A Doctor Who a Day - Day 3 - Review: The Unquiet Dead

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Doctor Who Series 1, Episode 3, The End of the World

Original Air Date: 9th April 2005

"The things you've seen. The darkness, the big bad wolf."

Day three of a Doctor Who a day, and it does not keep the unquiet dead away I can tell you that. But that is not a bad thing, far from it.

I have to say there's a lot to be said for watching Doctor Who in order, and The Unquiet Dead is one episode I have overlooked when dipping in and out, so in this review I will tell you why I think it is a really good episode and definitely an underrated one.

Is it boring to be on the ‘series 1 is underrated’ bandwagon? Because series 1 is underrated. It might be more simple, and a whole lot cheaper made than more modern times, but that really is its strength. I love how much we learn about Rose, and how we come to love her relationship with the Doctor. Rose and the Ninth Doctor’s relationship has never been topped in my opinion.

So far we have gone modern day, then to the future, now we are back in the past. Every episode has been a banger.

The Unquiet Dead is pretty scary as well. How many kids must have had nightmares about the 'stiff' wailing into their TV as the music kicks in?!

"What in the Shakespeare is going on?"

Going back to my talk of underrated, that line is underrated! I really did laugh out loud at this.

Charles Dickens was amazing, I believe the actor had played him previously in other programmes, but it was a great performance. Could anyone else listen to him saying 'illusion' over and over again? Or is that just me?

So from the off we have corpses waking up in their coffins, gas monsters, and Charles Dickens. Again, there are more glimpses into who the Doctor is, but not much as yet. I loved how they kept him a mystery. This must have been amazing if you never had any knowledge of Doctor Who when you started watching it.

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I love how chuffed Dickens is to have a 'fan' in the Doctor, and the part in the coach as they chase Rose is jolly good stuff. Christopher Eccleston was such an inspired choice for the Doctor, he is amazing in every scene. But I wouldn't be here blogging away twenty years later if this man wasn't so bloody good.

"I love a happy medium!"

It would be rude not to mention the great scene between Rose and Gwen… I mean Gwyneth. The fear on Gwyneth's face when she says the ‘big bad wolf’ is everything, and really whets the appetite for what that might mean in the future. Also the rift in time sets up a whole host of things to come in the Whoniverse as well, I wonder if RTD had any grand plans at this stage?

It was always going to be coming, wasn't it? The Gelth weren't friendly angels after all? I did think the Doctor gave up a bit too easily in this part though, he seemed to accept his fate, but I guess that was to give Dickens his hero moment. Although the best moment was probably watching Dickens see the TARDIS dematerialise, then walk off chuffed to bits and laughing.

So, I think this was a really, really strong episode, and the only weakness for me was the Doctor and Rose (to an extent) giving up easily near the end. Scary, funny, exciting, everything I like my Doctor Who to be.

What did you think of this episode? Underrated? Overrated? Neither? Let me know in the comments below.

A Doctor Who a Day - Day 4

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