Discussion of Episode 4.10 "Midnight" - Aired 06/14/08 (BBC1-UK)

[Angel's vision]

This very enjoyable and quite thought provoking. I was unnerved how the passengers voiced their opinions reg the Doctor, like accusing him of having a kick out of the drama, not the first time he has been challenged, in The Unicorn and the Wasp he was told off by Agatha, but this time it looked more malevelant, and even the Doc appeared so when this was going on, how his alienness is what seperates him from us, his defensive "I take an interest yes!". How he was called into question altogether was an interesting way of allowing us to see how before people just accepted he was there to help, but his time his strenghs were used agaisnt him, in a chilling lord of the flies kind of way.

I was chatting to some friends yesterday and I came to the conclusion the fear of Sky was what was made manifest into an entity, her paronioa at the fact that someone said they would "get her" turned into something real, like fear made into a "being". I am reminded of the entity that the scoobies created in the S6 eppy Bargaining part 2, or was it the third ep? anyway then it plays on other's fear to get strong, the Doctor's strengths (using them against him) so his fear is surfaced then it feeds on him till it gets a mind of it's own, which was unnerving to say the least, I nearly begged one of the crew to stop dragging him out the shuttle!

Frustrated that he missed yet again the Rose appearence, I wonder if the whole dynamic would of changed if he had noticed her?

[N4H]

It never clicked with me that the name Sky might have significance, but yeah, now that you mention it, I can get that.

And speaking of the Buffyverse, I kept on thinking of this quote I heard from Julie Benz in an interview when she was asked what scared her. She answered something like, "What scares everybody? Being alone". You put that together with the fear of the unknown thing, and you've got why Midnight is so genuinely creepy. Come to think of it being alone was Buffy's problem in S-6 starting with Bargaining 2. (I think the Buffy ep you're thinking of is called Afterlife: S-6 # 3.)

Another thing I liked about Midnight is Davies didn't do that thing he does with the Doctor that sometimes irritates me. The Doctor wasn't so much a Demi God. He didn't just snap his fingers, and declare everything resolved. One got the feeling he was actually out of his element there. That also was good for the creep factor.

This one kind of goes in a category of departure episodes don't you think, where they kind of play around outside the borders of how the series usually plays out. You could maybe group it with eps like Love & Monsters, and Blink.

[Angel's vision]

It never clicked with me that the name Sky might have significance, but yeah, now that you mention it, I can get that.

You mean all the talk about skies and stars and midnight?

Another thing I liked about Midnight is Davies didn't do that thing he does with the Doctor that sometimes irritates me. The Doctor wasn't so much a Demi God. He didn't just snap his fingers, and declare everything resolved. One got the feeling he was actually out of his element there. That also was good for the creep factor.

Yeah that is the most complained about in fandom, even I tried not to giggle when he went all "christ like" last year..

This one kind of goes in a category of departure episodes don't you think, where they kind of play around outside the borders of how the series usually plays out. You could maybe group it with eps like Love & Monsters, and Blink.

I think also the satan pit and impossible planet can also be included.

[Bored of the Dead]

I think that what this episode proved is how difficult it is for the Doctor to be anything other than an observer without his human companion.

This does lead into next episode too when he has them ALL back.

I still maintain that this season is about Family, or his Family.

Loved the episode though, was pleased to see David Troughton in there.

Another 'offspring of a Doctor' - brilliant.

Even better is that his son is Much in Robin Hood.

LOVE it.