Doctor Who: Legend of the Sea Devils - REVIEW

[@MrTARDIS]

"DoN't LeT tHe SwOrDs ToUcH yOuR sKiN!" You know the drill, folks! "Like" the video and let me know what you thought of the episode and this review in the comments section to appease the almighty algorithm!

[@benmiller3252]

Are you doing a ranking of series 13 after Jodie Whittaker's final adventure aired

[@pious83]

I think the Mario Jump sound effect should have been in the episode itself. It would have been the funniest part.

[@AroAceGamer]

Well the swords aren't just Lazer swords, they're venomous lazer swords, as established after the Sea Devil Leader's Massacre. So, so much as a cut could be the end of you, is what the Doctor is saying.

[@ftumschk]

@@AroAceGamer Sea Devil scientist: "Venomous laser swords? Why don't they use the super-duper rayguns we invented 56 million years ago?"

[@AroAceGamer]

@@ftumschk Because Pirates.

[@GeorgeMachinNZ]

Something that’s niggled me is WHAT was the actual “Legend” of the Sea Devils? You could swap the word legend in this case with any of “revenge, return, attack, etc”. Legend implies something else that I don’t think we really saw

[@charlestownsend9280]

Legend could be referring to the statue or the treasure or maybe the story that the pirate queen tells of the events.

[@BadKEMistry]

I believe it was meant to be the story that will be told after the events of the episode, considering what The Doctor says at the end.

[@robindavda8967]

Dan's line should've been "you should see me with a wok" huge missed opportunity

[@ftumschk]

It's so uncharacteristic of Chibnall to miss a good joke. I'm being sarcastic ;)

[@thejintymyster6396]

I'm glad that the Doctor at least acknowledged River Song's existence. The funniest lines have been callbacks to previous incarnations: "Maybe I set them when I was Scottish. RELEASE" "Including my wife. I wasn't going to mention that. It was a long time ago. I was a different man back then"

[@torchwoodcanaria]

It was definitely about 20 minutes too short. I'm with you in hoping that we get a longer cut at some point. By the way, has no one commented on the "No ship Sherlock" line? I can't help feeling that there was a subtle dig there!

[@pcb1175]

No ship sherlock is a line so bad that it was in the trailer for Sherlock Gnomes but not the actual film.

[@jensablefur155]

Its a shame. It was such a great idea to bring the Sea Devils back but this really fell flat for me. Narratively it felt like a load of half-baked story strands and old tropes held together by duct tape I've liked Jodies run and the Chibnall series more than certain detractors have, but I must admit I feel very ready for us to draw a line under it and move on into the next era now.

[@booth2710]

not duct tape - woke tape

[@jnielson1121]

@@booth2710 tired. Representation isn't the problem with the era.

[@jnielson1121]

You sorta get the feeling some involved in production felt the same :/ ...real shame as Jodie has a potentially really interesting take on the Doctor and the visuals have in general been excellent.

[@bradleywillard2361]

I know this is a nitpick, but misspelling Malcolm Hulke’s name in the end credits was hugely disrespectful and embarrassing. What a rookie error. In terms of how shoddy and disjointed the post-production for this story was, I think some heads need to roll…

[@IlSqueak]

They probably got a memo checking that some people had an extra "e" at the end of their name. They correctly gave an extra one to Craige Els, and thought "Job Done, and we're transmitting this weekend".

[@PetersonZF]

It happens. :\ The Star Trek VI end credits have Uhura spelt as Uhuru.

[@bradleywillard2361]

@@PetersonZF Fair enough, but that was 1991. In 2022, with all the technology and resources available to us, errors as juvenile as this should not be happening - especially from a mainstream broadcaster like the BBC.

[@MetalJesus157]

The Pirate Planet is one of my favorite Dr Who stories of all time!!!!!!

[@nicka3697]

Aye aye tis a barrel of fun. An awesome and novel sci fi ideas both the actions of the pirate planet and the origin of the mentiads. Some mixed performances but also some memorable ones (Mr fibuli in particular). Good cliff hanger really nice solution to keep our beloved planet safe. Sure there's the parrot and I could see why some would have issues with the acting of some of the characters. But it's a coherent story with big ideas given room to breathe and it doesn't take itself too seriously.

[@yo-yo_1212]

Yes I bloody love it. Even the silly bits are hilarious. Mary Tamm's delivery of "very impressive" after the Mentiads mind-throw some polystyrene boulders at soldiers who fall over before they've even been hit by them will never fail to make me laugh.

[@owend5538]

This episode definitely needed an extra 10 or even 15 minutes

[@defrostedrobot77]

Feels kind of weird to diss The Pirate Planet when you've admitted you haven't seen The Key to Time season. Even that might have been fair enough but I don't know if it's reputation is really bad enough to be considered a failure. As far as Classic Who recurring villains go, I think you could definitely get some mileage out of the Mentors. Getting Sil back might be unlikely but they have a distinct enough design and are particularly slimy and money grubbing that I think you could do some fun stuff with them. "She's gonna die without figuring out the puzzle pieces of her own life." Well, that's kind of on her if so cause she decided not to open the watch. And Death in Heaven is still better than this one. I don't really hate Legend of the Sea Devils but the more you delve into it just ends up falling real flat with a lot of bizarre problems. I don't think there's inherently an issue with a story light on politics and junk but this is definitely not the ideal way to do it.

