As this episode opens Bill and The Doctor find themselves in London in February of 1814 when the last of the famous Frost Fairs was taking place. At first Bill is worried that, as a black person, she will stand out in Regency London but we soon see that she is far from the only black person around. She is also a little concerned that the tiniest action could have major ramifications; to which The Doctor points out that they certainly did for her friend 'Pete' who has been erased from history
it takes a few seconds for her to cotton on that he is teasing.
As the episode progresses the head out onto the ice to enjoy the fair. A pair of street urchins pick The Doctor's pocket and take his sonic screwdriver. Before he can get it back something below the ice takes the boy leaving the screwdriver on the refrozen ice. Bill is upset that there is nothing The Doctor can do to save the boy and even more upset that he doesn't seem to be concerned he is more concerned about finding out what is under the ice. It is eventually discovered to be a very large aquatic creature; somebody is holding it captive and harvesting its 'waste products' for fuel. The Doctor and Bill will have to find out who is behind this before more people are lured to their deaths on the ice.
I really enjoyed this episode; largely because I've always been somewhat fascinated by the Frost Fairs something we are unlikely to see again for a very long time. I enjoyed the way the fair was depicted; even showing the elephant that really was taken out onto the ice during that last Frost Fair. The story itself was pretty solid with a good 'monster' before we learn that the real monster of the episode is very much human. Some may think it was a bit heavy handed to bring up the subject of race but no doubt if no mention had been made similar numbers would be wondering why not and it is understandable that Bill would have been concerned as history teaching hardly emphasises that there were black Britons long before largescale post-war immigration. I liked the way the creature was depicted; a classic 'sea monster' that hunted in a way that provided some decent tension; I certainly hadn't expected a child to be killed. This part of the story had a nice feel-good ending that led up to a short finale where we were reminded of 'The Vault' and here something inside; something that sounded unpleasant. Overall I enjoyed this historical episode; especially the way it intertwined a science fiction story with real events.
As the episode progresses the head out onto the ice to enjoy the fair. A pair of street urchins pick The Doctor's pocket and take his sonic screwdriver. Before he can get it back something below the ice takes the boy leaving the screwdriver on the refrozen ice. Bill is upset that there is nothing The Doctor can do to save the boy and even more upset that he doesn't seem to be concerned he is more concerned about finding out what is under the ice. It is eventually discovered to be a very large aquatic creature; somebody is holding it captive and harvesting its 'waste products' for fuel. The Doctor and Bill will have to find out who is behind this before more people are lured to their deaths on the ice.
I really enjoyed this episode; largely because I've always been somewhat fascinated by the Frost Fairs something we are unlikely to see again for a very long time. I enjoyed the way the fair was depicted; even showing the elephant that really was taken out onto the ice during that last Frost Fair. The story itself was pretty solid with a good 'monster' before we learn that the real monster of the episode is very much human. Some may think it was a bit heavy handed to bring up the subject of race but no doubt if no mention had been made similar numbers would be wondering why not and it is understandable that Bill would have been concerned as history teaching hardly emphasises that there were black Britons long before largescale post-war immigration. I liked the way the creature was depicted; a classic 'sea monster' that hunted in a way that provided some decent tension; I certainly hadn't expected a child to be killed. This part of the story had a nice feel-good ending that led up to a short finale where we were reminded of 'The Vault' and here something inside; something that sounded unpleasant. Overall I enjoyed this historical episode; especially the way it intertwined a science fiction story with real events.