Doctor Who (TV Series) The Unicorn and the Wasp (2008) User Reviews

The Body in the Library gets The Doctor and a giant Wasp

[Sleepin_Dragon · 9/10 · 26 August 2015]

I'll admit to three of my pleasures in life, Agatha Christie, Starbucks coffee and of course Doctor Who. While 2 out of 3 are a frequent to have all three seemed like a dream come true!! but was it?

It's England 1926, mint and lime fill the air, Lady Eddington is giving a party to a range of socialites, where one guest turns out to be none other then Agatha Christie. We learn a jewel thief, the Unicorn is at large.

The Doctor informs Donna that it's the actual date that Agatha Christie did indeed disappear, and what was to follow would explain how she landed up in a Hotel in Harrogate.

There is some wonderful humour, The Doctor referring to Donna as the plucky young girl is so funny, I loved her reaction, and her referral to Dickens. The recollections of where the cast were too, The Captain's recollection is side splitting. The number of her books they reference is a nice feature too.

Stunning production, the house itself, the cars, the outfits, right down to the Royal Worcester Howard Blue china and Stuart Crystal Beaconsfield glasses. The attention to detail is glorious.

I've mentioned Catherine Tate's performances in each episode and had nothing but plaudits for her, again she's glorious. However, the plaudits in this one go to Fenella Woolgar, I've always been a huge fan of hers, and she is ridiculously good, so stiff upper lipped and British. Her summing up of the crime is just delightful.

I love the Unicorn and the Wasp, it's a total one off, it's clever, it's funny, it's different, it tries to answer a true life mystery, it's just glorious. It literally feels like a BBC Agatha Christie production which has been invaded by Doctor Who. Impossible to watch without smiling. The little acknowledgement of her brilliance was welcome 9/10

Insecticide Cluedo...

[Xstal · 7/10 · 9 December 2021]

There once was an author called Agatha, crime fiction was what really caught her, till a Vespiform arrived, vicariously alive, now it's the wasp, with the sting, in the cloister.

Unlike most filler episodes, this will not leave you scratching your head, maybe a little, as the Doctor and Donna investigate a hive of activity in 1926 with the assistance of the one and only Agatha Christie.

Agatha's sting in the tale!

[ShadeGrenade · 8/10 · 4 May 2011]

Guests gather at a posh country house somewhere in England, among them distinguished mystery writer Agatha Christie ( Fenella Woolgar ). But before anyone can say "Cluedo", Professor Peach is clubbed to death in the library with a piece of piping. The last thing he hears is buzzing and sees the shadow of a giant wasp. Could it be? Surely not! The Doctor and Donna arrive at Eddison Hall, where Her Ladyship is having friends round for dinner, all harbour some guilty secret or other. There is even a gay couple. More murders ensue. Donna is attacked by the wasp, and a magnifying glass proves handy for more than just finding clues. It is a Vespiform - an alien which came to Earth years before and took the place of the Reverend Golightly ( Tom Goodman-Hall ). It has created the environment by plucking imagery from Lady Eddison's ( a big Christie fan ) mind...

Gareth Roberts, writer of 'The Shakespeare Code', has come up with a delightful evocation of English detective stories, peppering the dialogue with sly in-jokes and none-too subtle references. Spotting the latter is part of the fun. Great lines abound, such as the Doctor's: "Murder in the Vicar's rage...needs a bit of work!".

Woolgar is wonderful as 'Christie' ( Tennant suggested her for the role ). As 'Lady Eddison', Felicity Kendal is still as hot as she was back in her 'Good Life' dungarees, making me wish she was playing 'Lady Godiva'. David Quilter ( 'Greeves' the butler ) was in another '70's sitcom 'Get Some In!, while Christopher Benjamin ( lovely actor ) was different characters in both 1970's 'Inferno' and 1976's 'The Talons Of Weng Chiang'.

It ends with Christie chased in her car by the wasp. She survives thanks to the Doctor, but loses her memory of the last ten days, tying in neatly with the author's infamous real-life disappearance. So now you know.

