Doctor Who/Rose

Rose
Season 27, Episode 1
Airdate	March 26, 2005
Production Number	NCFR025X
Written by	Russell T Davies
Directed by	Keith Boak
← x0-1 The TV Movie	27x02 → The End of the World
Doctor Who — Season Twenty-Seven

This article about an episode needs to be expanded with more information. Please help out by editing it.

Rose is the first episode of the twenty-seventh season of Doctor Who, and the seven hundred twentieth episode overall.

Rose Tyler, a 19-year-old London shopgirl, is saved from danger by a mysterious man calling himself "The Doctor". When she investigates further, she becomes entangled in a secret alien plot to destroy humanity using soldiers of living plastic.

Guest Stars: Camille Coduri (Jackie Tyler), Noel Clarke (Mickey), Mark Benton (Clive), Elli Garnett (Caroline), Adam McCoy (Clive's Son), Alan Ruscoe (Auton), Paul Kasey (Auton), David Sant (Auton), Elizabeth Fost (Auton), Helen Otway (Auton), Nicholas Briggs (Nestene Voice)

Plot Overview

Rose Tyler, a 19-year-old London shopgirl, finds her life radically altered after a mysterious man calling himself The Doctor saves her from mannequins which come to life. In order to escape, The Doctor must explode the roof of the shop, leaving Rose out of a job. Rather then listen to the natterings of her mother Jackie, Rose uses her free time to investigate her savior. After some Internet research, she encounters a conspiracy buff who warns her that The Doctor has been sighted at several of important events in world history, and death usually follows.

Rose's boyfriend Mickey drives her to this meeting, and while Rose is inside, a plastic trash bin mysteriously comes to life and swallows him. When Rose returns to the car, Mickey has been replaced by a duplicate. The duplicate-Mickey tries to trick Rose into revealing something about The Doctor, but when that proves fruitless, he attacks. Fortunately, The Doctor has been tracking these "Autons", creatures of living plastic, and once again saves Rose by leading her to a familiar blue police box...

Inside the TARDIS, The Doctor explains that the Autons are controlled by the Nestene Consciousness, which seeks to make a new home on Earth. He attempts to track the Autons' signal, but cannot get a fix on their antenna. Momentarily frustrated, The Doctor is pleased when Rose points out the London Eye behind him. With a vial of "anti-plastic", the pair enter the city sewers below the Eye, where they find a panicked Mickey and an angry Nestene Consciousness.

The Doctor tries to convince the Consciousness to leave Earth peacefully, but he is restrained by Autons. Rose attempts to call and warn her mother, who has gone shopping, as mannequins come to life, attacking Jackie and other shoppers. With The Doctor held immobile and Mickey cowed by fear, Rose finds the courage to swing across the underground chamber and knock the vial of anti-plastic into the Nestene Consciousness, destroying it.

Back at the TARDIS, The Doctor offers Rose a chance to accompany him across space. She seems tempted, but with a nervous Mickey pulling at her sleeve, she turns him down. The Doctor shuts the door and teleports away. After a few seconds of silence, the TARDIS re-appears, and The Doctor tells Rose that he can take her through time as well. With a quick kiss for Mickey, Rose dashes into the police box with a wide grin on her face...

Arc Advancement

Happenings

• The Doctor saves Rose's life when she's attacked by mannequins made of living plastic. He then blows up the shop in which she works.
• The Doctor offers to take Rose with him in the TARDIS after she saves him from the Nestene Consciousness.
• Though the Doctor says was unable to save the Nestene Consciousness's world, along with several others, it is not revealed from what.

Characters

• First Appearance: This is the first appearance of Rose, Mickey, Jackie and the ninth incarnation of the Doctor.
• Rose agrees to accompany the Doctor after he tells her the TARDIS can travel through time.

Referbacks

• Spearhead from Space: The Autons encountered the Third Doctor and UNIT when they first tried to take over the world via London.

Trivia

The Show

In 2005, after 16 years of "hiatus" and 18 months of pre-production, a new season of Doctor Who began. Sci-fi television had changed tremendously since 1989, and the BBC was gambling that audiences would embrace the show as a series of hour-long, mostly stand-alone episodes. Their risk was rewarded when 10.8 million viewers tuned in.

Allusions and References

• The first photograph Clive shows Rose is a famous image of November 22,1963, The Assassination of President John F. Kennedy. President Kennedy was shot during a political trip through Dallas, Texas. Lee Harvey Oswald was arrested for the assassination, though many believe he was framed.
• Clive shows Rose a photo from April 1912, The Titanic. The RMS Titanic passenger liner was scheduled to sail from England to New York but sank when it hit an iceberg during its maiden voyage. The largest passenger steamship of its time, only 706 of its 2,223 passengers survived.
• Finally, Clive indicates the Doctor might have been near Krakatoa in 1883. In August of that year, a series of devestating eruptions on that volcanic island killed more than 36,000 people, destoyed two-thirds of the island, and produced the loudest sound in recorded history. The explosion was heard as far away as Australia, roughly 1900 miles away.

Quotes

• The Doctor: They're made of plastic. Living plastic creatures. And they're being controlled by a relay device on the roof. Which would be a great big problem if I didn't have this. So, I'm going to go upstairs and blow them up. And I might well die in the process, but don't worry about me, no. You go on. Go on! Go have your lovely beans on toast. Don't tell anyone about this, 'cause if you do, you'll get them killed. I'm the Doctor, by the way. What's your name?
  Rose Tyler: Rose
  The Doctor: Nice to meet you, Rose. Run for your life!

• Jackie Tyler: I'm in my dressing gown.
  The Doctor: Yes, you are.
  Jackie Tyler: There's a strange man in my bedroom.
  The Doctor: Yes, there is.
  Jackie Tyler: Well, anything could happen.
  The Doctor: No.

• The Doctor: Hm. That won't last. He's gay, and she's an alien.

• Rose Tyler: Really, though, Doctor. Tell me. Who are you?
  The Doctor: Do you like we were saying? About the Earth revolving? It's like when you were a kid. The first time they tell you that the world's turning, and you just can't quite believe it 'cause everything looks like it's standing still. I can feel it. The turn of the earth. The ground beneath our feet is spinning at a thousand miles an hour. And the entire planet is hurtling around the sun at 67,000 miles an hour. And I can feel it. We're falling through space, you and me. Clinging to the skin of this tiny little world, and if we let go...that's who I am. Now forget me, Rose Tyler. Go home.

• Clive: If you dig deep enough, and keep a lively mind, this Doctor keeps cropping up all over the place - political diaries, conspiracy theories, even ghost stories. No first name, no last name, just "the Doctor". Always "the Doctor". And the title seems to be passed down from father to son. It appears to be an inheritance.

• Clive: The Doctor is a legend woven throughout history. When desaster comes, he's there. He brings a storm in his wake, and he has one constant companion.
  Rose Tyler: Who's that?
  Clive: Death.

• Clive: If the Doctor's back, if you've seen him, Rose, then one thing's for certain. We're all in danger.

• Clive: If he's singled you out, if the Doctor's making house calls...then God help you!

• Rose Tyler: You can't hide inside a wooden box!

• The Doctor: The assembled hordes of Genghis Khan couldn't get through that door, and believe me, they've tried.

• Rose Tyler: If you are an alien, how come you sound like you're from the north?
  The Doctor: Lots of planets have a north!

• The Doctor: I was there! I fought in the war! It wasn't my fault! I couldn't save your world! I couldn't save any of them!

• Rose Tyler: I've got no A levels. No job. No future. But I'll tell you what I have got. Jericho Street Junior School Under-7s Gymnastics Team. I've got the bronze.