Doctor Who's Human Nature and The Family of Blood may have aired in 2007 as part of series three, but in a recent lockdown watchalong, the writer has revealed the outcome of one of the villains from the family.

Ad

Throughout Paul Cornell's two-parter, David Tennant's Tenth Doctor is hiding in plain sight in a school in 1913.

After using the chameleon arch on himself in a bid to keep his Time Lord DNA hidden from The Family of Blood who feast on it, the Doctor becomes John Smith and relies on Martha (Freema Agyeman) to keep his secret safe in a pocket watch.

On account of the awful monstrosities committed by the Family, the Doctor takes it upon himself to punish them - they wanted to live forever, so he made sure they did.

He pushes the mother out of the TARDIS and into the event horizon of a collapsing galaxy, wraps the father in unbreakable chains, sets the son to work as a scarecrow in a field and most hauntingly, traps the little girl with the balloon into every mirror in existence.

Cornell addressed the latter's outcome in his short epilogue, The Shadow in the Mirror, which was released as part of the Doctor Who Lockdown series which accompanied a live watchalong event.

In the five-minute audio story, the daughter, Lucy Cartwright, recounts her life in the mirror and explains how different incarnations of the Doctor pay her a visit and ask her to say sorry - if she did, she would be released.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J0U_QD568iw&feature=youtu.be

But the villainous child refuses to repent and remains trapped in the mirror, seemingly for eternity.

However, that changes when the Thirteenth Doctor (played by Jodie Whittaker in the TV series) arrives.

After a conversation, the Time Lord decides it's time to let Lucy out and she dramatically hammers the window into a thousand pieces.

At the end of the drama, the daughter takes her first steps back into normality.

Lauren Wilson plays Lucy Cartwright in the special - and fun fact, she is the original daughter!

And check out RadioTimes.com's Doctor Who podcast on Human Nature/The Family of Blood.

Ad

If you're looking for more to watch, check out our TV Guide.

Authors

Comments, questions and tips

Rate this recipe

What is your star rating out of 5?

Choose the type of message you'd like to post

Choose the type of message you'd like to post

Overall rating

Ad
Ad
Ad
Create an image depicting a festive scene with elements from the top Christmas songs, such as a snowy New York for 'Fairytale of New York', a cozy home setting for 'Last Christmas', and a glamorous Christmas party for 'All I Want for Christmas Is You'. Include musical notes and festive decorations to represent the spirit of these iconic Christmas songs.

RT offer

Immediate’s iconic brands reach 21m people every month – that’s more than a third of the UK’s adults – through its world-class magazines, innovative digital products and exciting live events

hello
An image depicting a festive scene with iconic Christmas elements such as a beautifully decorated Christmas tree with twinkling lights, snow gently falling, and perhaps a cozy fireplace in the background. The image should capture the essence of popular Christmas songs, with musical notes and lyrics subtly included in the design, representing a playlist of classic Christmas tunes.

summer

Immediate’s iconic brands reach 21m people every month – that’s more than a third of the UK’s adults – through its world-class magazines, innovative digital products and exciting live eventsImmediate’s iconic brands reach 21m people every month – that’s more than a third of the UK’s adults – through its world-class magazines, innovative digital products and exciting live eventsImmediate’s iconic brands reach 21m people every month – that’s more than a third of the UK’s adults – through its world-class magazines, innovative digital products and exciting live events

More