Review of Black Orchid by thedefinitearticle63
26 June 2024
This review contains spoilers
This is part of a series of reviews of Doctor Who in chronological timeline order.
Previous Story: Serpent in the Silver Mask
In just two parts this manages to be an incredibly entertaining story, much more so than some four and six parters. It also manages to balance the often difficult to balance TARDIS team perfectly, when other stories have double the length and still need to write a character out (I'm looking at you, Kinda)
I love a good murder mystery, and the fact that it's a pure historical is so refreshing. I'm tired of the men in latex suits with silly voices being the real villain in historicals. Shame this is the last one on TV though.
This is very much a short story, low stakes. It's a story that purely focuses on the characters, something I appreciate very much. It's not that it necessarily gives us some rich insight into their thoughts and feelings and moreso that it shows this team just being happy, especially bittersweet when you know what's coming. This is the first time the characters get a chance to take a break.
There is no real villain here, just the end of someone else's tragic story, and tragic it is. I think that's rather refreshing for Doctor Who and is one of the best showcases, in my opinion, of how this show can adapt and change and suit every format, style and genre.
Next Story: The Merfolk Murders