The Curse of the Black Spot

The Curse of the Black Spot
by Steve Thompson
Originally Broadcasted: May 7th, 2011

The Doctor, Amy, and Rory are marooned on a 17th century pirate ship, where the crew seems to be more afraid of swords than guns. It's revealed that the slightest cut will bring forth a siren, who enchants and supposedly kills her victims with just the touch of her hand...

I remember watching this episode when it aired and not being too impressed. At the time, it seemed like a big let-down after the amazing series opener that was The Impossible Astronaut and Day of the Moon. But watching this a second time, I actually enjoyed it a lot more. All three main characters are given some fantastic and comedic lines in this story, which I think is key to any stories success. Murray Gold's music successfully captures the tone of a typical Pirates of the Caribbean-esque movie, adding to the suspense and action. I also think the revelation that the siren is actually a nurse is a pretty cool idea. Upon doing some research on this episode, I discovered that the fictitious character of Henry Avery was actually mentioned in The First Doctor story The Smugglers. I always love when new Who references old Who!

Luke's Rating: 8/10