History Recap / DoctorWhoS27E3TheUnquietDead

The first episode Creator/MarkGatiss wrote for the TV series, based loosely on his ''AudioPlay/BigFinishDoctorWho'' episode [[Recap/BigFinishDoctorWho002Phantasmagoria "Phantasmagoria"]]. Also, the closest thing Creator/ChristopherEccleston has to a Christmas special on ''Doctor Who'', even if the festive part is in name only.

The first episode Creator/MarkGatiss wrote for the TV series, based loosely on his ''AudioPlay/BigFinishDoctorWho'' episode [[Recap/BigFinishDoctorWho002Phantasmagoria "Phantasmagoria"]].

->''"[[Recap/DoctorWhoS3E3TheMythMakers I saw the Fall of Troy!]] [[WorldWarWhatever World War Five!]] I was pushing boxes at the Boston Tea Party! Now I'm gonna die in a dungeon... in ''Cardiff!''"''

* DevelopmentGag: The RunningGag about Cardiff apparently being a FateWorseThanDeath is probably an affectionate little jab, since they film in Cardiff.

* StealthPun: "What the [[UnusualEuphemism Shakespeare]]?!" said by Charles 'Dickens'.

* StealthPun: "What the [[UnusualEuphemism Shakespeare"?!" said by Charles 'Dickens'.

** The Doctor tells Rose Gwyenth was dead from the moment she stepped through the archway.

* AliensInCardiff: TropeNamer, together with ''Series/{{Torchwood}}'' (which this episode is a direct prequel to).

->''"[[Recap/DoctorWhoS3E3TheMythMakers I saw the Fall of Troy!]] World War Five! I was pushing boxes at the Boston Tea Party! Now I'm gonna die in a dungeon... in ''Cardiff!''"''

* ChristmasEpisode

* NewspaperDating

* WhiteMansBurden: Subverted. In a temporal socio-economic version of the trope, Rose takes pity on Gwenyth and tries to stop the Doctor from "using" her to let the Geth through. Gwenyth does not appreciate this, accusing Rose of thinking that she's stupid and unable to understand what is going on just because she didn't have an education.

* WhiteMansBurden: Subverted. In a temporal socio-economic version of the trope, Rose takes pity on Gwenyth and tries to stop the Doctor from "using" her to et the Geth through. Gwenyth does not appreciate this, accusing Rose of thinking that she's stupid and unable to understand what is going on just because she didn't have an education.

* CondescendingCompassion: Rose is sympathetic towards Gwyneth for her sad lot in life, and tries to give her advise on how to improve her situation. Except that Gwyneth doesn't feel her lot in life is particularly sad, and is [[DontYouDarePityMe insulted by the insinuation]]. Softened somewhat by the fact that Gwyneth can read Rose, and understands that this is simply due to Rose's background being [[FishOutOfTemporalWater fundamentally different from hers]].

* BottleEpisode: The previous episode [[DoctorWhoS27E2TheEndOfTheWorld "The End of the World"]] spared no expense as it was to retain viewers who had followed from the premiere. This episode was filmed in the same block as "End of the World", and while there are special effects, note how this episode is a PeriodPiece to save money by using the BBC's already existing sets and costumes without having to create any.

* BottleEpisode: The previous episode [[DoctorWhoS27E2TheEndOfTheWorld "The End of the World"]] spared no expense as it was to snag viewers after the has seen the premiere. This episode was filmed in the same block as "End of the World", and while there are special effects, note how this episode is a PeriodPiece to save money by using the BBC's already existing sets and costumes without having to create any.

'''WARNING! THERE MAY BE UNMARKED SPOILERS!'''

The Cardiff rift remains open, and becomes a major feature of the Franchise/{{Whoniverse}} from this point on.

* CondescendingCompassion: Rose is sympathetic towards Gweneth for her sad lot in life, and tries to give her advise on how to improve her situation. Except that Gweneth doesn't feel her lot in life is particularly sad, and is [[DontYouDarePityMe insulted by the insinuation]]. Softened somewhat by the fact that Gweneth can read Rose, and understands that this is simply due to Rose's background being [[FishOutOfTemporalWater fundamentally different from hers]].

* CondescendingCompassion: Rose is sympathetic towards Gweneth for her sad lot in life, and tries to give her advise on how to improve her situation. Except that Gweneth doesn't feel her lot in life is particularly sad, and is [[DontYouDarePityMe insulted by the insinuation]]. Softened somewhat by the fact that Gweneth can read Rose, and understands that this is simply due to Rose's background being [[TemporalFishOutOfWater fundamentally different from hers]].

* CondescendingCompassion: Rose is sympathetic towards Gweneth for her sad lot in life, and tries to give her advise on how to improve her situation. Except that Gweneth doesn't feel her lot in life is particularly sad, and is [[DontYouDarePityMe insulted by the insinuation]]. Softened somewhat by the fact that Gweneth can read Rose, and understands that this is simply due to Rose's background being fundamentally different from hers.

Creator/CharlesDickens is in town, prompting an outbreak of earnest [[FanBoy fanboyishness]] from the usually sardonic Ninth Doctor. The squee doesn't last -- the dead are walking, so the Doctor springs into action. It turns out that there's a ''massive'' space/time rift right in the middle of Cardiff. This will [[Series/{{Torchwood}} become important later]]. A young psychic maid named Gwyneth ([[Recap/DoctorWhoNSS4E13JourneysEnd identical relative]] of one [[Characters/{{Torchwood}} Gwen Cooper]]) can guide things through the rift.