Doctor Who (TV Series) Fear Her (2006) User Reviews

Once again, I don't see what's so bad about this episode

[pjgs200 · 7/10 · 28 July 2016]

Both Love and Monsters and Fear Her are considered the worst episodes of Doctor Who ever. I don't really see why. Love and Monsters is an enjoyable albeit weird episode, and this one is a more serious installment. Fear Her is intriguing, it has a tense atmosphere, and a nice ending. The directing and the music worked really well throughout the episode to keep the audience interested and helped create a creepy tone in many parts of this episode. Rose and the Doctor were both great, and the ending was really nice. There was a fair bit of deus ex machina in the resolution to the episode. I don't really get how Chloe and her mother singing defeated the evil-dad that she drew. The rest of the episode was good though, and it helps to foreshadow the finale in the coming weeks.

Once again, Fear Her is a pretty underrated episode. The first 35 minutes were creepy and actually good; and the ending- although rushed- was nice. 7.5/10

What's with all the hate?

[chitwtay · 7/10 · 10 July 2018]

This was really quite well done! The little girl could've been cast better, but I quite enjoyed this episode. Especially the end.

Fear the Ratings

[wetmars · 7/10 · 8 August 2020]

Well, I dare say that this is an underrated episode. This episode was great but the ending was rushed, can't wait until I re-watch the finale!

Slightly more engaging than "the idiot's lantern" but they may as well called this one "the idiot's drawing."

[dkiliane · 6/10 · 17 February 2019]

Now, I'll admit, the drawing power is cool, but the entire rest of this episode falls flat. When the success of your episode relies on the acting ability of a child, it is always dangerous. But take that and couple it with spotty writing and poor character development, and this episode stood no chance. There were a few genuinely humorous moments but most of the humor could have been much better and the dramatic aspect falls completely flat.

The premise of the lonely alien using the little girl to capture "friends" was not well thought out or executed. The familial relationships between mother and daughter and the late/absent abusive father had much more potential and would have made a much better foundation for the episode but sadly this aspect was not well developed. It almost feels the whole point of the episode was to have the image of the Doctor carrying the Olympic torch and none of the rest of the episode mattered to the writers. 6/10

Very Dull

[Theo Robertson · 4/10 · 6 May 2008]

This is considered to be the weakest story of series two and it's not very difficult to see why . Coming after a couple of stories , one of which is considered to be a modern classic ( The Impossible Planat/Satan Pit ) while the other ( Love And Monsters ) is one of the most radical pieces of television produced Fear Her was never going to be all that well received , but its Luke warm reception is to do mainly with the fact it's a very dull predictable story

If you watched the " next time " trailer from the previous week then you'll know in advance as to what the story is about and therefore there's no suspense . You also can't help notice that because the plot was one of those written on the back of a cigarette packet efforts then there's so much padding centered around on dysfunctional family issues , in this case single parenthood . Really I often think some of the writers would be more at home working on EASTENDERS or CORONATION STREET . All this is bad enough but we've got a bloody stupid sequence of the Doctor carrying the Olympic torch ! It shows had badly constructed the episode was when you've got to include crap like that

Not the best, Not the worst

[Dr_Yang · 7/10 · 5 August 2011]

While "Fear Her" isn't one of the best episodes of Series 2 it is by no means the worst ("Love and Monsters" I'm looking at you). The acting is good, the idea is good and the dad drawing in the wardrobe is generally scary, especially for children but something just isn't quite right.

I don't know, perhaps it's the kid, her voice is annoying, but like I say everyone else is superb in it.

The end scene of the Doctor carrying the flame is cheesy and corny but I think that's got to be forgiven. I've come to accept a bit of cheesy-ness and corny-ness in NuWho.

Overall it's a solid episode which, whilst it is never going to be anyones favourite, or win any awards, is still an enjoyable 45 minutes of TV.

6.5 stars (rounded up to 7)

God, what a terrible episode.

[penguinsquaredanarchy · 3/10 · 2 March 2020]

This one has it all:

• Terrible child acting, the main villain sounds like they're trying to do a poor impression of the boogey man.
• The most predictable story on the planet, you can see where this is going from the first 15 seconds of the episode (w/o intro) alone.
• Cheesy plot devices and macguffins galore.

