A Masterpiece - Davies' answer to Moffat's Heaven Sent
"Wild Blue Yonder," is arguably Davies' most ambitious and bizarre episode written for Doctor Who, and that ambition has more than paid off.
The promotional material made several claims from the writers, actors and even the directors, that this was a strange and unusual story, even by Doctor Who's standards, and the content certainly lived up to these lofty claims.
The episode takes place at the edge of the universe, where the Doctor and Donna arrive on a spaceship that is peering into the precipice of the known universe, essentially situated against the abyss.
The events that transpire in the episode are best kept under wraps, as they are a truly bizarre spin on concepts including, but not limited to existential dread, surrealism, the uncanny, and even Lovecraftian horror, as it examines the limits of comprehension on a whole.
Whilst many are comparing this episode to Midnight, which is totally justified considering its uncanny nature, and exploration of fear of the unknown, I found myself comparing it more so to Heaven Sent than anything else.
We're entering more spoiler orientated territory here, so be warned, but I'll keep this brief.
The episode itself features only the Doctor and Donna throughout, giving the story the space to explore their psyches accordingly, especially the darker aspects of the Doctor's psyche specifically.
"Wild Blue Yonder," draws on story beats we've seen in the Chibnall era, story beats cataclysmic enough to warrant this revival in the first place such as the Timeless Children. However, these are story beats that appear to be a promising source of genuine character drama and an examination of the Doctor's insecurities and loneliness, when given to a writer who understands what makes humans tick like Davies does.
"The Star Beast," was a compelling enough start to these anniversary specials, and a heartfelt little story which returned a sense of warmth and soul to the show that had been missing for years. It was a story that stumbled, and slipped, but still had something to say, and justify its existence with.
"Wild Blue Yonder," on the other hand, is a promise, a promise that Doctor Who still contains that revolutionary spark, that desire and itch to push boundaries, and Davies executes this desire pretty much perfectly.
I've seen questions online from fans, asking why these anniversary specials aren't celebrating the show like the 50th did, but to me, what we've seen here from "Wild Blue Yonder," is that these specials aren't meant to be celebrating what Doctor Who has already done, but are instead flexing what it is still capable of.
The promotional material made several claims from the writers, actors and even the directors, that this was a strange and unusual story, even by Doctor Who's standards, and the content certainly lived up to these lofty claims.
The episode takes place at the edge of the universe, where the Doctor and Donna arrive on a spaceship that is peering into the precipice of the known universe, essentially situated against the abyss.
The events that transpire in the episode are best kept under wraps, as they are a truly bizarre spin on concepts including, but not limited to existential dread, surrealism, the uncanny, and even Lovecraftian horror, as it examines the limits of comprehension on a whole.
Whilst many are comparing this episode to Midnight, which is totally justified considering its uncanny nature, and exploration of fear of the unknown, I found myself comparing it more so to Heaven Sent than anything else.
We're entering more spoiler orientated territory here, so be warned, but I'll keep this brief.
The episode itself features only the Doctor and Donna throughout, giving the story the space to explore their psyches accordingly, especially the darker aspects of the Doctor's psyche specifically.
"Wild Blue Yonder," draws on story beats we've seen in the Chibnall era, story beats cataclysmic enough to warrant this revival in the first place such as the Timeless Children. However, these are story beats that appear to be a promising source of genuine character drama and an examination of the Doctor's insecurities and loneliness, when given to a writer who understands what makes humans tick like Davies does.
"The Star Beast," was a compelling enough start to these anniversary specials, and a heartfelt little story which returned a sense of warmth and soul to the show that had been missing for years. It was a story that stumbled, and slipped, but still had something to say, and justify its existence with.
"Wild Blue Yonder," on the other hand, is a promise, a promise that Doctor Who still contains that revolutionary spark, that desire and itch to push boundaries, and Davies executes this desire pretty much perfectly.
I've seen questions online from fans, asking why these anniversary specials aren't celebrating the show like the 50th did, but to me, what we've seen here from "Wild Blue Yonder," is that these specials aren't meant to be celebrating what Doctor Who has already done, but are instead flexing what it is still capable of.
- retardedmole
- Dec 2, 2023