A pleasant episode in the mold of 1982's 'Black Orchid', though the blend of sci-fi and murder mystery seems at times a little forced. Russell T.Davies said he was inspired by the paperback cover of 'Death In The Clouds', which showed a small plane coming under attack by a giant wasp ( not in the actual story ). The Doctor telling Donna that Agatha went on to become the world's greatest selling female novelist should at last end those myths about J.K. Rowling.

Three days following the broadcast of this story, it was announced that Davies would be stepping down at the end of 2009 as head writer/executive producer of 'Dr.Who', and that Steven Moffat would be replacing him. An era was about to end, and a new one commence.

Wonderful homage to Agatha Christie

[gridoon2024 · 8/10 · 9 February 2015]

"The Unicorn and The Wasp" brings together two British institutions - Agatha Christie and Doctor Who - and the results are quite brilliant. The two world are fused together, so we get a perfect reconstruction of Agatha's universe - the period settings, the cars, the parties, the dinners, the manor, the elegance, the sophistication, the murders, the suspects, the interrogations, the secrets, the clues, the twists - but with a strong sci-fi element to it. However, look at the REAL cover of "Death In The Clouds" shown at the end of the episode, and that element suddenly seems a lot less far-fetched! The script is knowing, affectionate and well-researched, and the episode is jam-packed with big and small details that will put a smile on the face of any Agatha Christie fan; for the more dedicated buffs, it's a goldmine, a treat, a mind game - and easily the best episode of the fourth season so far; also, I think it's the first adventure that Donna thoroughly enjoyed without ever thinking of "going home". Oh, and Fenella Woolgar is terrific as Agatha Christie - hard to imagine the character better portrayed. *** out of 4.

The Doctor meets a giant wasp and Agatha Christie

[ametaphysicalshark · 17 May 2008]

I remember a time when Gareth Roberts was well-regarded by Who fandom. His New Adventures novels were well-liked and his Missing Adventures efforts were seen by many as some of the best of the 90's Who novels (including myself). Granted Roberts didn't help his dwindling reputation (a result of silly revisionist thought when fans decided to be pretentious and ignore these fun romps in favor of the 'challenging drama' of some of the NA's) with last year's extremely disappointing "The Shakespeare Code", but he has matched some of his finest work such as "The Romance of Crime" and "The English Way of Death" with "The Unicorn and the Wasp", a fun and exciting little adventure reminiscent in several ways of Doctor Who's other television murder-mystery, "Black Orchid".

The only real flaw in this episode was essentially the plot and the way it was executed. This has always been a flaw in Gareth Roberts' writing but he more than makes up for it (again) by injecting ample wit and style into his dialogue, which the actors really do justice here. I did think Catherine Tate slipped into her comedy routine a bit here which does injustice I think to the fantastic way she's developed her character over the last few episodes, but that's a minor complaint.

This is possibly one of the best-directed Doctor Who stories, well... ever. Graeme Harper first directed Doctor Who in 1984, debuting with the truly legendary "The Caves of Androzani" and following that up with the excellent "Revelation of the Daleks". Returning for the revived series of Who with "Rise of the Cybermen", Harper has proved to be one of the best and most unjustly ignored television directors out there. "The Unicorn and the Wasp" succeeds largely thanks to his direction of the episode, as he creates fantastic atmosphere and chooses his shots very carefully and very well.

Fenella Woolgar is terrific here as Agatha Christie herself and the story is just excellent, fun, humorous entertainment all the way through. The CGI effects in series four thus far have been miles ahead of what we've seen previously and the very, very well-done wasp(s) are proof of this. What a memorable and fun tale.

8.5/10

The Great Detective

[wetmars · 10/10 · 29 August 2020]

In 1926, Agatha Christie mysteriously disappears, only to be found ten days later at Harrogate Hotel with no memory of what happened to her. What could have been the cause? Was it a nervous breakdown? Was it a cry for help? Or did it involve a giant alien wasp and a mysterious stranger known only as the Doctor?

As a diehard fan of crime, this mystery is the perfect one, unpredictable shocking twists, entertaining, loads of fun, had a superior pace, love that "Oh, I remember" sequences, just excellent, great story-telling if you know what I mean, everybody's acting was just GREAT! I bloody can't wait to watch the two-parter "HEY! WHO TURNED DOWN (( or off )) THE LIGHTS?" and RIVER SONG, WOOO!