It's hilarious to think that the villain in this episode nearly captured everybody on the planet because of how ridiculous the concept is (I'll forego why for spoiler reasons), and it was terrible enough that I was actually spurred to write a review, something I literally never do.

Good job.

This episode gets WAAY too much hate!

[whovian-49939 · 8/10 · 10 March 2020]

I don't usually write reviews but this has to be said, this episode is an underrated gem, it's one of my favourite Doctor Who stories ever. I have just never got the hate.

Not good but not bad.

[brianirwin-72979 · 6/10 · 13 June 2022]

It was a mediocre episode with some interesting parts but my main issue was the mother. Just terrible. She's supposed to take all drawing implements away. Doesn't do this and the Doctor and Tardis are gone Then she's not supposed to let the daughter out of her site and she is mindlessly walking downstairs. Really bad.

Draw a Line Through This, a Big Scribbly One...

[Xstal · 4/10 · 4 December 2021]

The poorest episode of 'New Who' to date, a series filler that stagnates and frustrates. Whatever drew this to the producer's eye, a childlike scribble that just does not fly. A huge flaming Olympian pile of disappointment, just like the previous shows abysmal instalment, let's hope the season goes out on a high (it does, and more than makes up for it), with Daleks and Cybermen and a tearful goodbye.

Not the best, but far better than a 5.9!

[MrFilmAndTelevisionShow · 8/10 · 21 March 2021]

I really think this episode deserves higher, surely it warrents better than a rather abismal 5.9. I agree it isn't the best episode of Dr Who, probably one of the worst (of the Tennant era), but that doesn't mean it's bad, not at all, it's really quite good to be honest, hence the 8 I gave it, perhaps I was generous but 5.9 is simply unfair!

It wasn't that bad

[alexpolyguy · 7/10 · 14 August 2022]

Apart from the actual scribble monster itself with the poor CGI i personally found this episode to be likeable, sure it has its flaws, but look past those and there is a story there, that at least I liked.

I've tried thinking of words to describe it.........oh yeah, crap

[Sleepin_Dragon · 3/10 · 15 August 2015]

Prior to this, The Long Game was my all time nu who low, but this!! This was and remains utterly unbearable to watch, this makes Timelash look like a masterpiece. Firstly the trailer the week before had given away the entire story, so we knew exactly what was coming, and when it did come, I'm sure we all wish it hadn't. It had every conceivable cliché under the sun, the creepy child, the down trodden mum, the cupboard, the spooky voices, how did this get past the planning stage? I will stand up for Love and Monsters, again not a classic, but had so much more going for it then Fear Her. The Olympic theme was perhaps a good one, but it was so badly realised, and the Doctor with the torch is cringe worthy. I quite enjoyed Edna Dore's scenes, and Rose's scenes with Kel were good fun. I could imagine this appealing to children under 8, but for anyone over 9 it's a write off. 3/10

Solid premise let down by mediocre acting....

[stevenjlowe82 · 7/10 · 6 November 2023]

Overall I tend to find the casting on Doctor Who to be good, often excellent however not on this occasion.

I really enjoyed most things about this episode but my 2 biggest gripes were the acting of the little girl and the silly inclusion of the Olympics, it just came off as really naff. This episode could have been really excellent had the little girl turned in a stronger performance and that's what really hampered this episode the fact I wasn't able to root for the character. Also the ominous ending seemed a bit tacked on aswell.

There are many positives as always like the ever watchable Tenant and Piper bouncing off each other wonderfully and I very much enjoyed the premise of this episode and apart from weak casting I feel it was executed well.

Overall although it may be lacking in some departments it's still a good idea fairly well executed and in no way shape or form is it worse than Love & Monsters the previous installment.

The worst episode yet?

[those_who_dig · 5/10 · 8 February 2017]

You may notice the question mark in my review title. It's there because I actually dislike the previous episode, "Love & Monsters", more than this. Still, it's hard to conceive that "Fear Her" belongs to the same season as episodes like "The Impossible Planet" and "The Girl in the Fireplace". Although The Doctor and Rose have more of a presence in this episode than in "Love & Monsters", they aren't involved in anything particularly interesting. If you have the entire second season available, I'd advise skipping this episode and moving on to watching the final two episodes, which go a long way in obliterating the unpleasant, dull memories left by "Fear Her".

Brilliant!

