The Unicorn & the Wasp

********Spoiler Warning********

An unusual title and an unusual story-form for Dr Who to take. A 1920's farcical, murder-mystery, period-piece with an giant alien wasp! Nothing you haven't seen before, but maybe not all at once!
I can honestly say that this wasn't my favourite episode of the series, but it had its moments. I love the idea of the Doctor meeting Agatha Christie, the "explanation" of her famed disappearance and her acting as the Miss Marple / Hercule Poirot of this tale was great, but I do feel that it could have been a lot better. Fenella Woolgar was superbly cast as Mrs Christie, credit for which goes to David Tennant who immodestly claims full responsibility for suggesting she be cast in the role as they had worked together on a few occasions before.
The story almost lost my interest early on when the characters were all having flashback moments, as is a must in a murder / mystery, but I then saw the humour when Colonel Hugh had a flashback in his flashback. I was a bit miffed that there was no explanation for why the thief in the story was nicknamed "The Unicorn."Most names have some relevance so I was left wondering how this name had originated. And a giant wasp? Not the best "villain," but what can you do?
Poor Mrs Chandrakala really deserved to die if she is stupid enough to stand in the same spot creaming while a giant wasp pushes a gargoyle (sorry chimera) on her!
Donna, once again proved her worth when she is initially attacked by the Vermiform, after screaming for the Doctor she dispatches the giant creature with the magnifying glass. And comedy ensues later when the Doctor is looking for certain ingredients to cure him from cyanide poisoning. He has a mouth full of walnuts and tries miming the next ingredient he needs, resulting in a nice game of charades. Remind me never to pick Donna Noble for my team when playing!
As usual there many references to old Dr Who stories with Donna asking what the likelihood of meeting Agatha Christie during a murder / mystery. She says it's like "meeting Charles Dickens at Christmas surrounded by ghosts!" which refers, unintentionally by Donna, to "The Unquiet Dead."
References were also made to many of Mrs Christie's novels but, apart from the obvious ones like when Donna mentioned "Murder on the Orient Express," the only one I really picked up on was "Sparkling Cyanide." And the Cluedo references were many and varied, again with the most obvious being the murder of Professor Peach (Plum) in the library with the lead piping!
And, taking its cue from Torchwood maybe, there was also a gay couple in the story (yes, apparently we were around even back in the 1920's! How frightfully scandal!), with both characters being played by handsome actors Adam Rayner and Daniel King.
It was also wonderful to see the fabulous Felicity Kendal in the show, to mirror Richard Briers in Torchwood's "A Day in the Death," not to mention his previous Who appearance in "Paradise Towers" back in the 80's. All we need now is to have the fantastic Penelope Keith appear and that will be all the surviving Good Life cast.
Hopefully, next week's episode, "Silence in the Library" (another library!?!), will be better than the preview we were shown indicates. I wasn't hooked by anything in the sneak-peek, but only time will tell.


As for this weeks Confidential, Tim Barter appears again! YAY for Tim!! He was interviewed, briefly, about the shot of the Vermiform flying into the lake and seemed a lot more confident (and a lot less babbling, sorry Tim but you were) than his previous interview for "Partners in Crime."