20 Essential Doctor Who Stories For The "New to Who" - Part I: The Davies Era ('05 - '10)

3. The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances (Series 1, Episodes 9 & 10 - 2005)

New fans get a Trifecta here: this is the first Two Part story in the New Who canon, as well as the first introduction to future head of Torchwood/pansexual heartthrob Captain Jack Harkness. Point three of the Trifecta comes in the fact that this was Steven Moffat€™s first official out as a Who writer (not counting the Comic Relief special €œCurse of the Fatal Death€). The Doctor, Rose, and Jack are hunting a monstrous child in World War II London. A dangerous child who€™s just looking for his mummy€and can transform people into gas masked monstrosities like himself. Perhaps the most important aspect of this episode is the speech that The Doctor gives towards the end of €œThe Doctor Dances€ where he espouses his joyful acceptance of a day where €œeverybody lives€. No one had to die to stop this menace, no one had to even get hurt. As once pointed out by Craig Ferguson, €œIntellect and romance, over brute force and cynicism€ are the qualities that the Doctor embodies. If he can out think a problem and send everyone home happy, that€™s fine by him.
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Mike Reyes may or may not be a Time Lord, but he's definitely the Doctor Who editor here at What Culture. In addition to his work at What Culture, Mr. Reyes writes for Cocktails and Movies, as well as his own personal blogs Mr. Controversy and The Bookish Kind. On top of that, he's also got a couple Short Stories and Novels in various states of completion, like any good writer worth their salt. He resides in New Jersey, and compiles his work from all publications on his Facebook page.