Dec 23, 20244 min read

Doctor Who Series 6, Episode 3 Review: The Curse of the Black Spot

Updated: 4 days ago

What did you think of this episode?

Sonic!
Good!
Bumpy-wumpy!
Exterminate!

Kicking off Christmas week with a very un-Christmas The Curse of the Black Spot review. This episode has no chestnuts roasting on an open fire here, but it does feel slightly like a missed opportunity though.

The Doctor, pirates and a mysterious siren - this has a lot of potential of a swashbuckling banger, but it didn't quite hit the spot for me. I hate knocking episodes, especially as I am trying to put my own stories out into the world, stories that aren't anywhere near as good as this. That said, it's Doctor Who, and I'm a Whovian, so it's my duty to have a little moan now and again, it's Christmas, call this my present. Its not just me, I feel this episode doesn't get much love across the board, and I think the main reason for this is its pacing.

Everything feels rushed, plot points are thrown in and resolved so quickly they lack any real weight. An example is Henry Avery sees the TARDIS, is perplexed for all of a second, and then 10 seconds later he's at the console unit and has it all worked out. The siren’s origin and purpose are revealed in a manner that feels more like an afterthought than a satisfying twist. I'm still a bit confused why she was doing what she was doing.

"If this is just because I’m a captain too you know you shouldn’t feel threatened. Your ship is much bigger than mine and I don’t have the cool boots or a hat even."

The characters all felt rushed as well, and I include the Doctor, Amy and Rory in this as well. We barely get to know the pirate crew, and I wasn't buying the father son reconciliation all that much. That reminds me of another example to flag up, when the crown falls out of Henry's jacket Toby flashes his dad a look that says how disappointed he is that his dad didn't listen to the Doctor and chose treasure over him, however I don't think he had any clue that the siren was coming through shiny surfaces rather than the water.

I don't know if it is being used to Rory deaths or not, but the drowning scene didn't really hit the spot either. Sometimes I think Doctor Who should just throw a death in to prove to us the audience that life with the Doctor is not safe. I mean death as well - no being reborn or sent back in time - something final. There was no real build up to the resuscitation scene, one minute Rory was making jokes in the middle of a boat in deep, deep trouble and the next he had fallen in the sea and was drowning. It didn't seem like there was any danger of that happening up until it actually happened.

Oh and I know it was all about the love Amy and Rory share, but fuck asking Amy to resuscitate you when you have the Doctor stood next to her. To make matters worse the Doctor just kind of just watched everything unfold and then gave up on poor old Rory.

"You are so beautiful. I love your get-up. Oh, it’s great. You should dress as a pirate more often. Huh? Hey, hey. Cuddle me, ship mate."

The transition from ghostly siren to alien medical hologram was very Doctor Who, but I never really felt like I was following it all, I was confused. Maybe I am simple, maybe things were cut, but it all felt a bit random. There was a lot going on in the episode and not much explaining.

Would pirates just accept their fate and fly off in a spaceship? It's one of life's great questions.

That all said, as it is a Doctor Who episode it isn’t without its charms. The pirate ship setting is atmospheric, the Siren’s design is cool Lily Cole looks amazing and eerie at the same time, and there are occasional flashes of humour and heart. Matt Smith, as always, brings an energy to the Doctor that helps elevate even the weaker material. The man has gone up a notch in this series, this really is the Eleventh Doctor now.

The Curse of the Black Spot isn’t the worst the show has to offer, but it’s far from its best. It’s an episode that promises a thrilling adventure but ends up feeling like a filler story that doesn’t quite stick the landing. I may give this one a harder time than most due to the fact I was so fucked hyped up for this series after the trailer and the opening two parter bangers.

What did you think of this episode? Am I completely wrong? Let me know in the comments below.

RATING: Bumpy-wumpy!

BEST LINE: "Let me stop you there. Bigger on the inside. I don’t mind you if you just skip to the end of that moment. Oh, and sorry I lied by the way when I said yours was bigger."