[@MrTARDIS]

That's why I was careful with my wording. I've not seen 'The Pirate Planet' but I've heard it's not very good, so I said "is considered".

[@louiswright8282]

@@MrTARDIS I think many people don't really like it is because the Story is intentionally over the top and funny. When you realise that this isn't a serious story, you're gonna have a ride!!!

[@kunaal_1928]

Death in Heaven is not better than this, I don’t think it’s better than anything. It’s a train-wreck of an episode

[@defrostedrobot77]

@@kunaal_1928 Imma have to disagree.

[@myke1914]

Pirate planet is really good, not because it has meaning or because it’s well written or anything else. It’s Douglas Adams putting excellent lines in with over the top acting. There’s a lot of hitchhikers in the pirate planet. Makes me smile every time I watch it. One of the most fun episodes. The mines are automated, we just run the equipment. What happens when they run out? The captain announces a new golden age of prosperity and they just fill up again. What just like that? Yeah… well, you don’t think that’s wrong? Wrong? It’s an economic miracle… of course it’s wrong. Oh… Some fine Douglas Adams in this episode. Key to time is well worth watching, starting with the ribos operation which is another great story. Pirate planet is far better than anything Chibnall has put out.

[@TyrannoNoddy]

I'm surprised you didn't make a full blown Evil Dan edit for the scene where he kills the Sea Devils. Even when I watched that scene I was like "glad the Doctor wasn't around to see that". Something I feel like that wasn't really explored but should have was that the Sea Devils are normally peaceful apparently, like the Doctor outright says that and all we get is "oh guess you're just a bad egg lol". As you mention there's a lot of substance lacking here that really helps to define them.

[@frazzlesreviews5379]

I wouldn’t say this episode is the best sea devil story by a long stretch. I don’t think them being front and centre necessarily makes an episode better. I don’t rate Fear Her above Blink just because the Doctor is front and centre. Similarly I don’t think Arachnids In The Uk is better than Midnight just because we actually the monster. That’s just me anyway.

[@ftumschk]

For all the (deserved) criticism it's received, I even find Warriors of the Deep a better Sea Devil story than "Legend". At least "Warriors" had a half-decent script, a comprehensible plot, and more relatable characters.

[@CulturePhilter]

I don’t think Dan killing the sea-devils is as much of a contradiction as people seem to be saying it is. The situations are very different, one was an already defeated sea-devil lying vulnerable on the floor and the other were a group in the middle of attacking them. It’s a cruel killing vs self defense.

[@Jedi_Spartan]

The biggest issue I had is that it just felt like 50ish minutes worth of stuff...

[@SegaNintendoGuy64]

1:00 You mentioned The Curse of the Black Spot The Pirate Planet and The Space Pirates, What about The Smugglers from 1966? That has pirates too.

[@MarionBaggins]

The Smugglers has none of the Episodes available, so it's harder to watch than The Space Pirates.

[@SegaNintendoGuy64]

@@MarionBaggins There is such thing as plot details.

[@LegoTardisArchives]

Yeah and that story is also abit shit

[@SegaNintendoGuy64]

@@LegoTardisArchives If you mean The Smugglers? IDK It's not really that bad, Unless you're really referring to The Space Pirates.

[@thevacuumofcomments2946]

Even in the Sea Devils, the point of that story, (apart from the Navy and Prisons are run by pillocks) was that the humans cost themselves peace by a bad decision. Hell, Warriors of the Deep tried to do more with that than this. We get a backstory explanation and a couple of lines addressing this Sea Devil being a dick compared to the rest of its kind. Genuinely the worst take on either the Silurians or Sea Devils.

[@defrostedrobot77]

@Sic Semper Tyrannis Most definitely, but the cost to show the Silurians in their prime might be a bit much.

[@not_enough_space]

True, pirate stories have a poor history in Doctor Who. But _Enlightenment_ has some pirate stuff, and I think that one's great. You just need to make it sufficiently weird.

[@charlestownsend9280]

I liked the pirate planet as well as enlightenment, although part of that might just be that it's a ok story in a bad season.

[@Telos1807]

Honestly I rewatched Curse of the Black Spot yesterday and... It wasn't that bad, I'd much rather watch that than this.

[@MrSukram777]

"Doctor Who and the Pirates" is pretty good. But then again, that's a Big Finish audio story.

[@SegaNintendoGuy64]

16:51 "Well you better replace them then!"

[@benmiller3252]

Jodie Whittaker, Mandip Gill and John Bishop were trying really hard in the show with the material they were given.

