Doctor Who: 'The Wasp and the Unicorn' (4x07)

“The Wasp and the Unicorn” is a pretty light episode, but it’s thoroughly enjoyable, taking a plot that sounds pretty weak on paper and making it work thanks to the really fun execution. I found the earlier Doctor meets historic writer episodes a bit ponderous, with their frequent references to classic literature, and all too obvious ties between the Doctor’s actions and what we saw in the author’s books. This episode does similar things, but always with a wink, and, like much of this season, what really makes it work is Donna.

Whereas Rose and Martha seemed awed simply to be traveling around with the Doctor, Donna plays things with a mix of enthusiasm and questioning. She’s excited to be caught up in this world, but also points out the ridiculousness of the genre conventions they’re messing with. It reminded me of the way Buffy used humor to make stories that are really goofy work. The humor doesn’t undermine the narrative reality, it’s an added pleasure on top of the story. Played straight, this episode would not work, but the jokes make it fun.

There’s not too much in depth to discuss here, so I’ll pretty much just do a list of the stuff I liked. I really enjoyed the cheesy dissolve and sound effect accompanying the flashbacks, and the digressive flashback within a flashback to the can can dancers. Another fun scene was the Doctor’s reaction to the poison and the farcical attempt to cure his poison. And, the constant misdirects in the big reveal scene were a lot of fun.

Typically, it’s been the historic episodes that didn’t work for me, but both “Fires of Pompeii” and this episode were great. “Pompeii” was the season’s high point so far, and this was a pleasant surprise. Other than the Sontaran two parter, the season’s been really strong so far. I think part of it may be watching the episodes spaced out a week, instead of bunched up on DVD, but I feel like the stories are more distinct and significant. There hasn’t been that feel that some episodes are just filler that I got from the previous years.

And, I think a large part of that is the fantastic chemistry between the Doctor and Donna. They’re making this season work, and I’m dreading these hints about Donna’s fate. The more she says she’ll never stop traveling with the Doctor, the more I’m worried that she’ll wind up dead down the line. Either way, we’re moving closer to the epic many character season finale, and I’m eager to see how Davies pulls everything together.