6.3. The Curse Of The Black Spot

Series 6 - 2011

Writer: Steve Thompson
Produced by: Marcus Wilson
Director: Jeremy Webb
Music: Murray Gold

Synopsis

At night pirates are returning to their ship. One of the pirates slipped in the bilge water and fell under the rigger, cutting his finger; he's been marked a dead man. A siren's singing can be heard. The pirate tries to run, and vanishes. Hearing sounds from the deck the Captain investigates, and finds the Doctor, Amy and Rory.

The TARDIS has landed below decks. The TARDIS picked up a signal from the pirate ship so the Doctor went to help, though the Captain insists no signal was sent. The first officer thinks they are spirits - how else could they have gotten below decks. The captain raises his gun, calling them stowaways. Amy is taken below, whilst the Doctor and Rory are made to walk the plank.

To delay as long as possible the Doctor asks where the rest of the crew is. It is a big ship for five people. The delay gives Amy time to escape below decks and find a sword. She threatens the Captain and orders the release of the Doctor. Another crew member starts a sword fight. Amy pushes him back, and cuts the arm of a another crew member.

It is only a cut, but the crew member claims Amy has killed him, before a black spot appears on his hand. The Captain explains that it only takes one drop of blood to make the demon appear. Blood is transferred to Rory, and a black spot appears on his hand. In the air singing can be heard, and Rory starts behaving oddly. Out of the ocean a young woman floats in to the air and towards Rory and the injured crew member. When the woman touches the crew member he disappears. Amy and the Doctor manage to get to Rory before the siren does.

Everyone rushes below deck to escape from the siren. There is standing water, and one of the pirates finds a leech on his leg. Despite the solid timber of the ship the siren appears from the water.

The only safe place is somewhere dry, and the only dry place is the magazine - the ship's armoury. It contains gunpowder and must be kept dry. In the armoury there is another stowaway, Toby - the Captain's son. The Captain tells his son that there is a monster on board and that it is not safe. The boy, coughing, shows the Captain a black spot on his hand.

The Doctor realises it is not just the bleeding people the siren is after; she is after any injured person. Leaving everyone else in the armoury the Doctor and the Captain make their way to the TARDIS. The Captain is amazed by the TARDIS, but when the Doctor tries to take off nothing happens. Controls start going mad, and the Doctor and the Captain get out of the TARDIS just before it disappears.

In the armoury the crew are not happy, thinking the Captain has gone soft, and are planning to leave. Toby raises a sword and cuts the first officer, and a black spot appears. As the room is the only safe place there is no way he can leave. Mulligan, the last unaffected pirate, escapes with a crown.

He encounters the Doctor and the Captain, and escapes locks himself it a dark room. He lights a torch, but burns himself. The siren claims him. When the Doctor and the Captain break in to the room it is empty, but there is no water in the room. Looking at the crown the Doctor realises the siren can come from any mirrored surface - still water or a polished metal.

The Captain realises he left a medallion with his son, and rushes back to warn everyone in the armoury. The Doctor gets hold of the medallion, and starts to smash every window and mirror. He then starts to get rid of the treasure. The Captain isn't happy, and whilst the Doctor gets rid of treasure he hides the crown in his jacket.

Heavy winds and rain start, and the Captain orders Amy, Rory and Toby to raise the sails. Toby gets the Captain's coat, and the crown falls out. The siren appears, and takes Toby before the Captain can stop it. In the confusion Rory is knocked overboard. The only person who can save Rory is the siren. The Doctor opens a water barrel, and then the siren appears he points to Rory.

The Doctor wants to reason with the siren, and the only way to do that is to let it take them all. They all prick their fingers and the siren appears.

When the wake they find themselves in a space ship trapped in a temporal rift. The ships are occupying the same space, and from the ship they can see the deck of the pirate ship. In the background they can hear the distress call that the TARDIS picked up. On the ship they find a long dead members of the spaceship crew. Human bacteria killed the crew.

Moving further in to the ship they find the crew of the pirate ship, all alive but unconscious on suspended beds. The siren is keeping them alive, and the black spot is where a tissue sample was taken. The singing acts as an anaesthetic. The Doctor realises the siren is a form of doctor, and the room they are in is an automated sickbay. The siren is keeping the people alive, but does not know how to heal, and won't let people near her patients.

Amy wants to look after her husband, and a ring appears acting as a consent form. When consent is given Rory wakes, but is still on the point of drowning. As a nurse Rory teaches Amy how to resuscitate him.

The Doctor says the ship must be launched. If the Captain returns there is no future for him, or his son, and offers to stay on the ship. As the TARDIS leaves, the Captain, and his revived crew and son, take to the skies in the space ship.

Regular Cast

  • Amy Pond: Karen Gillan
  • Rory Williams: Arthur Darvill

Guest Cast

  • Henry Avery: Hugh Bonneville
  • Toby Avery: Oscar Lloyd
  • The Boatswain: Lee Ross
  • Mulligan: Michael Begley
  • De Florres: Toby Lucken
  • Dancer: Chris Jarman
  • McGrath: Carl McCrystal
  • The Siren: Lily Cole
Uncredited:
  • Double for De Florres: Paul Dawkins
  • Stunt double for Amy Pond: Stephanie Carrey
  • Hand double for Rory Williams: Owen Charnley
  • Hand double for The Dancer: Garry Lloyd George
  • Hand double for The Siren: Helen Blyth
  • Hand double for De Florres: Phill Shellard
  • Double for Toby Avery: Iwan Davies
  • Stunt double for Rory Williams: Gordon Seed
  • Stunt double for Henry Avery: Tony Lucken
  • Hand double for The Doctor: Tim Barter
  • Hand double for Amy Pond: Heddi-Joy Taylor-Welch
  • Hand double for Henry Avery: Phill Shellard
  • Bodies: Charley Roberts Arnold, Malcolm Bevan, Luke Cecil, Josh Hall, Jeremy Harvey, Claudio Laurini, Mark Nedin, Rufus Nugent, David Hutchings, John Hutch, Craig Evans, Sam Rego, Chris Potter
  • Stand-in for The Siren: Jenny Phillips
  • Eye Patch Lady: Frances Barber

Original broadcast on the BBC

Channel Title Date Viewers Rating
BBC 1 (HD) 2. The Curse Of The Black Spot Saturday, 7 May 2011 18:15 - 19:00 7.85M 86

Click here to show repeat broadcasts on the BBC

Studios

  • Upper Boat Studios: Studio 1
  • Upper Boat Studios: Studio 2
  • Upper Boat Studios: Studio 5
  • Upper Boat Studios: Studio 6

Outside Locations

  • Fillcare, Lanelay Road, Pontyclun, Llantrisant
  • Square Sail, Charlestown Harbour, St. Austell, Cornwall
  • Upper Boat Studios: Outside Studio 3