Day 733: The Family of Blood

One of the major differences between the novel and television versions of Human Nature is the ending. For the novel, the villains are more or less killed, while in the television version, the villains are given the far worse fate of being allowed to live. Immortality has long been viewed as a curse in Doctor Who, with examples such as the fate of Borusa in The Five Doctors and the development of the character of Ashildr in Capaldi's second series immediately springing to mind. The Family of Blood, however, is the first story to really deal with it as a horrific and harsh punishment.

We see The Family of Blood being given immortality, but sentenced to withstand different punishments that effectively render them trapped for all eternity. It's interesting to note, as well, that this is akin to the Doctor killing them, and yet it doesn't feel out of character, for whatever reason. Maybe it's because the act of killing would be too brutal, too much of a denial of their lives. It could also be due to the fact that the Doctor is giving them what they wanted, immortality, making him seem like a kind punisher, albeit with a cruel streak in his heart.

It could also be due to the fact that, as an audience, it's easy to see that they deserved it. The Family of Blood are frequently seen killing innocents and crossing various lines that make them too big a threat to let go. And this is followed up by Tennant's acting through the scene, which marks one of the few scenes he performs as the Doctor in this episode. He is quiet and serious, staring into the camera like an angry god, which feels quietly terrifying, but only for those who feel his wrath. It's also followed up by the fact that, for the rest of the Doctor's scenes, he comes across as likeable, dropping techno-babble and joking with Martha and one of the young schoolboys. The contrast between the two moods is extraordinary and slightly frightening, and shows the full range of Tennant's Doctor. And we'll explore that range further as his tenure continues. Tomorrow, however, we'll look at a story where he doesn't make too much of an appearance at all...