Humor, romance, clockwork men, and pre-Revolutionary France -- you could be forgiven for thinking that this doesn't exactly sound like the typical episode of Doctor Who. Although The Girl in the Fireplace technically has elements of science fiction, taking place partly on a futuristic spaceship complete with portals into the past, the greater share of the episode is centered around the relationship between the Doctor and Reinette, better known as Madame du Pompadour. Very much a model for Amy Pond's storyline in season 5, the Doctor interacts with Reinette throughout her timeline, starting from her childhood. It's a particularly effective way to explore their relationship, only helped by the tremendous amount of chemistry between the two actors (with good reason -- they dated in real life).
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.
