As a DW viewer and an avid fan, I've never seen a Mark Gatiss episode that I haven't liked, but I have still yet to see an episode of his that I've really liked. 2005's 'The Unquiet Dead' was terrifying for me as a child (aged 8, I was only three episodes into the new series and already it was one of my favourite shows), where Gatiss let his love of horror deliver a truly chilling adventure set in Victorian london with Charles Dickens in tow. His next episode, 2006's 'The Idiot's Lantern' was okay, and benefited greatly from it's 50's setting. His Series 5 episode 'Victory Of The Daleks', weird Dalek designs aside, was another fun episode that suffered from a severe case of TMSGO (To Much Sh*t Going On). And finally his two most recent episodes, 'Night Terrors' and 'Cold War' were both solid episodes but not anything to really write home about. So yes, when it comes to his script's, Mark Gatiss's episodes seem to sit in a sort of purgatory between 'okay' and 'good' that he can't seem to escape from. Until now, that is, because I frickin' ADORE 'The Crimson Horror'! Seriously, this episode is one of the best episodes this season, packing more style and goofy goings-on per square minute than I thought was ever possible. And add to that a certain freshness that is rarely seen in the overall mediocrity that was Series 7B.
What makes 'The Crimson Horror' unique is the fact that the Doctor and Clara only show up half-way through the episode, leaving most of the screen-time to Vastra, Strax and Jenny, the paternoster trio from the Xmas Special and 'A Good Man Goes To War'. Jenny in particular is the main character here, as she starts investigating the mysterious goings-on at Sweetville (a thinly veiled homage to Cadbury's Bournville) an idyllic community run by Mrs. Gillyflower and her never-seen partner, Mr. Sweet, apparently as a home for the chosen few to help them survive the coming apocalypse. Suffice to say, dead bodies found in the river near Sweetville with glowing red skin is hardly normal, and some crazy ass things are definitely going on in that place. Catrin Stewart is finally given a bigger role here and her performance is definitely a highlight. I'd go so far as to say that when she is re-united with Frankendoctor she makes a better and more interesting companion than Clara, who's only in the episode for ten minutes. I'm not saying that Clara is bad, but she comes off as dull when compared to Jenny's karate kick moves. Plus, she has one HELL of a music cresendo! Anyway the good news is: Vastra, Strax and Jenny get a lot to do, and aside from that awful Tom-Tom joke (REALLY? HOW DOES THAT MAKE ANY SENSE????) they're still awesome and I relish every moment they're on screen.
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| Meet your new Frankenstein! |
And speaking of performances, let's talk about Diana Rigg's bat sh*t insane turn as Mrs Gillyflower, one of the most unabashedly camp performances I've seen. To say she eat's up the scenery is a an understatement, it's more like DEVOURING it. And it's GLORIOUS. Now DW was never high art, and I'll be the first to admit that, but with performances like these I don't want it to be. And thank the gods, we FINALLY get a properly evil villain who doesn't hesitate to whip out a gun and let off a few rounds. Even her plan is wonderfully barmy, if anything she resembles a Bond villain more than your traditional Who baddie (the climax to this Ep is over-the-top to the extreme)! Miss Gillyflower's daughter Ada (played by Diana Rigg's real life daughter) is the emotional heart of the episode and while she doesn't quite reach the acting heights of her mum Rachel Stirling still puts in a fine performance. Damn can she use that walking stick!
Everyone is on A their game here, and Saul Metzstein's direction ('Dinosaurs on a Spaceship', 'A Town Called Mercy', 'The Snowmen') continues to impress. I loved the grainy black and white flashbacks, effectively making this episode a two part adventure wherein they don't need to show the first part while also adding some much needed back-story and a unique visual style to the episode. More DW episodes with a cramped story should try this method, as rushed story elements are far too present in this series. The Ep is also infused with a wonderful B-movie horror vibe, full of smoke and macabre imagery. The scene where the Doctor is being lowered into the vat of red poison was definitely straight out of a camp hammer horror movie, and it somehow fits. It's important to note just how funny this episode is as well, Gatiss's script is full of black humour and cockney Victorian accents. Matt Smith continues to be a great comedic actor and it occurred to me just how much his massive forehead resembles Boris Karloff's Frankenstein, if hollywood is making another Frankenstein movie they should seriously consider giving him a ring!
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| Welcome to Bornville! Wait, I mean Sweetville... |
I clearly love 'The Crimson Horror'. In any other episode of the show I'd be quick to criticise the insane plot, severe overacting and barmy proceedings but it's exactly what the episode is trying to achieve so therefore it, and the audience, revel's in it. Now granted I don't want every episode to be like this, but there's something undeniably awesome about 'The Crimson Horror': it's a cheesy, camp, B-movie style Doctor Who episode filled with insane characters and with more than a passing resemblance to the old Hammer horror films. In short, it's everything that Mark Gatiss has been wanting to achieve with DW since 'The Unquiet Dead', and if this episode was made into cheese, you can be sure I'd eat it: 9.5/10:
Positives:
+ Wonderfully barmy, camp script
+ Diana Rigg's scenery chewing performance
+ Neat black and white flashback sequence
+ Matt Smith's cockney accent!
+ Great setting, look and style
+ More Vastra, Strax and Jenny
+ Jenny in particular
Negatives:
- Clara doesn't get much to do
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