The Greatest Ever Doctor Who Episode
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 30 ก.ย. 2024
- Midnight is the greatest Doctor Who episode of all time.
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Among us but make it doctor who
It’s been always my favorite too I need to watch that again for the sixth time
@@user-op6kt8pg9y because it was original it among us before it was even made
I feel ya man, been dealing with the same thing.
37:05
When you said “the best part of the video was this simple moment”, I instantly said Molto bene...at the exact moment that the clip played, meaning I was speaking in sync with the doctor...
In the commentary for this episode, RTD said that Sky was planning to commit suicide at the Sapphire waterfall because her divorce which makes it even more heartbreaking and disturbing that the creature targeted her because she was the most emotionally vulnerable.
Wow. I never knew that and it makes so much more sense
Russell T. Davies is clearly a student of Rod Serling's work in order to write this powerful "Twilight Zone"-like story where the Doctor faces the greatest monster of all -- human nature. It's an ironic twist that Skye's despondency allows the entity access to her body, while the hostess's sacrifice cheats the entity of its victory and gives Skye what she wanted -- her death.
Let's make this comment better !!!! Keep the likes at triple 6 (666.)
It really seemed like the doctor was helping her before the entity showed up too
It really did have to be a companion lite episode, cause Donna would have just slapped sense into everyone
like JUST THINK ABOUT IT, donna maybe could have kick the shit out the entity because i think she would have been mad when the entity started copying her voice, and i think the body of sky would have got sick for all the speaking and yelling
@@akodaah13-e32 I'm laughing just thinking about it, thank you lol.
I’m imagining this. Yeah. This had to be companion lite
I developed a dislike of most of the passengers, except maybe Jethro, so I had a tougher time investing in these characters. The first time I saw this episode, I would have been almost happy with most of them dying...I liked the development of the characters early on and grew to like them, but most became somewhat to very unlikable by the end. I've grown to appreciate the episode more over the years, but it can't be S tier for me. I'm glad we can all have different opinions in the Harbo Wholmes channel, though.🙂
I kept waiting for someone to slap some sense into Donna.
The smartest thing the story does is to never explain the entity
and even the doctor never gets to know the creature
Exactly what it follows did
is cosmic horror, Lovecraft invented that
Fear of the unknown, the entity is never shown in its true form either which makes it so terrifying
Actually the entity is Black Guardian who actually is the beast from the Saint Pit because Evil is real in Doctor Who. Chibnall
Not knowing the hostesses name is the biggest punch in the gut I’ve ever felt.
Being a retail worker this hit hard and real for me, everyone treats customer service workers of any kind as inhuman robots, without a real human being with friends, family, loves, fears, a need for sleep and food and toilet breaks etc.... Everything about this episode just captured human nature and how scary it often is so perfectly, combined with brilliant acting from everyone involved it really is a masterpiece!
I don’t think even The Doctor knew her name, if I remember right. That makes it so, so much worse, especially because it’s the Tenth Doctor.
@@watsername Truly one of if not the best Doctor Who episodes of all time.
@@watsername I feel the same. Before the pandemic hit I was a waitress. I wear a name badge at work and I genuinely like it when people use my name. like I am not just some soulless robot who serves food and cleans tables. I am a human being. A lot of the time people don't care. They don't want to know my name or take the time to read my badge. To them I am a subordinate. Just there to serve them food and drinks. It is kind of rude. Like I am not just here to serve you food. There are about 20 other things I would rather be doing But I still got out of bed and came to work and I am working hard to give you good service the least you can do is show the basics of human decency and read my badge and use my actual name.
i think specially for the doctor, because he always wants to get to know people, etc, so... just oooffff....
Mignight is easily one of the best DW episodes. This deserved the hype Blink got. Its such a a great story, most remember as just a horror episode, but its so much more. This episode is like the gold standard on character driven episode and all the actors really sold it.
I think for me there are about 10 doctor who episodes which I think are genuinely great television, not just great doctor who. This one tops that list
@@quantummidget what are the other 9?
@@quantummidget I think there’s quite a few things moments of amazing television in the shows history. Episodes like these remind us exactly why it’s one of the most famous out there
I always remember how chilling it was to see The Doctor overtaken by the entity but not fully enough so that he's unaware of what's going on - the fear in his eyes as he's dragged towards the door and unable to prevent his imminent death, and the relief in those same eyes when he catches his foot and cheek on a chair just by chance; the scene doesn't just weaponise fear, it philosophises it
It’s also like you can see his life flashing before his eyes - he’s had ten faces, lived for over 900 years, destroyed Skaro, sent the Daleks and Cybermen back to the void, faced Zygons, Sontarans, Silurians, Weeping Angels, Vashta Nerada, he won the fucking Time War, but was almost killed by a few humans.
