Doctor Who: 10 Unpopular Opinions About Everybody's Favourite Episodes

10. The Empty TARDIS Is Crass Emotional Manipulation - Father's Day

For many, Series One's Father's Day is an emotional, tear-jerker of an episode that is one of the shining lights of early NuWho. In the full knowledge that saying anything negative about this Paul Cornell-scripted story will annoy a lot of fans, is it really all that and a bag of jelly babies? Leaving aside the unbelievable stupidity of the Doctor agreeing to take Rose to such a point in time, the episode is a fine example of "boohoo Who", setting the bar high in the weepie stakes. Most, but not all, of that emotion derives naturally from the central plot of Rose Tyler visiting the moment of her father's death. Unfortunately, there's a certain point where the internal story logic of this tale breaks down and the emotion feels forced. The point comes after Rose saves her father's life. While Rose goes with her father to the wedding, an angry Doctor returns to the TARDIS, only to discover that it is now an empty shell. It has to be said, there's no good reason for the inside of the TARDIS to disappear. Time has changed before and since in Doctor Who without this bizarre effect on the Doctor's time machine. In the absence of any good reason for it happening, this moment feels contrived, existing purely to provide unnecessary drama. It's unnecessary because, seconds later, the Reapers show up and their presence is more than enough to guarantee the Doctor's involvement. Father's Day is otherwise such an effective exercise in manipulating viewer emotions, that this slip really stands out.