In the show's 50 year history, there has never been another episode quite like Midnight. When the Doctor hops on a tour bus to explore the beautiful but lethal sights on an alien planet, he finds himself trapped on board with a menace of unknown origins. It begins inauspiciously enough -- a woman isn't acting like herself, and she starts to mimic the words of others. Sort of strange, to be sure, but not quite terrifying. Not yet. But then she starts to catch up, until she's saying words at the exact same time as the speaker. Finally, the Doctor is left to helplessly parrot her speech. This is, in our opinion, the most scared the Doctor has ever been. The reason we like him so much is because he's not a typical action hero, he uses intellect and charm and persuasion instead of a gun to talk his way out of sticky situations. But in his episode, his greatest strength becomes a liability. In a very real sense, the Doctor is nothing without his words, and in Midnight they've been stolen from him. Throughout the episode, we see the ugly side of human nature surface, as blind hysteria and mob mentality take over and the people begin to viciously turn against one another.
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.
