Originally broadcast on 8 May 2010, The Vampires of Venice is an atmospheric, richly designed monster-of-the-week episode that adds a splash of gothic horror to Series 5's ever-varied tone. Coming after the high-stakes tension of the Weeping Angels two-parter, this story offers something lighter in emotional weight but equally inventive in visuals and lore. Rewatching it in 2025, it proves to be an enjoyable, if slightly underrated, entry in the Eleventh Doctor’s tenure.
The setting itself is the first triumph. Venice, 1580. Or rather, Croatia dressed as Venice. From the sweeping canals to the ancient stone buildings and dimly-lit corridors, director Jonny Campbell crafts a lush backdrop for a story about secrets hiding behind masks—literal and metaphorical. The production value is impressive, especially considering the show’s relatively modest budget at the time. There's a timeless charm to the setting that makes it feel like a Hammer horror film, complete with mysterious girls in white nightgowns and an eerie school run by Rosanna Calvierri.
Helen McCrory is magnificent as Rosanna, bringing poise, menace, and pathos to the role of a Saturnynian refugee hiding her species’ true identity behind perception filters. Her performance is layered—at times regal, at others desperate. McCrory elevates the material in a way that mirrors how previous guest stars like Derek Jacobi omight dominate a room by sheer presence. Rosanna isn’t just another villain; she’s a leader trying to save her species from extinction. The moral complexity of her motives is vintage Doctor Who.
What’s particularly notable in 2025 is how this episode handles immigration and cultural preservation allegorically through sci-fi. Rosanna is, in essence, a refugee. Her planet lost, she attempts to colonise Earth covertly. The Saturnynians want to make a home of Venice, but at the cost of the locals’ lives. It’s a nuanced topic—how much can survival justify atrocity?—and while the episode doesn’t dwell too heavily on it, the echoes are clear, especially when viewed from the lens of modern global displacement crises.
On a more character-driven level, this episode is a key moment for Rory’s integration into the TARDIS team. Arthur Darvill makes an immediate impact. Rory isn’t a Mickey 2.0—he’s thoughtful, brave in a quiet way, and deeply in love with Amy. The scenes between him and the Doctor are sharp and revealing. There's tension, but also budding mutual respect. Rory sees the danger of travelling with the Doctor more clearly than Amy does, and it makes him both a foil and a grounding force.
Karen Gillan, meanwhile, gets some great material as Amy. She’s curious, confident, and more than a little reckless. Her flirtation with danger, and with the Doctor himself, is challenged in this episode. Rory’s presence disrupts the carefree thrill-seeking, and this tension between them will become a thread throughout the season. One of the clever subversions here is that the emotional heart of the story isn't about defeating the vampires, but about negotiating adult relationships in the face of danger.
Matt Smith’s Doctor continues to impress. There’s a physicality to his performance here that’s especially fun—scaling rooftops, sword-fighting, and gleefully waving a library card from 1993 with a certain familiar face on it. Smith leans into the oddball energy of the role while never letting us forget the intelligence and moral clarity behind his eccentricity. His confrontation with Rosanna in the final act is a standout—him pleading for mercy not just for humanity, but for her own soul. It’s a quieter climax than some, but no less emotionally potent.
Musically, Murray Gold’s score offers a blend of whimsical and haunting motifs, especially during the scenes of vampire illusion and underwater menace. The use of perception filters as a plot device is clever, too, showing how sci-fi tech can double as metaphor: things are rarely what they seem, and appearances mask truth.
In 2025, The Vampires of Venice stands up surprisingly well. It’s not one of the season’s big mythology episodes, but it doesn’t need to be. It’s a gothic fairytale with fangs, flair, and a sharp emotional core. And it helps shape Rory into a companion in his own right, setting up the complex trio dynamic that will define much of the Eleventh Doctor’s run.
Next up: Amy’s Choice—a mind-bending morality tale that challenges the heart of the TARDIS team.
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