’s line where she says ‘I want to go home...I want to be safe’ such good acting and delivery
Probably wasn’t the best thing to watch at 1 in the morning
"Oh boy! 1am!"
it’s 3am for me and i’m sitting in the dark and it’s VERY windy outside, not my best decision
*knock knock knock*
Nah. U want to watch Blink, Midnight, the library 2 parter, Turn Left, Crash of the Byzantium, and the episodes with the silence in them back to back
Why it's boring af
This is my second favourite episode, if someone thinks Doctor Who is for kids show them this episode.
@Obsidius Nightbrother heaven sent of course :)
I don't think it's a kids' show or anything but I don't think it's inappropriate to show a child either
@Zel Zwrd I also happen to have the same opinion, if i had to give a very quick reason why it would be because of the deep metaphorical and symbolic impact that the situation has of 12 character ark the impact and effect of grief is monumental and thats not even mentioning the beautiful ending scene which i still hold as the most incredible short piece of television ive ever seen.
@@thesounddisciple9213 perfect explanation
Harry: The two Doctor who Spin-offs
Class: Am I a joke to you
in comparison, yes! (unfortunately!)
yes, complete joke.
Hands down my favourite episode. Masterpiece.
Small things like Sky’s eyes, how she comes across as an ally to the doctor at the start, the level headedness and rationality that is completely flipped into a truly terrifying figure.
3:16 Harry: "Kliks are a fictional measure of distance"
The Army: Am I a joke to you?
Ya it’s literally just a kilometre…
Oh man I've been waiting for this review. There's so much I like about this episode. It perfectly encapsulates the feeling of the fear of the unknown. Easily one of the best episodes of all time.
It's a great episode but I feel like you missed a chance not uploading this at midnight
He was so close as well, it could have been done
Its always midnight *somewhere*
it was uploaded around midnight in the UK 😁
It was midnight, here.
Timezones, timezones
"A fictional measurement of distance" its actually fairly commonly used in the military to represent kilometres or kilometres per hour.
This is my favourite Tennant episode next to Waters of Mars and I think it so CREDIBLE underrated I know everyone loves the library episodes and the family of blood and blink but this one is such a rare episode since even currently the doctor is always made to be the problem solver but rare cases like this when he/she isnt are reason why I love doctor who
The waters of Mars is my favourite
Funny that merlin managed to sneak onto a crusader transport, even going so far as to name himself "jeffro"
What if after all this time he's still waiting for Arthur 😭😭😭😭😭
I love the little pause, and expression, before the Doctor says '...John Smith,' like he's thinking '900 years and I couldn't think of anything better...'
In the confident tone he said that Kliks are a fictional measurement I was totally convinced that I was just wrong... I was already doubting my knowledge (which is mostly derived from movies anyhow so ... oh no!)
But no... actually he is wrong... now that’s a first!
I loved Midnight. It was honestly perfect
Actually, if you look at the scene with the mechanic panicking, there *is* something dark moving outside. If you watch in slow-mo and look on the bottom left side of the screen (it’s not where the mechanic is pointing later), you will see a shadowy figure running down the diamonds.
Thinking about it, the reason it removed the front cabin was likely so they didn't have somewhere to contain it away from the other passangers.
The piano in the score always freaks me out.
I was wondering if you'd ever do a special of sorts on the "K-9 and Company" one-off spin-off series that never was?
What I find funny is that K-9 eventually does get his own show
I was so sad to hear about K-9’s heroin overdose
HE WASN''T A TRAINEE PILOT HE WAS A MECHANIC
I also love that the Midnight creature doesn't ever act in hostility. Like, they could have just sat in the shuttle and waited for the rescue people to take her to a hospital and sus out what was wrong. It's all in their heads, and I do believe Skyler's enhanced panic and hysteria was the reason the creature was able to take her, poetic justice I suppose.
I really believe the creature was not hostile the whole episode was to show how people can be the monster
Finally this episode ashame about not reviewing Merlin classic show. The rose foreshadowing was good
Prepubescent me: Meh, this isn't that scary.
Me now: It's intense psychological horror.
Imagine how screwed the doctor would have been had the midnight entity not gotten cocky and started mimicking his speech patterns as well as his voice
i loved this episode, its the fact it exploits the paranoia and how humans can be when under fear, the fact you never see the monster(and the fact how it got into the veichle but had no hull breach), only hear it mimic your voice in an isolated location and the music is chilling but brilliant
I like how when the doctor becomes alone from his companion for a episode shows the sadness and frustration that he can't save everyone. I think the final scene is where the time lord victorious emerges since the Christmas special with Donna.
Midnight is a masterful example of how to do horror correctly, its not all about the gore which seems to be what too many creators think is scary but the real scare comes with no understanding something, not knowing what is going on and what is lurking in the shadows what your audience imagines will always be more frightening than anything you can create
Imagine how funny this episode could have been if Donna had been with the Doctor. The creature would never have been able to match the Donna sass. It would be toast!
