The Unicorn and the Wasp

-Oh, Harvey Wallbanger?
-HARVEY WALLBANGER?!

The Unicorn and the Wasp is a story where I diverge from fandom. Nearly every opinion I've heard or read concerning the story is negative while mine is positive. The principle problem seems to be that the story is not quite full comedy and not quite full drama.

The story itself is fairly straightforward as they are mimicking an Agatha Christie murder mystery with Christie herself being caught up in the events. Then, because it's Doctor Who, they throw in a little alien twist as well. It also incorporates a real incident with Ms. Christie where she disappeared for several days and then later turned claiming to have no memory of what happened. Of course this is a perfect opportunity for a hop in the TARDIS and a little twist on reality.

So, why do people not like it and I do? The main thrust of complaints against it seem to be that if it's a comedy, it should go more into comedy and not bother with elements of drama. If it's supposed to be a drama, it should not be so light-hearted about other things. I can see those arguments. I did watch it again recently and found that it was not as funny as I remembered it the first time I watched and if the jokes didn't land, it became a bit of a dud moment.

Still, I did still enjoy it the second time around. For me, this is a very obvious send up not of just Agatha Christie's novels, but of the film adaptations as well. I think the strongest vibe I got was of Evil Under the Sun but I could also see a touch of And Then There Were None (1945 version). In both cases, the novels are fairly serious, straight forward mysteries. Their film versions add a strong dash of farcical comedy for levity. The Unicorn and the Wasp follows this trend which will either work for you or not. For me it works.

The other complaint is usually leveled at Christie herself. She is played well, but becomes depressed and mopey whenever hit by a small setback. I can understand how that would be annoying, but it is also important to remember that this is a woman who is overcoming a nasty shock and scandal involving her husband. It would be out of character for her to remain upbeat the whole time. Of course, reality can get in the way of a good story so I'm willing to understand those who would find Christie's mood swings an annoying diversion.

But for me, having grown up watching murder mysteries with my mother and Agatha Christie mysteries especially (Mom loves the David Suchet Poirot), this one is still fun for me. I admit that I also greatly enjoy the over-the-top banter between the Doctor and Donna. The poisoning scene is very farcical but it just strikes me as funny given their relationship.

So, overall, not the best, but I like it more than the average fan.

Overall personal score: 3 out of 5.