The Family of Blood (TV story): Difference between revisions
From Tardis Wiki, the free Doctor Who reference
no edit summary
No edit summary Tag: visualeditor |
No edit summary Tag: visualeditor |
||
| Line 34: | Line 34: | ||
'''''The Family of Blood''''' was the ninth episode of [[Series 3 (Doctor Who)|series 3]] of ''[[Doctor Who]]''. It was written by [[Paul Cornell]], directed by [[Charles Palmer]] and featured [[David Tennant]] as the [[Tenth Doctor]]/[[John Smith (Tenth Doctor)|John Smith]] and [[Freema Agyeman]] as [[Martha Jones]]. | '''''The Family of Blood''''' was the ninth episode of [[Series 3 (Doctor Who)|series 3]] of ''[[Doctor Who]]''. It was written by [[Paul Cornell]], directed by [[Charles Palmer]] and featured [[David Tennant]] as the [[Tenth Doctor]]/[[John Smith (Tenth Doctor)|John Smith]] and [[Freema Agyeman]] as [[Martha Jones]]. | ||
This story featured the possibility of the Doctor's life of adventures coming to an end, not by the Time Lord's choice, but rather by the choice of the human persona he created. It also once more showed the viewers just how dangerous and ruthless the Doctor can be once he's been pushed to the limits of his capacity for compassion and forgiveness. | |||
It also showed the Doctor giving ironic punishment that fitted with what his enemies desired. Like how he forces [[Cybermen]] to feel the emotions they cut out and causes the Daleks' plans to backfire, the Doctor gave each member of the Family an eternal punishment for their cruelty. | |||
== Synopsis == | == Synopsis == | ||
It's [[1913]], and war | It's [[1913]], and war has come to England a year earlier than expected. Having been hiding out from the Family of Blood as John Smith, the Doctor is forced to consider whether or not to comply with the Family's demand to give them his Time Lord essence, and have a normal life with Joan. | ||
In the background, working to help restore the Doctor's true self are his companion [[Martha Jones]] and the psychic student [[Tim Latimer]]. | |||
== Plot == | == Plot == | ||
As [[Family of Blood|the Family]] holds [[Martha Jones]] and [[Joan Redfern (TV character)|Joan Redfern]] captive, [[John Smith (Tenth Doctor)|John Smith]] is helplessly bewildered by their demands. [[Tim Latimer]] briefly opens the [[Biodata module|watch]] containing the Doctor's essence, confusing the Family with the Doctor's scent. This allows Martha to grab a [[firearm|gun]] from [[Mother of Mine]], take her hostage and point the gun at [[Son of Mine]], who doesn't take her seriously and remarks on her fire. Martha snarls "And you can shut up!", punctuating the warning with a shot through the roof. Son of Mine doubts that she'd have the gall to shoot him, but she points out that a scared person with a gun is quite dangerous. The Family members unwillingly lower their weapons and Martha tells | As [[Family of Blood|the Family]] holds [[Martha Jones]] and [[Joan Redfern (TV character)|Joan Redfern]] captive, [[John Smith (Tenth Doctor)|John Smith]] is helplessly bewildered by their demands. [[Tim Latimer]] briefly opens the [[Biodata module|watch]] containing the Doctor's essence, confusing the Family with the Doctor's scent. This allows Martha to grab a [[firearm|gun]] from [[Mother of Mine]], take her hostage and point the gun at [[Son of Mine]], who doesn't take her seriously and remarks on her fire. Martha snarls "And you can shut up!", punctuating the warning with a shot through the roof. Son of Mine doubts that she'd have the gall to shoot him, but she points out that a scared person with a gun is quite dangerous. | ||
The Family members unwillingly lower their weapons and Martha tells the Doctor to evacuate the building; when he doesn't respond, Martha points out she's talking to him. After everyone has left, Martha releases Mother of Mine but keeps her weapon poised to shoot 'Sonny-boy' if they try anything. Advancing on her, Son and Mother of Mine remark on her bravery and how Mother of Mine should have taken her form instead. Martha asks about Jenny's fate and Mother of Mine sadistically reveals her last moments; the possession kills the host in the process, unfortunately. Taking advantage, an animated scarecrow grabs Martha and retrieves the gun. She escapes and runs outside, where she finds Smith and leads him away. | |||
The watch (which contains the Doctor's "mind") still tells Latimer to keep it hidden. | |||
Smith, Joan, and Martha race back to the school, where Smith sounds the alarm. [[Father of Mine]] investigates Martha's past movements while the rest of the Family return to the school. They send [[Sister of Mine]] to spy on the school's inhabitants as her childish form will not be considered a threat. | |||
Inside the school, Martha pleads with Smith about having the students fight, but Smith says that they are trained to defend King and Country. Headmaster [[Rocastle]] enters, angry at first, but approving Smith's actions after hearing that [[Jeremy Baines]] ([[Son of Mine]]) and [[Clark (Human Nature)|Clark]] ([[Father of Mine]]) have gone insane and are chasing them and people have been [[murder]]ed. The headmaster and Smith arm the boys and prepare for battle. Unable to stop them, Martha races to Smith's room to search for the watch, followed by Joan. Joan slowly comes to accept the origins of Martha and the Doctor. | |||
