by Alex Henderson, Contributing Writer
As time continues forward, we get closer and closer to the end of the Chibnall and Whittaker era of Doctor Who. Instead of leading into the big finale with a final series, it seems we’re leading into them with a series of specials. It’s not the first time Who has done this, but it is certainly a nice breath of fresh air to let these stories stretch out and stand on their own. It gives us a sense of variety and just the perfect amount without cramming it into a 10 episode season where the producers and network really have to stretch that budget. Last time we saw the 13th Doctor and her companions, we were treated with another New Years special, a surprisingly fun one at that. And with the clock ticking closer to the end of 13th’s run we have yet another chance to spend one last straightforward adventure with her Tardis crew. Before I really get deep into some thoughts I have on this Easter Special, I want to mention we have Ella Road co-writing with Chris Chibnall, and Haolu Wang directing. With that out of the way, I can finally answer the question we’ve all been asking: does this pirate adventure make us want to long for just a bit more of the 13th Doctor’s era, or does it leave us dancing with the Sea Devils in the pale moonlight?
Unfortunately I can’t say this little one-shot adventure did much for me personally. Now if you know me, then you’ll recognize that the 13th Doctor’s era of Who hasn’t been one I’ve had much great to say about. It’s a shame because a lot of great stuff here is involved down to the writers, the actors, and the production value. Four years into this era and it just feels like we haven’t accomplished enough in quality. Now this is more of a discussion for another time, but I felt it’s something I should bring up before diving into my thought’s on our Easter Special. So with that being said, we’re still traveling with 13, Yaz, and Dan. They arrive in the year 1807 to find that a village on the coast somewhere in China is under the threat from Madame Ching as well as the Sea Devils.
Now something positive I want to start off with is this crew of 13. We sort of have an advantage here because Yaz and the 13th Doctor have been traveling together ever since 2018, and as we discussed last time, there were hints at a romantic interest that Yaz has taken in the Doctor. It happens, every now and again — we have a companion that falls for the Doctor for obvious reasons, but because the show is too uncomfortable with the thought of staying in one place for too long they obviously never commit to it. It seems like that’s where this is headed and it’s the right call in my opinion. Yasmin is a character that a lot of the community feels to be a bit wasted over the years we’ve had her, and deciding to involve a shoehorned romance in at the last minute feels like a last effort for us to really get invested in her. It just seems like the payoff that could potentially be around the corner won’t be as satisfying as Chibnall thinks it can be.
As for more positives, I should mention that the CGI here is used to great effect. I assume because Eve of the Daleks was played more as a bottle episode which could leave more money to be spread throughout on production value with the rest of these specials. Some of my favorite uses were moments like the Tardis landing on the ocean floor and getting to explore it. The sight of a giant towering sea creature that looks like it could swallow a ship whole was so impressive to me that it looked like something of quality to the original Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy. As far as visual and practical effects go, for even the Sea Devils themselves I was left impressed. It’s the perfect blend of the classic design from decades ago with enough to touch it up for a modern feeling. Lastly it isn’t all perfect unfortunately. While the grand scale of these huge effects are impressive we do sometimes get ones that don’t work. There is a moment where a character jumps about a few hundred feet in the air and I was expecting to hear the Mario sound effect when this happened. And some of the shots while out at sea felt like they were using a high amount of fog just to cover up blurry VFX in the background. But hey, with how much it did wind up impressing me at times, these criticisms are just more of nitpicks.
While effects and production value are quite the standout for me within this episode, I do have to say what the negatives are and what doesn’t work here unfortunately. That would sadly be just about everything else. The writing sadly feels like it’s two different voices. Now it wasn’t much, but for what it was, I did find myself getting invested in Madame Chang, but she plays more as a background role after the opening, while the Doctor and Yaz focus in on the main plot, which involves them going back a few centuries to investigate a missing ship and it’s crew. This then ropes together the ties to the Sea Devils and how they fit into all of this, while also roping in things these characters need to be on the lookout for like key codes and amulets. With all this combined, it feels bloated and complicated, which sounds familiar because these were complaints I had as a whole with Series 13 and its storyline of the flux.
With this being the last one-shot adventure for 13, I can’t say that I was left satisfied or that I really wanted more. Legend of the Sea Devils leaves a real sour taste in my mouth, and I’m just kind of wanting us to get this all over with. On the whole, I think there was a lot that could’ve made for a fun and memorable adventure here, but sadly it just comes across as convoluted and forgettable. I think it’s safe to say that unless you’re on love with this Doctor and companion crew, I think you’d be best to skip this one and wait out until the regeneration finale.
Score: 4/10
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