That's what really gets me whenever I re-watch this one- the contrast between Sky's blank face when she's possessed and then the Doctor just looking terrified when it's him
I personally never saw it as The Doctor getting overtaken to any amount and more trickery from the Midnight Entity.
@@oxcare5 exactly - the Doctor isn't 'possessed' by the entity - it's more like he's paralyzed or hypnotized by it.
It shows that a Time Lord is never invulnerable and can be inches from death in the right circumstances. 🤔
People often talk about how scary Doctor Who is, I usually disagree but this one is actually terrifying
I think its more the idea's themselves being scary rather than the content of the episode. When it comes to Midnight though, like you said, i agree 100%
Indeed. It’s the only episode I’ve not been able to what the entirety of because it was too scary (I kept on skipping through parts because I was constantly sure there was going to be a jump-scare).
*sad blink noises*
@@eukgaming8914 oh Blink is easily up there with this in terms or scary I just figured that went without saying lol
@@Coniptions lol
This episode as well as the doctor lite episode with Donna shows how important the doctors companions are. You realize that if Donna had gone with him the situation would have most likely turned out differently and the doctor wouldn’t have lost the trust of the group.
Hadn’t considered that. Donna is very human, and I can imagine her encouraging Dee-Dee and Jethro to stand up to the other bullying adults.
@@PwnZombie Also he would be in a group. The reason that the others were safe both from the entity and the humans were because they were in a group so they had people on their side.
Plus donna is usually the loudest voice in the room and can shut anyone down. Literally all those arguing chaos scenes would’ve been ended with a “shut it sonny boy”
Donna would not have allowed the group to gang up against Dr Who?
To make a 40 minute video on a 45 minute episode is truly spectacular Harbo. Almost as spectacular as BBC Studios is at blocking your work
It's actually a 43 minute video so even more spectacular! And hey, we got there in the end aha
BBC are absolutely horrible with copyright
Harbo is our very own Doctor who confidential ❤
This episode was really triggering for me. The way Val screams at everyone is the closest imitation to my mum that I've ever heard. I heard a sound like that (worse) every day as a child. Seeing someone like that trying to kill the Doctor through sheer arrogance and stupidity, when I knew the Doctor was innocent, infuriated me in a way I can't really describe. It was like I was trying to manifest myself to stand between her and the Doctor through sheer force of will so I could defend him.
Me too, I can't enjoy watching this episode but it is an amazing episode.
I think the lack of visible monster is a great way to show the human instincts
You can actually see it appear for a split second as the heat shields on the window closes, a distinctly humanoid head, shoulders and body pops out in the background. No doubt done on purpose to keep the viewers wondering if they did actually see it or not
I love it how the Doctor silently looks at Donna like he agrees that thing is still out there. It shows how violent and scary the whoniverse actually is.
Something I’ve never seen noticed by anyone is Sky when she begins panicking says “she said she’d be back for me” or something along those lines. Just a small line to suggest a heavy amount of abuse from her ex, who sky potentially ran away from and left behind in another galaxy. It could also be the reason the midnight creature chose Sky: huge amounts of trauma.
Woh I never noticed that.. just another bit of tragedy in this episode jeez.
Damn that’s amazing. Didn’t even notice
Sky was actually going to the sapphire waterfall to commit suicide there which makes this story even more heartbreaking. RTD said it in the commentary for this episode.
@@hollywark2885 whoa. I love how much character RTD put into midnight. So much subtlety in the what, 10 minutes she gets as Sky?
@@MrGreaves Yes, RTD is an amazing character writer, I think he understands humanity more than any writer. It's so sad that the entity must have known that Sky was emotionally vulnerable and went for her.
I don't blame the moody goth son his parents are horrible especially his mum.
His mum is basically a Karen honestly
I never liked Carol Jackson either
@@Daggerzx eastenders vibes lol
It also actually makes sense the hostess would be the one to figure it out, their job is to read people and understand them. Her subconsciously taking in that *Alonzy* line and then realizing it's significance when another person who had no connection to the doctor prior to this meeting and with no context for that line as well as never having saying it before makes perfect sense.
For a character that only appears once and is never named, the hostess has a good amount of depth and layers to her and it's just great great writing and great acting too
6:48 - The drivers didn’t decide to go that route the computer worked out a new path. I’ve always thought the “midnight creature” planned the rock collapse and knew they’d have to go that route.