No one would have been able to handle it 😂
This is and has always been my personal favorite DW episode of all time. Better than Blink, which I can rewatch and not be afraid of, Midnight is absolutely PAINFUL every single time I see it. It is the one episode that sticks to you even after the credits roll as you wonder just what you would have done if put in that situation. On an aside, I love this interview from the box set, between RTD and Tennant:
David Tennant: We did rehearse the pi-number quite a lot…
Russell T. Davies: I remember you learning that the day after you got the script!
DT: Yeah, I just thought, “Oh, I see…”
RTD: You walked into the Sontaran read-though and just rattled off the square root of pi!
DT: I got the script the night before, and thought, “He’s given me the square root of pi to 30 decimal places… I’m gonna show him.”
RTD & Alice Troughton: [big laugh]
DT: …and I got up early, and learnt it over breakfast
RTD: And it was brilliant! [more laughter from all]
Oh and also seeing a bit of Time Lord testosterone come out when he goes toe to toe with Biff was just an added bonus.
Thank you very much Harry. I have been waiting for your take on this episode for a very long time. Nice one 👌🏻
You definitely should do Merlin. Great show.
series 4 was the best series ever to be produced
modern era, yes! But it will never compare to the mastery of 3rd and 4th!
how old are you? Or are you just a really devoted stan to DW(i haven't used that abbreviation for years)
@@febinvarghese7576 I started watching doctor who in 1973 with Jon Pertwee. The 70's was the golden era of classic who with he and Tom Baker as 4th, legends. The modern era doctors are good, and I enjoy all of them (9-12) but they will NEVER compare to 3rd and 4th. So yes, I agree, series 4 is the best series of the modern era, but not all up!
Midnight and Blink are my favourite episodes from “New Who” they’re also perfect to show someone that’s never seen the show before
The Midnight Entity is the single scariest Dr Who villain/monster/whatever for me. The fact that by the end, the Doctor, a man with an almost infinite amount of knowledge of the universe and everything in it, doesn't know what he just went up against and neither do we. What species it was, how it could survive out there or what it's goal even was.
Great review man, you touched on so many excellent points including several I hadn't ever noticed despite having watched this episode so many times. Top notch analysis as usual, I'm really gonna miss seeing you tear apart awful episodes when season 13 comes around.
One of my favorite parts of this episode is actually when the creature has just infiltrated Sky, and the seats are torn up around her and she's crouching, frozen, face hidden from view. And then she slowly starts to turn her head towards us. I was honestly terrified that whatever it was had caused her face to be mutilated and grotesque and horrifying to behold, but I couldn't look away. And then it was just her face, which was somehow even better.
6:20 he said it! He said the thing!
This is probably one of my favourite episodes of dr who ever. It's creepy and unsettling, it's funny, it's entertaining. I'm glad they've never gone back and done anything on the midnight entity (that we know of) because honestly, the fact that we still have no idea what it was, or if there are more is terrifying.
Bottle episodes can be fantastic, and this was a great example.
I never put much thought into the ending before, but i think you're right with it showing the doom to come. If you think about it, her copying him at the end could also be foreshadowing to the finale, where she literally starts to think and talk like him. Which would explain why his 'No, don't do that' is so dark, because it's the thing that's going to lead to this version of her 'dying'.
I remember watching the making of this episode (To prove it, it was made in an aeroplane thing or it had to be quiet but planes kept going over them and they had to dub over their onscreen stuff which Tennant found hard. I watched this over a decade ago now.) and being creeped out but nothing much watching it as I was stupid and did not understand. Re-watching it I was bloody terrified. I loved the ending.
My biggest problem with Midnight is that you have to be in the mood to enjoy it. I remember thinking it wasn't that great once or twice when watching it. Also Klicks is a real measurement of distance.
THIS IS THE BEST EPISODE OF MODERN WHO!
Nah waters of mars both parts of silence in the library and blink are much better but its still a great episode
I like to think that, like the diamonds outside themselves, the Midnight entity reflects off the light (knowledge) of others.
it’s hard to believe what a show that has an episode as amazing as midnight has become now.
One of the actors complained that they went days without seeing the sun? Pretty sure most office workers experience that on a weekly basis during winter
This is such a great, scary episode. We have no idea what the midnight monster truly is. The unknown, the claustrophobia, the instant death that waits outside, the invisible monsters that dwell inside human psychology. A testament that the doctor isn't infallible and without his authority and status as the doctor, he could be just as vulnerable as anyone else. This and water from mars/ silent library subvert expectations- a hostile planet having a psychological horror that could survive the barren planet? life giving water and vegetables turning people into zombies? literal shadows killing people out of thin air? These are scarier than any cyber men, weeping angel, sontaran, zygon, etc. Because all three of these instances, all the doctor could do was survive. Thy could not be stopped, only escaped from
0:00 oooh, has Harry been reading The Writer's Tale?? Probably my favourite book! God, I love Russell.
