The Shakespeare Code

Expelliamus

This is another episode where I believe I'm acting against the majority. In my reading, it seems that most people have at least a somewhat positive view of this story. I, on the other hand, don't like it at all. It's actually a bit of a shame because I love Shakespeare and watch and/or perform in them whenever I've been given the opportunity. But this episode takes Shakespeare and just ruins it.

I actually don't mind the portrayal of Shakespeare as a bit of a celebrity who openly laughs at nicking lines the Doctor says. It was done in Shakespeare in Love and a continuation of that idea isn't bad, although the joke gets a bit old the third or fourth time they use it.

The episode as whole was okay up until the final conclusion. Up until that point one could argue that the use of aliens acting as Macbeth witches was an interesting idea if not well executed. At worst, the episode was a bit dull but there are worse things than than. But then the final confrontation came.

You can use techno-babel as much as you want, but the full realization of alien witches using words to open a portal is a magic concept, not a scientific one. That never flies well in Doctor Who (see the resurrection of the Master in End of Time). The concept is then doubled down as the Doctor and Martha assist Shakespeare in creating new words that close the portal again. Even worse is the blatant Harry Potter pandering that Martha throws in at the end. There is also a third insult thrown in that as Shakespeare is spouting words to close the portal, the Carrionites just fly around and don't engage him to stop him. If words are power, why not act in a way to stop the words before they are spoken. It just rubbed me the wrong way all around.

I don't have much more to say about this. It's been a while since I've seen it and it is possible that I might like it better if I saw it again. But I doubt it.

Overall personal rating: 1 out of 5