Later this year, Jodie Whittaker ends her tenure as the Thirteenth Doctor during a special airing during the Centenary celebration of the BBC. 2022 sees the end of her run as Doctor with three special episodes. The first,Eve of The Daleks,aired on New Year’s Day, and next up is the Easter specialLegend of The Sea Devils.
This won’t be the first time audiences see the Sea Devils on screen, as these monsters clashed with the Doctor a few times in the 70s and the 80s. With the return of the classic villains coming up, it’s the perfect time to more intotheir history with the Doctor, how they are being introduced to a new audience, and where their future in the show could take them.
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The History of the Sea Devils
The Sea Devils made their first appearance in the long-running sci-fi show back in 1972 as part of the third 6-part serial of Season 9. The story featured the Third Doctor (Jon Pertwee) and his companion Jo visiting the Master in his high-security prison cell located on a small island in the English Channel. While there, the Doctor is informed by Colonel Trenchard that many ships have been going missing in the area. Curious, he and Jo go to investigate, only to be attacked by what they will learn to be a Sea Devil.
As the story unfolds, thehistory of the Sea Devils is revealed. The Sea Devils are a bi-pedal lizard-like race that had once ruled the Earth but have been in hibernation under the sea for centuries. They are related to the Silurians, a land-dwelling ancient lizard race that modern viewers may recognize from the Eleventh Doctor’s run. In this episode, the Sea Devils want nothing more than to reclaim the planet and erase the human race they so despise, and the Master is more than happy to aid them. By teaming up with Colonel Trenchard, the Master is able to amass electrical equipment in the hopes of building a machine that will control the aquatic villains.
The second appearance of the Sea Devils came in 1984’s “Warriors of the Deep,“in which the Fifth Doctor (Peter Davison) andcompanions Tegan and Vislormake an emergency landing at an underwater military colony in 2084. The base is attacked by the last of the Silurian Triad, along with the awoken Sea Devil warriors in another attempt to wipe out the humans and regain sovereignty over the Earth. The Doctor tries to prevent any bloodshed, but ultimately the last Silurian is killed by one of the members of the colony. Only the Doctor, his companions, and one military officer named Bulic survive, once again showcasing the Doctor’s compassion and how he always tries to find the peaceful option. The serial ends with the Doctor saying “There should have been another way.”
The Return Of The Sea Devils In The Modern Series
Since this appearance, the Sea Devils haven’t been seen on screen; however, the Silurianshave made a return to the showin the revival. They appeared in a two-part story in Series 5, where the hibernating reptilians were accidentally awoken by an underground drilling project. A recurring Silurian character, Madam Vastra, also appeared on the show a few times between Series 6 - 8. When it comes to the Sea Devils, while they haven’t appeared on the screen since 1984, they have appeared in multiple written adventures and audio stories. Now they are poised for a comeback in what looks to be a swashbuckling adventure.
In the upcoming special, The Doctor, Yaz, and Dan end up on the salty seas in 19th century China,going up against the pirate queenMadame Ching as well as new and improved Sea Devils. From the trailer and information released, it seems that Madame Ching has released the Sea Devils and their amphibious ship. Not only are the Sea Devils once more sailing the seas in their amphibious ship, but there is also a huge sea monster to contend with. The Sea Devils themselves, while redesigned, are similar to their original look, unlike the revival Silurians who underwent a bit of an overhaul for their return.
With the return of the water-dwelling reptilians, what does it mean for the future of the Sea Devils on the show? Hopefully, it means they will pop up in more future stories. There is great scope for more aquatic adventures in Doctor Who andmore stories that incorporate historical figuresand real-life ocean mysteries. Things like the strange Baltic Sea mystery object could feature in an episode, with the Sea Devils being involved in the creation of the object. There are also underwater crop circles, the steaming Black Sea, and the green flash mystery that could all be potential stories that could involve the Sea Devils.
The return of the Sea Devils is a great marriage of old and new for the show.Recurring villains like the Daleks and the Cybermenhave been a constant since the show came back, but there has been a lack of other legacy monsters and villains that tie into the past of the show. Bringing back villains from the past is a way to acknowledge events from the past in the show and tie the character of The Doctor back to previous incarnations.
Whenever The Doctor comes up against an old enemy, there is electricity to the story. For long-time viewers, it’sa knowing nod to the early days; meanwhile, for new viewers, it’s a way to learn about show’s history and deeper lore. Hopefully, if the return of the Sea Devils ignites interest, audiences will not only want more of them, but it will pave the way for more classic monsters to make appearances.
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