Doctor Who Series 3 Episode 2 - The Shakespeare Code - Review

Starring: David Tennant, Freema Agyeman, Dean Lennox Kelly & Christina Cole

Written By: Gareth Roberts

Directed By: Charles Palmer

 

Shakespeare... Okay, Shakespeare is difficult for me to talk about, because while he is considered to be one of the greatest writers in history, I'm always that one person in the crowd that just can't get into his work. With the exception of Macbeth, Shakespeare just doesn't appeal all that much to me. Still, if there's one show that can get me interested in things that otherwise wouldn't appeal to me, it's Doctor Who. And as this episode proves, it has more to offer than just the Doctor meeting Shakespeare...

 

Following on from last week, the Doctor takes Martha on her one promised trip in the TARDIS. They are brought to London in the year 1599, where the Doctor decides to show Martha one of William Shakespeare's shows at the famous Globe Theatre. At the end of the show, Shakespeare announces his newest play is to be performed the following day – Love's Labour's Won. Nearby, three Carrionites, an alien race disguised as witches, are planning to use the powerful words of the play to bring the rest of their race back from the eternal darkness and wipe out humanity.

 

If there's one thing this episode will definitely do, it will immerse you in the 16th Century Britain setting. It really feels like you've joined the Doctor and Martha on their trip back in time, and you're the one wondering the streets of London. The busy, bustling streets and people throwing waste out of the windows, not to mention bards, maids, magic and more, everything in this historical setting works. Every part of the production is amazing, from the direction, the set and costume design, as well as Murray Gold's Renaissance-themed music. If you're into your history as much as me, (Witchcraft in this period of history was the subject of my A-Level exams) this episode is going to be great fun. Elizabethan England is such an alien setting, but as the Doctor points out, there are plenty of surprisingly familiar things to be found.

 

One of the most memorable things about this episode, is of course William Shakespeare's role. But to be honest, the only reason I remember Shakespeare's presence so much, is the fact that he's in the title and that the plot requires him. As a character, Shakespeare is quite generic, and there's little that's unique to be found in this version of the character, aside from that “Shut your big fat mouths!” line. Still, something that worked far better was the relationship between Shakespeare and the Doctor. The two characters are just made for each other, and they are easily the biggest contributors to the brilliant comedy feel that runs throughout the episode. In fact, they get the biggest laughs of the episode with the hilarious “57 Academics just punched the air!” line.

 

Something far better than this version of Shakespeare, was the Carrionites. There are occasional times where Bloodtide and Doomfinger are a little over-the-top, given the quite serious nature of what they're trying to do, but this is a relatively minor problem. More often, the two characters are given some quite scary moments, particularly right at the start of the episode, when they rip a young man apart, whilst the camera focuses on their shadows. Thanks to a very good performance from Christina Cole, Lilith is easily the best of the Carrionite trio, striking just the right balance between a cackling witch, and being the brains of the Carrionites' operation.

 

Someone else who definitely continues to impress is Freema Agyeman as Martha. It's becoming clearer that Martha isn't a character to just take everything in her stride, but will challenge both the Doctor and others, if she has to. Martha's efforts to help the Doctor, as he tries to work out the importance of the Globe Theatre in the Carrionites' plans, as well as seeing her going against Elizabethan views of race and gender, remind me of past companions such as Sarah Jane and Leela, and after just two episodes, that's something I didn't imagine I'd be saying, at least not so soon. I also want to congratulate Gareth Roberts and the writing team for not entirely dismissing the issue of Martha's race in a historical setting like the one seen here. While the show can, and has dealt with important topics before, let's not forget that Doctor Who is still a family show, and it's something that could have ended up being glossed over. Thankfully, the writing team was skilled enough to address it, but did so without dwelling on it.

 

But while Martha shows great potential, and could go on to become a fantastic companion, she is STILL being held back. Now, I want to stress that this isn't the fault of David Tennant or Freema Agyeman, but the Doctor is STILL mourning over losing Rose. It's been nearly a year since Rose left, and three episodes have passed since Doomsday – Get over it! I liked Rose and I understand that she and the Doctor were in love, something I'm still not too happy about, but you've brought a new character onboard the TARDIS now. Martha could seriously go on to be one of the show's best companions, but you've got to accept that Rose has gone for that to happen. With the Doctor dwelling on Rose, you can't have a strong Doctor-Companion relationship, Martha gets sidelined and you make the audience think that its okay for them to dwell on Rose. When Martha gets angry at the Doctor, after he tells her that Rose would know what to do, her anguish genuinely mirrored my own in that scene.

 

The Shakespeare Code isn't perfect by any means, but its another solid entry to Series 3. The Elizabethan setting is one of the most immersive locations the show has seen since its return, Martha is showing great promise and the Carrionites are perfectly suited to this setting, with their plan accumulating in a suitably dramatic and apocalyptic climax at the Globe Theatre. If you're a fan of Shakespeare's work, or you're keen on your history, then The Shakespeare Code is worth a watch.

 

 

The Shakespeare Code



7/10