Image shows the TARDIS against a nighttime backdrop.

Liv Thomson

Warning: Spoilers ahead!

The second instalment of the 60th anniversary trilogy, Doctor Who: Wild Blue Yonder, outshines its predecessor. The Doctor and Donna are stranded, and the evil waiting for them is worse than they ever could’ve imagined.

The ‘Mavity’ of the Situation

The TARDIS — out of control thanks to Donna’s coffee mishap at the end of ‘The Star Beast‘ — has crash-landed on a spaceship at the furthest edge of the known universe. While the opening is deceptively light-hearted, the true nature of the episode quickly becomes apparent as the Doctor and Donna realise the danger they’ve landed in. Amongst the vast emptiness of their surroundings are the Not-Things — determined to escape their solitude by any means necessary.

“Catherine Tate is a powerhouse”

The episode is a triumph for writer Russell T Davies. It is laugh-out-loud funny in parts, horrifying and creepy in others, and has some genuinely unexpected, hold-your-breath moments. More than anything, the simplicity of the episode’s premise allows for Catherine Tate and David Tennant to really shine.

Tate is a powerhouse. The way she’s able to convey fear, desperation, loss of hope, all within the episode’s shocking end twist, is nothing short of a white-knuckle ride.

Tennant, similarly, gives a veritable masterclass in acting. The Fourteenth Doctor is more physically affectionate than the Tenth, and arguably more in touch with his emotions, although whether that’s Donna’s influence is up for debate. Reunited after all this time, it’s clear the Doctor is both overwhelmed to have her back and desperate to protect her. It affects him viscerally in one scene where he opens up to Donna for comfort, only to be thwarted by the cruel nature of the monster they’re facing. His pain here is palpable. When he says he missed her, it hits hard — while it’s been fifteen years for her, it’s been billions for him.

“My Arms Are Too Long”

The horror in a monster like the Not-Things is that they are never entirely understood or explained. Much like the Weeping Angels, the Vashta Nerada or the silent but deadly force on the planet Midnight (4×10), we are scared of them, terrified even. Because even though they may not be the most visibly scary, the unknown depth of their capability is the most spine-chilling thing about them.

The Not-Things rank up there with the very worst of them. “My arms are too long” could well be the new “are you my mummy?” or “hey, who turned out the lights?”. Plain, but chilling.

The technical prowess involved in creating the Not-Things as well as the set is astonishing. Prosthetics were used for the Not-Things, rather than CGI, making their realistic effect even creepier. The set itself took weeks to build, and a large treadmill was built into the floor (there’s a lot of running). Truly a miraculous feat!

Still, beyond all of the horror and the spectacular, it’s the relationship between the Doctor and Donna that holds it all together. Never is that clearer than in the episode’s climax. It’s not often we see the Doctor and a companion in shell-shock, so to see them clinging to each other in silence following the bomb is a touching scene.

They play relief and love for each other beautifully which, paired with the monster concept and stunning set design, makes for a wonderful viewing experience.

Hello, Me Old Soldier!

Doctor Who: Wild Blue Yonder, for all of its excellence, is uniquely special for its poignance.

Bernard Cribbins, known for playing Donna’s grandfather, Wilfred Mott, made his last ever television appearance at the end of the episode. The actor, singer, and veteran died on July 27th, 2022, aged 93, just weeks after filming his last scene.

Tate and Tennant’s reactions to him are clearly earnest; very much the actors, rather than the characters. It makes for a beautiful moment and legacy.

A touching final credit in dedication to his memory also appeared onscreen, marking the end of an era. Cribbins was a much-loved part of the Whovian community, and he will be well missed.

Doctor Who returns for its final 60th anniversary special, ‘The Giggle’, on Saturday 9th December. Watch on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.

Catch up and stream every episode now on BBC iPlayer and Disney+. 

READ NEXT:

Featured image courtesy of Vincent Macaluso via Flickr. No changes were made to this image. Image license found here.

Just another argumentative antithetical dream girl trying her best to make her sentences pretty. She has an undergraduate degree in psychology and is currently pursuing a Master's in broadcast journalism.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *