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
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