What really surprised me about this episode is that the real Agatha Christie was actually a redhead, not a blonde, as a young woman, mind blown.

10/10!

This episode's not suspect

[hte-trasme · 7/10 · 13 September 2009]

I recently rewatched this episode to find that a lot of elements worked very well indeed. It's greatest strengths, I think, are in its idyllic evocation of upper-class 1920s England and the sheer blithe charm that it brings along with this. Fenella Woolgar is perfectly suited to the piece and very believable in her performance as Agatha Christie, and the script is an extremely witty one. David Tennant's Doctor is in his element here in the earlier decades of the twentieth century, jumping into the mystery with relish, and it makes one wish he would spend more time in this time period.

The main failing of "The Unicorn and the Wasp" is that, in an episode about a mystery writer getting involved in a real mystery, the actual mystery and alien-involvement plots get a little bit of the short shrift. This means that the long scene near the end in which the Doctor and Agatha Christie solve the mystery, while fun in its evocation of a genre-staple scene, seems a little unnecessary. This episode unashamedly goes over-the-top in its mimicry of the 1920s and '30s mystery genre. Sometimes this is really clever, and sometimes it feels a little too clever or gets a little too sweet in its loving homage.

However much it ironically lack fully-developed mystery plot while paying tribute to a classic crafter of mystery plots, it wins us over by being purely funny and fun all the way through, with a lot to love for those who appreciate the books and films of Agatha Christie's era, several great comic scenes, and many great turns for the Doctor and Donna. They, by the way, are developed very well through action as far as their friendship and working relationship are concerned, and Donna especially gets some nice character moments. It's nice to see the Doctor's relationship with a character grow quietly like that, without being underscored six times by a script and director eager to make a point of it.

"Agatha Christie. " "What about her?" "That's me." "No!"

[farleyflavors10 · 10/10 · 29 May 2008]

Now this episode is exactly what The Doctor ordered.

An Agatha Christie murder mystery with a Doctor Who twist which completely revels in the world of the author and her world. Gareth Roberts is very rapidly becoming one of my favorite writers on the series for both his contributions to WHO and to SJA.

For this one, sadly I was totally oblivious towards the works of Agatha Christie. I was in no way familiar with Miss Marple and I was only vaguely familiar with Hercule Poirot. I also NEVER knew about the mystery of her ten-day disappearance. I was worried that I may be left out of a few things, but instead Roberts had enough foresight and consideration towards the audience that we really don't need to know much other than the obvious. "Agatha Christie, murder mystery writer nuff said." Another great part is that for the younger crowd, if you're unfamiliar with the anatomy of a murder mystery the episode goes out of it's way to reveal the bare bones for the viewer's edification.

As for the mystery itself, The thing I loved is how it messes with your perception as to which plot elements are relevant and what are coincidental, heck even the title does that. You're natural instinct assumes that The Unicorn and the Wasp are linked in some way and that you don't even think about the actual implications of how the older woman's love for the works of Agatha Christie actually affects the story's direction. The writing deftly crosses twists and turns that has you constantly scrambling to work out the mystery and in doing so you are riveted to hang on to every word and action. Add all that to the intriguing blend of the sci-fi elements, makes for a refreshing spin on a familiar formula.

Another bit I loved was the execution of the 1920's. In High School I was always intrigued by that decade and how it was a time of gross overindulgence where anything goes and I do mean anything. Women were beginning to display personal independence, and people became experimental in practically every way you could imagine, and it wasn't just in America it was everywhere. Be it booze, drugs, or sex it was all on the menu. Especially if you could afford it. I loved in The Doctor's cross-examination how it's inter-cut with the actual truths behind each of the guest's stories. They were totally in tune with the spirit of the era and how even the most noble individual had a secret whether it be petty or shocking and how some could be a sound motive for murder and they entice you to find out how they connect to the emergence of the giant wasp.

