Doctor Who: Legend Of The Sea Devils Review - 6 Ups & 7 Downs
Is Thirteen’s era a sinking ship?
As we excitedly discussed in our Eve Of The Daleks review, Legend Of The Sea Devils was, on paper, an extremely promising episode. Firstly, we had the return of a long-requested classic era villain - the first revival since the Ice Warriors in 2013’s Cold War, almost a decade ago. We also had a historical episode set in China - a setting that has been left almost entirely untapped in the show’s long history. Finally, we were promised pirates, and you can’t go wrong with pirates. This was set to be, by far, the most original concept for an episode seen in Chibnall’s era.
But did it deliver on the hype? Did the good ship Chibnall strike upon hidden treasure, or did it lose its bearing and stray off-course?
13. UP - Striking Cinematography
Let’s start with a positive - Legend Of The Sea Devils is a damn pretty episode. Yes, it leans a little heavy on CGI at times, but this doesn’t detract from the wonderfully realised setting, which goes a long way to adding some much needed character to the episode.
Both ships used in the episode looked fantastic, and were distinct enough from eachother that things didn’t get too confusing. The Sea Devils’ pimped up version of Ji-Hun’s ship was a particularly fun set, bringing some strong Flying Dutchman vibes, with a bit of sci-fi flair thrown in. The costumes were also a highlight of the episode, managing to feel both interesting and authentic, and it was refreshing to once again see the TARDIS crew wearing period-accurate clothes… and then there’s Dan (but to be honest, the fancy dress costume works for him).
Lastly, we have to talk about the new look for the Sea Devils, which is one of the most faithful redesigns of a classic creature to date, and we have to say, the fishy bois have aged well! It’s one of the more obvious uses of prosthetic suits we’ve seen in recent years, and the lack of a moving mouth can be a little jarring at times, but we’re pleased the classic design wasn’t thrown completely out the window as it was with the Sea Devils’ Silurian cousins…