Fear Her

"It takes the when they're playing."

Writer: Matthew Graham

Format: TV

Broadcast: 24 June 2006

Series: 2.11

Featuring: Tenth Doctor, Rose

Synopsis

When the TARDIS lands in 2012, the Doctor plans to show Rose the London Olympics, but on a nearby housing estate a desperate mother is hiding her daughter's unearthly powers. Can the Doctor defeat the danger nestling at the heart of an ordinary British household?

Verdict

Fear Her was just a bit rubbish to be honest. Let's be clear, this episode isn't very good. It's as simple as that really. Unfortunately, I enjoyed this even less than the last time I watched it and I really will endeavour to never watch it again! I really don't like it and I suppose that's no surprise that it got the lowest ever rating I have given to a televised story. I think it might actually be the joint-lowest rating I have ever given! I just don't enjoy the premise and I think everything is just a bit rubbish. The shining light is the Doctor with his reaction to finding out that the scribble creature is purely graphite, but the very idea of a scribble creature is just ludicrous. I don't like it and the scene where he rubs it out with a HP pencil is just silly. It really is laughable! Rose is good in her detective mindset similar to that at the start of The Idiot's Lantern where here she immediately cottons on to the missing children posters. I don't think the atmosphere on the street was quite reflective of the situation as even though there was quiet and unease, surely there would be more panic and attempts to actually try and find missing children? And if that was happening, surely you wouldn't be letting your children outside unsupervised! That's a little farfetched for me. I thought the drawings were somewhat interesting, but it's a little obvious from the start that Chloe Webber is the culprit for the missing children. Everything is just a bit predictable. The Doctor putting Chloe to sleep and talking to the entity using her body in the form of the Isolus was interesting but I didn't much care for the story of their species and the makeup of how they required their billions of sisters and brothers. I mean, it was an emotional tale but that being the reason for why Chloe Webber was drawing the children outside to try and keep the other drawings company. Chloe claimed to be alone and yet the Isolus was within her and the one needing company? It didn't make much sense to me. Chloe was getting angry when the drawings weren't appreciative of the company they were added which was just strange. The Isolus required company in the form of billions and I couldn't understand why it took the Doctor arriving for it to realise the scale of company it needed. Surely it could have just drawn the Earth straight off rather than going by a singular fashion? It was all a bit rubbish. The council tarmac humour was enjoyable but the ease and speed in which Rose found the small Isolus ship was just baffling. Surely he'd have noticed that when smoothing it over? The drawing of Chloe's father in the wardrobe wasn't the best of threats and I also thought so much more should have been made of the Doctor and the TARDIS being taken by Chloe. I'd have liked more explanation on how the Isolus had its power but by the time things were ending I was just glad. I thought the Doctor taking Rose to the London 2012 Olympics was a nice touch but I wasn't a fan of him picking up the Olympic torch and that being the heat source required for the Isolus to go home. Rose throwing that in hope was a bit of a reach and the sudden way the Isolus is happy to leave Chloe Webber despite loving her is just rubbish. Ugh, I was glad for it to end and the foreshadowing at the end for the finale was great stuff. Overall though, this is comfortably my least favourite televised episode. 

Rating: 3/10