Speaking of the giant wasp I loved the irony that for once Donna is completely in her element when dealing with a giant bug and I cheered when she was able to take it on with a magnifying glass. Add to that Donna's encounter with a famous historical icon made for a dynamic equally as memorable and Martha's flirtations with Shakespeare, but yet different largely owing to how Donna empathized with Agatha Christie's self-doubt. One of the things I'm really digging about Donna is that she reaches out to people who may find themselves overwhelmed by The Doctor's world.

Tennant oh, Tennat we can tell you wanted to play Sherlock Holmes because we can tell how much you enjoyed playing detective, pointing fingers, and sussing out crimes and misdemeanors. It was Tennant's enthusiasm for the material which made his performance here one of the most enjoyable to date.

This episode for me was a triumph of plotting, performance, and style. The dialogue sparkles with resounding wit and the plot intrigues and electrifies under Graeme Harper's competent and confident direction which never disappoints. I hope we get more of these historicals in the future, largely because it hearkens back the the Hartnell era when they constantly had brushes with history. Plus it's just plain refreshing to see a show that takes a fictitious routes to encourage us to embrace the facts.

Thus far this is definitely a high contender for my "best of" list at the conclusion of the fourth series.

Dr Cluedo

[Theo Robertson · 7/10 · 29 September 2008]

To be honest there's not much of a story here . It's just a 40 minute whodunnit with the novelty of Agatha Christie making an appearance . Having said that it's something of a pleasure to watch a story that isn't an explosion driven runarounds like we saw with the dire Sontaran rubbish and the " not really the doctor's daughter but we thought the title sounded good " we saw in the preceding weeks . The sedate pace and the wonderful location filming makes it a very worthwhile episode

There are a couple of flaws . One is the lack of internal continuity where a giant killer wasp is unable to break through an internal door in one scene but manages to break through a heavier external door in a later scene when the script demands it . Another flaw is a zany scene with the Doctor and Donna which seems to jar with the rest of the story but it's thankfully not enough to ruin the episode

All in all this is a rather enjoyable episode . It's by no means a classic but a very watchable 45 minutes of television in a season that with hindsight is somewhat mediocre

The Sting of death

[A_Kind_Of_CineMagic · 9/10 · 23 March 2019]

My Series 4 Review: Episode 7

The Unicorn and the Wasp

This story has the Doctor and Donna attending a garden party in the 1920s and meeting Agatha Christie just prior to her famous real life temporary disappearance. Then there is a murder mystery involving a giant wasp from outer space! It sounds ridiculous but the unbelievable nature of events and the coincidences are all deliberately used to great comedic effect.

Writer Gareth Roberts tends to write comedy episodes and this one is exceptionally witty and knowing in its humour. Tennant and Tate are hilarious. The idea of a murder mystery involving Agatha Christie is very cleverly made to work and it is quite inspired and fun.

The giant wasp is done well in terms of effects but is perhaps an idea a little bit too far. The wasp aspect, especially the buzzing of the human side of the character, is the only little thing in the episode I wasn't so keen on. But this is still an excellent entertainment with many great features.

It reminds me of the 5th Doctor story Black Orchid which is probably not a total coincidence.

It is lovely to get an appearance from Christopher Benjamin who had appeared brilliantly more than once in the classic series so many years earlier plus Felicity Kendal of The Good Life fame and Felicity Jones of Star Wars Rogue One fame. The period setting is lovely too.

David Tennant and Catherine Tate are superb as usual.

My Rating: 8.5/10.

Despite a smörgåsbord of talent, this tale disappoints

[DVD_Connoisseur · 7/10 · 18 May 2008]

Even with the legendary Graeme Harper at the helm, "The Unicorn and the Wasp" fails to excite. In fact, some viewers may find events distinctly underwhelming and the humour a little tired.

Having already encountered giant wasps in "Torchwood" this year, the alien in this episode left me feeling a case of deja vu.

The cast is excellent, as you'd imagine from this series, but even the talent on display can't save a rather uninteresting script. Fenella Woolgar, last seen in "Jekyll", plays Agatha Christie. Woolgar is rather splendid in the part but the performances aren't enough to save this one.

7 out of 10. The series started well but seems to be in a bit of a slump at the moment. Perhaps next week will bring a return to form.