Also, on an unrelated note, I watched this episode with my mum once, and she described it as 'alright,' and she called Love and Monsters 'good.' So...
This is how you create a good episode with what little series budget you have left
One thing I liked about this episode was how it was 1 word from the doctor which he said a few times in the episode was the give away and the rose cameo was great as well just for a spilt moment but with all the chaos no one noticed
I just want to thank you for making content that I can watch in these trying times. Seriously, I haven't been able to think about new who /seriously/ alongside another individual in years. Your videos over the past year have been amazing. Just, thanks.
The part of this episode that really gets me is the absolute state everyone is in at the end of the episode. I like that this isn’t an episode with a cast of professionally trained characters; it’s not all scientists and soldiers just ordinary people. Apart from the setting it feels like something that could totally happen in real life.
you for got to mention that the adults argue about seeing the thing pass from Skye to the doctor and the younger passengers get talked over much like the no one believes the kid in horror after they say they've seen the monster
4:10 I've watched this episode every year since it came out, and every time, without fail, I will pause it at the cockpit scene and try to see if I can spot the creature.
I absolutely loved how everyone is getting along and being best friends and than 30 minutes later there all screaming and trying to kill each other. This is RTDs masterpiece. My one criticism is that I think it would be scarier without any music.
What really got me was the relief in the Doctors words after Sky was thrown out. It's gone, it's gone, it's gone
I must have clicked on an advert for a business development company just after your video started - I didn't notice the I had for over 1 minute 30.
I can't wait till the waters of Mars!!! And it's a shame your not reviewing Merlin :(
It’s the Monsters Are Due on Maple Street story done Dr. Who style.
I just realised these are three stories in a row where the creatures remain hidden or very minimal screen time
The man that plays Jethro is from my town.
Colin Morgan?? Are you serious? That’s so awesome!!! I loved him in Merlin ❤️❤️❤️
This is my second favourite episode in the revival after heaven sent.
The professor there was so damn RUDE, just drove me off the walls
“silence has fallen”
My brain: Silence will fall.
I am so programmed by this show.
I had that too 😂
I've been waiting so long for this, it's one of my favourite new who episodes and soooo underrated. Nice to see it get some recognition
I’ve been thinking of getting patreon for a while now but the torchwood and Sarah Jane reviews have pushed me over the edge
I don't know if it was intentional, but after rewatching this episode I noticed something interesting. In the part of the episode shown at 6:23 if you take out the shadow of the hair dangling below Sky's chin, you get a shadow outline that looks like Tennant, literally forshadowing his possesion by Sky later in the episode.
For years, I believed I saw the outline of the creature...ah, the power of a child's young mind.
It's very interesting when you read the book RTD did (The Writer's Tale) on his last couple of years on the show. This script was written by Russell last minute after a script from another writer couldn't be polished enough to shoot, and the budget was getting eaten up by the finale! Makes you realise it's not always about huge CGI shots and practical effects, a lot of the best stories are those that strip things back and just play on basic ideas and let great acting do the heavy lifting (Blink, Heaven Sent, Amy's Choice (to a lesser extent), sure there are others too)
This episode sets my anxiety off with everyone yelling over each other its horrible but i love the fact they never really explained what the creature was/is and ever returned to it.
I love the fact that they high lighted how no one new the hostesses name, it was very powerful.
Complete masterpiece of an episode. Easily my favourite episode of Dr Who, and possibly my favourite episode of any TV series ever made.
The level of acting needed to pull this episode off is so much higher than your average episode, and yet it was nailed. Despite everything the Doctor has faced, he was clearly out of his element here, and it made his fear seem genuine. In fact, him being there potentially made the situation worse than if he wasn't. The monster copied his knocks initially, and he couldn't stop talking to it out of curiosity which enhanced it's learning. He continually aggravated all of the other passengers with his arrogance and assertion of authority (which usually works to his advantage in other episodes), and really sealed it when he told everyone he was more intelligent than them. This episode was so unnerving, because a bunch of terrified humans were just as much as a threat as this unknown monster. As mentioned , the sound design and music is perfect, along with everything else in the episode imo. Of course, the mystery makes this episode even more scary as you never find out what the creature is, a perfect use of Lovecraftian Horror. And the setting of a small room for pretty much the entire episode, is simple but perfect.
Fun fact, it is possible that the creature can be seen in the cockpit scene. I saw a comment another video point it out, but for a split second you can see a shadow moving across the ground in the corner of the screen, which is very likely to be the creature.
This episode alone has more tension and dread than most horror movies combined, and I really can't express my love for this episode enough. It's so great because it is in Dr Who, but so unique compared to other episodes. It really would be hard to recreate something like this
This remains my absolute favorite episode of Doctor Who. No fancy sets or complicated storylines. Just 8 people in a bus and great dialogue make for an amazing episode
The lady that was in this particular episode is also in the first episode with Billie Piper and Christopher Eccleston straight up
The time Doctor Who did Among Us before it was even a thing. Sky is clearly the Imposter, but The Doctor is still kinda sus though...