5 Ups & 2 Downs From Doctor Who Series 12 - The Haunting Of Villa Diodati
So THAT inspired Frankenstein's monster...
We're a matter of one episode away from the two-part finale of Series 12. Ascension of the Cybermen and The Timeless Children are set to wrap up a surprisingly solid series, but first we need to solve the oddities occuring at Villa Diodati.
Not one, but five historical figures are present, with Mary Shelley spearheading the casting. Will this summer retreat reveal who or what inspired the story of Frankenstein? Will this episode sit alongside the quality of everything either side of Orphan 55? Grab a candelabra, and prepare to traverse the dark halls of Villa Diodati...
As always, we begin with the downs.
Downs...
2. The Pacing (For The Most Part)
The Haunting of Villa Diodati explained every whimsical narrative beat raised over the course of the episode's first two acts (something we'll get to shortly), though it still piled a huge amount of events into the viewers' lap before it explained any of it. With two separate occasions of three groups of characters traversing their house, experiencing their own little set of events, until the arrival of the Lone Cyberman, things were mildly messy.
Add to that moments leaving viewers wondering whether a scene linking two others was left on the cutting room floor, and this haunting felt a little unpolished until the final act. It's not a criticism that topples the entire episode, as it got right back on track very quickly, but something semi-overlooked until our 'surprise' arrived.