Doctor Who at 10 - Father's Day (S1E8)

Paul Cornell is better known for novelisation (and later TV adaptation) Human Nature, in which the Doctor disguises himself as a human in a pre-war torn England as a teacher. But before he got the chance to have David Tennant act out his beloved fan-fiction, he was given the opportunity to prove his worth as a scriptwriter with Father's Day, in which the audience explores more of Rose's path and sheds a light on the impact that the Doctor's travels has on time - a first for the rejuvenated series. But as an episode that places character first and foremost, and keeps the overarching threat less important than the emotions at hand, does Father's Day work as a first foray into the main show?

Out of a whim, Rose (Billie Piper) asks her designated driver (Christopher Eccleston) if she could see her father the day he died, having done so during the early years of her life and growing up on the stories of him and his money-making schemes. The Doctor obliges, but on a mistaken rewatch of the event Rose cross the timelines and saves him, which not only causes the past versions of the Doctor and Rose (who were standing in between them) to vanish but also brings a looming threat in the form of the Reapers - interdimensional creatures which fix the wound by consuming everyone around it. This ultimately causes a rift between the Doctor and Rose, pointing blame and believing that she's been planning it from the moment she discovered that the TARDIS was a time machine, so decides to leave her behind with her father (Shaun Dingwall), who turns out not to be the lovable Del Boy that the stories proclaimed. But with the TARDIS severely affected by the events, can the Doctor and Rose sterilise the wound and ridden the world of the Reapers whilst ensuring the survival of Pete Tyler?

Father's Day is something of an underrated episode, even in the confines of the first series. When people look back at the first series, they focus on the Ninth Doctor, Rose, the Daleks, the Slitheen and the Empty Child. What they miss is some of the bigger emotional blows that the show has made, with the likes of The Unquiet Dead and this episode being true highlights of those blows alongside those iconic moments in Dalek and The Parting of the Ways. Father's Day's biggest playing card is the emotional baggage it carries, and with it being hinted at through the season it has a huge pay-off here. Because this episode is character-first, we get to explore the character more than in any other episode thus far, and it works as a huge step into getting into the nitty gritty of the companion role - delving into her own past to make way for the bigger beats in the overall story of Rose. Not to mention the interactions with her parents, the younger Mickey and even the Doctor when he sacrifices himself in the third act. It's no wonder the show would return to this family dynamic multiple times across the following series.

Because of the episode is all character, it does however mean that the villains are somewhat pushed aside. The threat is a strong one, and by the standards of 2005 the computer effects on them is strong, but ultimately they do nothing entirely threatening, and when left outside because they cannot break through the church - apparently because the older something is the stronger it is, which is a nice touch - they have no appearance bar the occasional outdoor shot of the church. It's only when they manage to get inside that they pose a threat once again. As a race of animalistic proportions, it makes sense, but for a story trajectory it is a little weak.

Of course, it's all in the script and the performances, and this episode may be a masterclass in that field.  Some of the minor characters don't have quite the same impact as the main set - although they do leave room for smaller character beats which are sprinkled all over the place -and such don’t leave quite the lasting impact by the end, especially when the balance is restored. Billie Piper is incredibly strong as Rose, making up for her smaller role in The Long Game as she goes up against her past and fights with her close friend. Eccleston also knows when to pack the right punches, as he manages to blend the science mumbo-jumbo with the psychological state that the events have caused. Dingwall also makes a swift and likable first impression as Rose's down-on-his-luck father, and the characterisation on him and his growth are particularly noteworthy aspects. Camille Coduri also makes a good impression here in possibly her best role to date on the show, and her interactions with her grown-up daughter do pack a wallop.

Father's Day may be a little lacking in the villainy department, but nonetheless it is a strong episode. After a run of stories which focus on a overarching menace or a threat from the Doctor's past, it's a refreshing change of pace to stop and talk whilst still having some form of threat out there. It is a great story which has unfortunately been overshadowed by its successor. 9/10.