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| The Doctor becomes a victim of "The Crimson Horror." |
1 episode. Approx. 47 minutes. Written by: Mark Gatiss. Directed by: Saul Metzstein. Produced by: Marcus Wilson.
THE PLOT
When Mr. Thursday (Brendan Patricks) comes to Yorkshire to retrieve his brother Edmund's corpse, he is shocked to find the body bright red. Edmund has an image captured in his lifeless eyes: The face of the Doctor!
That image is enough for Madame Vastra (Neve McIntosh) and her assistant Jenny (Catrin Stewart) to take the case. They learn that Edmund was a reporter. He had infiltrated Sweetville, the private community of the fervently religious Madame Gillyflower (Diana Rigg). Gillyflower will only take the best, the most flawless and intelligent of people, into her utopia. Vastra sends Jenny to join Sweetville, with instructions to "ignore all keep-out signs, go through every locked door, and run towards any form of danger that presents itself."
Jenny locates the Doctor fairly soon after arriving. But he is bright red, unable to speak, and moving in barely-controlled spasms: The only living victim of the Crimson Horror!
CHARACTERS
The Doctor: Fumbles an attempt at an explanation of Clara's presence after Madame Vastra and Jenny saw her die. He tells Jenny that she's not the same woman, but his body language says that he's still not convinced. He finally just gives up and, in response to the accusation that he hasn't explained, admits that no, he hasn't. He recognizes that Madame Gillyflower is insane, but cannot keep himself from trying to make her realize that her daughter, Ada (Rachel Stirling) should be precious to her... but even as he does so, he makes sure Ada is listening so that she can realize how callous her mother truly is.
Clara: While she's more in the standard companion role here than in past episodes, she is observant enough to pick out the way in which Madame Gillyflower plans to spread her poison. Her banter with the Doctor is quite enjoyable, their partnership seeming more relaxed here than it has. When the opportunity to destroy Gillyflower's equipment presents itself, Clara doesn't wait on the Doctor's sonic screwdriver. She takes the direct approach and smashes it with a chair - which, the Doctor admits, works.
Madame Vastra/Jenny/Strax: The engaging detective team from the Victorian era return, in their first appearance in an episode not scripted by Steven Moffat. Surprisingly, Mark Gatiss does these characters proud. Jenny gets the most screen time, giving Catrin Stewart a chance at the spotlight when she's previously been just a sidekick. She comes across well, showing quick thinking and a useful facility at lock-picking. Strax gets a fun scene in which he prepares to execute his horse for getting them lost, until a young boy is able to give him directions. Vastra gets the least amount of screentime of any of her episodes to date, but her Silurian background is used to painlessly provide exposition about the "Crimson Horror" itself. With the first third of the episode entirely in their hands, this feels even more like a backdoor pilot for a series than their past appearances did - and it's the most persuasive in making me think that these three could actually carry a series, if it ever came to it.
THOUGHTS
Anytime I review a Mark Gatiss Who episode, I feel like I need to put up a disclaimer: I have never liked any Gatiss Who script for television (and very few of his audios). At this point, I go into a Gatiss Who story actively expecting to dislike it and daring him to prove me wrong.
With The crimson Horror, he finally proves me wrong.
This is a terrific episode, one where almost everything works. The Doctor's delayed entrance (almost a third of the way into the story) heightens the tension, as we are enter Sweetville with Jenny. Following the most apparently vulnerable of the detective guest characters into danger makes that danger feel more real, and allows a character who was previously just Madame Vastra's assistant to show herself a smart and resourceful individual on her own.
By opening in the middle, getting into the story through the eyes of recurring guest characters, we also dispense with a lot of exposition. We open with sinister events already in progress, and see just enough of Madame Gillyflower and Sweetville to make us want to know more. Just as that's threatening to wear thin, Jenny locates the Doctor and, once he's restored, we're filled in on the backstory through a montage cleverly presented in the style of an old movie, complete with faded color and reel jumps. At this point, the Doctor steps back into the lead role and retains it until the end - but with the script still allowing Vastra, Jenny, and even Strax key moments at the end.
Guest performances are exceptional. Diana Rigg is the unsurprising standout as the insane Madame Gillyflower, but Rachel Stirling also makes a strong impression as Gillyflower's damaged daughter, Ada. It's hard to believe these characters, who feel alive and distinct, came from the same pen as the man who scripted the generic submarine crew in Cold War.
Given that Gatiss' previous best episode was The Unquiet Dead (which was mis-paced, but at least reasonably engaging), I'm beginning to think he's best-suited to this particular historical setting, the setting in which you could picture Sherlock Holmes and Watson rounding the corner.
Whatever the case, this is the first episode he has written that has not only been competent, but a genuine joy to watch. Knowing he's capable of this will make me a tiny bit less likely to dread his name in future episodes... Though it will also make me even less forgiving of generic runarounds when this proves he can do so much better.
Overall Rating: 8/10.
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