by Mark Gatiss
Originally Broadcasted: May 4th, 2013
Madame Vastra, Jenny, and Strax are investigating a mysterious disease known as the "Crimson Horror", that has only been found at Mrs. Gillyflower's Sweetville community. The Doctor and Clara have gone missing, and so it's up to Vastra and the gang to figure out what's going on, wherever the Doctor is, and just who is Mr. Sweet...
In looking at all the episodes for this season of Doctor Who, The Crimson Horror appeared to me as just a run-of-the-mill story. It features no big developments in the whole Clara/Doctor's name arc, nor does it feature any returning monsters like the Ice Warriors. So because of that, I didn't really know what to expect. Fortunately, I was pleasantly surprised! After a bit of a let-down with Cold War, writer Mark Gatiss redeems himself here with a story that's filled with plenty of twists, some good drama, and a whole lot of fun! The Doctor and Clara are missing from things at the start of the episode, and it's actually Jenny, Madame Vastra, and Strax that are prominently featured at first. In fact, our first view of the Doctor in this episode has him covered from head to toe in pink, having been infected, yet rejected by "the Crimson Horror". That may sound like a bad thing put the main characters off to the side for a bit, but the awesomeness of Jenny, Vastra, and Strax is just too much to care. I will join in with the hoards of Doctor Who fans begging for these guys to get a spin-off show. It would be so fun! And we get to see more of them in The Name of the Doctor... Jenny manages to help the Doctor get rid of the disease, and we're then treated to an interestingly displayed back story. Things actually play out as if it's coming from an old turn of the 20th century camera. Maybe a bit too early for this stories 1883 setting, but it's a cool and unique direction style anyway. The evil Mrs. Gillyflower really is despicable in her Hitler-like view of the world. Only perfect people can be permitted, and so her blind daughter is left by the way-side. Actually, she's blind because of the experiments her mother had done to her. Now, behind all this was someone (or something) named Mr. Sweet. I kept thinking it must be the Great Intelligence, as it seems to be a recurring threat this season. So I was really surprised when it turned out that Mr. Sweet was nothing but a classic series throwback hand puppet. A little disappointing there, and kind of disgusting too. Once again, the Doctor has to save Clara, and when he does, his joy of seeing her still alive is really heartwarming. Add to that Murray Gold's absolutely beautiful musical theme for Clara, one of my favorite pieces he's ever composed for the show. Going in with no real high expectations, I was quite surprisingly impressed with The Crimson Horror, the 100th episode of Doctor Who since it came back in 2005!
Luke's Rating: 8/10
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