This is my favourite Tennant and my top 5 RTD episode. I love how it plays on psychological terror and panic and how clever the episode is with the whole, 'you don't need to create a monster, you can just create a monster which is invisible so you don't know where it is and can play on fear.'
The real 'monster' was human 'Mob fear' and dark emotions running riot.
finally someone says something about the psychological aspects to this episode, I swear this episode is drowning in it.
Lesley Sharp gave one of the best guest performances in the history of the show, she was phenomenal.
I also realised whilst watching this video that if the Doctor really had died in Turn Left, then the passengers in Midnight would all have died with no one ever finding out what happened to them - or worse, being rescued only for the entity to continue possessing people until there was no one left. Chilling.
I never thought about that and I can’t believe that thought skipped past me especially the amount of times I’ve watched season four
Oh my God! Yes, and the Ood would have not been freed from slavery either.
Everyone in the library?
But then River wouldn't have existed.
If the Doctor died, then the universe would pretty much be destroyed ten times over.
I don't think I could see her as anyone else than Skye. Like if I got on a plane and saw her I'd take another flight.
Public transport tip: if a child ever repeatedly kicks your seat wait for them to go for a kick then suddenly pull your seat forward. You should here a thump as they fall off their seat.
Nice
Evil genius!
Or you could go backwards and hear a *crack* ... that’s my personal favourite
@@jinkstacks4830 I was about to comment the same thing.
Worth noting that Sky seems to be not conscious or the entity possessed her much more strongly, as her face and tone are just blank and monotone, whereas when the Doctor is possesed, you can see fear in his expression and hear it in his tone of voice
Well he was never possessed, the entity in sky just stole his voice
One thing that needs mentioning is the impeccable score to this episode. Some of the weird sounds made are so uncomfortable and unknown that they create horror in of themselves.
Also when the Doctor knocks 4 times on the wall to the Entity it takes it a good few seconds to reply, like even it knew what it meant.
This episodes great!
Wait, im confused, what's with the four knocks?
The "He will knock four times" prophecy running throughout the 2009 Specials
I’ve never thought about how intelligent that could suggest the entity is, if it know about the prophesy
This also had to be one of the cheapest episodes to make. It’s 11 actors total, and it takes place almost entirely in one unremarkable room. A high school theater club could put on a half-way decent production if they wanted to.
This is what writing with limitations can do: there was no room to hide behind fancy sets, cool monsters, flashy special effects, or fun action sequences, so RTD knew all the drama had to come straight from his words and his actors. It’s a really impressive feat to deliver such a riveting episode solely on the strength of the characters and their interactions
"A high school theater club could put on a half-way decent production if they wanted to." I think that actually did happen.
When they started criticising the Doctor for how smart he was, he really needed to do his speech from Voyage of the Damned.
I think the doctor telling the passengers that he was an alien would make them more scared and angry at him because aliens do be scary doe.
Yeah in the case of Voyage of the Damned, the passengers are familiar with aliens, well, they are technically aliens, so it was more acceptable.
most of humans just reject and hate the unknown... and i H A T E that, because let's put it like this: before all the voice alien shit the doctor was accepted by everyone and everyone was happy and good, but even givin' help and do good stuff when they realized that he was not human they were like BOOO, U BAD, AAAAAA, and NO ONE had the guts to kick out sky, but one said I WILL, THEN EVERYONE JUST WILL DO THAT TOO.
And the most disgusting, gross and etc thing was the lady sain´ i kNeW iT wAs skY UuUuUgHHH, FUCK U, U DIDN'T
@@akodaah13-e32 honestly the mom is such a Karen there at the end of the episode 💀
@@akodaah13-e32 "And the most disgusting, gross and etc thing was the lady sain´ i kNeW iT wAs skY UuUuUgHHH, FUCK U, U DIDN'T"
I don't remember well, but was it the hostess? Because if yes then she didn't know at the beginning, but got convinced when the creature said "allonsy".
Also
"most of humans just reject and hate the unknown..."
I believe that's evolutional. You have better chances at survival if you stick to what you know and run away from what you don't. If you don't know something then you don't know if it's dangerous, and if it is then you don't know how to fight it
I see you kept that beautiful green screen shot behind Tennant at the beginning and fixed it by adding the greatest companion and Time Lady.