Rocastle and [[Phillips (Human Nature)|Phillips]] go outside to assess the situation. Son of Mine demands John Smith be handed over along with his [[Time Lord]] [[consciousness]]. He mocks Rocastle for teaching children to fight in [[World War I|the war that is coming]], which will make them see war as less glorious than they were led to believe. Rocastle states his devotion to King and Country. Son of Mine vaporises Phillips, laughing. Rocastle runs back into the school, where Smith and he resume battle preparations. They order the boys to set up barricades and a line of machine guns to repel the Family. Son of Mine summons his [[Animated scarecrow (Human Nature)|scarecrow "soldiers"]]. Father of Mine finds [[The Doctor's TARDIS|the TARDIS]]. Joan asks Smith about his [[Nottingham]] childhood, noting that his knowledge is confined to facts. "How can you think I'm not real?" he protests. She says that whoever he is, he knows it is wrong to have the boys fight. | |||
[[File:Baines (Son of Mine).jpg|thumb|190x190px|"War comes to England, a year in advance."]] | |||
[[Sister of Mine]] finds Latimer, who beams the [[Time Lord]] consciousness out of the watch, striking her with an image of the Doctor at his most merciless. This betrays his position and the Family send their scarecrow army to bring out the watch. This army's first line is machine-gunned, but Smith finds himself unable to fire. Sister of Mine appears and Rocastle thinks she is merely a girl and should be brought in for her own safety, despite warnings from Martha, Joan and Smith. Sister of Mine kills Rocastle, then taunts the boys, none of whom are willing to kill a girl. Smith orders the boys to make an orderly retreat, but the Family and their scarecrows chase them and line them up to look for the watch. Finding that none of them have it, they are about to massacre the boys when Latimer sends a beam from the watch on an upper floor. This distracts them and the boys get away. Latimer escapes out a window. | [[Sister of Mine]] finds Latimer, who beams the [[Time Lord]] consciousness out of the watch, striking her with an image of the Doctor at his most merciless. This betrays his position and the Family send their scarecrow army to bring out the watch. This army's first line is machine-gunned, but Smith finds himself unable to fire. Sister of Mine appears and Rocastle thinks she is merely a girl and should be brought in for her own safety, despite warnings from Martha, Joan and Smith. Sister of Mine kills Rocastle, then taunts the boys, none of whom are willing to kill a girl. Smith orders the boys to make an orderly retreat, but the Family and their scarecrows chase them and line them up to look for the watch. Finding that none of them have it, they are about to massacre the boys when Latimer sends a beam from the watch on an upper floor. This distracts them and the boys get away. Latimer escapes out a window. | ||
The Family bring the TARDIS to the school, and taunt Smith, who is watching from the adjoining woods, to come to them. Smith denies having seen the TARDIS before, but Joan recognises it as the blue box in his [[A Journal of Impossible Things (Human Nature)|journal]]. Seeing this latest evidence of the Doctor's existence, Smith pleads desperately to remain himself. The Family return to their ship and use their alien technology to bombard the village to hasten Smith's surrender. | The Family bring the TARDIS to the school, and taunt Smith, who is watching from the adjoining woods, to come to them. Smith denies having seen the TARDIS before, but Joan recognises it as the blue box in his [[A Journal of Impossible Things (Human Nature)|journal]]. Seeing this latest evidence of the Doctor's existence, Smith pleads desperately to remain himself. The Family return to their ship and use their alien technology to bombard the village to hasten Smith's surrender. | ||
Smith, Joan and Martha retreat to the Cartwrights' empty cottage; Joan has [[deduce]]d that Sister of Mine killed her [[Lucy Cartwright|human host's]] parents earlier in the day. Latimer arrives soon after, watch in hand. He says he has seen the Doctor. He calls him fearsome and wonderful. After Smith takes the closed watch, it causes him to speak in the Doctor's voice for a moment, explaining Latimer's telepathic abilities as due to "an extra synaptic engram". Smith is horrified. Martha tries to convince Smith to open the watch and change back, saying that she loves the Doctor to bits and he is needed. Smith sees | Smith, Joan and Martha retreat to the Cartwrights' empty cottage; Joan has [[deduce]]d that Sister of Mine killed her [[Lucy Cartwright|human host's]] parents earlier in the day. Latimer arrives soon after, watch in hand. He says he has seen the Doctor. He calls him fearsome and wonderful. After Smith takes the closed watch, it causes him to speak in the Doctor's voice for a moment, explaining Latimer's telepathic abilities as due to "an extra synaptic engram". Smith is horrified. Martha tries to convince Smith to open the watch and change back, saying that she loves the Doctor to bits and he is needed. Smith sees changing back to the Doctor as his own [[suicide]], as it means his sense of self will be overridden. | ||
[[File:Smith_redfern_future.jpg|thumb|left|Smith and Redfern view a possible future together.]] | [[File:Smith_redfern_future.jpg|thumb|left|Smith and Redfern view a possible future together.]] | ||