[@IlSqueak]

They all were. Including Ella Park. I think that "Person A and Person B" in script writing credits means "Person A" wrote the script and "Person B" made some changes, but one may not be happy with the results, but "Person A & Person B" means that two people worked on the script and both were happy with the results. This was an " and ", so I think "last minute fix it in post for time" is the most charitable reason. I wish I liked this episode more.

[@scrambled5948]

Yeah, I really hope that this tardis team is done justice with big finish

[@benmiller3252]

@@scrambled5948 I do like to see expanded media ( including Big Finish ) explore the gaps between The Vanquishers and Eve Of The Daleks and Eve Of The Daleks and Legend Of The Sea Devils and Legend Of The Sea Devils and The Centenary Special would lead straight into The Fourteenth Doctor's Time.

[@benw4409]

If this was a regular episode people would be a lot kinder to it. This is not the first episode to have production problems, it's not the first to not reach its potential. It's alright - could have been better, still could have been worse, and at least it commits to the pirate aesthetics better than Curse of the Black Spot. It's decent enough but the production issues are clear, and I sympathise with the production team for trying to make the most out of whatever problem hit them.

[@robotx9285]

Yeah I agree, if L.o.T.S.D. was a normal episode in series 11 or 12, people would be less harsh. But unfortunately it's acts as the last story before the 13th doctor's finale. Furthermore, it just doesn't act as a good stand alone or build up.

[@AroAceGamer]

It was alright. Not worthy of a "special" status, but decent as an episode can be. I do like the Sea Devils and their leader who was exceptionally ruthless.

[@jasonlescalleet5611]

To be fair, normal swords *don’t* kill you if they just touch your skin. They are sharp, and deadly if swung or thrust into something vital, but they don’t kill with a touch, while these swords do. Now, glowy energy swords *do* look like something that would kill with a touch, so it’s still reasonable to expect that the characters have already figured this out, so it’s still a bit silly, but not a completely stupid thing to say. As for killing the sea devils, I think that the key difference is that the one was already defeated, while the others were still actively a threat, or at least that’s how I’d argue it if the DM was proposing an alignment change for my character as a result of me having killed a bunch of them.

[@alexanderharvey8423]

Episodes like this just highlight that the Davies- Moffat era was on a whole other level to Chibnal’s. The emotion, the characters, the pacing, the plot resolutions were just sooo much better when Tennant was the Doctor, for example. It’s like it’s a completely different show. A fairly middling Davies episode like Gridlock contains more emotion and character development than the whole of the Chibnal era. Can’t wait for RTD to come back, maybe he’ll recapture some of the old magic

[@Tillyard86]

On the whole I’ve never felt the magic has left, certainly feels more here now than it ever was under Moffat.

[@galarstar052]

@@Tillyard86 really? i've felt nothing but disappointment watching these new episodes, rewatching old Moffat ones just shows they're leagues better.

[@Tillyard86]

@@galarstar052 I’ve enjoyed a lot of them never felt boring and had a lot of fun with them. Something I rarely got from the Moffat era.

[@Luvcatz88]

I had originally thought the sea serpent thingie swallowed the TARDIS 🤣

[@Reprodestruxion]

Guess the Doctor Who kaiju like the Drashig and Skarasen have their own villains’ pub where people forget about them

[@ireallydidntwanttomakeanac575]

Honestly, if they called the big fish monster the Myrka and just have Jodie give a quick line explaining what it is and why it belongs to the Sea Devils, it would have solved a few issues.

[@braddsfx8921]

8:23 is literally just a picture of the tardis interior as a background, almost like a placeholder for a full edit to take its place, what the fuck happened to this story in the cutting room.

[@thetardislegilimens]

Loving your edit of including the Mario jump and ‘YAHOO’ sound over Marcissus’s terrible leap to the ship. And the amount of synonymes you managed to come up with/use to describe the Sea Devils that Dan killed was great. But, terrible editing aside, I thought it was a decent episode. Not great, but not terrible. Just…okay, I guess?

[@defrostedrobot77]

That whole bit with the synonyms is a direct reference to the Dead Parrot sketch from Monty Python's Flying Circus btw.

[@Faction.Paradox]

While i don't think its the absolute disaster that many do its a sloppy mess to be sure, unresolved/dropped/poorly defined plot points, under baked characters and jarring cuts all over the place. Something clearly happened during filming (I started getting Orphan 55 flashbacks), this was a "fix it in the edit" job if I've ever seen one. Clearly just not one that could BE fixed.

[@bluehero-96]

I've had issues with the Doctor pulling out the sonic screwdriver unnecessarily since late Tennant. They use the sonic to scan and identify stuff that they should recognize just by sight.

[@pcb1175]

Yeah it undermines the doctor’s intelligence when they use the sonic like that

[@PetersonZF]

Since Eccleston, for me! He gets it out in every story. He uses it in The End of the World to press buttons on a computer touchscreen...

[@highvoltage7797]

The pirate planet is great. Love it to bits.

[@MetalJesus157]

Key to Time was the first season of Dr Who I ever saw and it has since become my favorite.

