Doctor Who Review: The Crimson Horror

Brace yourselves, friends, because as our favorite Sontaran warned, we are going....to the North! And let me tell you, Victorian Yorkshire seems like one hell of a creepy place to reside. Written by the brilliant Mark Gatiss, "The Crimson Horror" brings us a sinister villain, a few cringe-inducing moments, and the return everyone's favorite crime fighting trio.

I have to say, I found this episode a lot creepier than "Hide" (Crooked Man and all). Let's start with the premise: An old woman, Winifred Gillyflower (fiendishly played by Dame Diana Rigg), seeks to rid the world of imperfection and, utilizing a primordial ooze, freezes those she deems "perfect". They shall remain in suspended animation until her plans to cleanse the Earth are complete, and then the residents of Sweetville will repopulate the Earth according to her design. But not even the "best of the best" are so lucky....some do not survive the freezing process. They end up suffering from, as the mortician calls it, "The Crimson 'Orror!"

THIS is what happens when you read spoilers for the 50th Special.

I was also really disturbed when Gillyflower's daughter, Ada (performed marvelously by Dame Diana's real-life daughter, Rachael Stirling), whose jerky movements and scarred face were already pretty jarring, went to feed her pet "monster" (because, after all, "every lonely monster needs a companion"). Let me explain, I once had a very vivid dream about going up a staircase to peek through a single door and see a crazed something flailing on the other side. That, of course, was brought on from seeing the first glimpses of Sloth in The Goonies when I was young and it scared the hell out of me when he finally got the tray of food and held it up in triumph.

This...this freaked the HELL out of me as a kid.

 I will say, though, that the Doctor's affection for her after he is released from the 'Orror was really touching, especially in light of how poorly she was treated by her mother. And when Jenny picks the lock and runs through the other side, to reveal a Frankenstein-like Crimson Doctor, I almost hid under the covers. To see big face with that long chin frozen in pain reminded me of the victims in The Ring, and his wide eyes still give me the shivers.

Before You Die...You Regenerate

But that's nothing compared to the reveal of "Mr. Sweet", the namesake of the pristine community, the source of the poison that induced the 'Orror (I love saying that!),  and someone with whom only Mrs. Gillyflower could speak. Naturally, this was because he was a prehistoric parasite living off of her own body.

Moments later he would don a top hat and sing "Ragtime Gal"
(10 points if you get the reference)

When Mrs. Gillyflower is finally thwarted (taking the Palpatine Express right over the railing in the missile silo), it was so satisfying to see Ada walk over and, when asked for forgiveness, whispers "Never." She then squishes Mr. Sweet with her walking stick, ending the parasite's disgusting existence (and preventing him from launching into an eery chorus of "Under the Sea"). I should point out that this is the second episode to deal directly with a parasite (the first being Akhaten itself in "The Rings of Akhaten") could this be a clue about Clara? An odd coincidence? Or my own mind making random connections?

By Jove, I think it's all three!

This episode also delivered some fantastic bits of comic relief. Strax's frustration with the horse and his subsequent interaction with young Thomas Thomas, who provides directions much like the GPS of his future, was really amusing. And when he crashes into the Sweetville complex with a mighty "Sontar-ha!" and blasting away, I felt glad to finally see him experience some action.

And, may I say, I've never seen anyone elicit such a passionate reaction from the Doctor as Jenny. The giant snog after she freed him from the Crimson Horror, his "sonic excitement" when she reveals her skintight bodysuit, and when she kicks some supermodel tail; it was all so unlike the Eleventh Doctor, who has ever only been seen being slightly flirty with River Song. It was a surprising departure from his character, but one that I thought added a really interesting new layer to his persona. I definitely wouldn't mind going a few rounds with the Victorian housekeeper...if only I was her type...and gender...and species.

"Uh, please don't tell my wife."

Ahem, moving on. The flashbacks to when the Doctor and Clara first arrived and investigated Sweetville, told via grainy camera footage, old-timey music, and sepia-toned photographs, was absolutely brilliant. It was so different from anything we had seen before. And the reference to the Fifth Doctor, his adventures with Tegan Jovanka, and his oft-used phrase "Brave Heart" was a huge treat for this Five fan.

I also really liked Matt Smith's Northern accent, not seen since "The Rebel Flesh". It was also a great throwback to Christopher Eccleston's Ninth Doctor, who was called out by Rose for his accent, to which he replied "Lots of planets have a North!" And I love how Clara took charge, smashing the chair into Mrs. Gillyflower's organ in order to stop the launch of the missile. It was nice to see the sonic not be the only way to solve a problem. And the interplay between Gillyflower, the Doctor, Clara, and Ada at the end was just classic Who.

Now, lest we forget, this is the first time the Paternoster Gang has seen Clara (or any version of her) since she died in "The Snowmen". They are all rightly confused, and the Doctor isn't giving them (or us) any answers. I actually really liked that we didn't learn anything new about Clara. Especially after "Journey to the Centre of the TARDIS", it was nice not to focus on great mystery of Series 7B. And to so casually dismiss it in the very time we first (er, secondly) met Clara was an obviously playful jab at the fans.

Ultimately, the TARDIS takes Clara back home, where she discovers that her little charges have found pictures of her online (...not that kind), detailing all of her adventures through time. Clara tries to deny that it's her, but when she sees a picture of her in Victorian London, not Yorkshire, she unwittingly spills the beans. The kids threaten to tell their father unless they can come with her on the next trip. And so we head into the eagerly awaited "Nightmare in Silver"!

