Doctor Who: Every 11th Doctor Episode Ranked Worse To Best

The Vampires of Venice may be one of the most underrated episodes of Matt Smith’s era. From its unusual pre-credit opening at Rory’s stag do as the Doctor emerges from the stripper’s cake, this episode makes it clear it’s going to subvert our expectations.

It continues to subvert everything throughout the episode, most notably with the revelation that the vampires are not all they seem. While it may have seemed rather obvious that the vampires would be aliens, as the previous seasons explained ghosts and werewolves as aliens too, it isn’t until relatively near the end we learn of their true identity.

This episode also contains a fantastic villain of the week thanks to Helen McCrory who plays Signora Calvierri, leader of the ‘vampires’. She makes her character even sound justified as her people have fled from a dying planet and only wish to seek refuge on Earth. Albeit wanting to drown our planet in the process.