[little_woman86 · 7/10 · 16 July 2006]

This was a clever piece of writing and was full of imagination (something I always like.) Billie Piper and David Tennant did another fantastic way of making everything so believable and real. The thing I liked most about this episode was the way they finished it. Usually the only way to stop a monster is by shooting it, or finding a code that'll make them have their emotions back, where as this one was just taking away the nightmare with a song.

This episode also proved what a strong character Rose really is, and how far she has come from being just an ordinary young girl to being the doctor's side kick.

That's all I am gonna say on this, but I just want to ask, has anyone else noticed that the inside of the tardis looks a bit like the outside of a dalek?.....

Pointless padding

[mjplysaght · 3/10 · 10 February 2017]

Even watching this episode when it came out, through the rose-tinted spectacles I saw Doctor Who through, I thought this episode was incredibly lackluster and pointless.

So this episode is set in the 'near-future' during the 2012 London Olympics, which doesn't factor into the plot much at all. The Doctor and Rose investigate disappearances happening across a certain estate, which they find out to be related to a creepy little girl possessed by an alien. When the plot is mostly based around a little girl whose acting talent is just atrocious, it's really difficult to get invested.

Apparently the possessed girl has the ability to trap people or objects in drawings, explaining the disappearances. The alien has been separated from its family and tries to compensate for this by trapping the human race in a pocket universe. The mother is quite possibly the least supportive character I've ever seen. Reluctant to do anything to help her daughter, merely out of fear, to the point where I ask, "Where the hell are Child Services?" The resolution of the story is particularly dull, and the overall tone of the episode makes it seem as if nobody was bothered about the direction of the story. Quite disappointing.

So, why did everyone hate this episode so much?

[lemmingology · 8/10 · 25 June 2006]

Now, the trailer for this didn't worry me in the slightest. A little girl who can make her drawings move? Ha! But good God, was I wrong. This episode is an incredibly clever piece of writing that actually quite surprised me.

With the benefit of hindsight, there's not a single thing mentioned in this entire episode that doesn't count towards the final outcome. The attention to detail is perfect - the '09' and '61' numberplates on the cars, the news ticker on the bottom of the TV - nothing at all gets missed. Billie Piper is outstanding as she shows just how good a sidekick Rose is, both Chloe and her mother play their parts perfectly, and David Tennant is brilliant as usual.

The idea behind the whole story is genius, and the way it pans out even had me, a hardened Resident Evil fan, feeling tense a couple of times. I'd say this is probably one of the best episodes of the series - although, to be honest, still not even a patch on The Girl in the Fireplace, which is easily the best since the show was revived.

No masterpiece, but better than "Love and Monsters".

[general-melchett · 7/10 · 4 January 2007]

There is little denying that "Fear Her" is a bad egg - it is insignificant in the series, a bit laughable, and not exactly dark or terrifying. But saying that, it was interesting. It had me hooked - I've always loved the premise of drawings coming to life, and this episode uses that to good advantage. The Doctor and Rose finally have some purpose in the story this time round, and the idea to have this set in 2012 on the dawn of the Olympics is another stroke of genius. Of course, something like this would never happen then, but it was immensely riveting to see thousands of people disappear because of a drawing on some kid's wall. The next thing - she was drawing the Earth on her wall - need I say any more? I personally found this riveting because it was a fun ride, and nowhere near as stupid or pathetic as "Love and Monsters". The ending was suitably thrilling and strange - the Doctor once again saves the day, though, but the last words of this episode leave us waiting for the conclusion of this series which promises to be suitably dark and mysterious. Whereas "Love and Monsters" was just boring, "Fear Her" was an interesting episode that at least inspired me to keep watching - no naked monsters chasing people through the streets and no badly-written romance ensure this is a slice of Doctor Who that will prove fun. 7/10

An average episode in the end

[warlordartos · 2/10 · 10 March 2021]

A good start and excellent concept but it would work better if they did it one way or the other not both ways. By which I mean why have an alien and her evil dad in the same episode. As this episode drew on i lost more and more interest with each passing minute. and then the guy carying the torch falls over and dies and the doctor is just like f him i will carry the torch and leave him to die. That did it for me

Good episode

[pavlekladamusic · 8/10 · 21 August 2020]

I don't get how this episode gets all the hate and why is it so low rated, even lower than terrible Love & Monsters! I really like the story!

