| THE UNQUIET DEAD by Mark Gatiss |
| Story 3 Synopsis: The Doctor tried to take Rose to Naples, 1860, to show her the past, but they arrive in Cardiff, 1869. Attracted by screams, they rush to a theatre where a corpse emits a strange gas creature. Rose is promptly kidnapped by undertakers, and the Doctor pursues them in the coach of the star of the show - Charles Dickens. Having won Dickens over, the Doctor is able to rescue Rose from another attack. The undertaker, Sneed, says there have been reanimations of corpses for 3 months - the Doctor realises they are aliens who are trapped. He arranges a seance, despite the scepticism of Dickens. The aliens, the Gelth, have been victims of the Time War, and seek new bodies for physical existence. The Doctor agrees to them coming through, but they turn out to be evil. Dickens realises that by pumping the room with gas, the Gelth will be weakened. The Doctor then tries to send them back through the rift through which they came, but is forced to allow the building to be destroyed to seal the rift. Dickens thanks the Doctor for renewing his joie de vivre. |
| Review:- Having shown Rose a glimpse of the future, the Doctor takes her into the past. Despite a short mishap in landing, they are both soon in the thick of drama, as a performance by Charles Dickens is interrupted by a reanimated corpse, and a gas creature. It doesn't take long to track the source down to the local undertakers... The first promising indication for this story came during its filming, when guest star Simon Callow said that though he was reluctant to play the part, the script was so good, he said yes. And he was quite right, too. This is a really, very good story. Where it succeeds is probably by keeping it simple. For most of the story, there is a unity of action, with the seance leading to the release of the Gelth, then their attack, then their comeuppance and destruction. The fact that they seem so innocent is well-presented, and the Doctor's efforts to offer them salvation strengthens his character. The realisation of his mistake is touching, as is his grief at being unable to save Gwyneth. Rose gets some good moments. Her kidnapping is a hearty nod to the scrapes that companions used to be familiar with, but when freed, she leads the interrogation of Sneed, a subtle character moment. Her later palling with Gwyneth also helps get the plot across, not to mention setting up the loss of her father. Her comments about time when trapped with the Doctor are an effective way of handling what is a popular and thorny discussion. The villainous Gelth are well shown, and Snead and Gwyneth convince as real people. But the star of the show is Charles Dickens. First shown as a tired old man, his stage show is so compelling, a corpse goes along, and he is soon propelled into adventure. His flattering by the Doctor wins him over with great charm, and his dogmatic efforts to enter the undertakers make him the hero. Though his rational mind is sceptical to the seance, he joins in, and though the Doctor is at times abrasive, he is also conciliatory, which Dickens responds to. In the final attack, he flees, but in a moment of viewing joy, makes a dramatic realisation that saves the day. He bids the Doctor and Rose a fond farewell, and though his talk of aliens is muted by the knowledge that he won't live long enough to tell anyone, he is allowed to walk off into the night, full of the joy of life, and celebrating Christmas. Both Gatiss and Callow must be delighted with this, because it really is tremendous. And so, back to the modern day next time. But for now, a ghost story in Victorian Wales, this has been something very special. Believe the hype. But don't pity the Gelth. I recommend this to anyone. |
| Disclaimer: I have watched this story. |