Doctor Who at 10 - Tooth and Claw (S2E2)

With the previous series having successfully brought a blend of including a noteworthy historical figure going up against a classic monster archetype with Mark Gatiss' The Unquiet Dead, series showrunner Russell T. Davies has his own crack at the basic story premise in the form of Tooth and Claw - this time bringing together the once longest-reigning Queen Victoria (here played by Pauline Collins) and a werewolf. Add some extra sprinkles of dark lighting and a change of location from Wales to Scotland – hell, the time setting is a mere 10 years apart – can this spiritual successor to a story that most people enjoyed work out just as well? Or will David Tennant using his natural Scottish dialect be one of many issues for the episode?

When the Doctor and Rose (Tennant and Billie Piper) misjudge their time-travelling prowess and end up an entire century ahead of their targeted time zone, they inadvertently end up blocking the path that one Queen Victoria and her guards are embarking towards Balmoral Castle. With the Doctor presenting himself as her specially-hired physician Dr. James McCrimmon, he and Rose are invited to join her majesty in their cart-ridden journey to the house – which in reality has been overthrown by mysterious monks, who've kidnapped the wife and staff of the home's owner Sir Robert (Derek Riddell) for the sake of keeping control – for a meal and a stay at the home which Victoria's late husband Albert so often remarked on. But things quickly get tense as Rose gets added to the ensemble of ensnared guests that are currently being guarded by a man who is part wolf, and the local myths indicate that that night may very well be the next time the village-scaring Werewolf may rise again – only this time with a craving for blue blood... 

With a story filled with intrigue and an opening fight sequence which – whilst the camera quality is lower than the scenes that follow – instantly grabs you, Tooth and Claw brings about its somewhat-simplistic storyline of 'werewolf wants the queen' with extravagant force. Its dark tones with just a hint of levity sprinkled in compliments the story and its numerous twists and turns, and whilst some may tire easily from the constant running about the house and its numerous staircases (akin to the classic series and its recurring usage of the same corridor over and over again), the script allows plenty of time to not only build up the suspense (a good 20 minutes, in fact), but also moments to stop, take a breather, and figure out a way to stop the beast. And with an ending that's mostly more than worthwhile – bar an overlong and forced story arc hint featuring Victoria - it makes the entire episode interesting and exciting from beginning to end.

Watching David Tennant interchange between English and Sottish accents is entertaining enough in its own right, but in many an interview he's stated that Tooth and Claw is where he began to find his footing for the role of the Doctor – and it's so obvious in his performance. When he's meant to be revelling in being in he presence of the Queen or exchanging in shenanigans with companion Piper he's a delight, and his easy switches when things get more and more tense and serious are played so easily that it's the first true performance in which we see his Doctor for who he is...fully. After all previous adventures had him either asleep or taken other for periods of time. Billie Piper is also having some fun with the more amusing moments – such as her ongoing attempt to get the Queen to say "We are not amused" - but when things get rough she pulls through. The only real set-back she suffers from is a single moment where she stops to scream Bonnie Langford-like for the sake of a brief moment of fear. But she's mostly strong, and her rapport with co-star Tennant is clearly sparkling with life. 

Pauline Collins is easily enjoying playing the stern-faced and judgemental royal, with her final acts being played off so seriously despite having been chased by a werewolf the night before makes for a great role. Derek Riddell is a very standard character who's forced to betray the crown, but acts the character fine; Jamie Sives as Captain Reynolds is another generic army-man, but who's protective nature is played straight-faced to take well; Michelle Duncan as Lady Isobel and her band of maids make for a smart bunch of characters who aren't pinned down to the generic damsels in distress trope, but aren't given as much screentime one would hope for despite some fine acting; Ian Hanmore's leading Monk is just as intimidating as he should be, and even the Werewolf is threatening – complete with a terrifying design that, whilst perhaps isn't realised to its full potential thanks to a small budget and the time it was made, would likely frighten its younger audiences well. 

Tooth and Claw is a story dripping with vast potential on a premise which has a very basic baseline to it, and it's arguably the revived series' darkest story yet. And thanks to a strong Davies script that's full of clever ideas and well-written dialogue, a strong batch of actors and characters to feed on, and an overall aesthetic which – while somewhat dated thanks to differing camera quality and a CGI werewolf that doesn't quite fit in with its surroundings – feels like a classic horror film, it's Doctor Who at its upmost scariest, and one that has to be seen by those who think the show can't actually be scary. 9/10.