Doctor Who/Recap/S32/E03 The Curse of the Black Spot: Difference between revisions

Content added Content deleted
VisualWikitext
m (update links)
(clean up)
Line 10: Line 10:
McGrath's not going down without a fight. He grabs a pistol and charges out on deck to try and escape, and the others take the precaution of locking the door behind him. There's a scream and then silence, and when the others come out onto the deck, there's no trace of McGrath, just like all the others. This does nothing for the mental well-being of the remaining crew, though the captain holds hope that the wind will change and they'll be able to escape. Suddenly, there's a banging from below decks... It's the Doctor, Amy and Rory.
McGrath's not going down without a fight. He grabs a pistol and charges out on deck to try and escape, and the others take the precaution of locking the door behind him. There's a scream and then silence, and when the others come out onto the deck, there's no trace of McGrath, just like all the others. This does nothing for the mental well-being of the remaining crew, though the captain holds hope that the wind will change and they'll be able to escape. Suddenly, there's a banging from below decks... It's the Doctor, Amy and Rory.


Captain Avery is understandably skeptical that the TARDIS crew picked up a distress call from them, since the pirates sent no signal and none of them has the faintest idea what a "sensor" is. Avery quickly gets fed up of all the Doctor's technobabble in trying to explain how the three got there in a blue box. Instead, he and pulls a gun on them. He settles on the more simple solution -- they're stowaways. What shall we do with them?
Captain Avery is understandably skeptical that the TARDIS crew picked up a distress call from them, since the pirates sent no signal and none of them has the faintest idea what a "sensor" is. Avery quickly gets fed up of all the Doctor's technobabble in trying to explain how the three got there in a blue box. Instead, he and pulls a gun on them. He settles on the more simple solution—they're stowaways. What shall we do with them?


The Doctor is forced to walk the plank, with Rory getting a go next. Amy, as the "doxy", will be put to work below decks. Rory protests that Amy is not a doxy, which doesn't help much. Once the pirates are done [[Locking MacGyver in the Store Cupboard]], Amy of course immediately jumps back out again with a nice sword and a pirate captain outfit. Also, the Doctor has noticed that five pirates is a very small crew for such a large ship.
The Doctor is forced to walk the plank, with Rory getting a go next. Amy, as the "doxy", will be put to work below decks. Rory protests that Amy is not a doxy, which doesn't help much. Once the pirates are done [[Locking MacGyver in the Store Cupboard]], Amy of course immediately jumps back out again with a nice sword and a pirate captain outfit. Also, the Doctor has noticed that five pirates is a very small crew for such a large ship.
Line 30: Line 30:
"Gotcha -- what are you doing here, boy?"
"Gotcha -- what are you doing here, boy?"


The boy is in fact Avery's son, Toby, whose mother had died. He's under the impression that Avery is a celebrated naval officer, and he stowed away on the ship so he can join his fabled dad's crew. Which Avery isn't too happy about, to say the least. The boy also has a nasty cough and... the black spot. He doesn't have any cuts, though. The theory about the Siren being attracted to blood is out the window; instead she focuses on the wounded and sick. Humans being as weak and fragile as they are, it's only a matter of time before they all damage themselves in some way and become the Siren's prey. All the more reason to get out of here. The Doctor and Avery have another little test of wills. The gun comes out again. Toby, meanwhile, feels thirsty, and since there's a barrel of water, he lifts the lid to get a drink -- and the Siren's arm comes out. The Doctor forces the lid back down on it.
The boy is in fact Avery's son, Toby, whose mother had died. He's under the impression that Avery is a celebrated naval officer, and he stowed away on the ship so he can join his fabled dad's crew. Which Avery isn't too happy about, to say the least. The boy also has a nasty cough and... the black spot. He doesn't have any cuts, though. The theory about the Siren being attracted to blood is out the window; instead she focuses on the wounded and sick. Humans being as weak and fragile as they are, it's only a matter of time before they all damage themselves in some way and become the Siren's prey. All the more reason to get out of here. The Doctor and Avery have another little test of wills. The gun comes out again. Toby, meanwhile, feels thirsty, and since there's a barrel of water, he lifts the lid to get a drink—and the Siren's arm comes out. The Doctor forces the lid back down on it.


Avery leaves Toby his good luck medallion, and Amy reminds the Doctor to be careful about getting scratched or something. The Doctor and Avery, now on a mutual footing, get to the TARDIS without any mishaps, though it's a near thing. Avery is quite delighted by the TARDIS and quickly figures out how some of the controls work, because hey, a ship's a ship, no matter the type.
Avery leaves Toby his good luck medallion, and Amy reminds the Doctor to be careful about getting scratched or something. The Doctor and Avery, now on a mutual footing, get to the TARDIS without any mishaps, though it's a near thing. Avery is quite delighted by the TARDIS and quickly figures out how some of the controls work, because hey, a ship's a ship, no matter the type.
Line 40: Line 40:
The TARDIS is gone.
The TARDIS is gone.