Not THAT bad

[zuyuuu · 6/10 · 8 October 2023]

This episode has a really bad reputation, which isn't completely unwarranted, but it's really not that bad. The concept is creative and almost well executed. The only thing that really brings it down is the acting. Both Chloe and her mom's performances are questionable at best. And I understand, she's a child and child actors often aren't very good, but it really just drags it down. It's unfortunate, too. It has a lot of potential, but it's just not quite there. The reason I like it is because of nostalgia. When I was younger, I obviously didn't care at all about how good the acting was, so it was one of my favorite episodes. It's just a bit unfortunate that it's so poorly percepted. Therefore, a 6.

Boring, Pathetic and Formulaic

[jacobroz · 3/10 · 30 August 2018]

This episode is most definitely filler. I felt like watching it due to the rest of s2's brilliance - (School Reunion, The Girl in the Fireplace, The Impossible Planet/Satan Pit, etc..) - however, I was left with sheer disappointment. In short, Rose and the Doctor arrive in the then-future time of London 2012. Coincidently, children are disappearing into thin air ( yawn,yawn) . Turns out there's some kind of alien energy (?) and then Rose gets attacked by a hoard of mid-00s crapfest cgi - then the rest is probably "spoilers" - even though I firmly doubt there's anything about the plot to spoil. Basically, what happens is a whole lot of rubbish which has literally no real consequence in the phenomenal two-parter season finale. There wasn't even room for brilliant Russell T Davies era foreshadowing (see end of Gridlock S3), but as he didn't write it and the writer is clearly clueless, any worthwhile aspects were diluted and pointless. This episode's only redeeming aspect is the chemistry between Tennant and Piper which is great as always- but the episode overall is a degrading bore.

Kookaburra sits on the electric wire . . .

[southdavid · 5/10 · 2 December 2020]

Another episode from the end of this second season that my recollection of was that it wasn't very good. As with the previous episode, it's not a complete write off - but it's certainly a bit dull and confused and has a couple of questionable moments.

Landing on a street in East London, on the day of the opening of the 2012 Olympic Games, The Doctor (David Tennant) and Rose (Billie Piper) discover that children have been going missing from this street and a residual energy is tangible in the air. Quickly identifying that the culprit is a young girl called Chloe (Abisola Agbaje) the pair attempt to talk to her mother Trish (Nina Sosanya) who is palpable scared of her daughter and looking desperately for help.

It's just a weird episode to come back to all around. 2012 was in the future when the episode was produced, but now sits firmly in our rear view mirror, so it's an odd historical view of the future that doesn't quite sit right. It doesn't help that I also don't equate the cul-de-sac that the episode takes on as being recognisable as anywhere in East London - certainly not anywhere around the Olympic Stadium. The finale, with the Doctor lighting the Olympic flame is a really cheesy moment too.

But you could forgive the minor quibbles if it was a good story - and "Fear her" isn't. It's a mishmash of ideas but not fully formed ones. Capturing the other kids using drawings is an interesting concept, but remains under explored and under shown. If we saw more of the captured characters as animation, rather than just static drawings it might have helped sell the idea - maybe that was one of the aspects that the budget didn't allow. The "dad" aspect of the storyline doesn't really make sense either and again betrays the budget and time constraints at the end when he's not shown.

"Fear her" takes the prize from "Love and Monsters" as the worst episode of Nu-Who so far.

I fear this was a disappointment.

[A_Kind_Of_CineMagic · 5/10 · 2 December 2018]

This is the worst episode of David Tennant's brilliant era as the 10th Doctor. It features 10 and Rose arriving in London in 2012 to see the Olympic games only to encounter an alien menace which has been latching onto a disturbed young girl and causing other children to disappear.

Compared to a lot of the dross on TV this is perfectly fine but by the high standards of this wonderful show it is disappointing.

The plot is fine and there are unsettling 'scary' scenes so this could have either been a very scary and dark episode or a cleverly balanced mixture of scares and fun. In the way it is actually put together it ends up a bit of a jarring mismatch of some fun and good humour with dark and scary parts which have not been put together as a satisfying whole.

The guest cast are mostly poor in their performances. There is also lot of cheesiness, especially in regard to the Olympics which is badly incorporated into this story. There has not been sufficient care in creating the episode.

There is some good work from Tennant and Billie Piper with good humour and decent scenes but a lot of the episode feels low quality for this show.

My rating: 5/10.