TV writer Daisy Carr reviews the second of the Doctor Who anniversary specials, applauding the chemistry of the actors and enjoying the emotional roller-coaster experienced within the episode
The second of the Doctor Who sixtieth anniversary specials, ‘Wild Blue Yonder’, sees The Doctor (David Tennant) and Donna (Catherine Tate) stranded on an alien spaceship at the end of the universe with no TARDIS and no idea of the where and when they are. Starting immediately after the events of ‘The Star Beast’, after Donna has spilled her coffee on the TARDIS console, they are dumped onto a desolate ship by the blue box. Donna is desperate to return home to her family, and The Doctor is, as usual, determined to discover what occurred on the ship to leave it devoid of life forms, or so he thinks…
This episode delves more into the complications of the meta-crisis between The Doctor and Donna from the finale of series four, with Donna making mentions of the adventures and upsets The Doctor has experienced since he left her fifteen years ago. ‘The flux’, a story arc from The Thirteenth Doctor (Jodie Whittaker)’s run gets a mention, making it clear that Russell T Davies is not going to ignore the consequences caused by ‘the flux’ and the implications this is going to have on the universe. This was a pleasant surprise as I personally really enjoyed ‘the flux’.
Tennant and Tate both shine in this episode […]their chemistry makes it easy to view the both of them as best friends
Wild Blue Yonder is one of the genuinely scary episodes of Doctor Who! Similar to series four’s ‘Midnight’ (one of my favourite Doctor Who episodes of all time) the big bad thing is unknown, the ‘No-Thing’ something that the all-knowing Doctor cannot figure out. The body horror and concept of being trapped at the end of the universe are both legitimately creepy and horrible and ‘Wild Blue Yonder’ really drives this home. The ship is massive, and it is empty, bar one little robot The Doctor calls ‘Jimbo’.
The lack of anyone or anything, allows Tennant and Tate to both shine in this episode (as they always do for me). Their chemistry makes it easy to view the both of them as best friends and it is evident that both actors are friends outside of the show. In the doppelgänger interrogation scenes, both actors give phenomenal, emotional performances, but also act with such subtlety that it is almost impossible at times to work out who is the real and who is the fake. Their chemistry also makes those emotional scenes much more impactful as it really seems like two best friends discussing the horrors they have been through.
It is clear the budget for Doctor Who has rocketed and the special effects are far from the goofiness of earlier Who
As seen on Doctor Who: Unleashed, the updated Confidential giving behind the scenes looks at the creation of the three anniversary specials, it is clear the budget for Doctor Who has rocketed and the special effects are far from the goofiness of earlier Who. The practical effects are equally as phenomenal. Tennant’s giant hand and Tate’s long arm are both fully prosthetic, as well as the terrifying teeth they both don.
In the promotional material released in the run-up to the three specials, clips from ‘Wild Blue Yonder’ were minimal. This was a brilliant decision as the episode is much better enjoyed going into it blind. I thoroughly enjoyed the episode, it was creepy, emotional, and very well acted. The cameo at the end was a bittersweet surprise that left me with tears but a massive smile on my face.
Rating: 4/5
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