#TeamRomana1
@@HarboWholmes #TeamRomana1
#teamromana2
#TeamRomanadvoratrelundar2
#TeamRomana1and2 (both are great)
harbo is one of three people on the planet who analyze things the way you learn at school
i forgive my teachers, they were right, this is worth it
now i'm not saying Harbo did A-Level Media Studies. i am saying these videos have big A-Level Media Studies vibes xD
Why did you have to include that family from Resolution? I've tried so hard to push that awful awful scene from my memory :p
this is an episode Chibnal could never do, he needs all this editing and CGI but Davies could write a perfect episode like this with one set and a limited cast which is brilliant
everyone’s acting especially David and Lesley’s is phenomenal and how we will never find out what it was and how heartbreaking is the hostess’ name is never known
this is definitely one of the most underrated episodes in series4 because it is overshadowed by the library parts and the epic three parter finale
@dr103 it’s just my opinion
@dr103 because the show is kinda unwatchable and people are pissed
@dr103 Seeing past glory of the show reminds one of the current sorry state of it.
I think S13 will be the last season of Who for a decade or two. Chibnall murdered the show
@@gJonii also the fact there is now a consistent break between seasons because the BBC knows they need to give people time to forget the worst of previous seasons
@dr103 No one is "attacking" Chibnall. They're just stating facts. He's an incapable showrunner who has vomited all over the show and it's history.
I love this episode. The “Do we have a deal?” scene is so spine chilling when you first watch it.
this episode really hits hard rewatching it as a neurodivergent adult specifically because of the fear of trying to reason with angry people who will take any sign of 'unusual behaviour' to turn it against me or to imply that im a freak or theres something wrong with me (eg moving in a certain way, or not having 'the right' facial expression, or finding it difficult to talk. hell, repeating things (echolalia) is a common autistic trait).
i can absolutely see myself getting overwhelmed in public and then getting yelled at by someone who looks like jethro's dad, and then not being able to do anything because of not being able to talk properly (im not non verbal, its just hard to talk when overwhelmed). unlike almost every other situation in doctor who, this is scary because its something that can (and probably will, and kinda has) happen to me irl
I feel for you. I am not autistic but I really don't cope well with conflict at all.This probably sounds goofy but I remember an episode of Brady Bunch (showing my age LOL) when the eldest girl (?Marcia, I think) was terrified of going for her car licence. Someone suggested "imagining them in their underwear, it makes everyone more "human" and less fearful". It worked and she got over her fears and got her licence. Dunno if it will help you. I have sort of done it a few times when stressed...nearly giggled myself into hiccups once! However, on a more serious note: Don't be shy about seeking help if you need it. There are many people/organisations who might be able to suggest coping mechanisms for you. Keep strong. Boofy
I'm autistic too and I can say for sure you're not alone with that reaction to "Midnight". I feel like we are always in need of a companion to be our voice much like the Doctor does 😂. Terrifying when people dont understand and become negative because they are afraid (ironic!)
I mean, I've spent a lot of time thinking about how esp the 10th doctor seems to have a really relatable neurodivergent story thread... Just existing as who you are is "Too much"
This is another episode which terrified me as a child
It still makes me slightly uneasy and I've watched it so many times at this point
Season 4 was the scariest season imo
Yeah, The Tenth Planet, The Power of the Daleks and The Evil of the Daleks were all pretty terrifying
season 3 used to frighten me when I was very young, the scarecrows in human nature/family of blood used to give me nightmares when it came out
@@DanTheMan2150AD I...see what you...did there...
😅😅😅😅🤣🤣🤣🤣
Blink was scary and then the one with the gas masks!
S2 and S3 terrified me as a kid, the satan pit and human nature gave me nightmares.
And this is a major reason why Donna is my favorite companion. The empathy at the end.
Donna is nothing but empathy, we can see it the whole season. She's the first companion in NuWho to suffer that much. She's not like the others who see their whole adventure through the prism of their own amusement. She sees things for what they are, and it's not pretty out there. I liked every companion, really, but to this day I still miss Catherine Tate so much.
@@MrTheebs to me, Donna represents the 'every day person'. She is not a good looking young slim model type of character or a dashing time travelling Captain. She is down to earth & feisty but "normal" (Just a temp from Cheswick). Sd to see her go.
I literally love her so much. Love the Donna love in these comments. I wish she had more time on the show.
whats more scary about this episode ... even merlin couldn't save the day
Even with his magic unfortunately
I know what the Diamond entity was.
Nah he was just having a laugh
I think one of my favourite things about this episode is how it shows the Doctor interacting with people when he doesn't have a companion. It was a big thing about the 10th Doctor, him being lonely and not knowing what to do without someone. It shows how when the Doctor doesn't have someone to bridge the gap between strangers and himself he becomes even more alienated than usual.
A companion definitely humanizes him in both personality, but also in other people’s perspectives. Otherwise, he’s a stranger who seemingly knows everything and is enjoying the adventure, while those who don’t know are horrified.
it’s such an underrated but not underrated episode at the same time.
