‘Doctor Who: Legend of the Sea Devils’ Will Be a Historical Pirate Romp
The Legend of the Sea Devils Easter special promises to be a swashbuckling good time with the infamous Zheng Yi Sao.
In the second of three specials before Jodie Whittaker’s departure from the show, the time gang takes to the high seas. Doctor Who: Legend of the Sea Devils will see a legendary pirate, a legendary treasure, and the Doctor smack dab in the middle of it all.
Legend of the Sea Devils Synopsis
This episode finds the Doctor (Jodie Whittaker), Yaz (Mandip Gill) and Dan (John Bishop) in 19th century China, where a small coastal village is under threat – from both the fearsome pirate queen Madame Ching (Crystal Yu) and a monstrous alien force which she unwittingly unleashes.
Keeping up with the Whovian tradition of taking liberties with historical characters, this episode will feature the incomparable Zheng Yi Sao. Zheng Yi was a sex worker turned pirate who sailed the seas in the 1800s. After the death of her husband, she took command of his ship and unified pirates across the South China Sea.
The episode will also feature the sunken Portuguese ship the Flor de la Mar, which that sunk after a storm in the 16th century. More than 400 crew members were pulled to the bottom of the ocean that night. So was a stolen treasure that once belong to the Sultan of Malacca.
Courtesy of the BBC
As for the Sea Devils, well, they’re an old frienemy of the Doctor. They’re also known as Aquatic Silurians, and lived in prehistoric times. They’re big on the conquering – but it’s likely Zheng Yi will give them a run for their money.
Cast Details
Joining Whittaker aboard on deck will be faithful companions Dan (John Bishop) and Yaz (Mandip Gill). And let’s not forget about that dangling romantic tension between Yaz and the Doctor, which will surely come up. Crystal Yu will join the crew as Zheng Yi.
There’s no news yet as to who will fill the role of the next Doctor. We certainly have our own wish list. But there will be one more special after this one, which will likely include a regeneration. The New Years’ Eve special was a joyfully fun time, so the promise of a pirate adventure with one of my favorite historical icons has me very excited.
In the meantime, I’ll just have to rewatch Our Flag Means Death again. Because queer historical pirate stories are having a well-deserved moment.
‘Doctor Who: Legend of the Sea Devils’ will premiere on BBC One on Sunday, April 17th.
