Reactions to Doctor Who 4x07 -- The Unicorn and the Wasp

[snorkackcatcher]

Summary: This season's answer to The Shakespeare Code -- in other words, lots and lots of fun. But first of all, can I just say: Damn, I'm good. :)


Well, before I have the chance to see all the posts from people explaining how silly and terrible an episode this was -- I'm going to say yes (duh) to the first of those, no to the second. Like Partners in Crime, it was crackfic that got filmed, and was none the worse for that.

Many things to like about this. Firstly, it's one long murder-mystery pastiche ingeniously meta-ed into an actual plot, which managed to both use and affectionately send up the conventions. That's a nice bit of work, from Professor Peach in the library with the lead piping onwards. Also, of course, right from "why didn't they ask ... heavens!" it was clear that the episode was going to be a party game of Spot The Agatha Christie Titles -- I lost count about halfway through. In that, it was structurally very like The Shakespeare Code, which I also enjoyed immensely (in which context, love the little nod to that episode when the Doctor casually tosses out the Carrionites while looking for the book). Putting Agatha on a par with Will as a literary genius may be stretching it a bit, but never mind. Incidentally, an innocent party being saved at the end while a murderer drowns, possibly having performed a partly redeeming action by saving them, is pure Agatha Christie (from memory They Do It With Mirrors and Cards on the Table, there may be others), as was the partly burned paper from Murder on the Orient Express, and ... doubtless others could be spotted.

Some really nice references to previous episodes -- not just the Carrionites and the New Earth publication date, but finally the scene with Donna talking about Lance that people were asking for! The Donna-Doctor kiss was pretty much the inverse of the one from Smith and Jones (and it was fun to see the Doctor reacting to Donna's "all the good blokes are playing for the other team" with a slightly miffed "or Time Lords"). And maybe it's just me, but the whole giant insect chasing people thing was very reminiscent of Three and The Green Death -- especially at the end when they're in vintage cars.

Also before anyone else comments: yes, I did notice that sadly the CoC got killed off again; no, I don't think it's actually a conscious pattern; yes, it probably does reveal unfortunate unconscious attitudes; no, naturally as a WASP (sorry) while it's disappointing it doesn't invalidate the entire episode for me; yes, it's quite all right if it does for you.

Another quibble: to be fair, Real Person Stories where the real person concerned is actually a relatively recent figure are rather more dubious than doing the same thing with say Shakespeare or Madame du Pompadour. You do wonder what the Christie family will think of it. On the other hand, at least the treatment of her was most sympathetic, and Fenella Woolgar did a fine job.

Other good things remembered in passing: the Doctor seizing his chance to play detective. Donna as the 'plucky assistant' using the old-fashioned ways of wasp elimination (burning with a magnifying glass and drowning). The classic extended scene at the end where each person in turn is accused, right down to the Doctor teasing everybody by pointing at Donna and Agatha and then saying "you gave me the idea". And the little counterplay on that with Agatha Christie reacting to one revelation with "Actually I had no idea".

In short, an excellent episode!

Comments

[lareinenoire.livejournal.com]

I loved the send-up of all the murder mystery clichés, really. I was in a production of Ten Little Indians several years ago, and I remember learning all those lines and wondering if anyone at all would buy it. All the references to previous episodes were also great fun. I had actually wondered about the housekeeper, as having an Indian housekeeper didn't seem exactly period-accurate, but when I found out how she fit into the larger plot, it made much more sense. And, of course, she knew too much and had to die, so it didn't bother me terribly. It's the murder mystery staple, after all.

And really good catch on the book! I nearly fell off the couch when the Doctor pulled it out of the box.

[snorkackcatcher]

So did I. :)

Ten Little Indians ... I've a feeling that's called something else now. Then again, my old paperback copy's a 1970s version with (ahem) the original title. As a story, it is one of those plots where everything has to go exactly to plan for it to work out.

[lareinenoire.livejournal.com]

Oh, yes, I remember the original title too. Ah, the times they are a-changin'. ;)

I think it's called And Then There Were None these days, although I was always under the impression they were two separate things.

[snorkackcatcher]

Yes, it seems to be. (Also the original verse apparently was 'Indians' which I didn't know, although as it was written in the 1860s US that doesn't necessarily improve things!)

[such_heights]

Yes to all of this! It was just enormous fun all round.

[snorkackcatcher]

Wasn't it just? :)

[jesspallas.livejournal.com]

They interviewed Agatha Christie's grandson on Confidential and he didn't seem to have any great objections so they obviously checked with the family before doing it.

I enjoyed the ep, I thought it was a barrel full of daft fun, which you can't argue with. Though nice job with the book! Can I just ask though because my brain is drawing a blank on something that's probably obvious - what does CoC stand for?

[snorkackcatcher]

I gave up on the Confidentials a while back. There's only so much RTD being smugly pleased with himself that I can stand ...

CoC = "Character of Colo(u)r", about whose treatment on New Who there is an ongoing controversy. See e.g. this post by spiralsheep.

[nell-aria.livejournal.com]

Kudos to you, Maurice, for making the giant alien wasp connection to Death in the Clouds - v. clever!
I followed that link in your post above ... Hmmmm... I didn't read those subtexts into it, and I'm a little surprised that others *want* to... I suppose it does us good to have a few people scrutinise our TV dramas for racist or homophobic undercurrents, and, of course, 'scrutiny' requires an almost fanatical, nit-picking sensitivity, so I guess ... good luck to 'em! But *I* enjoyed the episode, anyway, especially the poison scene. Love Catherine Tate, love how she's gradually becoming fonder of the Doctor, and love the recurring 'oh we're not - not - together' 'NO! God, no!' joke. V. cute. And I really enjoyed spotting the Agatha Christie titles dropped into the dialogue.
xHelen

[snorkackcatcher]

I couldn't quite believe it when the book appeared. :)

It's always tricky to say when subtext is there or not, especially on a sensitive issue. I think there's a point there but not nearly as much as is sometimes claimed. (I doubt Russell T Davies has an anti-gay agends, for example!)