All in all, "The Crimson 'Orror" might just be one of the best episodes of the entire Series 7. Creepy, exciting, funny, and with tons for Whovians to fan-gasm about, I wouldn't mind being frozen watching this until Judgement Day.

Til next Time (and Space!)

- Joe

Doctor Who Review: Hide

You know when writer Neil Cross steps up to pen a Doctor Who episode, you're going to get something different. Whether it was the instant classic "The Doctor's Wife" or the still hotly debated "Rings of Akhaten", Cross always puts his unique touch on familiar tropes. Hide not only is no exception, but it is a perfect example.

The Doctor and Clara arrive at Caliburn House, a giant mansion beset by a wailing spirit known throughout history as "The Witch of the Well". Set in the 1970's, this episode used every ghost story antic without seeming cliche. Stormy night? Check. Candelabras? Check. Hard science mixed with psychic abilities? Checkaroo. Splitting up in order to catch something that you're clearly outmatched by? Oh, so much Check! Yes, this episode touched on everything from The Ring to Scooby-Doo and mixed it all together to create a really dynamic, suspenseful, and kind of creepy episode.

You can't die after seeing The Ring if you can't see without your glasses!

But, of course, this is Doctor Who we're talking about, so we know we're not in for a mere ghost story (the Ninth Doctor episode "The Unquiet Dead" comes to mind). As the story progresses we find that our ghost is actually a pioneering time traveler stuck between our universe and a pocket universe (perhaps a nod Neil Cross' "The Doctor's Wife"). In an interesting turn of events, the Doctor discovers that every time they see the ghost they are seeing one brief moment in her timeline, stretched out over hundreds of years. Usually, it's the Doctor who seems to pop in and out of people's lives, but this time it was the other way around. When the Doctor goes through the history of the world, taking pictures in order to piece together Hila's flashes through time, it has a startling effect on Clara. To him, she surmises, they must all seem like ghosts, since the Doctor can witness the birth and death of a world in minutes and not even blink. The Doctor assures her she is "the only mystery worth solving". This very much echoes Rose's sentiments in "The End of the World" (again with the parallels!), but I don't think the Doctor was as successful in comforting her this time.

What? It's just the end of everything and everyone you ever knew! Get over it.

I also like how the contentious relationship with Clara and the TARDIS, first hinted at in "The Rings of Akhaten", was further explored. Clara lets the Doctor in on her suspicion that the old girl doesn't like her, and the Doctor likens the TARDIS to a cat that has to get used to someone. And when the Clara runs to rescue the Doctor from the pocket universe, she has to first get past the TARDIS audio/visual matrix, which sarcastically takes the form of Clara ("the person you most esteem"). Eventually the blue box relents, lets Clara in, and the two rescue their man. I have a nagging belief that their story isn't over, and will come to a head next week.

When the Doctor does find himself in the pocket universe, it is just plain creepy. It's misty, disintegrating, and completely void of life....well, except for one thing. The monster that inhabits this world doesn't look or move like anything we've ever seen. It actually reminded me a lot of old claymation monsters with its jerky movements and that definitely was unsettling. Even though we eventually learn that it (credited totally un-cringe-inducingly as "Crooked Man"), like Hila and the Doctor, was stuck there and just trying to reach its one true love back at Caliburn House, seeing it's face made me jump, and most definitely scared the bejeezus out of younger viewers.

Ladies?

But yes, folks, it turned out that this was a love story, after all. No villains to defeat, no apocalypse to stop, just the simple saving of a girl and the reuniting of lost (if incredibly ugly) loves. I think that's something that a lot of people lose in the new Who, that these stories don't always have to be dark and serious. The show, at its core, is about the power of love and good versus all the badness in the universe. In a way, we were actually treated to three different types of episodes in one: A ghost story, a classic timey wimey story, and a love story. Each one flowing effortlessly into the next.

And this episode, Whovians, more than any so far, should have your inner geek tingling. For one, the Doctor uses the space suit he used during his Tenth incarnation in the two-parter "The Impossible Planet/The Satan Pit" and "The Waters of Mars". Also, in order to boost Emma's psychic powers and her connection to the pocket universe, not only does the Doctor fetch a Metebelis crystal from the TARDIS (a reference to the last adventures of the Third Doctor), he does so utilizing a subset of the Eye of Harmony (last seen as the focal point for the 1996 movie starring Eighth Doctor Paul McGann)! There was also an interesting bit where the Doctor directs Clara to hang up her umbrella, only to remember that he's since removed the coat rack he had in his previous TARDIS (and that of earlier incarnations). And, of course, when things start going wrong (as they inevitably do), we heard the familiar ring of the Cloister Bell.

Also that one episode where the Doctor runs a lot...

A unique twist on a familiar story type, tons of references, a nice and different ending, and a deepening of the mystery and character of Clara, "Hide" definitely delivered! And it was great to see the TARDIS fully in action once again! The episode also touched on unrequited love, fulfilled for Emma and Alec, and the monsters, but perhaps not for Clara? Will she be Eleven's Rose, or will she find her feelings rebuffed like Martha? And what about the Doctor's search to find the answer as to exactly who Clara is...and why she is? Emma's empathic powers were no help, and in fact were used to warn Clara not to trust him. No matter how that story plays out, "Hide" will definitely go on the list of top Eleventh Doctor episodes for many fans (yours truly included.)

Women? Amiright? 'eh? 'EH? Ahhh you know.

 What did you all think? And where do you think this is all leading? Sound off in the comments below and I'll see you next week for the eagerly awaited "Journey to the Centre of the TARDIS"!



Geronimo!

- Joe