So it’s an episode?
@@DanTheMan2150AD ahahah nah like everyone forgets it exists, but as soon as you mention it everyone’s like “oh yeah that ones great”
@@tedgbird I’m pretty sure no one forgets this one...
@@tedgbird overlooked
Yea I get what you mean. I always forget this one. But its always nice to go back to it with a fresh outlook.
If we consider Moffat's magnum opus to be Heaven then for Russell T Davis it must be Midnight, right?
Absolutely.
100% yes!!!
It feels like watching a modern theatre piece. A small ensemble, stuck in one location the entire time, almost the whole plot being driven through dialogue. I probably won’t watch it again any time soon, because it’s SO INTENSE and stressful to watch, but I agree it is absolutely amazing, the acting in this is extremely good
Can we give harbo some huge respect for making a 40 minute video just for 1 episode🙌your gonna deserve your success with your very hard work man👏
No matter how many times I've seen this episode, even though I know exactly what's coming, I find myself curling up in fear. Every single time. It's very rare that a piece of media can instill genuine fear in me, and that's why I love this episode so much because I rarely get to experience those emotions.
That's why I adore the actress who plays sky. She is so terrifying, like... That's "just" an actual human actress and she can frighten me so much just with her eyes and and voice... amazing.
I always thought that family was going to fall apart after that. Jethro not coming home for Christmas as an adult oop. His parents tried to bully him into committing murder and almost did, so....
Man, what if Jethro met the Doctor again? What if 10 met him during the farewell tour? Or Jethro meets another incarnation long after these events?
@@bellboy7809 Colin Morgan for 14th Doctor
@@ko379 that would be golden 👌. Plus it could make a great theme for reminding the doctor to not be a bystander (since the doctor can choose a face for a reason). Pushing the 14th doctor to meddle with fixed events or something.
@@bellboy7809 The Doctor took him back in time to Camelot, where he learns he has a talent for magic....
Midnight is the only episode of Doctor Who I feel intensely terrified watching - it is simply incredible.
This is the original Among Us! 😂
It is actually a compliment to the writers of this episode, since this plays out almost exactly like an among us game, with among us being to closest thing we have to a real life version of this episode
Literally!
Sky was Ejected
The Thing.
Bum bum bum bum bum bum bum bum
ba da dum
I’ve always felt like this is RTD’s take on Moffat’s style, and it’s perfect
This is the only time I've ever seen Davies pull off a Moffat style episode. His writing is normally very different from Moffat's but this shows how he can adapt it into different styles. I wonder if he was inspired by any of Moffat's earlier work when he wrote this.
“Do we have a deal” still gives me goosebumps every time.
There’s a lot of reasons to be uneasy and afraid, seeing The Doctor be afraid and not understanding, and as soon as she talks first you know somehow, the Midnight Entity is in power now. Whatever being in power means for its abilities
The reason Donna isn't in this episode is because she'd probably spend the whole episodes having a fight with that horrible wife woman.
Donna would be like: "That's MY spaceman and he's going through a lot right now so STEP OFF!'
Not sure if it’s mentioned in this video yet but Sky tells the doctor at the start that she has an ex from another Galaxy. And when she starts panicking she says things as if she knows it’s related to this.
oh wow...
Hell, even the first episode of the Byzantium plot was great. Because of the revelation that pretty much came much much to late but had been staring at the cast all along. I actually never really got that twist, because I realised early what was going on. The Doctor going on about the Two headed species but all the statues having just one. Curse my over acting pattern recognition. I was like, "Oh, two headed people, has to be a Hitchhikers Guide reference. But weird, why then do all the statues only have one head.... ohhhhh they are fucked."
David Troughton (Patrick Troughton's son) has been in Doctor Who in the past, last appearing in the Curse of Peladon as King Peladon (a great Third Doctor story check it out).
When I saw the video title: That's a bold statement.
When I saw which episode: Yeah, that's accurate.
I’m so glad for someone to finally cover this episode. One of the best bottle episodes of all time. Including one of the only times we’ve ever seen the doctor genuinely scared.
tagline of the episode:
my boy jethro. he's a good lad.
32:46 I'm with you. When I saw this episode, I'd already seen some Eleventh Doctor episodes (plus you know they're not going to kill the title character on Doctor Who), but for about five minutes near the end of Midnight, I was thoroughly convinced that the Doctor was not going to survive and would not regenerate. This episode manages to get scarier the more I watch it.
