The Smugglers
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WHO444: Pirates. Smugglers. A cursed treasure. And a Doctor who refuses to walk away.
Dom Bettinelli and Jimmy Akin examine the Doctor Who First Doctor story, The Smugglers—a pure historical adventure set in 17th-century Cornwall.
With no aliens and no futuristic tech beyond the TARDIS, the drama centers on economic warfare: taxation, tariffs, piracy, and the dangerous business of smuggling luxury goods. The story becomes more than a swashbuckler—it’s a political conflict wrapped in superstition and betrayal.
As multiple factions clash over Captain Avery’s hidden treasure, one idea rises above the chaos: Does the Doctor have a moral obligation to intervene? When Ben urges a quick escape, the Doctor refuses to abandon a village caught in the crossfire. His decision highlights just how far he’s come from the more self-interested traveler we first met in 1963.
Dom and Jimmy discuss:
- Why pure historicals still work—and why modern Who rarely attempts them
- The complex web of betrayals among pirates, smugglers, and royal revenue officers
- The eerie theme of superstition vs. truth
- The brutal intensity of Captain Pike’s violence
- The absence of incidental music and how it changes the atmosphere
- The experience of watching missing episodes via telesnaps and reconstructions
- Ben and Polly’s evolving role—and how close we are to regeneration
They also reflect on the bittersweet milestone of nearing the end of the First Doctor’s era. As one chapter closes, the retrospective looms—and so does the regeneration that will change the show forever.
“Superstition is a strange thing. Sometimes it tells the truth.”.
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