Doctor Who — Series 12: Episode 8 — The Haunting of Villa Diodati — A Review

*Spoilers*

16th February, 2020.

Yes: it’s definitively the case.

My tumble dryer, the one that isn’t audible to you, but that I could hear whilst recording that video … 

Is a loud b*gger!

It’s noisy enough that I think I should replace it.

Except, of course, that it’s something I only bought last year!

Ho … 

Hum!

~≈Ÿ≈~

One thing I’m aware of … ?

Is simply that there’s a possibility I’ll be getting a cheap laptop, soon.

On my birthday, at the start of March.

The 4th, if you wanted to buy me a card.

At ANY rate … ?

There’s a possibility of a cheap laptop.

Me being me?

I’d rather not have Windows on the thing.

Just on general principles.

I’d far rather use an open source operating system like Ubuntu.

Usually?

I’d use an app called balenaEtcher to turn a USB memory stick into what’s called a live disc: a kind of installer, in other words.

Except, of course, balenaEtcher is having some sort of spasm … and refusing to work!

There’s a possibility, though, that I can get the same result by fiddling around in Terminal: the macOS equivalent to the Windows command line.

Old fashioned typed commands, in other words.

On top of that … ?

I may have to enable my root account — a sort of extremely powerful user account on a computer — to get that to work.

It’s not something I’m used to, or confident about: I’m very aware the root account is not something to play around with, lightly.

Although I can, in theory, activate the one on my old machine: and try the job on there.

We are going to have to see, aren’t we?

~≈Ÿ≈~

At any rate, it’s a Sunday night.

A Sunday night when Doctor Who

 is on.

Yes: you’re right, another episode of series 12.

I’ve been glued to it.

And, yes … 

The Haunting of Villa Diodati is fantastic.

~≈Ÿ≈~

Episode 8 — The Haunting of Villa Diodati — opens in 1816*: on a dark and stormy night on Lake Geneva, in the eponymous villa.

And introduces us to Lord Byron (Jacob Collins Levy), Dr Polidori (Maxim Baldry), Claire Clairmont (Nadia Parkes) and the stone to be Mrs Shelley, Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin (Lili Miller) … 

On the very night that prompted Mary to eventually write Frankenstein, and Dr Polidori to pen The Vampyre.

The storm … ?

Is getting worse.

But the foursome are:

• Getting slowly tipsy.
• Not too worried about their missing college, Percy Shelley (Lewis Rainer).
• Increasingly alarmed by a knocking at the door.

It turns out the latter?

Is the Doctor, Ryan, Yas and Graham (Jodie Whittaker, Toisin Cole, Mandip Gill and Bradley Walsh): intent on meeting the literary heroes of the age.

It’s only when Graham decides he want the loo, that the chance comes for some one to go exploring the Villa.

A Villa where hands … go wandering … 

A villa … where the thing in the corner of your eye … ?   Is more invasive than you possibly thought.

And a villa where the missing Percy Shelley?

Is key to more than just poetry … 

~≈Ÿ≈~

Now … 

Fantastic?

Oh, lord, yes!

For a start?

We have a really meaty group of one off characters: showing us Mary, Byron, Polidori, et al, was a good decision.

A decision backed by both good dialogue — Mary’s “Something to awaken thrilling horror” speech comes to mind, there — and some very good performances.

Especially from Über Butler, Fletcher, played by Stefan Bednarczyk: am I the only person thinking of Willikins, Commander Vimes’ butler in Sir Terry Pratchett’s Discworld novels?

There’s the Villa itself: endless being rearranged in way we’ve sort of seen before: anyone who’s seen Tom Baker’s The Horns of Nimon, or Peter Davison’s Castrovalva will find it familiar … 

But far better executed, I think.

Then there’s that central thread: the one we were warned about by Captain Jack, himself.

The Lone Cyberman.

The Haunting of Villa Diodati finally reveals the Lone Cyberman as a half completed conversion call Ashad: a half complete Cyberman searching for an escaped piece of cyber technology called the Cyberium.

A control mechanism that logs everything they do, and contains a large database.

A control mechanism … ?

That’s inhabiting Percy Bysshe Shelley … 

A control mechanism that’s being hunted for … 

By a Lone Cyberman† that looks horrific, to say the least.

With a cyber helmet that’s incomplete, and revealing the all too human, all too corpse like, face underneath the mask.

One that’s terrifying not in it’s robotic blankness: but terrifying in it’s rage, hatred and anger.

The Lone Cyberman is all the more monstrous for that.

That … and it’s ability to quote Shelley and — seemingly — care for a child …

And reveal its name …

Added to that … ?

We have the main cast’s performances.

For most of series twelve?

For most of series twelve, Mandip Gill as Yas has been carrying more weight, with in the story: and put in her fair share, tonight.

But?

I have to admit, it seemed both Bradley Walsh, AND Toisin Cole had some lifting to do, as well.

Toisin Cole’s almost duel has stuck in my mind, there!

Add to that what has to be the best speech the Thirteenth Doctor’s given, the “But is he, Ryan?” speech, where the Doctor explains the consequences of letting Shelley die?

Is utterly riveting.

Right at the moment, I’m very aware of a lot of things.

I’m aware that many have complained about the tone of series 11, Jodie’s first.

I’m aware many complained about last week’s cancer scene: although I know one or two people have also said that — when told of a friend’s cancer diagnoses — they felt as awkward as the Doctor.

I’m also very aware that those who’ve complained … ?

Won’t have anything to complain about.

In giving us interesting characters, good performances and writing, and possibly the scariest take on an old foe?

The Haunting of Villa Diodati is an utterly fantastic episode.

*        Bek — @Greebohobbes, over on Twitter — has just reminded‡ me that 1816 was one of the years known as The Year Without a Summer.   It seems a couple of volcanoes going off made enough of a mess to do serious damage for the course of the year: not something that I knew much about, if I’m being honest.   But it does add an extra layer of detail: as did the reminder that Lord Byron was the father of Ada Lovelace, who made an appearance in Spyfall, Pt2.   With all that said?   And, as it’s on in the background?   Let me play you some Dr Feelgood.

†        I can’t remember when it was said in the episode: but at one point, the Doctor describe the Cyberman as ‘dead’: something that ties in nicely with a Moffat era twist on the Cybermen.   Weaponised corpses … 

‡        Here’s Bek’s original post … 

Did you mention the year without a summer? I am researching this at the moment.

— Bek Hobbes, Tooth and Claw (@Greebohobbes) February 17, 2020