“Please save me from the monsters. Please save me from the monsters. Please save me from the monsters…”
In the latest episode of Doctor Who, the Doctor and his companions intercept a distress call from a little boy named George needing help to make the monsters in his bedroom go away. As people in the boy’s apartment block disappear, it becomes apparent that these monsters are real, and George can only make the monsters disappear by facing his fears with the help of the Doctor.
While many of the episodes this season tie into the larger story arc dealing with the mystery of River Song, the plot of “Night Terrors” stands on its own, making this an excellent episode to introduce to new Doctor Who viewers without overwhelming them with an extensive plot history. “Night Terrors” tells us everything that we need to know about the Doctor. Although the Doctor looks and acts far too young for his age, in his heart he is a grandfather unwilling to see a child in panic, and while the Doctor saves exotic alien civilizations every day, he still sees the importance in helping a little boy on Earth.
I always enjoy episodes like “Night Terrors” that take place in modern times, in which the Doctor interacts with average, everyday people. In these episodes, the Doctor barges in on people’s mundane lives and shows them what majestic and fantastic things lurk beneath the surface of their reality. These everyday people are relatable characters; children in the audience can understand George’s fear of the monsters in the dark, and parents can relate to how Alex and Claire struggle with dealing with George’s fears while also dealing with their own fears about making ends meet and paying the rent. When the Doctor comes to call, these ordinary people become heroes, and some things as simple as a child’s bravery and a parent’s unconditional love can become the most powerful forces in the universe.
In “Night Terrors,” the Doctor takes center stage while Rory and Amy play less of a role, which may please fans who feel that the stories this season have focused to heavily on the companions. While the Doctor investigates the origins of the monsters in George’s room and helps him face his fears, Rory and Amy are transported to a child’s doll house where they flee from living dolls. Even though Rory and Amy do little to advance the plot in this episode, Amy comes across better in this episode than in many of the other stories this season. My main complaint with this season has been Amy’s lack of character development and agency, but in “Night Terrors” Amy shows her strength, making astute observations about her surroundings and taking charge once the dolls corner them.
The next episode, “The Girl Who Waited,” promises to be another Amy-focused story. Although I hope to see Amy become a well-developed character and less passive, I find it telling that “the girl who waited” has become her title, referring to the fact that she waited her entire childhood for the Doctor to come and whisk her away.
However, Doctor Who never loses its capacity to surprise, and I look forward to the next episode anyway.