S3.E8

Human Nature

Episode aired Jan 22, 2008
TV-PG
45m

IMDb RATING

YOUR RATING

In 1913, Martha watches in jealousy from afar as The Doctor learns what it is to be human and to fall in love with the local school nurse, Joan Redfern.In 1913, Martha watches in jealousy from afar as The Doctor learns what it is to be human and to fall in love with the local school nurse, Joan Redfern.In 1913, Martha watches in jealousy from afar as The Doctor learns what it is to be human and to fall in love with the local school nurse, Joan Redfern.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

8.9/10

9.7K

YOUR RATING

See production info at IMDbPro

User reviews31

Featured review

9/10

A very different "Doctor Who" tale...

"Human Nature", based on Paul Cornell's original "New Adventure" paperback, is a very different tale to what we're used to seeing on the small screen. When The Doctor becomes a human in 1913 England to avoid the clutches of the evil alien Family of Blood, a frustrated Martha watches events unfold as the cover of his servant.

This period story is gripping and unusual. David Tennant is superb as the headmaster John Smith who occasionally has dreams of another life and alien creatures. His book of "imagined" memories is a joy to behold.

The atmosphere in this episode is very authentic and there's a real sense of dramatic suspense. The scarecrows are a genius touch and are particularly creepy.

Jessica ("Spaced) Hynes is thoroughly delightful as Smith's love-interest Joan Redfern.

9 out of 10. Depending on the quality of the next episode, this could be a story that's discussed for a very long time.

Again, what a series this has been so far! This is setting a new bar of quality for the future.

Trivia
In John Smith's book, "A Journal of Impossible Things", sketches of previous actors who have played the Doctor are shown, marking the first time that the 2005 series has explicitly depicted the Doctors from Docteur Who (1963) and Le seigneur du temps (1996). The actors depicted on screen were William Hartnell, Peter Davison, Colin Baker, Sylvester McCoy and Paul McGann. Images of the Journal that were published on the BBC website reveal that the other remaining Doctors, Tom Baker, Jon Pertwee, Patrick Troughton, Christopher Eccleston, and David Tennant himself, were also illustrated on the page.

Goofs
School boys are shown firing a .303 Vickers machine gun, which had a range of 4,500 yards. An outdoor firing range would always have a slope of earth or sand behind the targets to stop dead all bullets fired down the range. Not only is there no such slope behind the boys targets, but we can see they're firing down into a valley full of buildings, well within the 4.5km (2.8mi) range of the gun, jeopardizing the lives of the villagers!

Quotes
John Smith: I dream I'm this adventurer. This daredevil, a madman. The Doctor, I'm called. And last night, I dreamt that you were there. As my companion.