2nd Opinion, Take 2 “The Star Beast” – Mixed Messaging

J.C. reviews the first 60th anniversary special.

A few minutes into “The Star Beast”, had you told me it was a lost episode from the Tennant era, I’d have believed you. Those moments instantly whisked me back to that magical feel of 2008-2010, a magic I felt was long missing from Doctor Who. That’s the power of nostalgia for you. Sadly, this magical illusion was shattered a few times as RTD awkwardly tried to bring his Doctor Who into a whole new era.

If we ignore the obvious contemporary elements, “The Star Beast” is the type of episode I’d imagine RTD would’ve opened Series 5 with, had he, Tennant, and Tate stayed on. It’s a light and frothy affair, with monsters verging more on the silly side than scary. Toss in lots of explosions to keep the kids from getting too bored, and end with an ‘oh, it’s over already?’ denouement, and that’s the special in a nutshell. It doesn’t challenge RTD as a writer, and that’s fine for an “old-school” style opener, but for a 60th anniversary, I expected a bit more.

The plot somewhat follows the comic of the same name. It’s a simple Earth invasion story, spiced up by a very fun monster – the Meep, a seemingly cute alien that turns deadly later on. Having read a summary of the comic beforehand, I expected the evil twist, but enjoyed seeing it play out nonetheless. The Meep was also expertly brought to life, predominantly through costuming and animatronics rather than full CGI, which I found much more effective. The Wrath, on the other hand, didn’t make as much of an impression, and their costumes looked like they were on a B-movie budget.

David Tennant is back, and aside from a few little wrinkles, he slips back effortlessly into his career-defining role. When Tennant was running around in the TARDIS like a giddy little boy, that’s not acting, that’s just Tennant. It was just so wholesome. And that’s the difference between actors who love the role and those who try to wing it. I was surprised – given that this episode was a regeneration story for a “new” Doctor – that the episode spends very little time really delving into that. This Doctor isn’t so different from his Tenth incarnation (perhaps a shade more emotive), but I hope we get a bit more reflection and insight into his identical appearance in the other two specials.

Catherine Tate was equally good. It was nice seeing a more grown-up Donna, and her motherly bond added some new depth. Donna is still the perfect counterpart to Tennant’s Doctor too. No awkward romance, just good friends through thick and thin. Tate and Tennant’s chemistry remains off the chart, their banter adding a lot of humour. But crucially, Tate proves she can still handle the more emotional material, and is more than just a loudmouth.

As for the rest of the Noble family, Yasmin Finney gave a more mixed performance as Rose. She had an endearing enough introduction (I liked the early scenes in the shed), but some of her later lines were clunkily delivered. Sylvia was much more likable than during her Series 4 days, thankfully. Sean’s chat in the taxi was amusing, but he was not a huge presence after that. The most disappointing part was not getting to see Wilf again, especially after the teasing. I presume they’re saving that for the final special, but it’s a shame Bernard Cribbins couldn’t be more involved (no doubt due to his health at the time of filming).

The final major new character, UNIT scientist Shirley Bingham, was okay, but there really wasn’t much to her. And all I could keep thinking was that Kate would have made more sense to use in the role instead. One other thing I have to mention is the James Bond-style wheelchair. In light of Davies’ recent comments on Davros, this seemed extremely hypocritical. It felt like he reduced this character down to silly gimmicks.

Now, onto my other main bugbears: Not only was the Metacrisis Donna arc very hastily wrapped up (if that is all there is to it), but did RTD learn nothing from one of the key failings of the Chibnall era: the heavy-handed politics? Yes, Doctor Who has featured politically relevant storylines in the past, but it used to integrate sensitive topics with more nuance and didn’t let them take over the whole narrative. The scenes that pulled me right out of the story the most were the ones where the Doctor gets scolded for a) assuming Meep’s gender, and b) for being ‘male presenting’. An outright bizarre swing at the Doctor, reducing him to a stereotype the moment he returns to a male form.

These smug, sexist remarks felt out of place, particularly coming from characters like Rose and Donna (whose lives he just saved, and not for the first time in Donna’s case). The Doctor is a rare example of a smart hero who has predominantly been played by males. He’s also used any power he had to save the world from evil countless times, and given up everything, including his life, to save people. Basically, he’s been as far from a toxic male as you can get.

It’s frustrating too because scenes like this not only muddle RTD’s message, but also encourage division rather than productive discourse (as if more of that is needed right now). Doctor Who is at its best when promoting unity and understanding beyond appearances, not when it’s taking cheap shots based on them. It’s a shame, as Doctor Who has, in the past, handled such complex issues with more grace. It makes me quite concerned for the future of the show if this is how RTD is going to write moving forward.

Overall, “The Star Beast” leaves me conflicted. It reignites some of the lost magic of Doctor Who, but also breaks the immersion with certain elements. And as a 60th anniversary special, it feels more like a tribute to the late RTD era. Sure, an older Doctor is back (sort of), and it’s adapted from a classic era comic, but it just doesn’t feel special in the same way the 50th anniversary did. Of course, there’s a chance that the other two specials will move beyond just RTD-era nostalgia, but we’ll have to wait and see. Let’s hope “Wild Blue Yonder” blows our socks off.

Asides

• The way the pre-title sequence was done seemed wholly unnecessary. Was this done purely for Disney+ new viewers? I think so.
• Just three episodes for 14 doesn’t seem like it’s going to be anywhere near enough if we’re going to start with something this light and frothy.
• Having Murray Gold back made a noticeable change. Nothing against Segun Akinola, but I’m struggling to think of a single memorable track from his era whereas I immediately picked up on Gold’s themes, and it was so good to have them back.
• I was hoping Donna would almost have some sort of ticking clock over her during these adventures, and there would be more of a struggle for a Metacrisis resolution. We even had that scene of Tennant apologising to Donna that he can’t save her this time, so where does that fit now?
• The ground cracking apart and magically sealing again was… questionable to say the least
• The new TARDIS is huge. I like it, but it is a bit sterile at the same time, and could do with some furnishing. Also, what happened to the interior sounds and the jukebox from the leak?
• The episode suffered from affirmation overuse that was also prevalent in the Chibnall era, whereby characters keep saying things like, “[Insert character] is amazing/brilliant/beautiful” etc. Take a shot each time you hear one for a fun time.
• The new Sonic HUD is cool, though the shields might be going a bit far. They could very easily remove a lot of tension in episodes given how powerful they are. This also felt like a Disney exec’s request – make the screwdriver more like Iron Man!
• Rose never actually asked the Doctor’s gender…
• Wilf’s “he’s dead, haha, not really” seemed a little in poor taste given Cribbins’ passing, but I did love Fourteen’s reaction.

Final thought:

GRAHAM: And you know nothing. It’s a shame you’re not a man any more, cos he’d have understood.
RYAN: We’ve got all that power, but there is a way to get rid of it. Something a female-presenting Time Lord will never understand.

Imagine this was dialogue present in Jodie Whittaker’s first episode. Now tell me Chibnall wouldn’t have been fired.