Doctor Who: 10 Reasons Why The Rings Of Akhaten Sucks

6. The Best Villains Get Too Little Screen Time

The Rings of Akhaten features three bad guys: the Vigil, the mummy and the planet "god" Akhaten (sometimes called "Grandfather"). If the two choristers searching for Merry in the marketplace count as villains too (and they fulfill the story function of villains in that scene), there are four bad guys or groups of bad guys in one story.

That might be a record for Doctor Who.

That many "black hats" is a bit much. Inevitably, the better ones are going to get short changed. Specifically, the creepy Vigil wound up being under-used.

The solution: Obviously, the story needs the Vigil, because they provide much needed menace until the mummy wakes up. But wait a minute, does the story need the mummy? He doesn't do much apart from roar a little and break some glass, and his origins as an alarm clock for a planet are never really explained. Could the story function of the mummy have been merged with that of the Vigil, eliminating one bad guy completely and simplifying the story structure?

Imagine a story where the Vigil are forcing Merry to sing to keep their master, the planet-sized parasite, asleep because they simply don't like it; perhaps they are afraid of it, too. Due to the parasite getting too hungry, it wakes up anyway and possesses one of them, communicating directly with the Time Lord who's presumptuous enough to oppose its feeding on the Ring's denizens. Hey presto, no need for a so-so mummy, and the Vigil get a backstory and much more to do into the bargain.

Still, all is not lost. Assuming the Vigil were hired hands, there's nothing to stop their re-use in another story set in deep space. If they do manage a comeback, here's hoping they're better utilised next time round.