[@ftumschk]

Agreed. In fact, it's my favourite part of The Key To Time trilogy.

[@highvoltage7797]

@@ftumschk Yeah probably one of my favourite stories of the Graham Williams era. Which isn’t saying much since his era is my least favourite era of Classic Doctor Who. There are a few others like City of death, Shada, Image of the Fendahl etc

[@LloydEWatson1983]

@@ftumschk The Key to Time is a 6 part story.

[@ftumschk]

@@LloydEWatson1983 God, of course it was. I think my wires got crossed by the Black Guardian whilst I was in E-Space! To set the record straight: "Pirate Planet is my favourite part of the Key To Time hexalogy" :)

[@bladersmosh]

If I remember correctly you did plan to review The Sea Devils before this special but then copyright got in the way. I suggest, going back to that but this time review it back to back with the whole Beneath the Surface boxset (Doctor Who and The Silurians and Warriors of the Deep). I think it would be really cool and it’ll be especially fun to find out why you poke fun at Warriors of the Deep.

[@solpintorizvi249]

what about the smugglers. thats a pirate story.

[@kennethnystrom593]

Atleast we know there is a big seaserpent out there now.....

[@matthewbolitho-jones]

I like Legend of the Sea Devils

[@Delirious_Imperius]

It was originally was supposed to be part of series 13 flux story line before cut were made

[@theevildalek5425]

Personal Ranking For Silurian/Sea Devil Stories: 1). Doctor Who & The Silurians (1970) 2). The Sea Devils (1972) 3). The Hungry Earth/Cold Blood (2010) 4). Dinosaurs on a Spaceship (2012 - This kind of counts...?) 5/6). Warriors of the Deep (1984) & Legend of the Sea Devils (2022)

[@defrostedrobot77]

I definitely disagree with Mr.T that the 2010 story is better than the 1970 one. The ending alone is pretty ballsy stuff.

[@highvoltage7797]

@@defrostedrobot77 I’d say for The Silurian story The Brigadier killing them all is pretty ballsy.

[@defrostedrobot77]

@@highvoltage7797 That's what I was referring to.

[@highvoltage7797]

@@defrostedrobot77 Oh sorry I read it wrong. Silly me.

[@highvoltage7797]

@Sic Semper Tyrannis Well it did get mentioned in Ambassadors of death. Not much though. I think in those early stories there is an uneasy nature to the Doctor/Brigadier relationship.

[@highvoltage7797]

A shame since the original Sea devil story is such a classic, although there seems to be some push back against that statement.

[@defrostedrobot77]

Having checked it out in the lead-up to this special, it's a decent enough story with some definite high points but not one of the best.

[@ftumschk]

@@defrostedrobot77 The original "Sea Devils" was much better structured, scripted and acted than "Legend", and the high points were great; the sword fight between Delgado and Pertwee to name but one. At least that had genuine swagger and panache, and was better choreographed and more exciting than the incongruously sci-fi "laser swordfights" we got here :)

[@defrostedrobot77]

@@ftumschk Oh, it was certainly better than Legend overall, that kind of goes without saying.

[@ftumschk]

@@defrostedrobot77 MrT doesn't seem to think so, but I'm sure he'll see sense eventually :)

[@defrostedrobot77]

@@ftumschk Tbf, I think is point is that Legend is a better Sea Devil story just cause they're more upfront, not necessarily that it's a better story overall.

[@RetroReviewsMovies]

7:04 That’s so hilariously disrespectful! 😂

[@chaserseven2886]

i dont really get the hate for curse of the black spot

[@elliotcrossan6290]

I agree with Harbo on this one. A new low for this utterly lacklustre era. Jodie's Doctor deserves better 😪 Your synopsis explained the plot better than the actual episode did, despite the amount of exposition 😂

[@acefilms1992]

as I said in another comments section, some parts of this episode almost felt like a compilation of video game cutscenes without the gameplay in between.

[@Cyberleader672]

One thing that bothered me was why would the Sea Devils want to flood the entire planet. Yeah, it means they specifically could take it over but what about all the other Silurian colonies that have not evolved to live in water. From what we've seen the Silurians do care about their other colonies. Seriously, did I miss a line of dialogue? It seems like a large thing to leave out

[@attckonutube]

Chibnall is on record saying he doesn’t think doctor who cannon matters. I think as far as he’s concerned each era is an entirely self contained story, and any contradictions between his era and another should be willfully ignored. We haven’t seen any Silurians in this era, so as far as this episode is concerned they don’t exist.

[@Cyberleader672]

@@attckonutube I'm not fan of that attitude. I mean it's a sixty year old show I can completely understand everything not lining up but I don't think that means you should just throw your hands up and say "Well, I guess I can do whatever I want".