Fun Fact: The actress who plays Sky Silvestry (the vessel for the Midnight creature), Lesley Sharp, is currently playing Rosalind in Netflix's Fate: The Winx Saga. 🧚♀️
Oh that poor actress
@@HiperPivociarz Lol. In my opinion, the show could be a lot better but it could also be a lot worse. As an old fan of Winx who hadn't watched the show in several years, I'm kind of in the middle about it. 🤷♀️
@@DJtheBlack-RibbonedRose I'm not even a fan of original WINX, but I don't need to be to realize this is not a good show. It's derivative, uncreative, cliche-ridden. Not to mention it's so childish, they are constantly swearing, talking about pot, or sex.
Most importantly, everyone in this show is so unlikeable, what enjoyment is there in watching these awful people hating each other?
@@HiperPivociarz True, take away the Winx elements and we're still left with a show that claims to be dark & more mature but that "darkness" mostly revolves around discussions of drugs and swearing and the maturity is, as a result, not really there. I do think the actors do decently with what they've been given (particularly in the scene of Stella confessing her past to Musa) but with Season 2 on the way, hopefully things will improve.
@@DJtheBlack-RibbonedRose I also don't like they casted a white actress as Musa. I don't hold this against the actress, but still.
Episode gives me the real willies. It's like a Steven King story: the true monsters are us.
Also the contempt you feel towards the mum at the end, and her self righteous posturing. You know she's not learned anything from this episode and she's already changing the narrative in her head to make her the hero
As an outsider I have no sympathy for people like the Professor and the mum and dad ....I'm sorry I don't. People like that do a lot of harm....and as a gay man I think Davies knows that.
me clicking on this video: really? best DW ever? i doubt that.
me when i realize it's about Midnight: nevermind, he's right.
I always wonder what the next day is like for the other characters in episodes like this.
I wanna know what conversation the family had on their way back home in the car 😭😂
We stan Jethro, the good lad
Even when I was a 6-year-old kid watching this for the first time when it aired, I knew this shit was art. ART.
Damn 6 years old and you already had immaculate taste!!! 😂
Friendship ended with Skye
Now Jethro is best friend
I also love how all of the characters who don't follow the bandwagon (to some extent) are the younger ones, this being one of the leading factors as to how this all goes to shit because they're not seen as as smart or important as the older, more "mature" characters. Midnight is also my favourite Doctor Who episode and I can't even count how many times I've watched it, loved the video!
The younger you are, the more clearly you can see.
@@tomnorton4277 And the less opportunities to learn.
Honestly, Jethro carried this episode
Fun fact you can see the shadow of the creature in this when the engineer spots it. It’s terrifying, it’s hard to explain but focus on the bottom left you see a shadow of some creature jump down past a large Boulder. It’s literally to the right of the guy on the lefts head the very split second the barrier starts lowering.
I adore this episode, especially since it could have been one of the worst with the small budget and single set- these potential pitfalls just emphasize the quality of the writing and acting in this
And the editing in post, for all the crosstalk scenes
In the picture you showed of The Doctor being dragged towards the door, you can see Sky in the corner grinning madly. While everyone in front are in a dark area, Sky is shown in a bright light.
I saw that title and went "Daaamn alright, we're getting into potentially controversial territory here!" 😆
I'll be honest, this episode annoyed me simply because almost no one would listen to the Doctor, but it also adds to how frankly terrifying this story is. The helplessness in the Doctor's eyes as he's being dragged away, forced to repeat the Midnight creature against his will, is really scary. You can see how much it messed him up when he meets back up with Donna, as he refuses to even talk about the experience with her. It's situations like this that probably makes him glad that at the end of the day, when he made it back to the station (or wherever they were at), he wasn't alone; he had Donna there to provide him comfort and security. 🖤
Well yes, as a viewer, you know how competent and smart the Doctor is. But from their perspective, he is a mysterious stranger who, as Jethro rightfully pointed it out, has been "clearly enjoying" what's been happening.
I thought it was refreshing to see people not fall in line with the Doctor and follow him blindly - one such episode that really irritates me for this exact reason is The Voyage of the Damned, where he goes "I'm the one that will save your lives" with that inspirational music. As a viewer you know he will, but it just sounds so damn cocky, if I was one of the passengers, I would have definitely scoffed at him.
I just wished that the ending didn't rely so heavily on the alien twirling the metaphorical mustache and laughing evily
@@rkah6187 Well notice that on the Titanic he also said that he's a time lord from Galifrey, and that he's 900-something years old. I'm not sure if those people knew who time lords are as knowledge about them seems to vary between different aliens in the show, but it really does sound like he's someone to follow, even without the "I'm gonna save you all" bit. I mean, not that being a time lord is itself that much of a deal in that situation, more that time lords are *that legendary species*, and in extreme situations it's easy to cling to every bit of hope there is
The interesting thing about the “Best Doctor Who Episodes Ever” is that they’re never standard Doctor Who episodes. Blink barely has the Doctor in it at all, Midnight is a bottle episode with no companion, no TARDIS and no visible monster, and Heaven Sent is the same except the Doctor is the only character in the entire episode.
