BOOK OF LISTS - TOP TEN FAVE WHO STORIES #9

The countdown continues with Story #9 - 

            HUMAN NATURE/FAMILY OF BLOOD

This story had a lot to live up to.    I was a pretty avid follower of Virgin's series of New Adventure novels (at the time, they were the only way to get "New Who") and Paul Cornell's Human Nature  was, without a doubt, my favorite book in the whole range.    And while there were several novels in the New Adventures that had been masterfully written by other authors, Human Nature was head-and-shoulders above the rest.   A beautifully-written tale that worked magnificently on so many levels. It's such an excellent example of above-par authorship that even someone who had never in their lives heard of Doctor Who would still thoroughly enjoy it.   But, of course, a die-hard fan such as myself would love it all the more.  

            
Fast-forward a dozen years or so and we now find ourselves in late 2006.   They're announcing the stories for Series Three of New Who.   And lo and behold, smack-dab in the middle of the press release I read that Paul Cornell is adapting his Human Nature novel into T.V. episodes.   I'm equal parts ecstatic and terrified.  I'm thrilled that my favorite novel is going to get re-invented for a new media.   But I'm also fearful that this interpretation might fall horrifically-short of the genius of the book.    Surely, there's no way Cornell can get lightning to strike twice.   The televisual version will never live up to the printed word.   

            
But then, we're talking about Paul Cornell, here.   

            
What gets Human Nature/Family Blood to work so well is that Cornell knows exactly when to follow the pattern of his novel and when to veer away from it.    The main plot and character elements of the novel are all there.    As well they should be.    The basic premise of the novelization is brilliant and its core values should be maintained.    Otherwise, there's no point giving the two stories such similar names.   But there are many aspects of the book that only work in that format and would never translate well to the Small Screen.    And Cornell, brilliant man that he is, understands this perfectly and pens the story accordingly.    

            
But before I extol too heavily on the Greatness of Cornell - let's talk about the tale's other enormous strongpoint: the directorial choices.  Human Nature/Family of Blood is the period piece to end all period pieces.    Not only do we get the most authentic-looking locations and costumes but, more importantly, the performances the director evokes from the actors are outstanding.    We get characters that really seem from the era the storyline's meant to hail from.    The various pleasant and unpleasant social paradigms are clearly on display in the script and faithfully followed by the director.    We see wonderful examples of chivalry and honor, but we also see racism and class-discrimination.   And those negative and positive qualities can be seen in both the likeable and unlikeable characters that populate the tale.    Which is what makes the "period feel" so much more real.   These are people from a more primitive time and the conventions of that era are going to have adverse effects on them that will make us view them with mixed feelings.    So the performances are not only classical in nature - but they also seem genuinely believable.
  

I shall resist for one or two more paragraphs before fully indulging in my "Cornell-love" and speak of another prominent strongpoint to this story: Tennant's performance as John Smith.    Sci-fi/fantasy television shows frequently create storylines that cause the main actor to suddenly become a new character.   In fact, we'd seen this previously in Tennant's reign as he gets possessed on various occasions by sentient suns and skin trampolines.
     

To be perfectly frank, I've never liked David Tennant's acting style (please, no post-bombs, anyone) and his limitations as an actor become even clearer when he must be the Doctor who is being someone else at the same time.    The various possession scenes that he's had to act out (particularly the one in  New Earth) always seem a bit painful to watch.    But, here, Tennant really redeems himself.    Again, some credit must go to the writer for making John Smith so three-dimensional.     But Tennant really takes the script he's handed and makes sure the character is fleshed out beautifully.   So much so, that when Smith is fully confronted with the fact that he's a fictional character, we completely sympathize with him as he resists returning to his true state.    Even though the plot demands that he do so.    We believe John Smith to be a real character at this point.  We even love him a bit.    So having to transform back to the Doctor seems like a gesture that is tantamount to murder.    And much tribute must be given to Tennant's performance for stirring such feelings in us as an audience.   He's truly at his best, here.