[@attckonutube]

@@Cyberleader672 Exactly. that’s one of the frustrating things about this era. It’s just like the whole not explaining how missy survived thing. Just willfully ignoring the events of 12 episodes ago. And I found his comment about that infuriating. He said “that’s a gap for the fans to fill in.” Heres an idea; Why don’t you write your own damn show Chris? He also says he “fully expects Russell to ignore his changes to the cannon” In his mind that’s just how the show works. Sure, The cannon has been contradictory before. but that’s largely due to oversights or offhanded lines. I’ve never seen another era actively punish the viewer for watching what came before like this one does.

[@finleyjennings6051]

@@attckonutube Yes, every era is certainly wrapped up into their own boxes but the continued continuity of the series is the reward for diligent watchers when links and references are made. It is also why DW is so good to get invested in, (the rabbit hole is very deep). The timeless child isn't just bad for shaking up the shows cannon all the way down it's long and rich history, it's bad because chibnall doesn't do anything with it. The division is only explained superficially, Karvanista is literally not allowed to tell her or he dies. The doctors apparent previous encounter with swarm is never expanded apon and The Doctors ADOPTED MOTHER is used as a cliff hanger before being killed off after 5 minutes. Then once it's all done the Doctor throws away all her old memories because Chibnall has this meguffin that would change the entire foundation of the show and he is too scared to follow through, leaving RTD at a dead end with some of the biggest plot points of the entire show, I don't know how RTD can do anything other than ignore it exists or heavily retconning it. Therefore leaving chibnalls era entirely self contained and irrelevant as non of it is worth watching on it's own merit.

[@GamerWho]

Me: Maybe the Sea Devils' motivation could be the critical mass of plastic in the ocea... Reactionary: StOp MaKiNg It PoLiTiCaL

[@MySocksAreOnFire-b4c]

The Doctor: You are one of the greatest people I've ever known. Yaz: Sorry who was I again

[@pcb1175]

Wait, a vfx company for big budget modern day blockbusters did the effects for this? That's just tragic. This episode is basically a modern day warriors of the deep, in that it's a big return for the sea devils in an episode that feels haphazardly put together.

[@ItsButterBean1020]

God I have no idea what happened here Legit none of the budget comes out on th screen for me

[@qnebra]

Even a big vfx company can't overrun production mess. Majority of vfx stuff looks fine and actually good, except this jump and necks. I think both are last minute things, added for "cool factor".

[@TheOneTimeLady_]

You say that it’s because of time. I will agree this episode was poor. But I am a huge Whittaker I can say that witchfinders is one of my favourite episodes. So that’s why I don’t think it’s to time. But I could be wrong.

[@JJungleJapeson]

When they crawl out of the TARDIS, the doors open outward.

[@Bowmaster1994]

I have a feeling that restoring the original, intended cut of the script to the episode would solve half of this episodes problems.

[@ftumschk]

I'd like to think the same, but I suspect we'd still have a hot mess of an episode, even if the assumed missing parts were restored. I think there are far more fundamental issues with the story - for example, characterisation, dialogue and even the basic premise - that no amount of additional runtime or restored cuts could have put right.

[@sbi168]

while this would make it much more cohesive and solidify the whole episode it still wouldn't be brilliant. The story just wasn't brilliant. Fun, definitely, but never going to be brilliant. I really do hope this episode was messed with for time constraints or whatever, would be so much easier to watch.

[@ftumschk]

@@sbi168 Agreed, although time constraints wouldn't explain away the fundamentally flawed depiction of the believable classic-era Sea Devils as the generic "sword and sorcery" supervillains Chibnall gave us here. That was a total mis-fire in my view.

[@sbi168]

@@ftumschk I think the trouble is the sea devils are quite generic in attributes but have a great design. I felt they could have had a bit more. Backstory as to why pirates etc but the general idea of them as rough like villains was absolutely fine for me and I really enjoyed them in the episode. The biggest flaw for me was the terrible editing/pacing issues.

[@ftumschk]

@@sbi168 My issue isn't so much with making them generic villains, but that they were generic villains _with laser swords, spooky teleportation and a flying ghost ship._ These creatures evolved on Earth, Chibnall - they're not extraterrestrials or wizards :)

[@lbricks7631]

Dan's kill count rises...

[@nathantew946]

0:36 when talking about the doctor who pirate curse. You forgot to mention the smugglers (ironically William Hartnell penultimate doctor who story too.) But you get points for quoting the parrot sketch.

[@pious83]

The editing was so choppy, it was impossible not to notice it. It reminded me of things like Power Rangers.

[@tokublwhovian]

The thing with Power Rangers is tho, that it’s adapted/uses footage from another show. So, I let it slide in that franchises case. As for Doctor Who, I can’t. It’s 100% original material/footage.

[@pious83]

@@tokublwhovian Exactly. That's what makes it even worse.

[@harrycarson6526]

4:22 That CGI jump wouldnt be out of place in a modern Super Sentai/Power Rangers series

[@tokublwhovian]

Basically, all Tokusatsu. Doesn’t matter whether it’s old or new.

[@SegaNintendoGuy64]

While I agree this story has some problems, I honestly like it.

