The Haunting of Villa Diodati

"Nobody mentions Frankenstein."

Writer: Maxine Alderton
Format: TV
Broadcast: 16th February 2020
Series: 12.08

Featuring: Thirteenth Doctor, Yaz, Ryan, Graham

Synopsis

The Doctor and her gang arrive at the Villa Diodati at Lake Geneva in 1816 on the night that inspired Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. The plan is to spend the evening soaking up the atmosphere in the presence of some literary greats, but the ghosts are all too real, and the Doctor is forced into a decision of earth-shattering proportions.

Verdict

The Haunting of Villa Diodati was an excellent episode that serves as the penultimate story of Series 12! Wow, we got hear quickly and this was just a wonderful adventure. The atmosphere was what stood out to me and that was even before the emergence of the Lone Cyberman. I thought it was terrific that he showed up a little earlier than expected given the title of the next episode, but even before that the episode was brilliant. I thought the introduction of the Doctor and her gang into the Villa of Diodati was great and I have to say that Jodie Whittaker was in stellar form throughout this episode. She encompassed all of the qualities that make the Doctor such an incredible character. We had the humour at the start and when she mocked the Cyberman, but then we also had her in very serious mood with that incredible speech when it came to deciding who had to die. That speech was a standout moment in the entire series and showed Whittaker at her very best. It was a phenomenal response to Ryan who easily came up with his answer to what the Doctor considered to be an impossible choice. I did feel that the reference to Captain Jack's warning in Fugitive of the Judoon came a bit late considering the Doctor named the enemy as a Cyberman almost immediately after it arrived in the house. I liked the Castrovalva type feel of the house going around in circles and being inescapable, but it was unique in having the gang all split up and stuck in their different rooms. That worked really well and I loved the revelation at the end that whatever it was Graham saw, they really might have been ghosts! That was a lovely twist and fitted in terrifically well with the horror theme of the episode. Some of the minor jump scares were brilliant and it did really feel like a horror film at times with the direction! My girlfriend doesn't do well with horror films and there were a few scenes here where she was scared and that told me all I needed to know. Yaz went a bit missing in this episode which was a shame but it was just so strong elsewhere that she wasn't missed. Mary Shelley was fantastic and I loved the moment where she stood up to the Cyberman and seemed to be getting through to him until she found out that he'd actually split the throats of his children because they'd joined the resistance. A horrifying thought, but this showed how horrific this Cyberman was. Now, I want to mention the appearance which I thought was very impressive and paid homage to a lot of former designs whilst staying true to the most recent. The mask in particular was grotesque as we could see so much of what was going on inside. It wasn't like what we were shown in the likes of Rise of the Cybermen/The Age of Steel where it was just the brain that was harnessed. This Cyberman was also showing emotion and desperation and that spoke volumes about their position in the war with humanity. Percy being the guardian of the Cyberium was an unexpected development, but I really liked the idea of it being thrown back through time in an attempt to change the future. The Doctor soon took on the mantra of guardian which led to a wonderful image that I have used above. The Doctor would not adhere to Captain Jack's warning despite referencing all she had lost with Bill in the events of World Enough and Time/The Doctor Falls and how she wouldn't lose anyone else to conversion. That was terrific. However, she went against the warning of an old friend and gave the Lone Cyberman exactly what he wanted. It all looks set for an exciting and epic finale now and I look forward to meeting the Cybermen of the future! Overall, a superb episode.

Rating: 9/10