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Reports that the pirate captain in The Curse of the Black Spot was called Avery intrigued me firstly because this was the name of the captain whose treasure is being sought in The Smugglers, and secondly because it dawned on me that Henry Avery was a historical figure. Further (brief) investigations suggest that The Curse of the Black Spot drew on a particular source or set of sources, as the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, published in 2004, used Henry Avery as the definitive form of his name. The ODNB's predecessor, the Dictionary of National Biography, included 'John Avery', a name now probably most easily treated as belonging to a fictionalisation; but a heavily referenced Wikipedia article, relying substantially on works published since the ODNB appeared, now calls the pirate 'Henry Every', and suggests that may of the lacunae in the life of Avery/Every featured in the traditional account have been filled by research. Consequently while this Doctor Who story features a historical celebrity, albeit a more obscure one than has become usual, it's a view of the celebrity which is dependent on an account already superseded. This is perhaps appropriate given the dependence of earlier historians on fictional/legendary accounts of Avery's career, and the self-conscious presentation in latterday Doctor Who of historical figures as constructs based on their popular and folkloric reputations. Indeed, the first minute or so of the Doctor's encounter with the pirate crew is entirely geared towards making fun of, and thus confirming these stereotypes.
This episode has divided the commentariat, with well-argued responses finding much right and wrong with it. I found it enjoyable but very light, an adventure designed to provide more straightforward thrills after the brain-folding excitement of the first two episodes. Its strength was in legerdemain, the energy of the performances helping the vessel stay afloat above the absences of explanation (I wasn't clear why the tissue sampling left an enduring black spot, unless it was because the sample was in the other time zone) or unlikelihoods such as Toby being able to conceal himself aboard his father's ship for so long. The episode demonstrated that the current production regime is more willing to present variety of tone and content between episodes than its predecessor often was, though the uniformity of tone was often exaggerated by critics.
Steve Thompson's first script for Doctor Who showed him to be an adherent of the repeated Moffat meme. Rory was lost to Amy again, briefly. Amy's arc of maturation from her first series was resurrected as she took responsibility for Rory's recovery; but surely 'You've seen them do CPR in films loads of times' is not sensible advice for a dying nurse to give.
This episode has divided the commentariat, with well-argued responses finding much right and wrong with it. I found it enjoyable but very light, an adventure designed to provide more straightforward thrills after the brain-folding excitement of the first two episodes. Its strength was in legerdemain, the energy of the performances helping the vessel stay afloat above the absences of explanation (I wasn't clear why the tissue sampling left an enduring black spot, unless it was because the sample was in the other time zone) or unlikelihoods such as Toby being able to conceal himself aboard his father's ship for so long. The episode demonstrated that the current production regime is more willing to present variety of tone and content between episodes than its predecessor often was, though the uniformity of tone was often exaggerated by critics.
Steve Thompson's first script for Doctor Who showed him to be an adherent of the repeated Moffat meme. Rory was lost to Amy again, briefly. Amy's arc of maturation from her first series was resurrected as she took responsibility for Rory's recovery; but surely 'You've seen them do CPR in films loads of times' is not sensible advice for a dying nurse to give.
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