Not the strongest season starter, but passable.

The Doctor discovers that Ben & Polly have entered his Tardis. While trying to get them home, he lands the Tardis in 17th century Cornwall. After exploring and meeting the locals, they get swept up in the plans of smugglers, who are trying to find lost treasure. Will our new team survive this encounter? Or will they soon be swimming with the fishes?

First things first, this story is missing. Which is sad, considering this is both a first and last story for our current cast. As it stands, there are a few options for experiencing this story. You could pick up the narrated soundtrack, the Target novel or the Loose Cannon recreation. You can’t go wrong with any of them, but I picked the Loose Cannon recreation, as I like to experience character introductions and departures in the most authentic way possible. We make due, I suppose.

Overall, I found the story of the smugglers to be rather dull. It’s a historical story, but it doesn’t really fall in either of the 2 “camps” of historical storytelling. It’s not really dramatic or comedic in any way. So it makes me kind of unsure what I’m supposed to get out of all this.

Don’t get me wrong, a story does not have to fit a certain mold. But a good story generally tries to get some emotion out of you. Make you laugh, make you cry. Anything. But I’m unsure what The Smugglers is actually going for. It has moments of levity, but it is never funny. It also has moments of tension, but it is never really dramatic. What does this story want me to feel?

Okay, that sounds a bit pretentious. My point is that I never really felt all that entertained in any way. I think a big part of it is the setting. The story goes for a lot of pirate stereotypes: A captain with a hook, a ragtag crew of criminals and a hidden treasure. But it never really commits to that aesthetic. Most of the story takes place on land. In a random 17th century village. Do you really want to see pirates hanging out on land?

Imagine last seasons’ “The Gunfighters”, but you get cowboys sailing ships. That would feel off, right? That’s the feeling I’m getting here. The land scenes take up so much time, while the actual pirate elements get pushed to the sidelines.

That wouldn’t really be a problem if there was something else that kept this story intriguing, but it’s kind of hollow otherwise. The storyline itself is pretty generic. The evil people want something, but get caught by the good guys. The end. Even the Doctor’s influence if pretty limited. He doesn’t really take part in anything, except for some self-preservation.

The same goes for Ben & Polly, but they at least have the excuse of being new. Their stuff is mostly about getting to terms with their new time-travelling life and their historic surroundings, which gives them a little bit more to do.

Their dynamic is also pretty great. They are a duo through and through. Their closest comparison would be Ian and Barbara, but Ben and Polly also carry a little bit more of that “young energy” that many of the later companions brought. They’re a bit of a middle ground.

Polly doesn’t get all that much to do except fiddle around and have fun. There’re serious moments, but the overall tone is pretty light for her. She dances with straw in a prison cell. I think that says it all.

Meanwhile Ben is a bit of a loudmouth. Steven and Ian might have thought before they threw a punch, but Ben feels like he’d only start thinking after hitting someone in the face. A bit of a short fuse, but in a fun and energetic way, which the show can definitely use.

Their energy together is also fun! It’s blatant flirting, but neither the audience nor the Doctor ever feel like third wheels. It’s playful in a way that’s fun to watch, but it never distracts from the story. It only adds more. I hope it stays that way.

Other than the character dynamics, ‘The Smugglers” doesn’t have much going for it. It’s a rather empty story without anything that really engages the audience. That doesn’t mean bad, just that it is quite bland. It’s like a slice of bread without butter. It still works, but you’re constantly wishing for something better. Which is a bit of a shame.

Before I round this off, however, I do want to share something I found in research. A little quote from director Julia Smith about the filming of this episode. Consider it a little tribute to our Doctor in his last complete TV adventure:

"I remember asking William Hartnell to cross to the TARDIS and press a particular button and he went raving mad: "I can't. If I do that, this'll happen to the TARDIS and that'll happen to the TARDIS!" And he gave me a quarter of an hour's dissertation of why he couldn't press that button. I stood there, very young and very nervous and took this broadside about the insanity of women drivers almost. It was obviously so real to him. He'd committed himself to the character and acquainted himself with all the machinery, which in those days was very much simpler than it is now".