None of the all time great episodes of Modern Who have featured the Doctor and his companion going on an adventure in the TARDIS.
What about Family Of Blood or Vincent And The Doctor?
we'll never see an episode like this again almost like they look at episodes now as throwing money at production CGI etc covering the cracks in acting and writing with some explosions and sets this episode defines simple but effective
I can't be the only one who as a kid used to try and find the shadow the mechanic claude was pointing at lol
I am absolutely loving the longer videos.
I’m sick of these “video essay” channels that try ham-fist a deep message about a film/show in 10 minutes without really making any definitively clear point.
This longer format gives the video more time to breathe, and for you to develop your thoughts beyond just describing what happens in the episode.
Dude I'm so with you, I love longform, super in depth video essays way better than the 10 min ones. Like I get that they take more time and effort, but i loved how detailed they are and I love having a lot of video to watch I guess 😂 I'm so happy I found this channel (Also if you like longform essays you should check out Mauler, Quinton Reviews, Council of Geeks, the Take, Lindsay Ellis, and Jay Exci if you haven't. They don't all do Who videos but they have a lot of media analysis videos and they're all awesome. I would most recommend Council of Geeks tho, they have a lot of great longer doctor who reviews, rankings, analysis, etc!! Probably my fave channel besides this one)
Just look at the amazing acting from Lesley Sharp, and the whole cast. Stunning. It just goes to prove again how much the show has lost lately. This is clever Sci fi-horror. No hysterical spinning or gurning, no massive exposition dumps, it's all so brilliantly unfolded, adding to the tension. It's claustrophobic too, another thing many humans feel and fear. Brilliant TV.
I wouldn't be surprised if this episode and the next one *Turn Left* was done at the same time as there were less Donna and more Doctor in this episode. But in the *Turn Left* episode, there was more Donna and less Doctor.
One theory regarding the Entity that I came across somewhere (I wish I could remember where so that I could credit it but this was a while ago and I just saw it in passing) that I think is an interesting way of interpreting the episode is that the Entity itself was neither originally good nor bad in its intentions - its only initial goal being to learn in the only way it knew how - and its eventual malevolence was entirely influenced by everyone's fear of it. A sort of Frankenstein's Creature "since everyone treats me as evil, I guess I must be evil" situation. It absorbs the information via the character's voices that they believe it to be a threat to be destroyed so it essentially fulfils that role because it literally doesn't know any better.
I don't know whether I personally entirely believe that theory or not, but it's certainly a new way of looking at the episode and again raises some further interesting ideas about the nature of mob paranoia.
I love how at 15:12 if you go frame by frame you can actually see one of the glimmers of light momentarily dim as something passes infront of it.
It's something that would have been impossible to spot on the original broadcast, but makes rewatches more interesting (a bit like the subliminal messages and fifth housemate in The Young Ones).
(Also, Sky reminds me of Laura Dern from Inland Empire, but that's just because I'm a David Lynch freak)
This episode is so frightening because this kind of thing has really happened many times before. Most notably on a plane where a guy with a brain tumor goes insane because of the air pressure changes. The people on the plain kill him because they are afraid that he's going to open the door.
Merlin took a vacation, I see. I think the creature appears at the bottom right when you talking about it. There's a small bit of movement
10:00 regarding The Doctor's interaction with Sky and the episode not making a big deal of minorities, this very important aspect of the show occurs again in The Pyramid at the End of the World when The Doctor encounters lab worker Erica. No mention is made of her dwarfism and The Doctor even flirts with her. The show's ability to treat everyone at face value in this way is to be commended.
i just remember my father screaming “TURN THE FUCK AROUND YOU IDIOT” when rose was on the screen 💀💀
I always felt like Skye knew what this thing was. The way she seemed more panicked than anyone else when everything started and the way she yelled its coming for me even though there really wasn't much evidence of it. It feels like Skye had this whole story we didn't get to know.
I just think she had unresolved trauma from her breakup. Then the jaws of death?
Also my favourite episode, it has everything I love about Doctor Who: scares, great writing, suspense and a great sci fi concept. Also David Tennant is pitch perfect in this episode.