Latimer and Martha leave Joan and Smith alone. Smith has an agonised discussion with Joan. Both see a vision of how Smith will live out his life if he remains human: marrying Joan, having children, becoming a grandfather and dying at home in bed with Joan at his side. Joan remains ambivalent, having discovered from Smith's journal the awful consequences of the Family gaining what they seek and how they will spread despair, destruction and death across the universe. | Latimer and Martha leave Joan and Smith alone. Smith has an agonised discussion with Joan. Both see a vision of how Smith will live out his life if he remains human: marrying Joan, having children, becoming a grandfather and dying at home in bed with Joan at his side. Joan remains ambivalent, having discovered from Smith's journal the awful consequences of the Family gaining what they seek and how they will spread despair, destruction and death across the universe. | ||
Smith appears at the [[Family of Blood's ship|Family's ship]] and stumbles into things as he yields the watch in return for the Family stopping the bombardment (and, apparently, to preserve his human identity). When they open the watch in triumph, they find it empty. Smith has changed back into the Doctor, misdirected their senses so as to seem human and in falling around, pushed buttons which make the machine overheat and destroy itself. Before leaving, he offers them one word of advice: Run! They quickly oblige and are able to make it out before the ship explodes. | Smith appears at the [[Family of Blood's ship|Family's ship]] and stumbles into things as he yields the watch in return for the Family stopping the bombardment (and, apparently, to preserve his human identity). When they open the watch in triumph, they find it empty. Smith has changed back into the Doctor, misdirected their senses so as to seem human (a little ventriloquism of the nose) and in falling around, pushed buttons which make the machine overheat and destroy itself. Before leaving, he offers them one word of advice: Run! They quickly oblige and are able to make it out before the ship explodes. | ||
The Family and the Doctor escape, but Son of Mine narrates the fate of the Family afterward. He finally realized why this man who had fought gods and monsters had fled from a much less threatening enemy like them: it was a kindness. The Doctor would have preferred that they die peacefully. After all the death they caused, however, instead of showing them mercy he unleashes his wrath and deals out the ultimate punishments to them. As the Family's desire was to become immortal, he chooses to grant this wish but in other ways: he traps Father of Mine in chains forged at the heart of a dwarf star, Mother of Mine in the [[event horizon]] of a collapsing [[galaxy]] and Sister of Mine in every [[mirror]] in existence. The Doctor visits her once a year, every year. Finally, the Doctor suspends Son of Mine in time, and dresses him as a scarecrow to watch over the fields of England as its protector. | The Family and the Doctor escape, but Son of Mine narrates the fate of the Family afterward. He finally realized why this man who had fought gods and monsters had fled from a much less threatening enemy like them: it was a kindness. The Doctor would have preferred that they die peacefully. After all the death they caused, however, instead of showing them mercy he unleashes his wrath and deals out the ultimate punishments to them. | ||
[[File:Fury of a time lord.jpg|thumb|190x190px|Mother of Mine's punishment: being sent into a collapsing galaxy]] | |||
As the Family's desire was to become immortal, he chooses to grant this wish but in other ways: he traps Father of Mine in chains forged at the heart of a dwarf star, Mother of Mine in the [[event horizon]] of a collapsing [[galaxy]] and Sister of Mine in every [[mirror]] in existence. The Doctor visits her once a year, every year; she is that thing you think you see in the reflection of the mirror. Son of Mine hopes that one day, the Doctor might forgive Sister of Mine and let her out. Finally, the Doctor suspends Son of Mine in time, and dresses him as a scarecrow to watch over the fields of England as its protector. | |||
The Doctor visits Joan, who is certain that Smith is dead. The Doctor says Smith still exists within him; he is capable of everything that Smith was. He invites her to travel with him, but Joan refuses to go with the stranger who wears her dead lover's face. Instead she reminds him that had he not chosen to hide then everyone who the Family murdered would still be alive, and sends him away. She watches him leave and starts to cry, clutching [[A Journal of Impossible Things (The End of Time)|Smith's journal]] to her chest. | The Doctor visits Joan, who is certain that Smith is dead. The Doctor says Smith still exists within him; he is capable of everything that Smith was. He invites her to travel with him, but Joan refuses to go with the stranger who wears her dead lover's face. Instead she reminds him that had he not chosen to hide then everyone who the Family murdered would still be alive, and sends him away. She watches him leave and starts to cry, clutching [[A Journal of Impossible Things (The End of Time)|Smith's journal]] to her chest. | ||
