Legend of the Sea Devils

Last updated

299 "Legend of the Sea Devils"
Doctor Who episode
Doctor Who Legend of the Sea Devils.jpg
Promotional poster
Cast
Others
  • Marlowe Chan-Reeves – Ying Ki
  • Crystal YuMadam Ching
  • Craige Els – Chief Sea Devil
  • Arthur Lee – Ji-Hun
  • David K. S. Tse – Ying Wai
  • Jon Davey, Simon Carew, Chester Durrant, Richard Price, Mickey Lewis, Andrew Cross – Sea Devils
  • Nadia Albina – Diane (uncredited) [1]
Production
Directed byHaolu Wang
Written by Ella Road and Chris Chibnall
Script editor
  • Caroline Buckley
  • Rebecca Roughan
Produced by Nikki Wilson
Executive producer(s)
  • Chris Chibnall
  • Matt Strevens
  • Nikki Wilson
Music by Segun Akinola
Series 2022 specials
Running time48 minutes
First broadcast17 April 2022 (2022-04-17)
Chronology
 Preceded by
"Eve of the Daleks"
Followed by 
"The Power of the Doctor"
List of Doctor Who episodes (2005–present)

"Legend of the Sea Devils" is the second of the 2022 specials of the British science fiction television programme Doctor Who, which was broadcast on BBC One on 17 April 2022. The episode was written by Ella Road and Chris Chibnall, and directed by Haolu Wang. It follows "Eve of the Daleks", serving as an Easter special, and stars Jodie Whittaker in her penultimate episode as the Thirteenth Doctor, alongside Mandip Gill as Yasmin Khan and John Bishop as Dan Lewis.

Contents

The episode received mixed to negative reviews from critics. The penultimate episode of the Thirteenth Doctor era of the show, it was the least-watched episode in the programme’s history since its revival in 2005.

Plot

In 1807 China, the pirate Madam Ching raids a village and, using a gem, unwittingly releases the Sea Devil Marsissus from a stone statue. Marsissus kills Ying Wai, the young Ying Ki's father, who was tasked with keeping Marsissus contained. The Doctor, Yaz, and Dan arrive to confront Marsissus and investigate the village. Ying Ki and Dan take the gem, split off, and swim to Ching's ship to take revenge. Ching reveals she is after the treasure of the legendary sailor Ji-Hun (who disappeared searching for the Flor de la Mar treasure) because she needs it to pay the ransom for her kidnapped crew. The Sea Devils unleash a leviathan, the Huasen, on Ching's ship.

The Doctor and Yaz take the TARDIS back 274 years and witness a Sea Devil betraying Ji-Hun aboard the latter's ship. Returning to 1807, they try to find the shipwreck to no avail. The Huasen takes the TARDIS to the Sea Devils’ undersea lair. The Sea Devils seek the gem, the Keystone, to execute their plan. Pretending they have it, the Doctor and Yaz use it as leverage to board Ji-Hun's ship, which has been retrofitted with alien technology. They are shown Ji-Hun, who has been kept in stasis. He reveals he tricked the Sea Devils in their deal. Marsissus calls the Doctor's bluff, claiming the Huasen has located the Keystone.

Ji-Hun, the Doctor, and Yaz board Ching's ship. Ji-Hun finds out Ying Ki is the descendant of his most trusted crew member Lei Bao and reveals he gave the Keystone to Lei, who escaped his ship. Marsissus seizes the Keystone from Ying Ki just as the Doctor realises the Sea Devils plan to use it to flood Earth.

The protagonists fight the Sea Devils aboard Ching's ship. The Doctor tampers with the technology on Ji-Hun's ship, but destroying it requires two cables to be held together. The Doctor volunteers to stay back while the others escape, but Ji-Hun offers to sacrifice himself instead.

Madam Ching announces she has recovered enough treasure to pay the ransom and will make Ying Ki a member of her crew. The Doctor takes Yaz and Dan ashore. Dan leaves a message for his love interest Diane and is surprised when she calls him back. The Doctor, who had acknowledged Yaz's feelings for her on Ji-Hun's ship, solemnly expresses her wish that she could spend more time with Yaz.