The Unicorn and the Wasp

[Prismark10 · 9/10 · 27 January 2019]

Gareth Roberts was RTDs 'GoTo' man for the celebrity historicals. Roberts could inject the right amount of wit, literary references and alien presence in a fun romp.

It is lovely to see so many NuWho stories that have actors who went on to become Oscar nominees or go on to be well known on US television and movies. Here we have Felicity Jones and Adam Rayner.

The Doctor and Donna arrive at a country house in 1926 where the hosts are waiting for the arrival of Agatha Christie (Fenella Woolgar) as the main guest of honour. The only thing to worry about is a notorious burglar called the Unicorn might be about.

However celebrations are marred as Professor Peach is found dead in the library hit with a piece of lead piping. Other deaths follow and there is this strange buzzing noise. It all leads to Agatha Christie's real life disappearance for nine days.

The Doctor, Donna and Agatha Christie are involved in a murder mystery that is somehow linked to Christie's own books. There is imminent danger, even the Doctor ends up getting poisoned.

The episode is so well made, really atmospheric and has a great cast that also includes Felicity Kendal and Christopher Benjamin.

There is also a lot of cheekiness and risque humour. Roger Curbishley having an eye for the young male porter, Davenport. 'Some of these young boys deserve a decent thrashing.' The Doctor shrieking ginger beer to Davenport when he has been poisoned. Colonel Hugh reading a saucy magazine.

It all leads to the remaining suspects being rounded up by Agatha Christie and the Doctor as they try to work out who did it. It is a wonderful send up of Cluedo, an enjoyable frolic that will leave you with a buzz.

The Unicorn and the Wasp

[studioAT · 7/10 · 11 November 2017]

The Doctor and Donna help Agatha Christie solve an Agatha Christie style mystery in this enjoyable episode from the 4th series of the revived show.

What I liked about this episode is how it manages to be in the style of an Agatha Christie novel, while also gentle sending the whole genre up.

It boasts a stellar guest cast (Felicity Kendal/a young Felicity Jones) but one of the nice things about it is we get lots of examples of lovely interplay between The Doctor and Donna, and it's a joy to see.

I enjoyed this episode.

Disappointing

[GusF · 5/10 · 10 January 2009]

I was fairly disappointed by this episode, I have to admit. It wasn't nearly as funny as I expected it to be despite a stellar cast and a promising premise.

In all honesty, I got a little tired of being told Agatha Christie was a genius. I've read several of books and, while always entertaining, they are a bit lacking in the characterisation department, among others. Compared to her contemporaries as well as authors of previous generations, she's hardly the best. They put her on too high a pedestal for my liking. I mean, she's hardly Shakespeare, is she? If I was writing this episode, I'd have tried to get a good feel for her as a person (meaning both the good and the bad) rather than going about it completely uncritically like a fanboy. The series' portrayals of Dickens and Queen Victoria were far better in my opinion for this very reason, particularly the former. Unlike her, they actually seemed to be real people. And Gareth Roberts himself did a much better job of humanising Shakespeare.

Don't get me wrong, she was undoubtedly a talented writer but, that said, I could name a good 20 or 30 other writers from Britain alone whom I would consider better than her.

But the giant wasp rocked.

Cockney slang

[jacksplitfoot-1 · 11 June 2009]

After being poisoned the Doctor runs into the kitchen and shouts "Ginger beer" at the male member of staff previously heavily hinted at as being gay. Either everyone is being too PC or polite or maybe it's lack of American knowledge but in rhyming slang "ginger beer" means queer.The servant reacts in a startled manner thinking he has been uncovered when in fact the Doctor is demanding actual ginger beer/ale in order to counter the effects of the poison. The scene is another little dig at the way in which those of high status in "polite" society at the time would cover up what would be seen to be unacceptable, not only because of the sexual nature but also because of the fraternisation with a "lower" class.

Doctor Whodunnit

[dkiliane · 8/10 · 3 March 2019]

I love stories like this one - - whodunnit mysteries with everyone trapped as a suspect. which is probably why I rate it a little higher even though it has some serious weaknesses cinematically.

First off, the premise is a bit absurd - - shapeshifting alien whose true form is a giant wasp that basically murders people for no real reason. They explain it but the explanation is dumb.

