I am a rabid TW fan, but I have to say the only reason I re-watched this episode was to see if it really was as bad as I thought the first time around.
It was. No, I take it back. It was WORSE.
Big play-up hint in the preview is that on this old film of a carny show, Jack is there, big as life, a part of the show. Preview has Jack stating, "I was billed as The Man Who Couldn't Die." My thought is "COOL! We'll learn something else new about Jack. There will be this big reveal that he was involved with these guys in the past or something." But no. I hate it when the best part of a show is in the preview.
And that's the thing - that reveal, that Jack was in a side show troop 80 years ago, that's the neatest bit in this whole piece (even John Barrowman couldn't pull off looking impressive in that lousy costume). Now, TW all knows Jack's "I can't die" secret, but I don't remember a big reveal that he's lived 150 years on earth (yes, there have been a few hints and pieces) but no one seemed surprised that Jack was in this 80 year old film, they were just surprised he was in a side show! And nobody even welcomed back Gwen from her honeymoon, much less asked to see pictures, or queried if she had a good time. They must have screwed up and retconned themselves as well as all of the wedding guests in the last episode. Hope they saved some for this one. I'd sure like to forget it.
The plot itself on the surface of a script probably looked good. OUTLINE: Evil carny performers in old film escape old film and run amok in Cardiff. TW chases after them. On the first read-through, the possibilities of this look neat. An old movie, The Purple Rose of Cairo has a similar scheme sans evil carny bad guys and it's a good story.
But this episode plays out so badly that at every commercial break I spent 3 minutes with the MUTE button on going "What the heck was going on there?" And that was the SECOND time I viewed this one.
The writer for this one is the same poor sap who wrote the largely forgettable "Small Worlds" in Series 1. Again, a neat sounding plot that went no where. Some neat scenes and effects, but crappy plot and dialogue. Ending left a bad taste in my mouth. Not because of the resolution of it, but that everybody dissed Jack's decision. But that's a different review.
Same kind of thing happens here though. TW figures out, basically, what's going on and how to stop it and does so. But before the credits can mercifully roll, Jack states what I'd figured out 30 minutes ago - that's probably not the ONLY film the carny goons were on - so TW may have saved the day, but only temporarily. Very unsatisfying.
Julian Bleach, who I understand has a great reputation as an actor, gave a performance that I can only hope was left over characterization from his last role as Frankenstein's monster in a TV movie. It's been predicted that he will play Davros in an upcoming Dr Who and I pray that this is either a mistake, or Davros has no mustache to twirl and much better lines.
And the "mermaid" really needed to go jump in a lake after her very first scene. I mean, I wanted to see her drown just to end the misery. Maybe Owen could have invited her to go swimming? It would have been more entertaining than this "plot" mess.
TW, I love you guys, but please, don't bring this writer back. He sucks. Are you sure he's not an alien sent to bring down the show from the inside out?? Scan him with that singularity scalpel and see if you can zap the bad story-telling out of him.
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