As Doctor Who‘s 60th Anniversary celebrations continue, we go from the cozy comforts of modern-day London to the horrors of outer space in a story that’s as tense and weird as its title might suggest. Written by Russell T. Davies and directed by Tom Kingsley, Wild Blue Yonder offers a perfect example of how varied Doctor Who can be. Wild Blue Yonder delivers a claustrophobic, tense thriller that’s jam-packed with high-concept sci-fi and a healthy dose of emotional turmoil. In a way, it feels like the calm before the storm – even though this episode is anything but calm. It’s a bit mind-bending, and the visual effects don’t always reach the same heights the script and the performances do. But that’s very Doctor Who in its own right.
Into the Unknown
When we last saw the Doctor (David Tennant) and Donna (Catherine Tate), the TARDIS was mid-explosion after Donna accidentally dumped a cup of coffee on the console. Now, in an act of self-preservation, the TARDIS drops the Doctor and Donna off on a spaceship at the edge of the universe – and promptly disappears. But what mysteries lurk within the corridors of this ship? And what could possibly be so scary that the TARDIS would run away? Finding themselves in the middle of hostile action, it’s up to the Doctor and Donna to unravel the mysteries of this spaceship and save themselves before it’s too late. Wild Blue Yonder is one of those episodes that’s exceptionally hard to wrap your head around on paper but is perfectly understandable in practice.
Throw Midnight, Heaven Sent, and a bit of Can You Hear Me? into a blender and you’ve got a pretty good idea of what to expect from Wild Blue Yonder. It’s an episode that thrives in just how weird it is. It’s jam-packed with big, outlandish sci-fi ideas that are brought right back to earth by an immensely emotional, satisfying core. The less said about Wild Blue Yonder‘s specifics, the better. And, in that regard, it’s easy to see why the Doctor Who team has been so secretive about this episode. It’s not a big, cameo-packed funfest. Instead, it’s a quiet, reflective episode that succeeds largely based on its sheer audacity and its unpredictability. It’s tense, it’s silly, it’s action-packed, and – best of all – it’s deeply introspective and emotional. It’s easily one of Davies’ best scripts to date, executed deftly by excellent direction and even better performances.
A Two-Hander
Even more than in The Star Beast, David Tennant and Catherine Tate carry the episode squarely on their shoulders. In fact, outside of the episode’s cold open and final scene, they’re the only two actors in the episode. Yes, Wild Blue Yonder is a true two-hander in the very best sense of the phrase. A story entirely focused on the Doctor and Donna – on their friendship, their history, and where their respective journeys are taking them. But more than that, the episode gives Tennant and Tate a chance to stretch their acting chops – both emotionally and absurdly. And if you’re wondering how Tennant and Tate can be the only actors in this episode, good. That’s a good question to have. To say any more than that veers too heavily into spoilers best left experienced in context. So, let’s just say that they absolutely crush it this week.
While The Star Beast focused heavily on Donna and her development since we last saw her, Wild Blue Yonder shines its light on Tennant’s Fourteenth Doctor. Once again, you get the sense that he’s not just repeating what he did fifteen years ago. No, this new Doctor truly takes into account everything the character’s been through to this point. Fans of Jodie Whittaker’s Thirteenth Doctor will be especially delighted by how vital her character development still is for the Fourteenth Doctor – and yes, this counts both the Flux and the Timeless Child storylines. This is a Doctor deeply affected by everything that’s happened to him, everything that’s happened because of him. And Tennant plays that so brilliantly that it’s genuinely breathtaking.
Visual Effects
For as good as Wild Blue Yonder‘s storytelling and performances are, its visual effects prove to be a bit more of a mixed bag. To be clear, they’re breathtaking the vast majority of the time. It remains beyond impressive exactly what Doctor Who can accomplish on its budget – especially when compared to similar shows. But at the same time, when the episode relies this heavily on green screen and CGI, you’d hope it’d be just a touch more consistent. And that’s really the problem here; not that the episode is littered with bad CGI or anything. It’s just that a lot of Wild Blue Yonder‘s visual effects are deeply inconsistent.
One moment, you’ll be looking at the spaceship’s gorgeous exterior, breathtaking in both scale and grandeur. Then the next, you’ll be staring at the ship’s main control hub, and it’s abundantly clear that Tennant and Tate are just standing in front of a green screen. Whether it’s the lighting, the composition itself, or the slight uncanny valley effect of the background, something just feels off. And then, to complicate matters even further, you’ve got effects that are meant to look a little wonky, effects meant to trigger that uncanny valley effect. And so you’re left with this weird mishmash of gorgeous, wonky, and intentionally questionable visual effects – a combination that distracts as often as it delights. It’s not episode-killing or anything. But you can feel the episode’s ambitions struggling against the confines of its budget.
Final Thoughts
At the end of the day, Wild Blue Yonder proves successful despite its shortcomings. A story that succeeds based on the audacity and ambitions of its script and the brilliant performances of its lead actors. It’s Doctor Who at its most experimental. A low-key two-hander that exists almost entirely to delve into the characters’ respective traumas. And in that regard, it’ll be interesting to see if next week’s final special, The Giggle, does anything with all of this trauma exploration. Either way, Wild Blue Yonder easily lives up to the hype. It’s weird and ambitious, and even if it doesn’t always work, it’s unlike anything Doctor Who‘s tried so far. And that’s what Doctor Who should always do – strive to keep reinventing itself.
Doctor Who: Wild Blue Yonder is available now on Disney+ and the BBC iPlayer (UK only). New episodes air Saturdays on Disney+ and BBC One (UK only).
Doctor Who continues its 60th-anniversary celebrations with "Wild Blue Yonder" - an episode that's as weird and experimental as it is emotionally moving. While its visual effects sometimes leave something to be desired, the episode succeeds based on it strong script and even stronger performances.
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GVN Rating 9
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User Ratings (1 Votes)
9.5