The Weekly Doctor Who Review: ‘Night Terrors’

michael dworkis fills in for this week’s Doctor Who review …

We begin with a little boy, George, who is terrified to go to sleep, and why not? Kids his age are scared of the creeping, skulking monsters that sneak around at night. Mummy comes in and offers comfort, to take his fears to take his monsters and lock them in the closet. She flicks the lights on and off five times while George wishes five times for someone to save him from the monsters. His call for help does not go unanswered, as the plea soars beyond space, beyond time, and is heard by one man … The Doctor.

An old lady takes out her trash, and a mysterious force pulls her into the pile. Strange, and I thought only the rats in New York City could physically take on a human.

The ninth episode of the season aptly titled “Night Terrors” is a standalone tale of mystery and suspense. Our trio of adventurers heed the call of a young child, and transport to a large apartment complex where things are obviously not as they seem. They go door-to-door to locate the child, and the good Doctor is successful in spotting the terrified lad. He sends Amy and Rory elsewhere, only for them to end up taking the elevator of doom as they seemingly vanish.

Predictably, the Doctor confronts the young boy about overcoming his fears, and even helping the father calm down some of his own. It is important to note The Doctor continues to look over their photo album, looking for clues. The episode drags a bit, as the boy constantly hyperventilates during each scene, while The Doctor drives the father crazy with his incomprehensible banter. The Doctor then brings a smile to George, by using the Sonic Screwdriver to animate his toys. The device is then used on the closet where the boy keeps his fears locked up, only for The Doctor to discover that the boy has locked up actual monsters. I am glad this turned out to be the case of the episode, as finding an empty closet would have been a bit of a letdown. While the episode is slow-moving at this point, the suspense begins to build in the mind of the viewer, wondering exactly what kind of monsters are in store for our travelers.

More scenes with The Doctor and the father debating whether to open the closet. While looking at the photographs, The Doctor figures out the mystery, and as it turns out, the boy is not who he seems. As The Doctor begins to piece the puzzle together, the boy, with whatever power he has, throws his father and The Doctor into the closet, and into the grasp of these child-like dolls, singing creepy tunes which is intended to chill the souls of the viewer.

At this point, the episode begins to pick up the pace, as all three travelers, the father, and that stray old woman all find themselves locked in an inescapable hell of a dollhouse. The chase scenes bring some humor to the scary presence of the dollhouse-monsters, however I still found the episode to be lacking in depth. Although the episode feels predictable and plays out like a typical run away from the scary things scenario, there is the heartwarming conclusion of a parent discovering what it means to love a child.

This episode might have been better served being aired among other standalone episodes, and not right after “Let’s Kill Hitler” which treated Dr. Who fans to stunning dramatic revelations that begged further questions and the demand for answers. The only nod to upcoming events came at the conclusion of the episode which displayed the end-date of The Doctor while the sounds of the creepy child-dolls sing about it.

I anticipate intense suspense and astounding reveals towards the end of the season, the episode “Night Terrors” served to be more of a bedtime tale gone wrong, and one that will likely be forgettable among the revelation-packed second half of Season 6.

All Photos Credit: BBC America