[@FistOfFiori]

This. It really feels like it has a chunk cut out. I like it enough as it is, but it feels kinda disjointed. It feels like Sea Devil scenes were cut a bit, stuff with Dan and Ying, and especially feels like Madame Ching stuff is missing. This episode should have been an hour. More breathing space for plot, and a bit more character stuff.

[@TPH250290]

JFC have higher standards, it's embarrassing.

[@oliverknagg5109]

Only watching this i realised i'd forgotten everything about it. I even forgot pirate Dan

[@booradley8895]

Surely you just have a very bad memory

[@oliverknagg5109]

@@booradley8895 that is true. It’s not the only contributing factor but I can’t deny it either

[@elsienova4269]

Interesting take from someone that's actually not like, a fan of Doctor Who. My experience with the show is mainly rooted in catching episodes from the 9th and 10th doctor when my dad was watching it. He would watch them on his pc and I would sit next to him and when he would fall asleep I just kept going through the episode list. For the longest time that was my main experience with Doctor Who. And one thing I always remembered is how intricate the atmosphere of every single episode was. Some were more bland than others but they all had a vibe and atmosphere that gave off nothing but professionalism. Only around a year ago I started rewatching the entire series since the 9th doctor onwards and I geniunely enjoyed all of my time. I pretty much was disconencted from the current series and its controversies. I was happy viewing this show and seeing just the vibe it gave off. I finished my viewing with the end of the 12th doctor and only a week ago I tried watching some episodes from the current seasons....and it felt like I was watching completely bland carboard. Literally nothing, nothing in terms of shots, cuts, music, acting or writing gave me any sort of vibe. It was all extremely unprofessional, bland and just untouchable. I have no idea how the people in charge of a franchise like this can be so completely inept at quality.

[@TimeForTeletubbiesFAN]

I have a suggestion for your next few reviews. Since Jodie’s last episode is coming soon. Why don’t you review all the regeneration stories from classic and new who. I know you have done The Tenth planet for CyberCember. But it would be interesting to see what your thoughts on The War Games, The End of Time. Etc.

[@MrTARDIS]

I'm thinking of doing a Worst-to-Best regeneration stories after the Centenary broadcasts.

[@TimeForTeletubbiesFAN]

@@MrTARDIS that’s a good idea

[@ruairiedwards8616]

@@MrTARDIS after the centenary special, do you plan to do a Ranking of all Thirteenth Doctor/Chibnall era stories?

[@MrTARDIS]

@@ruairiedwards8616 yes.

[@ruairiedwards8616]

@@MrTARDIS thank you. Also, where does Eve of the Daleks rank on your Best to Worst Dalek Stories?

[@mylopintorizvi4349]

I think the vfx is a result of budget. Given the attention during series 11 its clear that the show had a higher budget than usual, especially with vfx, but now its definitely clear that's its not getting the same treatment. Shots like the jumping sea devil was something that was probably noticed but dneg would've probably been too busy with other shots to be able improve it. I think another fault is the sea devil props themselves. Every shot a sea devil is in needs to be animated which would have been undoubtedly a tedious and time consuming process. I think do think the sea devil shot is overshadowing some great shots though particularly some of the stuff with the sea monster.

[@mylopintorizvi4349]

also dneg have obviously been working hard on the centenary special as well which would have impacted the vfx. It is possible that some of the vfx was never finished so some shots had to be scrapped

[@mirawest8510]

Usually I'm all for some gay romance but I just couldn't find a way to get invested in the Thasmin stuff. I wish I could because Doctor Who fans on tiktok seem to be finding a lot to enjoy about it, but the foundation just wasn't there for me. Like, the beach scene could've been really powerful if it had been better built up to, and maybe a bit better written, but as it is it just feels like Chibnall ripping off yet another scene from the Davies era without understanding what made the original scene work

[@jamma.77]

It took me way longer than it should've to get the parrot sketch reference.

[@ftumschk]

... perhaps you were resting?

[@jamma.77]

@@ftumschk LOL

[@jamma.77]

@@ftumschk Or stunned, just as I was waking up.

[@angusmaxim3450]

This episode was truly awful, even for Chibnall standards.

[@ftumschk]

Agreed. Personally, I'd rather rewatch Orphan 55 or Arachnids in the UK.

[@100percentshipper]

Everything you said is so spot on. Damn.

[@EvilHamburger64]

I said to my housemates after the episode finished that my biggest problem with the episode was the sense of space, how there was a lack of establishing shots or just shots other than closeups, characters just seemed to appear in scenes and they even broke the 180 degree rule a couple of times making the whole thing very disorienting. Everyone said I was just overanalysing it but I’m so glad someone else agreed. I feel so vindicated right now, I’m going to go rub it in their faces for a bit.

[@LeeHardingakaFirmament]

The story had so much potential to be great but felt terribly flat and occasionally nonsensical…but that was nothing compared to the truly awful, jarring editing.

[@metacrisis47]

okay i watched this episode last night and i had to rewatch the first 25 minutes like three times because i was honestly super confused. i kept thinking i missed a scene that explained how the characters got from one location to another. glad it wasn’t just me. made it really hard to enjoy this story.

