Rate: The Girl In The Fireplace

Ladies and Gentlemen, we have arrived at the Mighty Moff's second script for a renewed Doctor Who. A story that links 18th Century France with a 51st Century spaceship, complete with rotating fireplaces. And this is before we get to those excellent clockwork droids! Reinette, a horse crashing through a mirror, and ruminations on "the slow path." Episode 4 of Series 2 is now on offer.

So, what are your lingering impressions of Girl in the Fireplace? Did the Moff score another triumph? Or should he have been sent to meet Monsieur de Guillotine? Let's be hearing from you!

another excellent episode continuing the strong start to series 2. tennant and sophia myles have chemistry, piper and clarke are sympathetic and likable and it looks superb.

A generous 4/5 from me.

It's above average, but only just. I can see that all the elements of a good story are there, the execution is brilliant, all actors on form and so on but it's just not a favorite of mine. I really couldn't decide to give it a 3 or a 4. It's probably Moffatt's weakest WHO for me anyway.

Funny and inventive, though may have worked better away from the Rose arc. 4/5

4/5 from me. I like the story, the time travel elements and the clockworks. Arthur the horse is good for a laugh. Rose asked for some Spock a while back, guess she should've specified that she be the recipient of the mind meld. As with the prior Moffat tale, there's some memorable dialogue here.

Johnstone McGuckian wrote:A generous 4/5 from me.

It's above average, but only just. I can see that all the elements of a good story are there, the execution is brilliant, all actors on form and so on but it's just not a favorite of mine. I really couldn't decide to give it a 3 or a 4. It's probably Moffatt's weakest WHO for me anyway.

really?

i'd put it well above the likes of beast below, the library or the pandorica thing. at least it has a heart.

a rare 5/5 from me, one of my favourite episodes

Like I say, it's on a personnal enjoyment level, it's a hell of a much better script than the ones you mentioned. I just prefer them. TGitFP has the massive disadvantage of been a series 2 story...

A horse and France on a spaceship: what's not to like?

That's leaving out (amongst a myriad other things) the wonderfully portrayed sadness of the different rates of living/ageing, the clockwork robots, France (again) and banana daiquiris. I feel a rewatching coming on

Blimey, my post disappeared.

To precis, I like what happends around the edges, but not in the middle. 3/5.

5/5. I don't see why the youngster thinks that it should be downrated just because of the year it was broadcast. Moffat's second strongest script after Silence in the Library.

GITF is a wonderfully inventive idea for a story, and it was pulled off with aplomb. From the opening moments at Versailles, you're lulled into thinking this is an historical. Immediately following the credits, those expectations get blown away when you find yourself on a space ship several thousand years in the future. That's what I've always liked about the Moff- his ability to blow the audience's expectations away.

I do wonder, however, about the Doctor having developed an apparent romantic interest with Reinette, given that this occurred in a season where the theme was showing the Doctor and Rose as virtual lovers. If this story had been done in Series 3, where the theme was Martha's unrequited love for the Doctor, it would have seemed more appropriate.

I give GITF a 4.

Remember, though, that Moffat's first and second series scripts did take place in an alternate universe to the rest. The Doctor dances ended with a potential love triangle between Rose, Captain Jack and The Doctor, which was forgotten about by Boom Town. Likewise, School Reunion ended with an unhappy TARDIS where Mickey was playing the gooseberry and Rose was resentful at his presence. TGITF ignored this and almost presented Mickey and Rose as if they were together.

And they used to slag off JNT for his continuity blips!

They should have got Ian Levine in to advise!

The Co=Ordinator wrote:And they used to slag off JNT for his continuity blips!

I wouldn't catagorize this as a continuity blip. It's more of a theme blip, and given the heavy hand RTD used in weaving theme into each series, its surprising to me that it went forward in Series 2.

Patrick wrote:

The Co=Ordinator wrote:And they used to slag off JNT for his continuity blips!

I wouldn't catagorize this as a continuity blip. It's more of a theme blip, and given the heavy hand RTD used in weaving theme into each series, its surprising to me that it went forward in Series 2.

Didn't RTD say he didn't change SM's scripts at all? Pesumably he was too busy to even read this one before it went into production...

Did I say that I gave it 5/5? It's those lovely robots apart from anything else. Beautiful things.

My husband actually enjoyed this episode.

Aspadistra wrote:My husband actually enjoyed this episode.

Does he work in the fireplace industry?

Rich Flair wrote:

Aspadistra wrote:My husband actually enjoyed this episode.

Does he work in the fireplace industry?

I'm sure Aspa will tell us he cleans chimneys with Dick Van Dyke, and uses his coffee breaks to practice his accent.