I'm new to Doctor Who, and Midnight was one of the first episodes I ever watched. You might say that this was the one that got me hooked! Almost every other episode I've seen is full of CG and funny alien costumes and loads of visual effects. But not Midnight. Midnight goes back to basics, with nothing but a tight, claustrophobic set, a small group of very talented actors, and a premise that chills the audience to the bone.
Midnight was the scariest episode of Doctor Who I've ever seen, and that's including Blink. I find I'm never scared watching the show unless the Doctor is scared (probably because if he's fine, you know he's got a plan and everything will turn out okay in the end. But if he's scared, well, you know you're in trouble then), so episodes like 42 and Midnight really freak me out the most.
Like Silence/Forest, Midnight also examines some of mankind's greatest fears. While the preceding episodes examined our fear of the dark, Midnight goes into our fear of the unknown. Sometimes on television, what is implied is more frightening than what is seen. For instance, the Daleks vs. the Midnight monster. The Daleks are tangible, loud, and rather obnoxious. You may find them frightening, but not more so than an invisible monster that creeps into your body and renders you helpless. In imagining what the Midnight monster truly is, the viewer scares themselves more than the writer could by actually explaining what it really is.
The group dynamics and cramped setting really gave the episode a frantic, claustrophobic feeling, and the actors did a splendid job of portraying exactly what people are capable of when their own lives are at stake. The actors portray this wonderfully. Also deserving special mentions are Lesley Sharp, who did a wonderful job of repeating every line with identical tone and inflections to the other actors (Molto bene, Lesley!) And of course, David Tennant, who always gives it 100%. This episode wouldn't have scared me nearly as much if not for his performance. I mentioned the episode "42" earlier, and I believe that Midnight is the antithesis of 42 in a way, because of the way David portrayed fear. In 42, his performance was almost entirely vocal. He had to show how scared the Doctor was through voice and body movements, because he couldn't open his eyes. In Midnight, however, the Doctor was immobilized and rendered mute by the creature, so he was basically using only his eyes to convey petrifying fear. And he did a marvellous job, as per usual. I think that Midnight was one of his best performances yet! The only thing that could have made this episode better for me would have been more Donna, but seeing as they shot this at the same time was "Turn Left," I know that wouldn't have been possible. Still, Catherine's scenes were marvellous, as Donna really stepped up in this episode to help the Doctor, instead of the other way around.
Amazing episode. In the words of the Doctor; "Molto bene!"
Midnight was the scariest episode of Doctor Who I've ever seen, and that's including Blink. I find I'm never scared watching the show unless the Doctor is scared (probably because if he's fine, you know he's got a plan and everything will turn out okay in the end. But if he's scared, well, you know you're in trouble then), so episodes like 42 and Midnight really freak me out the most.
Like Silence/Forest, Midnight also examines some of mankind's greatest fears. While the preceding episodes examined our fear of the dark, Midnight goes into our fear of the unknown. Sometimes on television, what is implied is more frightening than what is seen. For instance, the Daleks vs. the Midnight monster. The Daleks are tangible, loud, and rather obnoxious. You may find them frightening, but not more so than an invisible monster that creeps into your body and renders you helpless. In imagining what the Midnight monster truly is, the viewer scares themselves more than the writer could by actually explaining what it really is.
The group dynamics and cramped setting really gave the episode a frantic, claustrophobic feeling, and the actors did a splendid job of portraying exactly what people are capable of when their own lives are at stake. The actors portray this wonderfully. Also deserving special mentions are Lesley Sharp, who did a wonderful job of repeating every line with identical tone and inflections to the other actors (Molto bene, Lesley!) And of course, David Tennant, who always gives it 100%. This episode wouldn't have scared me nearly as much if not for his performance. I mentioned the episode "42" earlier, and I believe that Midnight is the antithesis of 42 in a way, because of the way David portrayed fear. In 42, his performance was almost entirely vocal. He had to show how scared the Doctor was through voice and body movements, because he couldn't open his eyes. In Midnight, however, the Doctor was immobilized and rendered mute by the creature, so he was basically using only his eyes to convey petrifying fear. And he did a marvellous job, as per usual. I think that Midnight was one of his best performances yet! The only thing that could have made this episode better for me would have been more Donna, but seeing as they shot this at the same time was "Turn Left," I know that wouldn't have been possible. Still, Catherine's scenes were marvellous, as Donna really stepped up in this episode to help the Doctor, instead of the other way around.
Amazing episode. In the words of the Doctor; "Molto bene!"