            
Okay.   I've resisted long enough.   Time to indulge in full-blown Cornell Adoration: 

            
I love what this story has to say about war.   Ultimately, it is an anti war story.    It shows us, over and over,  that man should never be reduced to a "kill-or-be-killed" situation.    That war is an evil thing that we should avoid at all costs.    This is not a theme that Doctor Who has never explored before.   Armageddon Factor, Warriors of the Deep and Genesis of the Daleks are just a few anti-war stories that immediately spring to mind.    There are several more, of course.    But Nature/Blood introduces some new concepts that all the other anti-war adventures in Who never touched upon:  That, sometimes, war cannot be avoided and that it is genuinely necessary to take arms against your enemy.  And that, as evil as war is, a certain degree of reverence and respect must be paid to those who still showed the courage to fight in one.     In the last few minutes of the story - these two notions are re-inforced the most strongly.   When the Doctor gives the fobwatch to Tim and the young boy proclaims that he believes the oncoming war is one that must be fought - we find ourselves' agreeing with him.    And in the beautiful memorial service at the end where a much older Tim catches sight of Martha pinning a poppy to the Doctor's lapel. After these two scenes, we can't help but feel that we should do more than we normally do to commemorate Remembrance Day the next time it comes around.   Cornell shows a sensitivity to our veterans that all the other anti-war tales of Who forgot to talk about.  And that's damned good writing.   

            
But the damned good writing doesn't end there.   Has there ever been a better monologue written about what the Doctor is like?    The actor playing Tim delivers it masterfully, of course.    But one can't help but marvel at the well-chosen words that were put into his mouth.    It's one of the speeches that can stand proudly beside such other greats as "In all my travelings throughout the Universe..." or "Homo Sapiens - what an inventive, invincible species!" and no one would bat an eye.    It's nice to see that New Who remembers, now and again, that a good monologue is a vital ingredient of the show's format.    Thanks for that, Paul!  

            
But I think my favorite twist that Cornell adds into the story is how he puts the plot's antagonists to rest.   The whole voice-over treatment with a series of montage shots was an extremely bold way to handle the resolution of the story's conflict - and it paid off beautifully.    It is, without a doubt, the most original way to end a Who story.    And the story is all the more memorable because of it.   But besides being unique and different - it's just really well-done.    We get a whole new insight into the Doctor's sense of mercy.    That he could have taken these enemies down effortlessly but he was trying to be nice puts such a new complexion on the way this man exhibits compassion.  

            
The actual defeating of the bad guys was also wickedly cool.   Particularly, of course, the way in which Daughter-of-Mine is dispatched.    Such an imaginative explanation for those strange moments when we look in the mirror and see movement in the background when there shouldn't have been!   

I think, however, that the very different approach that Nature/Blood takes to its ending is also an attempt to say something about the nature of the story, itself.    That the nasty monsters that are necessary to every good Who tale are not always as important as they seem.    The villains are dealt with so simply because we're not meant to get too caught up in what they're up to.    Human Nature/Family of Blood is really a tale of Love and War (Love and War - how about that?!).   It explores both these themes in a very profound and multi-layered manner.   The budding romance between John Smith and Joan Redfern that is cut off before it can truly develop is the real story to be watching.  Just as Tim coming to terms with his own sense of duty and honor for his country should be at the forefront of our attention.     Even Martha's continual struggle to come to terms with her unrequited feelings is the real drama we should be sinking our teeth into.   Those nasty aliens with their green-glowing faces and handguns and their army of evil scarecrows, they're just there because every Who story is required to have them.    But if you focus too hard on those window-dressings then you miss what the story's really about.    And that would be a crime.   Because the real story of Human Nature/Family of Blood is, perhaps, one of the most beautiful tales in the whole history of the series. 


Missed the first review? Here's the link: 

http://robtymec.blogspot.ca/2015/12/book-of-lists-top-ten-who-stories-10.html