Doctor Who/Recap/S4/E01 The Smugglers

"The Doctor: You are now traveling through time and space. Ben: Yes, well, make sure I get back by tea-time!"

Season four kicks off with another historical tale, this time in 17th century Cornwall as the Doctor and new companions Polly and Ben get involved in a search for hidden treasure, smuggling and kidnap - all the pirate movie staples, but this time in Cornwall instead of the Caribbean.

The Doctor inadvertently hears a rhyme telling the location of the treasure and is kidnapped by the pirates. He escapes, but is eventually forced to tell them the rhyme anyway, and the treasure is found - just as the feared "Revenue Men" turn up with the local militia. In the ensuing fight, most of the pirates are killed and the travelers make their escape.

The story can be watched here.


 * Buried Treasure
 * Dude in Distress: Yep, this is the first time the Doctor gets explicitly kidnapped (it's even commented upon many times), but it won't be the last.
 * Even Evil Has Standards: The Squire is more than happy to smuggle goods to get rich and avoid paying the taxes on them, but he draws the line at piracy and murder.
 * Hook Hand: Captain Pike
 * I Call It "Vera": Cherub's knife 'Tommy Tickler'
 * Missing Episode: Ironically, the only surviving visual portion of the episodes are the violent scenes, thanks to overseas censorship.
 * Pirate Booty
 * Prophecies Rhyme All the Time
 * Secret Underground Passage: the smugglers use one that leads from a cave on the beach up to the church.
 * You Have Failed Me...