Doctor Who 13x08 "Legend of the Sea Devils" full reaction
Added 2022-04-21 00:46:27 +0000 UTC"You do keep promising us a beach."
***I'd accidentally set this post to Tier III when it was supposed to be at Tier I - whoops! Thank you for catching that! Fixed now - enjoy! XOXO FWR
Comments
I think the difference is that whilst Planet of the Dead and the Next Doctor were very average, largely forgettable run of your mill Who romps they had a lot of things this special doesn't- like a coherent script, events that lead naturally into each other, proper editing so that people are not reversed, looking the wrong way, or the weather doesn't dramatically change shot to shot - all of which happens in Sea Devils. The plot and scripts of Dead and Next are there, coherent, make sense within their own premise and explain all the plot points adequately. Their characters are recognisable as people and relatable. They might be a bit dull and run of the mill but they are set up in the normal classic three part structure of beginning, middle, end. They are easy for all the family to follow as they settle down in front of the TV full of food and maybe a glass or two of a favourite tipple on a holiday. Sea Devils is incoherent in how it tells it story and the only relatable 'human' bits are the Doctor/Yaz stuff and it's too little too late and the necessary character work has not been done in its build up for it to be believable for these characters. Which leaves nothing in Sea Devils that really works on any level, technical, plotting or characters. Dead and Next might be dull but they work perfectly adequately on the technical, plotting and character front. For me, with the possible exception of Orphan 55, this is the worst produced episode I've ever seen of NuWho. It genuinely shocks me the BBC thought this was in a finished state fit for broadcast. They'd have been better not having this special, which is an unplanned extra anyway than putting this out there in this state.
BobBob
2022-04-24 08:51:18 +0000 UTCAds ruin everything. I like how Disney+ is just like the episode can be as long as it needs to be... The freedom of being a streaming service and not having to fit something into an hour block of TV time with ads factored in
Magus
2022-04-22 11:05:39 +0000 UTCYeah, those 10 minutes might have helped this one special, but maybe not - depends on what they would've done with those 10 minutes! We'll never know :-( :-(
Fourth Wall Reactions
2022-04-22 00:49:21 +0000 UTCThat's so funny that you mention "Planet of the Dead", because I was thinking the same - it was one of the specials (an 'Easter' special at that!) that I felt kind was kind of dull. I think the only thing I really loved about it was that guy Malcolm, who I found so entertaining, but for the most part...meh. I was kind of the same about this one. I don't think this special was awful, maybe just underwhelming. And you're right, we've had those before. :-)
Fourth Wall Reactions
2022-04-22 00:43:56 +0000 UTCThey filmed 60 minutes of material but had to cut it down by almost 25% for some reason... there were rumors of something in the script being potentially problematic, but it's more likely that the BBC just wanted a shorter episode. π Chibnall is a huge fan of Classic Who and I think that's what he tried to convey during his era (standalone stories, not too much character development) and consequently, it can feel a little half-baked. Sadly I think he puts plot over character, but when he *does* do character, he does it really well, in my opinion. But at the end of it all, it's just FUN, and that's my main takeaway from it. I just try to enjoy the great visuals, the banter, the Doctor/companion moments, and everything else that makes the show so amazing. I don't think this episode is as bad as people are making it out to be, though. It's just like a standalone episode that would land midway through a series. The Tenth Doctor's specials The Next Doctor and Planet of the Dead are very similar for me. Just very average. Nothing remarkable. Sold only by the performances of the cast. In response to the other comments about ratings and whatever, this era hasn't resonated with the general public, but Doctor Who ALWAYS survives in some form or another. That's why it's a good thing that Russell T Davies is returning as showrunner to reinvigorate the show for those who haven't enjoyed 13's run. The 60th episode/s and Series 14 will undoubtedly reach new heights and Doctor Who will continue forever and ever. π Looking forward to the next special which is rumored to be around 90 minutes long, so hopefully it'll be a more satisfying fix than this episode was.
Toby Harmon
2022-04-21 17:46:16 +0000 UTCIts kinda sad that I would put this episode in my top 5 of chibnalls just because I liked the theme and the visuals. I did laugh at sill stuff like oh the ancient guy killing the sea devil (and rightfully so) is bad but Dan..... Nah hes Dan its all good. And how Despite Yaz making Dan dress like a pirate she mocks him for it later when it was her idea. The Sea Devil using a force jump to get on the flying ship when later they reveal he has some mystical smoke teleport BS. The Doctor seeing the ship later in the episode as if its for the first time when she clearly sees it in the beginning of the episode. I just shrugged all that off. Its sad when someone makes it into the top episodes just because everything we've had up till now has been so much worse.
Magus
2022-04-21 12:36:42 +0000 UTCIt says a lot when the best part of an episode is the Next Time trailer. For me,this was 45 minutes of CGI and a mushy nonsensical plot. Jason and Nicole have said it all,really; but I would also question how the Sea Devils were involved anyway - as I was under the impression that they were awakened from their aeons-long slumber some time during the 1970/80s. What were they doing,being all awake and energetic, back in the 16th Century? Not that there's any point asking these sort of questions,as it's very clear that Chibnall has none of the answers himself. Some kindly commenters on YT are claiming that the plot deficiencies are due to the BBC editing this story down by 10 minutes or so - but what excuse do they have for all the dozen or so other stories during his era that suffered the same plot issues..? There's an infamous scene on a TV chat show (it's on YT,but watch it only with caution!) back in the 80's where a couple of Dr Who writers faced audience questions - and one of the audience members was a geeky and bespectacled young man named Chris Chibnall; who laid into the writers, criticising them for their poor writing on his favourite TV show. Not so easy after all,was it Chris? 2.2 million viewers is not just the lowest in NewWho - it's the lowest in the HISTORY of Who (the previous record being a comparatively healthy 3.1,back in 1989). I genuinely wonder if Chibnall being in charge of Dr Who hasn't irreparably damaged his career.
Ian Smith
2022-04-21 12:20:21 +0000 UTC