[@oliverknagg5109]

9:00 ish. I think it was mentioned in passing immediatly after they met

[@casualcraftman1599]

It's odd that The Doctor doesn't approve of killing one Sea Devil while Dan kills multiple Sea Devils. It's too bad that criticisms of killing on this era where ruined by one shitty Twitter rant that acted like the Doctor killing the Kerblam antagonist is the only time in the shows history where the Doctor is a hypocrite with an inconstant killing morality. "_ is the only thing that is bad at _" criticisms only just encourages people to think of other examples which is why that name more characters in pain than Ellie meme was popular.

[@IlSqueak]

Note to RTD: Let me pitch you a sequel to this episode, where I will explain the Sea Devils and their actions, you will need to sign up Crystal Yu & Arthur Lee. It can run as episode 3 or 4 in a 10 episode series. Or 2 episodes if you want a 12/13 episode series with a McGuffin hunt arc. But yes, this was an hour long episode, cut down and restructured the week before transmission, so you can keep Ella & Chris around without shaming their honour. It was a mistake to trim it, and he should have rescheduled. Note to Mr Tardis: You need to somehow get your 2 stars, Madame Winnifred & Sir Theodan worked in to your non-live shows.

[@bananasaregood8655]

I really want to love some new doctor who episodes, but the jodie/chibnall era has just been so shoddy imo. Of course i keep watching out of hope it'll turn around, and the trailers usually look good but the episodes are always so disappointing. They should have had some shots of the sea devils emerging from the water like in the classic series, it looked so striking! And the electric swords with poisoning effects: the doctor: 'Sea devil weapon' me: 'Since when?...'

[@mattcoles8729]

I thought it overall it was fun. Certainly not a high point of the 13th doctors era. The story and characters were perfectly serviceable, but for me the high points of the episode were the moments between The Doctor and Yaz, really made the episode for me. Totally agree that some of the CGI and directing/editing were uncharacteristically off though.

[@Paul_M_Bradley]

Watching Chris Chibnalls doctor who is like having a five star meal funnelled down your throat. All the right bits are there, all well prepared and made with love, but delivered so fast and slapdash that you can't properly appreciate it. All the stuff you'd want to see are glossed over and all the stuff you aren't bothered with is lingered on ad nausium. I really REALLY wanna like this era, because on paper it's doing exactly what I would want to do, but it just never slows down enough to actually pull it off so you end up with a show where every script feels like a first draft. This episode really kinda solidified that for me. It's ironic that the big problem with modern doctor who is its gross mismanagement of time.

[@ItsButterBean1020]

Evil Dan is canon now

[@curtismckenley8706]

Anyone see the tardis background move when they hit the deck

[@charlestownsend9280]

People don't like the pirate planet? As for this episode, it was average, not really getting the hate, it's not deserving of the mass dislike that it seems to have been getting, it wasn't great but it's not the worst thing since love and monsters like the internet seems to be making it out to be. Does it have problems yes, quite a few, is it bad, not really.

[@lordgamermon]

Is this episode a narrative mess? Yes. Is this episode fun to watch? Yes. It's a popcorn movie and I enjoyed it, though that's probably just because I absolutely love the Sea Devils. I kinda hope that maybe RTD takes a shot at them during this next era because I really want them to get a story as good as the original Jon Pertwee serial. They're up there as one of my favorite monsters in the whole series

[@Gxbbzee]

Weird random dig at the people who aren't overly fond of the heavier political aspects of some stories, but other than that great review. Very thorough!

[@MrTARDIS]

It's not random if you've watched some of my recent response videos.

[@Gxbbzee]

@@MrTARDIS I have not...

[@ftumschk]

17:01 _"Dan Lewis, who the hell is your mum? Optimus Prime?"_ - Close. His mum is actually Woktimus Prime.

[@lordgamermon]

Also in defense of the "don't let the sword touch your skin" line, it was said earlier in the episode when the doctor was observing a corpse that the body had been corroded by some kind of sea Devil poison which I assume was in their electric swords

[@goldenapplereviews9135]

Man, you really nailed every point. Nicely done!

[@BatDad1984]

Was anyone else watching the Doctor fumble around and running during the sword fight screaming in their head "the Doctor knows how to sword fight! THE DOCTOR KNOWS HOW TO SWORD FIGHT!"

[@talesofawhovian9690]

Particularly ironic considering one of the most iconic instances of the Doctor swordfighting occurred in 1972’s “The Sea Devils” - their debut serial.

[@docskywalker51riftstudios58]

After rewatching this I loved it tenfold more, after already loving it the first time!

[@Kaoruishere]

However, can we even be really sure that those suspected cut scenes were even filmed in the first place? Of course, this is only my assumption, but those bizarre edits during the fights suggest that there probably wasn't money (and time?) for any pick-up shoots, which, in turn, suggests that the production itself must have run way over budget before that. So at some point the decision probably was made to stop filming, cut the losses and in order not to have another Shada situation make the best of what they had and wing it.

