It was 2011. Matt Smith was firmly established as the Eleventh Doctor, and Series 6 was leaning hard into a dark, overarching mystery about a "Silence" that would fall and an astronaut in a lake. Then, we got pirates. Honestly, when Doctor Who Curse of the Black Spot first aired, the fandom was a bit divided. People wanted more of the high-stakes River Song drama, not necessarily a 17th-century ship and a glowing green lady.
But looking back now, this episode is a masterclass in how the show handles "historical-lite" settings. It’s gritty. You can practically smell the salt spray and the rot on the Fancy. It doesn’t try to be a deep historical lecture about Henry Avery. Instead, it’s a claustrophobic ghost story.
Steve Thompson wrote this one, and while he’s often scrutinized for his later work like Time Heist or Journey to the Centre of the TARDIS, his work here is tight. He captures the Eleventh Doctor’s frantic, slightly alien energy perfectly.
The Siren and the Science of the Supernatural
Most pirate stories go for the gold. They want the treasure chests and the parrots. But Doctor Who Curse of the Black Spot flips the script by making the "curse" a biological necessity. We see the Siren, played with an eerie, ethereal grace by Lily Cole. She doesn't speak. She just sings.
Fans of the show know the drill: if it looks like magic, it’s probably broken tech. That’s the core of the show’s DNA.
The Siren isn't a monster. She’s a doctor. Well, a virtual one. She is a medical interface from an invisible spaceship that has "docked" in the same physical space as the pirate ship. When a pirate gets a cut—the "Black Spot"—she marks them for treatment.
It’s a brilliant subversion. The horror comes from a lack of communication. The pirates see a reaper taking souls; the Doctor sees an automated system trying to save lives without a license. It’s basically a cosmic misunderstanding with a very high body count.
Breaking Down the "Black Spot" Legend
In actual pirate lore, the Black Spot was popularized by Robert Louis Stevenson in Treasure Island. It wasn't a physical mark that appeared on skin like a tattoo; it was a piece of paper. If you got it, you were officially "deposed" or marked for death by your crew.
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In the episode, the mark is a glowing palm print.
The visual effects team headed by The Mill (who handled most of the CGI for the early revival era) did a solid job here. The way the spot glows when the Siren is near adds a layer of dread that works surprisingly well for a "monster of the week" episode.
Why Henry Avery Matters
The inclusion of Henry Avery isn't just a random choice. Hugh Bonneville plays the captain with a weary, fatherly regret that feels miles away from his Downton Abbey persona. Avery was a real person—often called the "Arch Pirate" or "The King of Pirates."
In 1695, the real Avery pulled off one of the most profitable raids in history against a Grand Mughal convoy. Then, he vanished.
Historians have debated for centuries what happened to him. Did he retire to the Caribbean? Did he die penniless in Devon? Doctor Who Curse of the Black Spot offers a much more "Who-esque" explanation: he flew away in a spaceship.
The chemistry between Bonneville and Matt Smith is the secret sauce here. You have two captains. One is a man who abandoned his family for a life of crime, and the other is a Time Lord who basically does the same thing, just with a better wardrobe.
The TARDIS and the Missing Plot Points
Let's get real for a second. The TARDIS gets sidelined pretty early in this one. It drifts off, leaving the Doctor, Amy, and Rory stranded. This is a classic trope to raise the stakes, but it also allows the episode to focus on the atmosphere of the ship.
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The ship itself was a real set. They used the Earl of Pembroke, a three-masted barque. You can tell. The wood looks heavy. The ropes look frayed. When Rory falls into the water, there’s a genuine sense of cold, dark danger.
Speaking of Rory, this episode continued the long-running gag (and eventual trauma) of Rory Williams dying—or almost dying. Arthur Darvill plays the "drowning victim" role with heartbreaking sincerity.
The scene where Amy has to perform CPR on him is actually quite significant for her character development. It anchors her. It reminds the audience that despite all the time-traveling whimsy, these characters have everything to lose. It wasn't just about pirates; it was about whether Amy Pond could trust the Doctor’s "science" to save the man she loved.
Visuals, Sound, and the Siren's Song
The lighting in this episode deserves more credit. It’s dark. Like, really dark. Director Jeremy Webb used the shadows to hide the budget constraints, which is a trick as old as cinema itself. It works.
The Siren’s song, composed by Murray Gold, is haunting. It’s not a catchy tune. It’s a lure. It uses a specific frequency that feels both inviting and deeply wrong.
Interestingly, the episode was filmed at night in Cornwall. The cast often spoke about how miserable and cold the shoot was. Karen Gillan mentioned in Doctor Who Confidential that the rain machines and the actual weather made for a grueling experience. That misery translates to the screen—everyone looks exhausted, which fits the vibe of a cursed crew perfectly.
Addressing the Common Criticisms
People often complain that this episode is too "simple" compared to the rest of Series 6. They say it feels like a filler episode.
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I disagree.
You need the quiet moments to appreciate the loud ones. If every episode was The Wedding of River Song, the show would collapse under its own weight. Doctor Who Curse of the Black Spot serves as a vital palette cleanser. It’s a traditional adventure that reminds us the Doctor doesn't always need to save the universe; sometimes, he just needs to save a handful of pirates and a wayward father.
Some viewers also found the "healing" aspect of the Siren a bit too similar to The Empty Child. "Are you my mummy?" vs. "I am your doctor." It’s a fair point. The show does love the "misunderstood medical tech" trope. But here, the nautical setting and the pirate mythology give it enough of a fresh coat of paint to stand on its own.
The Legacy of the Fancy
By the end of the episode, Captain Avery and his crew take command of the alien ship. They become space pirates. It’s a wild ending that feels earned. It also left a tiny thread that many fans hoped would be picked up later—though, in typical Moffat-era fashion, it mostly stayed as a fun "what if."
Avery does make a brief, blink-and-you'll-miss-it cameo in the series finale, The Wedding of River Song, showing up to help the Doctor during the time-collapse. It’s a nice bit of continuity that rewards people for paying attention to the "minor" episodes.
Actionable Takeaways for Your Next Rewatch
If you’re planning to revisit this episode, here are a few things to look out for that make the experience better:
- Watch the reflections. The Siren moves through reflective surfaces. In the early scenes, keep an eye on the water barrels and polished metal. The VFX team hid her in plain sight more than you might realize.
- Avery's Journal. Pay attention to how Avery talks about his son, Toby. It’s a mirror to the Doctor’s own feelings of isolation.
- The "Spot" Placement. Notice how the mark appears exactly where the "patient" is injured. It’s not random; it’s a localized scan.
- Series 6 Clues. Look for the "Eye Patch Lady" (Madame Kovarian). She appears in a sliding hatch on the ship. It’s one of those jarring moments that reminds you that even in a pirate story, the main plot is hunting the Doctor down.
Doctor Who Curse of the Black Spot isn't trying to change the world. It’s trying to be a fun, slightly spooky, forty-five-minute escape. It succeeds because it leans into the tropes while giving them a sci-fi heart.
Next time someone tells you Series 6 is too confusing, point them toward this episode. It’s a reminder that at its core, the show is just about a madman in a box showing up where he’s least expected and making things a little bit better—even if he has to fight a holographic siren to do it.
To get the most out of this era of the show, try pairing this episode with The Doctor's Wife, which aired immediately after. The jump from a pirate ship to a living TARDIS is one of the best "one-two punches" in the show's history, highlighting the sheer variety that only this series can provide.