Vampires of Venice is one of those episodes that contains brilliant moments but does not quite work as a whole. Yet that certainly is not the fault of lead villain Rosanna who delights as both sinister woman and aquatic alien. Helen McCrorys performance is deliciously flirty with an underlying frantic desperation. Her scenes with Matt Smith spark with attraction and manipulation as each character is determined to outwit the other. What makes Rosanna so memorable is the way McCrory allows the characters vulnerability to creep through her mask of confidence. By the end of the story Rosanna is less a monster and more a victim of circumstance. While Rosanna's suicide is tragic she never loses her malicious edge. She wants the Doctor to feel her pain and to take responsibility for his part in the death of her race. We are meant to feel conflicted over her fate and that is what makes her such a well-written and fascinating character.