Comments on: The Girl in the Fireplace

By: Tom

Tom — Mon, 14 May 2007 08:49:27 +0000

Gosh! You really, really disagree. For what it’s worth, I feel like you over-estimate the amount of love the Doctor is getting in this story. I think the tragedy is supposed to be that the Doctor and Reinette don’t even get a romance, not that they have one and that it’s too brief. Would you dislike it as much if you thought it was a story about the Doctor almost getting a new companion and not a love story?

But if you don’t like “I’m not winding you up” then it might be best just to agree to disagree!

By: Gareth

Gareth — Mon, 14 May 2007 01:28:25 +0000

I disagree, and the review at Androzani.com sums my reasons up nicely, by charming coincidence.

By: Tom

Tom — Tue, 09 May 2006 14:57:04 +0000

Of course, after this episode, we are now hit with the beginning of Doctor / Reinette fan fiction. Have a look through del.icio.us’s doctorwho tag for some amusing examples. Probably. I haven’t read them, I’m at work and it could be dangerous.

By: Tom

Tom — Tue, 09 May 2006 02:05:10 +0000

False impressions aren’t always bad, though, surely? Can’t it sometimes be awesome to expect on thing and then have the whole episode spin on its axis and become something new and unexpected?

Surely the reviewer who talked about Tennant’s horse chemistry must have been taking the piss.

‘Genesis of the Daleks’ is a good story but its excessive padding makes it yet another casualty of the ill-judged 6 25-minute episode format.

By: Andy

Andy — Mon, 08 May 2006 16:57:49 +0000

The reviewer at the top of this page talks about a niggling unsatisfaction. She says “I think I was expecting a bit more fantasy romance and less science fiction”, which is what I was expecting from the preview last week. The episode is mostly sci-fi with some France, rather than all France with a spaceship. Previews give me a false impression about the episode and spoil it or reveal spoilers and uhh, spoil it. I prefer to know nothing about the episode than anything. It’s not a big issue; it’s just one that niggles at me too.

By: Andy

Andy — Mon, 08 May 2006 16:45:27 +0000

A doctor who sticker book?!? Kill me now so that I may die happy.

I couldn’t resist looking up reviews which didn’t like this perfect episode. I shan’t expose you to them due to their Frequent Misuse of Punctation and Strong Grammar.

The criticisms were: it was nice concept spoiled by a weak plot and a silly ending; the horse was a stupid idea but David Tennant had good chemistry with it; the Doctor shouldn’t have a romance; the Doctor shouldn’t get drunk; the Doctor is stupid for not using the Tardis to save Reinette; the Doctor knows how to dance so why did he say he couldn’t; awful technobabble; Rose and Mickey should have had more focus; and so on.

One review ends with the sentence: “but at the end I felt so cheated that I had to go and watch Genesis of the Daleks to cheer myself up…”

I know there’s an infinite amount of opinions on the web but I hoped that this was something for everyone.

By: Tom

Tom — Mon, 08 May 2006 03:03:50 +0000

Next Week. Just thought I’d share.

By: Tom

Tom — Mon, 08 May 2006 02:40:53 +0000

I’m glad that we’re all in agreement. A one-word review takes a lot of justifying! That was an awesome line too. There was pretty much an awesome line every minute. It sickens me how talented some people are. I don’t think there’s ever really been a Doctor Who like this before, but it’s because of episodes like this that I always loved it. And I know that doesn’t make sense.

Rose is a pretty smart cookie. Definitely not as educated or cultured, but quite clever. And she shares the Doctor’s adventurous spirit, which Reinette might well have, but we can’t be certain. There’s something to be said for having a philosophical equal as well as an intellectual equal.

But yeah, Rose has to do something awesome to register on his radar again, perhaps.

By: Shannon

Shannon — Mon, 08 May 2006 01:43:49 +0000

The other thing is though, as they said in confidential, this is the kind of woman the doctor would settle down with/fall in love with if he were ever going to. That is, the supremely well educated, refined, well mannered, composed, dignified, intelligent type. In other words, Rose hasn’t got a hope. Basically any thoughts of Rose and the Doctor having anything sigficant, romantic or otherwise, is almost completely dashed. She just seems stupid now by comparison. Charming, but a ditz. So clearly not his type.

By: Shannon

Shannon — Mon, 08 May 2006 01:41:19 +0000

I agree wholeheartedly with this review. I can’t think of a better Who episode. Not speaking for the old ones of course, but I think it was the best I’ve seen. That’s even taking into consideration the lack of John Barrowman. My, that woman was gorgeous! And the doctor in love.. ouchies goes the heartstrings…

“Arthur?!”“Good name for a horse”“No, you’re not keeping the horse”“I let you keep Mickey!”