[@mathieuleader8601]

I was hoping for the Corsair to appear

[@samuelbarber6177]

I liked it. My only real issue with it is the pacing, but that’s a recurring problem with Chibnall episodes, not to mention it was too short.

[@sbi168]

it was a average episode, it didnt really feel like a special and more a filler episode. The first 3rd was a real disjointed mess - i assume some of this was covid related but the terrible "trap" with no set up was awful. However after this first 3rd it does settle down some and it does gain its footing more (though stuff is still messy). At this point i started to get on board with it more, i loved the end segment with yaz and 13 have their conversation, i really liked this. The directing and editing on this episode is very poor and i would really hope that the dvd release actually sets this straight - one would hope it was cut to ribbons to meet a timeslot, i cannot believe how bad it is at times. it does remind me somewhat of "the snowman" film with Michael fassbender where half of the film just wasnt shot (time/budget) so they just stuck it together. feels very similar. But yeah, having criticized it for all its editing shortfalls i did still have fun overall. it was fun and frivolous. I would be eager to hear the story behind this!

[@williamsings3669]

Good job Mr Tardis

[@cornparade6874]

I must admit I have a soft spot for the Pirate Planet

[@Dboy21ish]

That jump looks like something out of power rangers.

[@chaserseven2886]

is your discord exclusive to patreons?

[@MrTARDIS]

It is, yes.

[@BadKEMistry]

The $6,000,000 Sea Devil

[@benmiller3252]

i liked the thasmin subplot but that's just my opinion

[@thedragonsunicorn]

i did too. definitely the best parts of the episode, but i just wish it had been explored earlier.

[@harleyhartley3168]

My least favourite jodie episode, least favourite special and least favourite episode since in the forest of the shite, absolutely absolutely hated it and it’s permanently shifted my view of the chibnall era for me :(

[@ftumschk]

It's my least favourite since Fear Her, I'm sad to say.

[@xzchaoz]

I love Doctor Who and i do think Chibnall has made an improvement since his first season as showrunner. But i was disappointed by legend of the sea devils.

[@friendlyotaku9525]

I really enjoyed this, I think it was a really fun swashbuckling romp though I do think that it should've been an hour, the editing in parts was definitely a bit off... so much so I think a good chunk of scenes were cut, especially since on a CV it was listed as being 60 minutes so I definitely think at least 10 minutes was cut for whatever reason, I don't know why but it is a shame but I did have fun which is what matters. Not a bad episode at all, with some lovely scenes and actually kind of a miracle it is as watchable as it is considering

[@thedoctorgeneric5007]

"actually kind of a miracle it is as watchable as it is" It's actually kind of the opposite of a miracle that Friendly Otaku found an episode as bad as this to be 'watchable'.

[@friendlyotaku9525]

@@thedoctorgeneric5007 okay now you are becoming really weird. Leave me alone. And I actually like things surprisingly! I know, Doctor who fan likes doctor who!!

[@thedoctorgeneric5007]

@@friendlyotaku9525 "Doctor who fan likes doctor who!!".... this is such a non-argument, I would expect nothing less from a Chibnall fan.

[@friendlyotaku9525]

@@thedoctorgeneric5007 it's not a non-argument. Sorry for liking something that you don't but different opinions do exist, it would be boring if everyone had the same opinion.

[@louiswright8282]

1) Dr Who And The Silurians (10/10) 2) The Sea Devils (9/10) 3) Hungry Earth/Cold Blood (7/10) 4) Warrior's of the Deep (6.75/10) 5) Legend Of the Sea Devils (2/10)

[@yannatoko9898]

1. The Sea Devils - 8.0120 2. Doctor Who and the Silurians - 7.3463 3. The Hungry Earth / Cold Blood - 5.1380 4. Legend of the Sea Devils - 3.4336 5. Warriors of the Deep - 2.7453

[@ftumschk]

22:14 _"No politics, no messaging"_ I wouldn't be so sure. I can imagine the anti-woke brigade seething about the Asian woman director, the Asian female pirate and, of course, the Thasmin stuff. There's no pleasing these people :)

[@ItsButterBean1020]

This If anything the absolute failure of Legend is justifying their stance

[@JohnSpo]

fear Her is way better than this.

[@thedragonsunicorn]

definitely definitely not!

[@kiarash608]

That Optimus Prime joke had me howling 😂

[@casualcraftman1599]

The Sea Devils seem to have a bad omen on production. The Sea Devils soundtrack was fine until the Sea Devils started attacking the surface and then the soundtrack started to sounded like a glitching Gameboy Color in a blender. Then there is Warriors of the Deep having the worst production of all time and Legend of the Sea Devils weird editing.

[@stephenreed2093]

Funny that you compare Dan's mum to Optimus Prime. Like the Transformers films, this episode sanitised the deaths of humans and yet the alien creatures are just brutalised on screen and their deaths treated as nothing. The Doctor would not approve.