But as Agatha Christie says, "the thrill is in the chase, not in the capture." And the chase is quite exciting and inventive, though some of the deaths didn't make much sense. Oh well.

The real problem is the cgi, yet again. It just doesn't hold up in this era of sensational special effects. Even so, the acting was good, the story was fun, and seeing the Doctor sleuthing was enormously entertaining. 8/10

Funniest Who episode

[jsiokos · 9/10 · 13 August 2018]

The writing and acting was very funny and accomplished the near-impossible feat of making Donna Noble likable.

She was not a feminist!

[ikshulnew · 7/10 · 30 January 2021]

You have turned Agatha into this caricature, who is not at all open-minded and is solving stuff like Sherlock instead of Poirot just because of the limits of the writer of the episode!!

Agatha good feeling about this one.

[southdavid · 8/10 · 27 January 2022]

If season four has been a bit underwhelming so far, I think it picks up a bit here with "The Unicorn and the Wasp" which has several of the classic elements I've come to look for in this rewatch run. Classic British characters actors, check. Hollywood star in an early role, check. Foreshadowing, check. Call backs to previous episodes, check. Visual effects that aren't quite good enough, check.

The Doctor (David Tennant) and Donna (Catherine Tate) rock up at a country estate in 1926 - just in time for it to turn into a murder mystery weekend. This is apt because the guest of honour is none other than Agatha Christie (Fenella Woolgar) who, together with the Doctor and Donna settle in to interrogate the suspects and identify the killer. But things take a more bizarre turn when Donna is attacked by a giant wasp.

Generally, I think the wasp element is the only bit that lets the episode down. It's not a great special effect and it's odd that sometimes it seems like it's an instinctual killer, when it tries to murder Donna - but at others, kills by human methods, such as pushing a gargoyle off a roof. It's a fun and funny episode around it though. Fenella Woolgar is a good Christie and is joined by Felicity Kendal and Tom Goodman-Hill as well as that early appearance for Felicity Jones long before a Galaxy far far away came calling. It's actually quite clever too, with its explanation for why things are happening as well as some of the more common tricks in the books of the age to disguise what was actually happening - a time spent bedridden to hide a pregnancy, for example.

A definite upturn in the season.

My namezzz izzz the Wazzp and zi am pozzzibly the greatezzzt wazzzp inzz the world!

[MrFilmAndTelevisionShow · 9/10 · 2 April 2021]

As I've said before, I love historical doctor who episodes, the ones where they visit a real place in Earthican history like Pompeii, but what I like even more is when they visit a historical figure. Shakespeare, Dickens, Christie (and the future brilliant episode that features Vincent van Gogh of course). This episode had some bizarre additions but was great nonetheless I thought it was amazing even if the IMDb makes it seem like an underated episode, which it most definitely is.

My only problem was the Wasp.

[skyfall-33402 · 10/10 · 28 May 2018]

Would be better if the Wasp wasn't in the episode. I love Murder mysteries and Agatha Christie's novels, so this episode was perfect! Except for the Wasp, of course. ;)

I always dread reaching this one

[warlordartos · 3/10 · 13 March 2021]

It is just so stupid, a wasp like come on, they could do way better than that. The priest thing was a bit ehh too. Not enough Agatha Christie and too much Doctor Who supernaturalality.

Minority Report

[tedg · 4 May 2010]

A reader suggested that I watch this. So I engaged with a few episodes, enough to find the most appealing ones to me.

The supposed attraction is the extended magical journey, sort of a cross between "Doctor Strange," the best Marvel comic character and "Hitchhiker's guide," with a plucky, admiring redheaded sidekick.

I am commenting on this episode because the idea is clever. But the overall judgement is that TeeVee is short form, period. The constraints placed on the narrative are just too much in the way of allowing anything to have power. You get shifted into the narrative equivalent of posters on bus station kiosks. I see that they experimented with the girl, Rose. Initially she was a blond teenager, daft but gymnastic. This evolved into a sort of plain, redheaded Emma Peel.

What finally made me decide to chance this mess was the fact that the redhead here is about to become famous. She is playing Miranda in the forthcoming "The Tempest" staged by the amazing Julie Taymor and featuring Helen Mirren as Prospero. Wow! I say Wow!

