Doctor Who - New series, new species part 27

OK we're steaming through the new series of Who - I've delayed posting slightly, due to the possibility of a team-up with the Podcasters, but that's still in discussion so I'll bang this one out anyway.

The last three episodes were dominated by a two-parter featuring the return of the Weeping Angels, so not a tremendous amount on the new species front. Though since the Angels could move even when in stone-form, change form at will and can even talk while frozen I think you might be able to class them as a significantly changed race! Well I'll spare you the rant as they still don't fit into the 'new species' category so I'll mosy on with what we've got.

Saturnynian










While they were another in a long line of 'It's an alien' explanations that have covered up for werewolves, ghosts and even the Devil. This race actually carried it off quite well though, being in fact a fish-race with sharp teeth that sometimes show past the perception filters that give them human form- makes sense. Being fish they need water, which they can obtain by sucking moisture from people - yeah that works and they also need to convert people via biting them. The downside is they also die when exposed to sunlight - which was unexplained, unreasonable and unnecessary - do Fish do that?!

But, as the Doctor pointed out, these aren't the origin of all vampire stories - rather they create the mythos of vampires to distract from their real plan. The only problem was that their plan was bonkers and essentially contrived to give the production team a school trip to Italy. Their plan would have worked far better on a remote island, which wouldn't need sinking and they wouldn't have needed to die out, there were plenty of options, especially with the Doctor's help, cloning, searching for survivors, even that machine the Hath had. Great race, great backstory, but the plot was a bit bonkers and the desperate survivors line didn't quite fit their actions I felt.

Saturnynians were an aquatic race from Saturnyne. Once powerful they were vanquished not by enemies but by the cracks in time, which appeared in great numbers in their world. They could see through them to other planets, but could also see the Silence. Asd the cracks consumed their world they fled through the cracks to other worlds. One group landed in medieval Venice and concocted a desperate plan to save their race. But as the Doctor fought to save the humans they had captured their plan came undone and that group died out. It is unknown if there are other survivors.

Thanks for reading - more soon.