32.09: Night Terrors

[PTeppic]

A child's bedroom is turned into the scariest place in the universe when his cupboard becomes home to every kind of fear imaginable. His parents remain baffled by the problem, so the boy makes a desperate bid for help. When his cries manage to break the barriers of time and space, the Doctor decides to make a house call. Sci-fi adventure, guest starring Daniel Mays (Outcasts), with Matt Smith, Karen Gillan and Arthur Darvill.

 

[PTeppic]

To open, with the pre-titles... did anyone think that the filament of George's bedroom light, as it turned off, was awfully similar to The Crack....?

 

[Lenny]

Thankfully we're back on track again! I think we can put last weeks episode down to Moffat having a bad day.

Such a strangely surreal episode that was genuinely creepy at various points throughout.

I was half-expecting George the Alien Cuckoo to be around for a malicious reason, but he turned out simply to want to fit in, which disappointed me slightly.

I didn't notice the Crack lightbulb, but we had an obvious look at the screen in the TARDIS showing the Doctor's profile page.

Other than that, I can't think of anything else to say. Next week's episode looks like it may well be brilliant!

 

[PTeppic]

Wouldn't want to be under 10 for this episode. Loved it.

Random quotes:
Rory: "We're dead... again!"
Doctor: "Nothing scary...." (with fright) "...off the scale, off the scale..."
Alex: "Clare can't have kids..." SFX: Der der, da da, der der, da da
Amy: "I take it all back, panic now!"
Old lady: "Must have been them tablets"

Now, at the end, did the Doctor say: "Good to be back together again, in the flesh"
(and if so, is that pertinent or just one of those phrases?)


Loved the Time Lord bedtime stories
I imagine that bullying of the parents will be as scary as the other bits for younger audience.
Speaking of which, all the opening the cupboard stuff, was very well done
Okay, slightly corny denouement (in the dolls' house), but necessary

 

[Adasunshine]

Now, at the end, did the Doctor say: "Good to be back together again, in the flesh"
(and if so, is that pertinent or just one of those phrases?)

I wondered that! They are good at sneaking in these lines to trip us up and then making use of the seemingly throw away ones!

Really enjoyed this episode, my six year old did spend the entire episode behind the sofa and is currently lying in his bed with his night light on (bless) and as you can guess, I'm in demand tonight! Damn you Mr Gatiss!

xx

 

[PTeppic]

To open, with the pre-titles... did anyone think that the filament of George's bedroom light, as it turned off, was awfully similar to The Crack....?

Okay... no it doesn't:

 

[PTeppic]

And, thanks to Confidential, I failed to spot the custom-written nursery rhyme in the TARDIS at the end. Specifically applicable to the Doctor...

 

[Tillane]

Hmm. I have to admit that I found myself a little underwhelmed by this one. I thought the idea was okay, but it reminded me a little too much of "Fear Her" from Tennant's first season: bad things in cupboards/closets, people disappearing, insecure aliens... Just a bit familiar, I guess. Thought the dolls were scaryish - no doubt much more so for the young uns - but couldn't really get myself into the spirit. One to re-watch and reassess, perhaps.

Did like the little nursery rhyme ending, though. "...even for the Doctor..." Nice touch. Nicely done.

 

[thaddeus6th]

Quite good, and I enjoyed the fact there was no River Song nonsense for once.

 

[TheEndIsNigh]

Mmmm.

Classic 'get behind the sofa' stuff. Sidekick get whipped of to her/his separate little parallel track to rejoin the Doc later in the plot.

I thought the lift scene was quite well done although the method of shrinking and teleporting to the doll's house was a little vague + More lilliputian effects. Has he got a franchise lined up with 'it's a tiny planet afterall' care of Wisney Co-op do you think.

The dolls were, well dolls, but they did the job.

I don't think we needed the death date reminder at the end. Its going to get painfiul every week if they star doing that.

Over all, an acceptable story for a change.

 

[TheDustyZebra]

Ok, there is a definite theme developing here. These episodes are all about Amy being something unreal. Last episode, she was a robot, now she's a doll, and the teaser shows that next episode she will be duplicated somehow and Rory will have to choose one. And then the aforementioned remark at the end about all being together again "in the flesh".

And the "bigger on the inside" thing is still being rather prominent.

Hmm....

Oh, and a couple more things -- I was just looking around to see what it was that the Doctor called George (didn't find it, got sidetracked) and saw that someone mentioned that this episode was supposed to have been before the Flesh ones, so that the comment about "in the flesh" would have led directly into that episode, which makes sense, and it does seem like the ending here would have segued nicely into the beginning of that one.

And speaking of that, what is up with the 13th century? At the beginning of the Rebel Flesh episode, Amy or the Doctor said 13th century monastery, I'm pretty sure, and Rory said no, don't think so, because of the music that was playing. And in here, either Amy or Rory said something in the dollhouse about being in the 13th century. Which makes more sense if the episodes were originally back-to-back, but doesn't explain why 13th century in the first place.

 

[Moonbat]

I thought this episode was 'neh' not particularly good, the dolls were scary, and nicely done, but as soon as Amy got turned I knew they'd be turned back at the end (when the landlord was turned I wondered if they'd ever be recovered, but with a companion it is obvious)
I thought they brushed over the whole 'alien intergalactic Cuckoo' thing, and just ignored that fact that an alien is living on Earth as someone's son. Oh it's fine he'll fit in perfectly now and be whatever you want him to be, that's a bit weak IMHO

All in all I thought it was a weak episode, possibly scary if I was 10, but I'm not and I didn't think it was very good.
Next week looks alot better.