On their way back to the others, they're waylaid by Mulligan. Complete with guns. It's a mutiny. He's got the last of the supplies, but Avery's more concerned about his treasure. A chase ensues, ending with Mulligan locked in a little room, lighting a candle -- and burning his fingers. The Siren's song starts, but she's not here for the two outside the room. The problem is, since there's no water in there, how did she get in?
On their way back to the others, they're waylaid by Mulligan. Complete with guns. It's a mutiny. He's got the last of the supplies, but Avery's more concerned about his treasure. A chase ensues, ending with Mulligan locked in a little room, lighting a candle—and burning his fingers. The Siren's song starts, but she's not here for the two outside the room. The problem is, since there's no water in there, how did she get in?


The answer is, quite literally, in Avery's hands. Reflections are the gateway, not just water. And where does one find lots of reflections but in the polished metal of a treasure horde. And in a shiny medallion Avery left around his son's neck.
The answer is, quite literally, in Avery's hands. Reflections are the gateway, not just water. And where does one find lots of reflections but in the polished metal of a treasure horde. And in a shiny medallion Avery left around his son's neck.
Line 61: Line 61:


----
----
=== Tropes ===
== Tropes ==
* [[Action Girl]]: Amy.
* [[Action Girl]]: Amy.
** {{spoiler|[[Pregnant Badass]].}}
** {{spoiler|[[Pregnant Badass]].}}
Line 112: Line 112:
* [[Nightmare Face]]: [[Lily Cole]] playing the Siren is a perfectly attractive young lady, but when said Siren gets pissed? Not so much.
* [[Nightmare Face]]: [[Lily Cole]] playing the Siren is a perfectly attractive young lady, but when said Siren gets pissed? Not so much.
* [[Pirates]]: Set on a pirate ship.
* [[Pirates]]: Set on a pirate ship.
** [[Pirate Booty]]: Justified, for once -- the historical Henry Every really did capture a haul of gold and jewels (worth about US$400 million in modern money).
** [[Pirate Booty]]: Justified, for once—the historical Henry Every really did capture a haul of gold and jewels (worth about US$400 million in modern money).
** [[Pirate Girl]]: Amy
** [[Pirate Girl]]: Amy
* [[Projected Man]]: {{spoiler|The Siren.}}
* [[Projected Man]]: {{spoiler|The Siren.}}
Line 135: Line 135:
* [[Universal Driver's License|Universal Pilot's License]]: A particularly [[All the Tropes Wiki Drinking Game|egregious]] example where a captain from the age of sail goes on to pilot an alien vessel. It might be explained by the Doctor somehow implanting (off screen) enough knowledge to do so with the aid of the ship's automated systems, but it's still rather jarring.
* [[Universal Driver's License|Universal Pilot's License]]: A particularly [[All the Tropes Wiki Drinking Game|egregious]] example where a captain from the age of sail goes on to pilot an alien vessel. It might be explained by the Doctor somehow implanting (off screen) enough knowledge to do so with the aid of the ship's automated systems, but it's still rather jarring.
** Considering the scene where the Captain was able to figure out the basics of how to pilot the TARDIS with just a glance, the audience is probably just supposed to take it that he's just that good a Captain.
** Considering the scene where the Captain was able to figure out the basics of how to pilot the TARDIS with just a glance, the audience is probably just supposed to take it that he's just that good a Captain.
** He figured out what a few of the instruments do. That's nothing like knowing how to pilot something -- just because someone can spot and know what the wheel, compass, and gyroscope of a plane do doesn't make him a qualified pilot.
** He figured out what a few of the instruments do. That's nothing like knowing how to pilot something—just because someone can spot and know what the wheel, compass, and gyroscope of a plane do doesn't make him a qualified pilot.
* [[Unusual User Interface]]: To sign the consent form, place your hand in the golden ring.
* [[Unusual User Interface]]: To sign the consent form, place your hand in the golden ring.
* [[What Happened to the Mouse?]]: There were a quite a few pirates that just... vanish without explanation, such as the one Toby stabs.
* [[What Happened to the Mouse?]]: There were a quite a few pirates that just... vanish without explanation, such as the one Toby stabs.
Retrieved from "https://allthetropes.org/wiki/Doctor_Who/Recap/S32/E03_The_Curse_of_the_Black_Spot"