The Unicorn and the Wasp: Doctor Who Series Four Episode Seven

One wouldn’t normally associate illegitimacy and homosexuality as themes – either major or minor – that a writer would choose when penning an episode of Doctor Who. It is a surprise that these themes should be countenanced in a show of this nature. However, this is what we got with the 1920s based murder mystery extravaganza, The Unicorn and the Wasp. Even more surprising is the revelation that these themes fit the series like a hand in to a glove.

The Doctor and Donna arrive just in time for a party at the home of Lady Edison (a still gorgeous Felicity Kendall). This gives Donna an opportunity to wear one of the many costume changes she hoisted on board the Tardis at the start of this series. She also gets to ask the delightful question “flapper or slapper?” – needless to say the Doctor errs on the side of caution in his response.

Conning their way in to the event with their usual aplomb and bare faced cheek they are both delighted to come face to face with Agatha Christie the then (and now) famous crime author. Just in the nick of time, too, for prior to their arrival a certain Colonel Plum was dispatched in the library with a piece of lead piping. There was, in addition, a moment for Lady Edison to mention (in a somewhat heavy handed moment of plot exposition) that there was a major jewel thief in the environs, known as the Unicorn.

Oh dear. So far, so “Cluedo” and I braced myself for the worst. Fortunately, Donna noticed this as well and pointed it out early on, so it was obvious that this would be more than a clumsy rip-off of the murder mystery genre. Taking the lead, the Doctor announces himself as Chief Inspector Smith from Scotland Yard and Donna as the “plucky girl” who helps him out. When Donna objects to this, he explains to her that at this period in time there were no female police officers in the force. Unfortunately, this was something of a historical gaffe and although the Doctor can make mistakes as we know, this should have been more thoroughly researched by the writer, Gareth Roberts.

Lilian Wiles was, in fact, the first female CID officer and she was appointed in 1922, four years before this episode takes place. It was not until 1973 that women were fully integrated in to the main force of the Metropolitan Police but the A4 Branch for female police officers was established by The Met in 1930. To ignore these important facts was an unforgivable mistake by the writer Gareth Roberts, considering the fact that it was omitted from history for such a throwaway line. It would have been far better to have said that peoples’ expectations at the time were such that they would have been reluctant to accept a female police officer.

The guests are swiftly assembled in the drawing room and asked to explain their whereabouts at the time of the murders. The obligatory posh flapper, Miss Robina Redmond, explains herself. Unfortunately, her character is not given enough explanation Lady Edison simply says that she is the “absolute hit of the social scene” with no hint of where she may come from and so she comes immediately under suspicion. Other dubious explanations come from the Reverend Golightly (great name!) and Colonel Hugh Curbishley. This was hugely entertaining sequence, in which the characters say one thing about what they were doing and flashbacks comically reveal the not so savory truth of their real actions at the time.

Doctor Who has long had a huge gay fan base but until now has not had any overtly gay characters appear. I say overtly in case many readers of this review point out the character of Adric, who appeared with the Baker and Davison incarnations of the Doctor. Perhaps the writers had felt it was not necessary or even advisable in a programme aimed primarily at young children (and, ahem, gay men). Given the changes in times and culture, I guess it was only inevitable that at some point the writers would tip this section of their viewing community the wink. So, The Honorable Roger Curbishley, Lady Edison’s son was seen giving one explanation of his whereabouts at the time of the murder. In fact he had been enjoying (a very innocent looking, hand-holding) liaison with his paramour, Davenport, one of the menservants of the household.

Despite the added assistance of Ms Christie, it is only a short time before Mrs Chandrakala, Lady Edison’s companion and housekeeper becomes the second victim. Just before, Donna has a close encounter of the insect kind with what appears to be a giant wasp. This occurs in the bedroom in which Lady Edison spent six months recovering from Malaria forty years previously and which had been mysteriously sealed ever since.

It would not be fair to those who have not seen this episode (and tiresome for those who have) to reveal who turns out to be “The Unicorn” and who is expertly revealed to be “The Wasp”. However, it would be fair to say that the revelations are no great surprise, given the small number of cast members in the episode. However, there were more than a few satisfactory red herrings thrown in to keep us guessing. Anyone with any basic skill at math could have worked it out fairly quickly, however.

This brings us to the first issue I brought up at the start of this review – the subject of illegitimacy. Again, not something that the series brings up often – it wasn’t even raised as an issue during the whole forty five minutes of the execrable “The Doctor’s Daughter”, the previous episode. The entire plot of this episode relied on the fact that we would find it easy to swallow the “fact” that a human and an insect based life form could reproduce, with or without the aid of a magic stone (which of course turns out to be hyper advanced alien technology). The fact that the insect did not seem physiologically advanced enough to engineer such technology was overlooked for the sake of having the characters chased around an English country house by a huge six foot wasp.

This was a great shame as when the wasp was finally revealed – and then dispatched with great common sense by Donna (who was, I am sure the sort of little girl to place out glass jars containing jam and water for the sheer hell of it), we were supposed to feel something for it. Considering it was a hybrid it would have made much more sense for the creature to look half human and half insect and perhaps would have pulled the heart strings a little more at its demise and subsequent demonstration of mercy towards Agatha Christie. Noah in “The Ark in Space” for example, had much more pathos when he was half human half Wirrrn than if he had transmogrified straight away. This was somewhat of a lost opportunity done solely, I believe, for audience grabbing reasons.

A clever take, however, was the fact that when the hybrid realized his true self his mother was reading an Agatha Christie novel. This led the newly released creature to the belief that life on the planet earth was conducted like a murder mystery novel. Inevitably, this is what led to the murders. If only “Mama” had been reading something a little lighter all the mayhem could have been avoided. I guess that wouldn’t have made it an episode of Doctor Who!

The CGI effects for the wasp were well realized. The way that the wasp positioned itself to aim for a sting was particularly well done. This was the only real special effect of the episode, unless we count the purple water bubbling at the lakeside. There was excellent supporting acting, especially from Fenella Woolgar as Agatha Christie. She came over as something of a sensible “blue-stocking”, almost speechless with sadness at the recent discovery of her husband’s philandering. Woolgar was perfect in the role, but I am sure the actor must be wondering how she came to be as typecast – this is the only kind of role I have ever seen her do. Christie’s real life disappearance was explained well enough away by the happenings in this episode, but I must say I would have preferred her missing days to have been because of a couple of jaunts in the Tardis with Donna and the Doctor.

This was, generally, a hugely enjoyable “hoot” of an episode with a “topping” premise – to use the slang of the day so gleefully adopted by Donna. A shame for the missed opportunities of which due advantage should have been taken. It tried very hard to be a classic episode but perhaps it tried too hard.