 

[Mary Hoffman]

Since I have a phobia about dolls (yes and vent dummies, puppets, clowns and masks, since you ask) I won't be watching even on iPlayer.

But I'm glad some of you thought it better than last week's low point.

 

[Perpetual Man]

I enjoyed it, watching it intently, ready to take on TEiN... but not only does he begrudgingly like it this week, but...

I loved the opening moments, thought it was well done, creepy, perfect to have the kids hiding behind the sofa. (And never going to sleep again if they have a wardrobe in their room). Thought the music really worked well, really adding to the creepiness.

But I felt the pay off really let it all down (for me). It seemed to trite, to easy, but maybe that was needed for the kids watching to give it an easily explained, almost sympathetic conclusion.

An article in the Sunday Express today - more about the series in general but I thought I link it here:

Doctor Who

 

[HoopyFrood]

Hmm. I have to admit that I found myself a little underwhelmed by this one. I thought the idea was okay, but it reminded me a little too much of "Fear Her" from Tennant's first season: bad things in cupboards/closets, people disappearing, insecure aliens... Just a bit familiar, I guess. Thought the dolls were scaryish - no doubt much more so for the young uns - but couldn't really get myself into the spirit. One to re-watch and reassess, perhaps.

Did like the little nursery rhyme ending, though. "...even for the Doctor..." Nice touch. Nicely done.

Last week we said almost the same stuff, this week I pretty much agree with everything above -- if it happens again next week, I think we might as well just start reposting and quoting each other's post!

Although I definitely liked all the build up to the cupboard. Very nice. And "come on, Alex, come on!" with the Doctor changing his mind all over the place. Heh.

And, of course, "we're dead...again!" Rory's getting some good lines. It's nice to see he can do stuff apart from dying, and that he's equally fighting monsters and beasties all over the place rather than just being a tag along with Amy.

 

[Purdy Bear]

It was definately back to 'old school'. As a child I also hid behind the sofa and I can see many a kid doing it for this episode.

The only small glitch I found that if the dolls touched you, your turned into one of them, so why didnt the Dad or the kid turn into one when they were touched. Its only a slight thing but it did make me think.

Theres a lot of locked door wardrobes/boxes etc in these series', as if there is a vain running through.

 

[Dave]

Thumbs up from me too!

I didn't think I would like it, as it sounded something like Chucky (Child's Play) but I was pleasantly surprised. Rory did get some good lines in this - he also said that it was somewhere they could have got to on the bus rather than take the TARDIS.

How many of these alien cuckoos are there on Earth? Should David Icke be worried?

 

[Tillane]

Last week we said almost the same stuff, this week I pretty much agree with everything above -- if it happens again next week, I think we might as well just start reposting and quoting each other's post!

I suspect it's just that we both have impeccable taste, Hoops! Your turn to go first next week, anyway...

And "come on, Alex, come on!" with the Doctor changing his mind all over the place. Heh.

Yeah, I liked that as well. One of the (many) things I like about Smith's Doc - he's like a man with a seriously weird internal monologue going on, and sometimes other people somehow tune into it. Tennant's Doc was well capable of being manic (and of going off on long, self-examining monologues) of course, but Smith's seems to suck other people into the mania. Could be annoying - and I'm sure it is for some viewers - but I love it.[/QUOTE]

 

[Lioness]

Hmm...

I didn't like this one as much as last week's...it seemed like there was so much left unexplained.
The dolls were a bit creepy, but meh.

Also...the nursery rhyme:

Tick tock goes the clock,
And what now shall we play?
Tick tock goes the clock,
Now summer’s gone away.
Tick tock goes the clock,
And what then shall we see?
Tick tock until the day
That thou shalt marry me.
Tick tock goes the clock,
And all the years they fly.
Tick tock and all too soon,
You and I must die.
Tick tock goes the clock,
He cradled and he rocked her.
Tick tock goes the clock,
Even for the Doctor.

​

Surely that's significant. Doctor/River?
​

 

[hanzy-popz]

I never did understand why people were terrified of dolls when I was younger.
After watching this episode, I understand.
I got serious heebie-jeebies from the wooden dolls and objects in the doll-house.

Also, did the ending where the father ran to George and hugged him remind anyone else of the ending to The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances?
"I am your mummy, I will always be your mummy" followed by an emotional hug.
Perhaps just a coincidence or Moffat trying to recapture some emotion at the end of a scary episode for kids.

Ok, there is a definite theme developing here. These episodes are all about Amy being something unreal. Last episode, she was a robot, now she's a doll, and the teaser shows that next episode she will be duplicated somehow and Rory will have to choose one. And then the aforementioned remark at the end about all being together again "in the flesh".

And the "bigger on the inside" thing is still being rather prominent.

I noticed the "bigger on the inside" theme as well. Perhaps just a huge nod to the fact that Melody/River is a "child of the TARDIS"
But has anyone else been thinking that Amy and Rory being miniaturised and trapped inside something is just a ploy to get them out of the way while The Doc works his magic? Now that they're a married couple with a child, they're not as effective as a typical companion duo. More of a companion and comic sidekick. And why are they not more concerned that the doctor seems to have given up looking for their newborn daughter?? I know they know she's going to grow up to be River, but Amy MUST still have some sort of maternal instincts which are being blatently ignored.

Must say I enjoyed this one a lot more than last week's episode, though.