Human Nature/Family of Blood is a sumptuous two-parter that explores what happens when the Doctor isn't really the Doctor. After being chased by a family of intergalactic criminals hellbent on stealing his immortality, the Doctor is forced to hide his Time Lord consciousness and live as a human, a timid schoolteacher at a public school in pre-WWI Britain. We get to see the Doctor in a uniquely vulnerable position, where he doesn't know who he is, and quite frankly he's no use to anyone. This puts Martha, one of the most enduringly undervalued companions, firmly in the driver's seat. The casual, mean-spirited racism and sexism she encounters is jarring at first, but it serves to illustrate exactly what Martha's willing to do to keep the Doctor safe. The story also comes with a compelling statement on the nature of war, culminating in Son of Mine's monologue while on the attack. All this together adds up to a remarkably strong episode, especially for anyone with a soft spot for history.
Audrey Fox is an ex-film student, which means that she prefers to spend her days in the dark, watching movies and pondering the director's use of diegetic sound. She currently works as an entertainment writer, joyfully rambling about all things film and television related. Add her on Twitter at @audonamission and check out her film blog at 1001moviesandbeyond.com.
