Doctor Who: Tooth and Claw (2006) - Written Review
So I was very surprised when I watched this story and found that it just about passes as "good". Where did it all go wrong? Could Russell T Davies not write such a simple story in 45 minutes? Did Rose not get killed off in this episode? Did the Werewolf look a bit rubbish?
The simple fact is that this story is littered with plot holes and contrivances in the story. What happened to all the alive and well monks at the end? Did they run away, or just carry on standing there? If the latter, then how could anyone inside the house get rid of them without getting shot? Why did the monks leave so much useful mistletoe in the kitchens for everyone in the house to find? What did the monks do with the unconscious guards in case they woke up? Why didn't the monks just ask if they could stay in Torchwood House, and keep the host quiet in the cellar to wait for the full moon, and then let it kill everyone else in the house? If Queen Victoria was bitten at the end, then didn't she say that she would rather die than be infected with the Werewolf virus? If The Doctor and Rose are exiled from either England or Earth (its left a bit vague), then how come the Torchwood Institute never went after them at all? Did Queen Victoria change her mind, or did a Torchwood leader?
Its also quite strange how the monks made the werewolf think it was allergic to mistletoe, and also how Prince Albert and Sir Robert's father didn't make some silver bullets just in case no one pieced together there slightly too elaborate plan using a diamond that surely didn't need to be so small in order to stop the wolf.
Also, couldn't Sir Robert have barricaded the door of the telescope room to keep the werewolf out instead of waiting five minutes to die? I understand he wanted to be forgiven for committing treason, but I think saving the Queen's life might have helped forgive him!
Also, the actual resolution is one I don't totally understand. The werewolf needs moonlight, but too much moonlight will drown it. Why? How does this work exactly? Also, why is this vital plot point such a throwaway line? Wouldn't an easier resolution have been to shoot it with silver bullets, or is that a myth?
There are many more smaller plot holes, but they just make the story so flimsy in its establishment. The opening pre-credits sequence also looks a bit rubbish when watching it back. The monks are just jumping around a lot and it looks ridiculous. Couldn't they just have done what they did with the Queen's guards to dispose of the men outside if they asked if they could stay in the house? Yeah, the more I talk about this episode, the more plot holes I find. I'm beginning to wonder if this is even "good" anymore.
Rose Tyler was, of course, very, very annoying in this episode, with her continuous lines of dialogue trying to encourage Queen Victoria to say "I am not amused" becoming very irritating very quickly, and more infuriating when the episode is trying to provide a tense moment. Also, Rose says she wants Victoria to say "we are not amused" earlier on in the episode. At least get it right, Rose!
The in-joke of the Tenth Doctor doing a Scottish accent, with that being actor David Tennant's real accent, is quite funny, but otherwise just seems to have been thrown into the story for that reason only. Why does The Doctor need to fake a Scottish accent exactly?
The acting was all pretty good in this story, the writing was okay, the music by Murray Gold was excellent and the episode had a fantastic sound design to compliment the (at the time) good CGI werewolf, which alas has dated in 9 years.
Overall though, Tooth and Claw is a very good, very simple story build on such flimsy foundations that there are plot holes in various places, not to mention the fact that some things in the episode (Rose in particular) did annoy me and the whole thing just about stretches to "good". 7/10
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