Episode #172 : Tooth and Claw

Rose Tyler: I wanted to say [imitating Queen Victoria] "we are not amused". Bet you five quid I can make her say it.

The Doctor: Well if I gambled on that, it'd be an abuse of my privilege as a traveller in time.

Rose Tyler: Ten quid?

The Doctor: Done.

Episode 172:   Tooth and Claw.
Companions:   10th Doctor and Rose Tyler.
Air Date:          22nd April 2006.

The Tenth Doctor and Rose have to protect Queen Victoria, but can anything stop the Empire of the Wolf?

In the past Doctor Who has covered a number of "supernatural" villains from ghosts, a composite creature/Frankenstein's monster and vampires, but with this story we get the Whoniverse treatment on Werewolves. The plot deals with an alien entity that for reasons never explained transforms a host body into a wolf-like creature when subjected to moonlight. Legends of this creature came to the attention of Queen Victoria's husband who puts a plan into operation to destroy the creature but dies before it can be implemented.

Tooth and Claw is one of those modern stories that really has both a lot going for it but also seems to be lacking something that I can't quite put my finger on. I think it comes down to the issue that there is no real reason why this entity would seek to infect the royal family and transform the British Empire into some weird steampunk space travelling civilisation. There is no sense that the entity wants to go anywhere. There is also the issue of the strange Scottish martial artists who serve the entity. That isn't explained either and is very out of place.

The story sets up the start of the Torchwood Institute, named after the hose at which the events of this adventure take place. Queen Victoria sets up Torchwood to investigate the strange and paranormal, and where necessary defeat them.

This story is worth a watch just for the werewolf element. It's more science fiction than horror however, but still very well done.