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A review by allowableman2
Doctor Who: The Roundheads by Mark Gatiss
4.0
"I had six oxen the other day
And then the Roundheads got away,
a mischief on them speed.
I had six horses in the whole
And them the Cavaliers stole.
I think on this we are agreed."
Man, what a fun romp. There’s something about Gatiss’ prose that makes his descriptions captivating to read, from the descriptions of snow-covered London to a massive ship battle to a nightmarish battleground in beautifully vivid prose. Unlike other pure historicals, every subplot remains separate until the end, yet they’re all equally compelling to read and do an excellent job in worldbuilding and politics.
Gatiss loves 2’s era, there’s something to be said about how hard it is to capture The 2nd Doctor on prose because of how visual he is, yet Gatiss almost masters Troughton’s voice and mannerisms here, having from his giddy wonder at the Thames-side marketplace to his improvisation to how he can turn on a coin from mischievous charm to utter seriousness.
Doctor and Jaime strike off on their own and prove why they were such a winning act. Jaime is still new to this time-traveling gig and gets a hilarious subplot where his honesty about knowing future events gets him dubbed McCrimmon, the powerful seer of Culloden.
The guest cast is excellently portrayed, with standout personalities, with Richard, Oliver Cromwell, and Winter as standouts. King Charles's interaction with Polly is also a highlight, her espionage plot and the prologue with an older version of her are amazing to read.
Ben’s side plot highlights this story, his sailing days are exploited to significant effect, and he is press-ganged into working first for the sinister Captain Stanislaus and then for the brilliantly entertaining Captain Winter, with who he strikes up a rousing rapport and possible romance.
Despite the lack of Roundheads action, The Roundheads is a hugely enjoyable, occasionally swashbuckling yarn with lashings of Gatiss' League of Gentlemen style humor and great use of this particular TARDIS crew.
And then the Roundheads got away,
a mischief on them speed.
I had six horses in the whole
And them the Cavaliers stole.
I think on this we are agreed."
Man, what a fun romp. There’s something about Gatiss’ prose that makes his descriptions captivating to read, from the descriptions of snow-covered London to a massive ship battle to a nightmarish battleground in beautifully vivid prose. Unlike other pure historicals, every subplot remains separate until the end, yet they’re all equally compelling to read and do an excellent job in worldbuilding and politics.
Gatiss loves 2’s era, there’s something to be said about how hard it is to capture The 2nd Doctor on prose because of how visual he is, yet Gatiss almost masters Troughton’s voice and mannerisms here, having from his giddy wonder at the Thames-side marketplace to his improvisation to how he can turn on a coin from mischievous charm to utter seriousness.
Doctor and Jaime strike off on their own and prove why they were such a winning act. Jaime is still new to this time-traveling gig and gets a hilarious subplot where his honesty about knowing future events gets him dubbed McCrimmon, the powerful seer of Culloden.
The guest cast is excellently portrayed, with standout personalities, with Richard, Oliver Cromwell, and Winter as standouts. King Charles's interaction with Polly is also a highlight, her espionage plot and the prologue with an older version of her are amazing to read.
Ben’s side plot highlights this story, his sailing days are exploited to significant effect, and he is press-ganged into working first for the sinister Captain Stanislaus and then for the brilliantly entertaining Captain Winter, with who he strikes up a rousing rapport and possible romance.
Despite the lack of Roundheads action, The Roundheads is a hugely enjoyable, occasionally swashbuckling yarn with lashings of Gatiss' League of Gentlemen style humor and great use of this particular TARDIS crew.