Production

Development

"Legend of the Sea Devils" was written by newcomer Ella Road, and showrunner and executive producer Chris Chibnall. The episode sees the return of the Sea Devils for the first time since Warriors of the Deep (1984). [2]

Casting

Jodie Whittaker stars as the Thirteenth Doctor, alongside Mandip Gill as Yasmin Khan and John Bishop as Dan Lewis. The casting of Crystal Yu, Arthur Lee and Marlowe Chan-Reeves was announced alongside their appearances in a trailer following the credits of "Eve of the Daleks". [2]

Filming

The episode was directed by Haolu Wang. The first two 2022 specials were filmed in the same production run as the thirteenth series. [3] Filming for those specials concluded in August 2021. [4]

Publicity

As part of the promotion for the episode, Scottish musician Nathan Evans was featured on the official Doctor Who YouTube channel, singing an adaptation of the sea ballad "Wellerman". [5]

Broadcast and reception

Broadcast

"Legend of the Sea Devils" was first broadcast on 17 April 2022 (Easter Sunday) and is the second of the three 2022 specials. [6]

Ratings

The episode was watched by 2.20 million viewers overnight, becoming the eleventh most-watched programme of the day. [7] The episode received an Audience Appreciation Index score of 76. [8] The final consolidated ratings for the episode were 3.47 million viewers, [9] the lowest viewing figure in the programme's post-2005 history and the second-lowest in its entire history, only ahead of the first episode of Battlefield (1989), which received 3.1 million viewers. [10]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Rotten Tomatoes (Tomatometer)50% [11]
Rotten Tomatoes (Average Score)4.90/10 [11]
Metacritic 51/100 [12]
Review scores
SourceRating
i Star full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [13]
Radio Times Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [14]
The Independent Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [15]
Evening Standard Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [16]

On Rotten Tomatoes, a review aggregator website, 50% of eight critics gave "Legend of the Sea Devils" a positive review, with an average rating of 4.90 out of 10. [11] On Metacritic, another aggregator, the episode received a weighted average score of 51 based on six reviews, indicating "mixed or average reviews". [12] Benji Wilson, writing in The Daily Telegraph , said that his kids thought the Sea Devils were "cute" which undermined the perceived scariness of the episode. However, he praised the "nascent queer relationship between the Doctor and Yaz" commenting that the interplay between the two characters was "genuinely affecting". [17]

Awarding it three stars out of five, Martin Belam of The Guardian said the episode "promised a swashbuckling Easter special, and it partially delivered", but he felt that the scenes between the Doctor and Yaz towards the end "didn't necessarily ring true". [1]

Home media

"Eve of the Daleks" and "Legend of the Sea Devils" received a joint DVD and Blu-ray release in Region 2/B on 23 May 2022, [18] in Region 1/A on 28 June 2022, [19] and in Region 4/B on 13 July 2022. [20] The episode was included in the home media set for the 2022 specials, released in Region 2/B on 7 November 2022. [21]

Soundtrack

On 18 November 2022, composer Segun Akinola announced that selected pieces of the score from this special would be digitally released on 9 December 2022. A physical CD release containing all 3 soundtracks of the 2022 specials was released on 13 January 2023. [22]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thirteenth Doctor</span> Fictional character from Doctor Who

The Thirteenth Doctor is an incarnation of the Doctor, the protagonist of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. She is portrayed by English actress Jodie Whittaker, the first woman to portray the character, starring in three series as well as five specials. Whittaker's portrayal of the Thirteenth Doctor has been met with generally positive reviews, though her tenure is often considered divisive.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Woman Who Fell to Earth</span> 2018 Doctor Who episode

"The Woman Who Fell to Earth" is the first episode of the eleventh series and the 845th episode overall of the British science fiction television programme Doctor Who. It was written by new head writer and executive producer Chris Chibnall, directed by Jamie Childs, and was first broadcast on BBC One on 7 October 2018. It stars Jodie Whittaker in her first full appearance as the Thirteenth Doctor, and introduces the Doctor's new companions – Bradley Walsh as Graham O'Brien, Tosin Cole as Ryan Sinclair, and Mandip Gill as Yasmin Khan. The episode also guest stars Sharon D. Clarke, Johnny Dixon, and Samuel Oatley.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Graham O'Brien</span> Fictional character in the TV series Doctor Who

Graham O'Brien is a fictional character created by Chris Chibnall and portrayed by Bradley Walsh in the long-running British sci-fi television series Doctor Who. A retired bus driver from Essex who is in remission from cancer, the character is portrayed as an everyman. In the show's eleventh series, starting with the first episode, he served as a companion of the thirteenth incarnation of the alien time traveller known as the Doctor until the 2021 New Year's Special "Revolution of the Daleks".

Yasmin Khan (<i>Doctor Who</i>) Fictional character in the TV series Doctor Who

Yasmin "Yaz" Khan is a fictional character created by Chris Chibnall and portrayed by Mandip Gill in the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. In the show's eleventh series, starting with the first episode, Yasmin serves as a companion of the Thirteenth Doctor, an incarnation of the alien time traveller known as the Doctor ; she would part ways with the Doctor in "The Power of the Doctor", the Thirteenth Doctor's final episode, and was the last person with her before she regenerated on her own. She is one of just two full-time companions to be present throughout the entirety of an incarnation's tenure, the other being Rose Tyler who starred alongside Christopher Eccleston's Ninth Doctor.

