History Recap / DoctorWhoNSS2E10LoveAndMonsters

* TakeThat: The episode is essentially an AffectionateParody of DoctorWho fandom. Most of the Doctor's fans are rather odd and eccentric, but basically sweet and decent people. Victor, however, represents that small toxic minority of Doctor Who fandom (and fandoms in general) who completely ruin it for everyone.

* HeyItsThatGuy: Mark Warren guest starring as Elton.

* ObviouslyEvil: Victor Kennedy [[spoiler: aka the Absorbaloft]]

* WhatTheHellHero: Elton's life is crumbling around him - the fun, harmless little group he'd formed has been corrupted from within, and one-by-one been subjected to a {{FateWorseThanDeath}}, including the woman he's only just realized is his dream girl, and he's completely exhausted after being chased through London by a creature that's about to do the same to him - and Rose and the Doctor choose now, of all times, to chew him out for what, compared to what the Abzorbaloff's been doing, doesn't even register a blip on the Atrocity-o-meter. Elton points it out:

The story relates what happens when the Doctor isn't around to fend off an alien invasion. It and focuses for the first time on people on the Doctor's periphery: the ordinary people whose lives are upended by the chaos associated with the Doctor, and who never even get an explanation.

Elton Pope idolizes the Doctor. He's been fascinated by the strange man and the weirdness that follows in his wake ever since the Doctor turned up in his house as a child. Like Clive from "[[Recap/DoctorWhoNSS1E1Rose Rose]]", but more successfully, Elton forms a club with a few other like-minded individuals. They bond over their shared experiences with the supernatural, but quickly become fast friends and explore other interests. Elton even begins a tentative romance with fellow member Ursula.

* WhatTheHellHero: Elton's life is crumbling around him - the fun, harmless little group he'd formed has been corrupted from within, and one-by-one been subjected to a {{FateWorseThanDeath}}, including the woman he's only just realised is his dream girl, and he's completely exhausted after being chased through London by a creature that's about to do the same to him - and Rose and the Doctor choose now, of all times, to chew him out for what, compared to what the Abzorbaloff's been doing, doesn't even register a blip on the Atrocity-o-meter. Elton points it out:

* MoralDissonance: Elton's life is crumbling around him - the fun, harmless little group he'd formed has been corrupted from within, and one-by-one been subjected to a {{FateWorseThanDeath}}, including the woman he's only just realised is his dream girl, and he's completely exhausted after being chased through London by a creature that's about to do the same to him - and Rose and the Doctor choose now, of all times, to chew him out for what, compared to what the Abzorbaloff's been doing, doesn't even register a blip on the Atrocity-o-meter.
** Elton even points it out.
-->'''Rose:''' You upset my mum.\\
'''Elton:''' Great big absorbing creature from outer space, and you're having a go at me?\\
'''Rose:''' No-one upsets my mum!

* UnreliableNarrator: WordOfGod is that not all of what Elton says in this episode should be taken at face value. Mostly this refers to things like the ScoobyDoo chase seen early in the episode, but some things about the episode make a ''lot'' more sense this way.

* CrackFic: [[LoveItOrHateIt Love it or loathe it]], you have to admit this makes a brilliant {{canon}} example of one.

* FridgeHorror: Ursala's final fate...Sure she seems fairly happy for an animated paving slab, unable to eat or drink (presumably doesn't need to, because where would it go?) or move at all, has to remain hidden from everyone except her boyfriend... but apparently she'll never age... WhoWantsToLiveForever as a concrete slab? What happens when Elton dies...
** They have a sex life...

* HeyItsThatGuy: [[HarryPotter Moaning Myrtle!]]
** [[{{Discworld}} Mr. Teatime!]]
*** "[[ItIsPronouncedTroPAY That's Teh-ah-tim-eh]]"
* HighOctaneNightmareFuel: Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, this whole episode!
** THE FACES. THE FACES!

* NarmCharm: Peter Kay as an evil alien! That snarls and runs around the streets in a ''thong''!
** Or just plain {{Narm}}.

* {{Squick}}: Elton's little comment about his and Ursala's love life was, for some, the single thing that ruins the entire episode, giving WallBanger a [[GiveAWholeNewMeaning whole new meaning]].

* UnreliableNarrator: WordOfGod is that not all of what Elton says in this episode should be taken at face value. Mostly this refers to things like the ScoobyDoo chase seen early in the episode, but some things about the episode make a ''lot'' more sense this way.

<<|Recap/DoctorWho|>>

** [[DiscWorld Mr. Teatime!]]

* WhatTheHellHero: Elton's life is crumbling around him - the fun, harmless little group he'd formed has been corrupted from within, and one-by-one been subjected to a {{FateWorseThanDeath}}, including the woman he's only just realised is his dream girl, and he's completely exhausted after being chased through London by a creature that's about to do the same to him - and Rose and the Doctor choose now, of all times, to chew him out for what, compared to what the Abzorbaloff's been doing, doesn't even register a blip on the Atrocity-o-meter.

** Mr. Teatime!

For, you see, ''Love & Monsters'' was the first example of what's come to be known as the "Doctor-lite episode": because the lead actors aren't needed on set for this episode, they can be off filming another episode... and producers can eke an extra episode out of the season.[[hottip:*:Technically, it's the second example of this, as the first Doctor-Lite episode happened wayyyy back in the First Doctor's run: a one-off episode stuck between serials called "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS3E2MissionToTheUnknown Mission to the Unknown]]" focused on the Daleks, with the main cast and the TARDIS nowhere to be seen.]] [[hottip:*:Series 1's [[Recap/DoctorWhoNSS1E7TheLongGame "The Long Game"]] was a milder attempt at doing a Doctor-Lite episode, achieved with a lengthy subplot for maybe-new-Companion Adam and by giving a lot more screentime to the guest characters than a normal episode would.]]

* {{Squick}}: Elton's "cute" little comment about his and Ursala's love life was, for some, the thing that rather ruins the entire episode, giving WallBanger a [[GiveAWholeNewMeaning whole new meaning]].