The Crimson Horror

"The eye of a dead person retains the image of the last thing it sees."

Writer: Mark Gatiss

Format: TV

Broadcast: 4 May 2013

Series: 7.11

Featuring: Eleventh Doctor, Clara, Vastra, Jenny, Strax

Synopsis

In 1893, the Doctor's old friends; Vastra, Jenny and Strax find an optogram of the Doctor on a victim of the mysterious 'crimson horror'. They head for Yorkshire, where Jenny infiltrates Mrs Winifred Gillyflower's community of Sweetville to find out what her plan is and what business the Doctor had with it.

Verdict

The Crimson Horror was a fun episode to continue our way through the modern era with Series 7! I like how this one essentially opens as a loose pilot of what should have been a spinoff series for the Paternoster Gang. Thankfully we have an ongoing series for them with Big Finish, but I can't help but feel the Whoniverse missed out here. The Victorian era is just perfect for a spinoff and this shows it. Something like the Crimson Horror that was on show here didn't necessarily need the Doctor around. I mean Clara as the companion doesn't show up until well over halfway into the episode and despite her obvious qualities and the brilliance of the Doctor, neither are missed! The trio of Vastra, Jenny and Strax steal the show. They really are tremendous and I just adore the dynamic between them. The comedy that Strax brings to things is absolutely delightful and the scene in the carriage where Vastra refers to Jenny in needing someone fit and beautiful was magnificent. Strax will step up! The seriousness in which he offered himself was just magnificent. I'm such a huge fan of his. His efforts to overdo it when it came to the grenades and other weaponry because they were heading up north was fun stuff too. I liked the shift from a typical London setting and going to Yorkshire was a nice change of pace even if we did have to suffer the Doctor's impression of the accent. A couple of bodies later and he won't have to put on the accent, but this was bad! I thought Mrs Gillyflower made for a fantastic villain and it was clear that she had some sort of mental deficiency. I mean to experiment on your own daughter is pretty horrific. Ada herself was a troubled character but how could she not be with her mother and her blindness? Her shift in attitude and calling her mother a hag when she learned the truth was quite something! I thought her attachment to the Doctor was a little uncomfortable but it was good for him to be referred to as her monster. That was the right level of creepiness. I really enjoyed the continuity from The Snowmen when it came to Clara being present as the companion. Because of course this wasn't the same Clara that did battle with the Ice Lady. It was complicated as the Doctor had on repeat. I thought finding the Doctor some fifteen minutes into the episode as being consumed by the titular parasite was good and his reaction to Jenny coming to save him in kissing her was tremendous, mostly because of her slap reaction. That was a fun moment and it was good for her to shine in the episode, especially later on when she shifted into catlike attire and was ready for a fight. The Doctor was duly impressed. Clara working out the significance of the smokeless chimney was good and I thought it was a decent concept to have Gillyflower ready to poison the population. Vastra remembering her kind fighting off the same plague was intriguing, but I must admit I was not a fan of Mr Sweet. That's the only element of the episode that doesn't quite work for me. It was also a bit gruesome the way in which Ada murdered him with her guide stick. The Doctor was a bit too casual and accepting of that situation for my liking. I know it was a parasite but it was still living! I thought the mystery of Clara continuing was great and her reaction to being referred to as the boss was a delight. She's a wonderful level of playful. I thought the lead into the next episode with Angie and Artie having done some rather incredible detecting skills was fun, as they saw that Clara was a time traveller! The image of Clara from Victorian London was perfectly placed within the ongoing mystery as she confirmed she went to Victorian times but in Yorkshire. But also, it wasn't her. The complications go on! Overall, a really fun episode! 

Rating: 8/10