Resolution (<i>Doctor Who</i>) 2019 British Doctor Who episode

"Resolution" is an episode of the British science fiction television programme Doctor Who. It was written by showrunner, head writer and executive producer Chris Chibnall, directed by Wayne Yip, and was first broadcast on BBC One on 1 January 2019. The special follows the eleventh series as a New Year's Day special episode, instead of the traditional annual Christmas special. "Resolution" was the only episode of Doctor Who to air in 2019, preceding the twelfth series in 2020.

"Spyfall" is the two-part premiere of the twelfth series of the British science fiction television programme Doctor Who, first broadcast on BBC One on 1 and 5 January 2020. It was written by showrunner and executive producer Chris Chibnall. The first episode was directed by Jamie Magnus Stone, and the second by Lee Haven Jones.

"Praxeus" is the sixth episode of the twelfth series of the British science fiction television programme Doctor Who, first broadcast on BBC One on 2 February 2020. It was written by Pete McTighe and Chris Chibnall, and directed by Jamie Magnus Stone.

<i>Doctor Who</i> (series 13) 2021 series of Doctor Who

The thirteenth series of the British science fiction television programme Doctor Who, known collectively as Flux, was broadcast from 31 October to 5 December 2021. The series is the third and last to be led by Chris Chibnall as head writer and executive producer. It is the thirteenth to air following the programme's revival in 2005, and the thirty-ninth season overall. The series, initially announced in November 2019, was the last to be broadcast on Sunday nights, continuing the trend set by the previous two series. It was followed by three associated specials, all of which aired in 2022.

"The Timeless Children" is the tenth and final episode of the twelfth series of the British science fiction television programme Doctor Who, first broadcast on BBC One on 1 March 2020. It was written by Chris Chibnall, and directed by Jamie Magnus Stone. It is the second of a two-part story; the previous episode, "Ascension of the Cybermen", aired on 23 February.

<i>Revolution of the Daleks</i> 2021 Doctor Who episode

"Revolution of the Daleks" is a special episode of the British science fiction television programme Doctor Who, first broadcast on BBC One on 1 January 2021. It was written by Chris Chibnall, and directed by Lee Haven Jones. The episode follows the twelfth series as a New Year’s Day special, continuing on from "The Timeless Children" (2020).

<i>Doctor Who</i> (2022 specials) 2022 special episodes of Doctor Who

The 2022 specials of the British science fiction television programme Doctor Who are three additional episodes that follow the programme's thirteenth series, and were first announced in July 2021. The first special aired on 1 January 2022, with the additional specials airing on 17 April and 23 October. They are the final episodes to feature Jodie Whittaker as the Thirteenth Doctor and Chris Chibnall as showrunner. The specials also star Mandip Gill and John Bishop as the Doctor's travelling companions, Yasmin Khan and Dan Lewis, respectively, with "The Power of the Doctor" featuring the return of Sacha Dhawan as the Master and the debut of David Tennant as the Fourteenth Doctor, who would star in the following 2023 specials.

"The Halloween Apocalypse", prefixed frequently with either "Chapter One" or "Flux", is the premiere episode of the thirteenth series of the British science fiction television programme Doctor Who, and the first part of the six-episode serial known collectively as Doctor Who: Flux. It was first broadcast on BBC One on 31 October 2021. It was written by showrunner and executive producer Chris Chibnall, and directed by Jamie Magnus Stone.

"War of the Sontarans", prefixed frequently with either "Chapter Two" or "Flux", is the second episode of the thirteenth series of the British science fiction television programme Doctor Who, and of the six-episode serial known collectively as Doctor Who: Flux. It was first broadcast on BBC One on 7 November 2021. It was written by showrunner and executive producer Chris Chibnall, and directed by Jamie Magnus Stone.

"Once, Upon Time", prefixed frequently with either "Chapter Three" or "Flux", is the third episode of the thirteenth series of the British science fiction television programme Doctor Who, and of the six-episode serial known collectively as Doctor Who: Flux. It was first broadcast on BBC One on 14 November 2021. It was written by showrunner and executive producer Chris Chibnall, and directed by Azhur Saleem.

"Village of the Angels", prefixed frequently with either "Chapter Four" or "Flux", is the fourth episode of the thirteenth series of the British science fiction television programme Doctor Who, and of the six-episode serial known collectively as Doctor Who: Flux. It was first broadcast on BBC One on 21 November 2021. It was written by showrunner and executive producer Chris Chibnall and Maxine Alderton, and directed by Jamie Magnus Stone.

