Doctor Who goes all Pirates of the Caribbean, albeit with a flying pirate ship, an underwater prehistoric monster and a lot more angst than laughs Show Martin Belam Mon 18 Apr 2022 05.00 AESTLast modified on Mon 18 Apr 2022 06.00 AESTA treasure hunt, a revenge vow, a noble sacrifice, unrequited love and more than a passing nod to the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise – we were promised a swashbuckling Easter special, and it partially delivered. You don’t often get to see the Doctor (Jodie Whittaker) sword fighting, we’ve never seen the Tardis open her doors like that underwater before, and there was a satisfyingly huge sea beast for good measure. But it all ended up slightly less exciting than that sounds on paper. It was easier to warm to this episode from the second act onwards, once they had boarded the ships. The opening sequence in the village seemed very disjointed. It was raining in the village, but not on the beach, and there didn’t seem to be any set-up for the part with the Tardis crew trapping the Sea Devil in a net, Scooby-Doo style. It was as if five minutes of the episode was missing. Dan Lewis (played by John Bishop, upside-down, left) and Ying Ki (Marlow Chan-Reeves). Photograph: James Pardon/BBC StudiosDan (John Bishop) was once again the main source of comic relief, from his ludicrous pirate costume to his customary wisecracking in difficult situations. We know he’d had practice against the Sontarans with his deadly wok, but it was still surprising how brutally efficient he was at despatching Sea Devils in the final battle scenes. Much of the pre-publicity had focused on the fact we would meet legendary real-life pirate Madam Ching (Crystal Yu), but we learned relatively little about her life. Actually, it was Arthur Lee’s Ji-Hun who provided more of an emotional focus and leadership role. His sacrifice at the end seemed on the cards from the moment we knew he had been held captive by the “Ocean Demons” for centuries, and was now a man out of time. Sum it up in one sentence?The Sea Devils have a flying pirate ship, an underwater prehistoric monster, and a plan to change the surface of the Earth for ever – if they can just find that one magical lost treasure. Life on board the TardisYasmin Khan (Mandip Gill) and the Doctor had “the chat”. And as many expected, it looks like heartbreak for Gill’s character, with the Doctor mentioning her wife for the first time – essentially putting Yaz into the I-would-but-I-can’t friendzone. The scenes didn’t necessarily ring true. The Doctor said that Yaz was “one of the greatest people I’ve ever known”, but as much as Gill has contributed to the series both on- and off-screen, the character of Yaz has never really had enough development to warrant the Doctor saying that. “I wish this would go on for ever,” said the Doctor, skimming her wishing stone at the end of the episode. We very much know it won’t. Yaz and the Doctor are almost a couple. Photograph: James Pardon/BBC StudiosOn a possibly happier note, it was lovely to see Dan speaking to Diane (Nadia Albina) again, with the hope that he might get back to Liverpool one day. It must have been down to trauma, but the way she seemed to be blaming him for her experiences at the end of Flux last year always felt like too much of a sour note for their story to end on. Fear factorThe scenes of the Sea Devil mercilessly slaughtering everyone in the village upped the ante for them as villains right at the beginning. It instantly undercut anything comedic about the faithful adherence to their 1970s appearance. In the past, we’ve seen them rely more on stealth and menace than sword fighting, but they worked well retooled as prehistoric aquatic samurai. They seemed far more technologically advanced than in their previous appearances, though, and now have a device that could switch the polarity of Earth’s magnetic core, plus the ability to teleport as a green mist – which suited an episode that was visually at its most powerful in the murky green-lit underwater base scenes. Mysteries and questionsWe are one episode away from the end of Whittaker’s Tardis tenure, and it was hardly the time to be setting up new puzzles. So the biggest mystery was why you would cast Craig Els as Chief Sea Devil, rather than have him back as Dan’s disgruntled but adorable Lupari protector Karvanista – which he played so brilliantly last year. Marlowe Chan-Reeves’ Ying Ki acted as sideman to Dan here, and the show missed Els’ big grumpy walking-talking-outer-space-dog. Deeper into the vortex
Next timeDaleks! Cybermen! Sacha Dhawan’s hot camp Master! Companions back from the 80s! For a man who started his first season in charge of Doctor Who promising no old monsters and no convoluted back-story, showrunner Chris Chibnall certainly seems to have thrown everything and the kitchen sink at the finale of his and Whittaker’s era, which will air later this year to coincide with the BBC’s centenary. And by then we might know who the returning Russell T Davies has cast as the 14th Doctor. I can’t wait. Until then, allons-y! What season is Legend of the Sea Devils in?Jodie Whittaker's final feature-length Special will transmit in autumn 2022 as part of the BBC's Centenary celebrations. Get ready for Legend of the Sea Devils, the next special coming in Spring 2022.
Is Doctor Who season 13 finished?The thirteenth series of the British science fiction television programme Doctor Who, subtitled Flux, was broadcast from 31 October to 5 December 2021. The series is the third and last to be led by Chris Chibnall as head writer and executive producer.
Who is new Doctor Who 2022?Millie Gibson has been unveiled as the Time Lord's new sidekick in Doctor Who, in an announcement made live on BBC Children in Need on Friday evening. The Coronation Street actor, 18, will play the role of Ruby Sunday, companion to the new Doctor, Ncuti Gatwa, when the programme returns towards the end of 2023.
How many times have The Sea Devils appeared in Doctor Who?Sea Devils haven't shown up on screen since 1984's Warriors of the Deep, with this marking only their third major appearance on the show since their 1972 debut in The Sea Devils.
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