Well said about Skye subtly mentioning her former-partner being a woman. What happened between the making of this episode and RTD taking over again after Jodie Whittaker? RTD cant do subtle anymore. Every character now needs to be over the top, and exclusively their minority characteristics, with no real personality. Five minutes into 2023 Doctor Who, you can tell RTD and the writing team at BBC have lost their minds. Hard to believe this show was once well written.
You know Doctor Who’s Midnight has been performed as a stage play and you know it’s probably the best episode to do so on two notes.
1) The Story doesn’t require any alien makeup or big effects to be pulled off.
2) Doctor Who the show doesn’t have to be involved with a play version. The fellow travels on the ship turning on The Doctor would make more sense for most of the audience no idea who The Doctor is.
Oh my god, I love Midnight. Im a sucker for self contained episodes with mysterious foes that never get a proper explanation. Their true power, origin and potential is left unanswered, the episodes that usually have this type of enemy are always super well written and never fail to give me chills. Thought Tennet was never my favorite doctor, this is absolutely the best episode Ive ever seen this show produce.
It's worth pointing out - the professor might be right. It really might be impossible for anything to survive on the surface. It's a mark of how clever the episode is that we end up assuming something attacked Sky from outside the Crusader.
WHAT A MASTERPIECE! 👏 Great choice for your, or anyones, favourite episode. Even the BTS is masterful! To think this wasn't RTD's original idea for 4x10. A chilling exploration of human nature (Other than "Human Nature") that still makes me terrified whenever I hear my voice repeated 😱
One of the best DW episodes ever, and overall just amazing TV everyone should watch at least once.
Its kinda weird though, I've watched this episode with a few people and they really just don't seem to get it. They come away either thinking Sky went mad, or that the episode is boring, or that its just "humans are bad?" or something. Its so disheartening to see such a complex episode with layers get kinda misread like that.
so you like midnight over day of the doctor. understandable, I love both. there are too many good episodes honestly. oooooooh actually, Utopia is my favourite or world enough and time and Christmas carol, parting of the ways. yeah there are too many fantastic episodes.
@@spacey_432 indeed
boy do i wish the RTD of today took notes from the RTD of back then, representation without shoving the message down everyone's throats
This is by far my favourite Tennant episode, and definitely makes my top 10 episodes of all time. Including classic who
I'm not a major fan of Tennant's era but god I fucking love this story, it's RTD's Heaven Sent imo
Out of curiosity, may I ask why Tennant's era doesn't appeal to you as much?
@@DJtheBlack-RibbonedRose he’s a 10/Rose stan hence why he doesn’t like this one.
@@DJtheBlack-RibbonedRose i think it's a case of nostalgia wearing thin
@@imadeadmeme9429 Understandable, as that can happen sometimes. And Tennant's era does have several weird and/or unappealing episodes. (Like Love & Monsters for instance)
I'm not a fan of the 10th Doctor as a character, I also don't like Rose as a character and she's sprinkled throught the entire era
did anyone get the opinion that harbo likes this episode? he doesn't mention it much
This is the episode that drew me into nuWho. It’s spectacular
This is an episode for me that when I first watched the show as a kid I didn’t really like that much but when I rewatched the show as an adult I realised how truly great this episode is, easily top 5 nu who episodes.
This is a brilliant psychological study; I've read other comments that mention Classic Who's Edge of Destruction, which is set entirely in the Tardis control room and involves the slow disintegration of the crew's morale and team spirit.
This, however, is on a whole new level. I must have watched it oh, a dozen times; of course I'll never feel exactly the same way as I did the first time, when I didn't know what was going to happen, but it's still gripping.
I think it won an award, and, if it didn't, it should have.
i think the scariest thing about this episode to me is the fact that A) the doctor had no idea what the creature was, B) it was strong enough to psychically overpower the mind of the doctor, a _time lord_ ,and C) the creature has never ever been explained or mentioned ever again
Imagine if when Donna hugs the doctor we see the other people walking out and they look at him realizing he wasn’t alone
Doctor: Everyone remain calm!!!
Midnight entity: *bangs on roof*
Doctor: OK, panic now!!!
Because it's dark at midnight. LOL
It's interesting to note that RTD took inspiration from a Star Trek next gen episode Darmok, or at least its synopsis. It was another story about a mysterious alien, and about words.
Also seeing Rose in the monitor definitely made my heart skip a beat as a kid.
Also Harbo, the adds in your videos are always so well placed!
It's really interesting that the ship/coach/plane vehicle is called The Crusader, given that historically the Crusaders invaded other countries that had totally alien cultures.
No matter how many times I watch Midnight the part where Sky talks over the Doctor gives me chills. It's one if my favourites.