Doctor Who: Series 4, Episode 7 – “The Unicorn and the Wasp” (2008)

I’d be hard-pressed to find a Donna story I don’t love, but this one is especially fun. A delightful murder-mystery romp with fun historical bits and a dash of absurdity. Classic Ten and Donna!

The TARDIS has landed at a 1926 English dinner party, and the Tenth Doctor and Donna are excited to learn that Agatha Christie is in attendance. But as guests start turning up dead in textbook murder-mystery ways, it’s up to our heroes (plus Agatha!) to suss out the killer in their midst.

Before I get too far into the proceedings, I want to mention that this episode is written by Gareth Roberts. I’ve loved his stuff on Who and The Sarah Jane Adventures, but in more recent years, it’s become apparent that he’s proudly transphobic with his whole chest. He still has his share of fun, frothy yarns, but boo to him.

So, Gareth Roberts, ugh. But “The Unicorn and the Wasp,” yay! This breezy celebrity historical is a hoot. Homages to Agatha Christie’s work are everywhere—all the party guests have a secret, there are numerous references to her stories in the dialogue, and we of course get a parlor-room wrap-up in the third act to reveal the killer’s identity. I get a huge kick out of Donna accidentally giving Agatha ideas for some of her most famous works and then retroactively trying to copyright them herself. And I’m a sucker for Whovian explanations for real-life unsolved mysteries, and we get a nice example of that here.

The one-shot ensemble is a lot of fun here. Fenella Woolgar, who I’ve liked ever since Bright Young Things, is splendid as Agatha, and she plays really well off David Tennant and Catherine Tate. Felicity Kendal is wonderful as Lady Eddison, the hostess of the party, and we get an appearance from Felicity Jones—Jyn Erso herself!

But the best part of the episode, unsurprisingly, is the dynamic between the Doctor and Donna. I just love these two together so much. They’re adorable hobnobbing on the lawn with the guests, and I love Donna’s 1920s look. Once the first murder occurs and they pose as investigators, they quibble over their precise titles and but work well together. The Doctor is fully in his element, investigating a bizarre murder while letting out his inner Agatha Christie fanboy, while Donna makes some keen observations. The scene where they’re forced into an impromptu high-stakes game of charades is worth the price of admission. Oh my god, “Camptown Races,” I love it!