An Autist Reviews: The Haunting Of Villa Diodati (NuWho Episode 12.8)

*This is an older review, it is not as detailed as my more modern reviews*

*All Reviews Are Spoiler-Free Aside From Any Spoiler Sections*

*This is a bare-bones/lite review made after only a single viewing. (Hence there not being any replay rating)*

The Doctor and her fam arrive at Villa Diodati where the Shelleys and Lord Byron should be writing horror stories… but Percy Shelley is missing and apparitions walk the halls of the house. The house itself seems to be trying to box the inhabitants of the house in, but what good will that be? The Lone Cyberman is coming, and this time... the Doctor cannot win.

What a ride! Easily one of my favorites this series! All of the characters are well developed other than Dr. Polidori, and rather than focusing on one historical figure, all the ones involved get their own small storylines. This story also drips with eerie imagery from moving skeletal hands, ghostly children and maids, and a decrepit half-finished Cyberman. Also, for once, the pacing is nearly perfect. I loved this story, but the writing was admittedly weak. It’s not like the lines were wooden or the story was poor, it’s just that it jumps around a lot and characters seem to get random information from nowhere. The ending scenes also seem slightly like a string of cop-outs in which the Doctor just gives up for no reason other than to give some emotional moments and to set up the upcoming series finale. All that said, this is a seriously great story with solid dialogue and a great depiction of the inhabitants of Villa Diodati.

The acting here can only be described as nearly flawless. The main cast faces a few hiccups here and there, and the side characters have the odd stiff line, but all in all, they all perform wonderfully. The Doctor has some really emotional lines, and Mary gets in a good speech as well. As for the Lone Cyberman… he was perfect. The expressions on his face, the way he spoke, the volume he used, it was all glorious.

What can I say about the effects of this episode other than… they’re perfect. The music is subtle but enhances every scene and the increases or decreases make scary and emotional moments even grander than they otherwise would’ve been. The voice of the Cyberman was solid gold, resting somewhere between a true Cyberman’s voice, and the voice of a warworn man. The special effects were all perfect. From the Cyberman teleporting, to ghostly apparitions, to lightning and to shadowy figures appearing and disappearing. The costuming is all professional, accurate, and beautiful. The Cyberman is perfect, even in the light he looks perfectly scary and broken. The face also lies solidly in the uncanny valley, which only adds to the fear factor. (I’m assuming that that was purposeful.)

All in all, a very, very good episode. It’s eerie, scary, and funny all at the same time. It shows almost all of the characters very well, and despite holding many ideas, never feels overburdened or all over the place. There are emotional moments galore, some really tense scenes, and to say the acting is lovely would be the understatement of the year. The acting is very close to perfect, and the effects, from the music to costumes, are perfect. My personal favorite episode of this series thus far. Have a watch, curl up with a loved one… and viewer beware… you’re in for a scare… *Cackles in nerd*

Total - 9

Plot - 8
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Story - 8
Writing - 7
Enjoyment - 10
Twists - 8

Acting - 9
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MCs - 9
SCs - 9
BGs - 10

Effects - 10
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Music - 10
Vocals - 10
Special Effects - 10
Action - 10
Costumes - 10

Replay - NR
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Re-Enjoyment - NR
New Details - NR

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