"Survivors of the Flux", prefixed frequently with either "Chapter Five" or "Flux", is the fifth and penultimate episode of the thirteenth series of the British science fiction television programme Doctor Who, and of the six-episode serial known collectively as Doctor Who: Flux. It was first broadcast on BBC One on 28 November 2021. It was written by showrunner and executive producer Chris Chibnall, and directed by Azhur Saleem.

"The Vanquishers", prefixed frequently with either "Chapter Six" or "Flux", is the sixth and final episode of the thirteenth series of the British science fiction television programme Doctor Who, and of the six-episode serial known collectively as Doctor Who: Flux. It was first broadcast on BBC One on 5 December 2021. It was written by showrunner and executive producer Chris Chibnall, and directed by Azhur Saleem.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eve of the Daleks</span> 2022 Doctor Who episode

"Eve of the Daleks" is the first of the 2022 specials of the British science fiction television programme Doctor Who, which was broadcast on BBC One on 1 January 2022. It was written by Chris Chibnall, and directed by Annetta Laufer. The episode follows the thirteenth series as a New Year’s Day special.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Power of the Doctor</span> 2022 Doctor Who episode

"The Power of the Doctor" is the third and final of the 2022 specials of the British science fiction television programme Doctor Who, and was broadcast on BBC One on 23 October 2022. The episode was ordered for the centenary of the BBC's launch, airing five days after. It was written by Chris Chibnall, and directed by Jamie Magnus Stone.

References

  1. 1 2 "Doctor Who Easter special recap – Legend of the Sea Devils". The Guardian. 17 April 2022. Retrieved 19 April 2022.
  2. 1 2 Jeffery, Morgan (1 January 2022). "The Sea Devils will return to Doctor Who in Spring 2022 special". Radio Times . Retrieved 1 January 2022.
  3. Laford, Andrea (29 July 2021). "Jodie Whittaker and Chris Chibnall to leave Doctor Who after trio of 2022 Specials". Cultbox. Retrieved 29 July 2021.
  4. Laford, Andrea (9 August 2021). "Doctor Who Series 13 and 2022 specials: directors and casting news". CultBox. Retrieved 11 August 2021.
  5. "Nathan Evans - Wellerman (Sea Devils Version)". Doctor Who YouTube channel. 13 April 2022. Retrieved 20 April 2022.
  6. Haigh, Josh (28 March 2022). "Doctor Who confirms Easter special release date". DigitalSpy. Retrieved 28 March 2022.
  7. Marcus (18 April 2022). "Legend of the Sea Devils - Overnight Viewing Figures". Doctor Who News. Retrieved 18 April 2022.
  8. Foster, Chuck (19 April 2022). "Legend of the Sea Devils - Appreciation Index". Doctor Who News. Retrieved 19 April 2022.
  9. "Doctor Who Guide: Ratings Guide". Doctor Who News. 25 April 2022. Retrieved 25 April 2022.
  10. Marcus (18 April 2022). "Legend of the Sea Devils - Overnight Viewing Figures". Doctor Who News. Retrieved 30 August 2023.
  11. 1 2 3 "Doctor Who: Legend of the Sea Devils". Rotten Tomatoes . Fandango Media . Retrieved 14 May 2022.
  12. 1 2 "Doctor Who: Legend of the Sea Devils". Metacritic . Fandom, Inc. Retrieved 14 May 2022.
  13. "Frenzied, forgettable nonsense - Jodie Whittaker's penultimate episode was a disaster". inews.co.uk. 17 April 2022.
  14. "Doctor Who: Legend of the Sea Devils review – classic monsters resurface in maritime mediocrity". Radio Times.
  15. "In Doctor Who, is Jodie Whittaker on the cusp of a big romantic moment? - review". The Independent. 17 April 2022.
  16. Jessop, Vicky (17 April 2022). "Doctor Who: Legend of the Sea Devils is an Easter treat". Evening Standard.
  17. Wilson, Benji (18 April 2022). "Last night on television". The Daily Telegraph. No. 51, 918. p. 24. ISSN   0307-1235.
  18. "Doctor Who: Eve of the Daleks and Legend of the Sea Devils" . Retrieved 7 April 2022 via Amazon.
  19. "Doctor Who: Eve of the Daleks and Legend of the Sea Devils" . Retrieved 7 April 2022 via Amazon.
  20. "Doctor Who - Eve Of The Daleks & Legend Of The Sea Devils". Sanity. Retrieved 22 April 2022.
  21. "Doctor Who: The Series 13 Specials Steelbook" . Retrieved 10 October 2022 via Amazon.
  22. Segun Akinola [@segunakinola] (17 November 2022). "#DoctorWho fans I have one more release for you: Series 13 - The Specials" (Tweet). Retrieved 18 November 2022 via Twitter.