Well, this episode.

You have a clever notion here:

The story about the battle between "good" and evil X-file cartoonish aliens, which provides the story continuity.

The idea of encountering known historical events and referencing them in the "retelling."

Here, the exploitation of the mystery genre, including Agatha Christie and her genre as characters. There is a magical gem that allows the thoughts in Agatha's mind to become the shape of the story in which Agatha and others find themselves. Folding, folks. In this, you have some of the things that would become standard: at least one major red herring (the jewel thief), one external agent with a missing history (the Indian servant), one internal agent (the minister) and a gathering at the end where everyone is collected and all is revealed.

This sort of writing is worthy of elevation to "Singing Detective" status. But it is just too junked up with TeeVee nonsense.

(The title, cleverly, comes from a famous "missing chapter" in Lewis Carrolls' Alice stories.)

Ted's Evaluation -- 2 of 3: Has some interesting elements.

A Charming Murder Mystery

[hwiltshire-06889 · 8/10 · 5 April 2024]

The Unicorn and the Wasp is a delightful confection of a Doctor Who story. It's a lighthearted, humorous adventure with a dash of classic Agatha Christie-style murder mystery, earning a solid 8 out of 10.

This episode thrives on its guest cast. The legendary Agatha Christie is played with charm and wit by Fenella Woolgar, bringing a perfect mix of literary brilliance and a touch of bewilderment at the Doctor's antics. David Tennant is in top form, exuding manic energy and finding great comedic chemistry with Catherine Tate's Donna.

The mystery itself, while not overly complex, is fun and engaging. The giant wasp creature, although a tad silly, works surprisingly well in the context of this almost-parodic whodunnit. There are playful references to Christie's work scattered throughout, adding a layer of enjoyment for fans of the genre.

Where the episode loses a few points is in the predictability of some plot beats and the slightly too convenient resolution. Some supporting characters could use a bit more depth. Despite this, the strengths far outweigh the weaknesses.

The Unicorn and the Wasp is a pure joy to watch. It's a love letter to classic British murder mysteries with a healthy dose of sci-fi absurdity and witty banter. It's a welcome change of pace for Doctor Who, delivering laughter, charming characters, and just enough intrigue to keep you guessing.

Potentially brilliant but just disappoints on all levels.

[zacpetch · 2/10 · 10 February 2015]

The Doctor and Donna meet Agatha Christie to solve a murder mystery. As Donna points out, the premise is every bit as daft as fighting ghosts with Charles Dickens at Christmas. That happened in a 2005 episode and it was rubbish, but Donna doesn't know this. What we know as an audience is that if even the characters are pointing out how silly the story is then you know there's a problem. It's not all bad though: Every actor involved is on top form here and they're all having fun with it, hamming up their performances to the maximum level. But that's not enough to save it; There's a truth to the fact that the best comedy is when those involved just play it straight. What we get here is a man who's been poisoned trying to tell his friends how to save him via an impromptu game of charades. No really, I'm not making that up.

The story sees our hero trying to solve a murder (the professor in the library with the lead pipe) at a country estate where lots of posh people have gathered and everyone has a secret to hide. The Doctor and Donna soon themselves turn into targets when they start to get close to discovering the perpetrator's identity. Sounds good right? Wrong! The problem is that the episode plays out like one of those comedies that might air on ITV4 at 2 in the afternoon rather than BBC1 prime time. The so-called jokes are repetitive and predictable and the acting is over-the-top and hammy and the resolution to the murders is just stupid: The priest is the son of a wasp and wants to kill Agatha Christie -- REALLY?! Am I expected to accept that solution after 45 minutes of build up to it?! I guess revealing the priest as the killer is just more of the BBC's seemingly endless anti-Christian agenda?

Doctor Who has, to my memory, tried murder mystery twice before this episode. 'Black Orchid' was terrible beyond description but 'Terror of the Vervoids' was excellent. Sadly after 'The Unicorn and the Wasp' it's now 2-1 in favour of bad stories. This episode is just a bit too silly to pass as comedy but not good enough in other areas to be saved. It is not worth your time watching, I give it 2/10 which is generous. Shame, because it could have been great.