DW: The Star Beast

[aelfgyfu_mead]

 I just discovered today that the next special dropped yesterday, and here I am eight days after seeing "The Star Beast" without having written about it! 

I wanted to give myself time to sort out my feelings, because sometimes I change my mind after a bit. Not this time.

I was nervous about Davies taking the reins again and a little bit about seeing David Tennant as the Doctor again. By the time he finished his last spate of specials, I was going, "Just die already!" I'd loved his Doctor, especially with Donna, but the specials disappointed me one after another.

And I do have a few complaints. I'll get them out of the way.

This episode was so ham-fisted in some ways!
We get that Rose is trans and that people are hateful. I'm not sure seeing her deadnamed by bullies from school did anyone any good. I was on the fence about Donna's conversation with Sylvia. Sometimes, I think it's helpful for those of us who do stumble over pronouns—and yes, I have done that a few times—to be reassured that we just need to move forward from mistakes. But it all seemed a bit much. And what really got me was that it was starting to feel like "Look at us; we're so progressive!" especially when Rose corrected the Doctor's assumption of pronoun for the Meep—and then they proved that no one in the room knows what a pronoun is with the Meep declaring that Meep's pronoun is "the." That's not a pronoun! And no one used it as a pronoun! How no one involved with the episode saw a problem with this, I don't know. So we got the point, but the writers didn't always (and did the cast cringe at this? I can only imagine at least some did).

And yes, we have a character who uses a wheelchair! We didn't need the plucky "Don't make me the problem!" bit that sounded like it came from someone's sensitivity workshop. I will say that the tranq darts in the wheelchair are kind of cool. I'm less sure about the explosives.

On the other hand, these moments were a sharp stick in the eye to the kinds of people who could use a (metaphorical) stick to the eye.

But I loved so much about this episode!
One of the reasons I waited to post a reaction was that my first reaction to the Doctor taking Donna's memories away in the first place was that it had to be done; she'd never have left the TARDIS otherwise. I defended the writing. And I was horribly wrong and regret it. That was just terrible writing. There were better options! And it was an awful, misogynistic thing to do (a pattern that became clearer with later companions; yes, Rory spending almost two millennia watching over Amy is awful, but it's not as awful as having your child stolen or being stranded for decades and having to participate in your own erasure. But I digress.)

I just loved seeing the Doctor and Donna again. I had gotten sick of Tennant, but I was ready to see him again, or he was ready to take on the role anew. I had forgotten how physical his Doctor is—flinging himself around, running, waving his arms. And that energy contrasted beautifully with Donna's immovable object insistence that she was going to do what needed to be done, even if it killed her. Also, all her tart commentary! I loved them playing off each other, from the first moment where the Doctor sees Donna's face and puts the boxes back on her pile to the end of the episode.

I loved Rose. I was not sure what they were doing when I heard they had a new character also named Rose, but I am satisfied. I quite like her and hope we'll see her again. I love the dolls she made from the suppressed memories!

The Meep being cute and then turning out to be terrifying was just hilarious to me. The Meep was also a completely over-the-top supervillain with delusions of being much more powerful than the Meep actually was, which I also found hilarious.

I liked the Doctor's quiet little talk with Shirley Anne Bingham, the Unit advisor. I'd like more of that, in fact.

I love Donna. She might be my favorite companion (it's so hard to choose!). She deserved a good life, and she got it—and now she has her memories back! She should never have lost them, of course, but I was just so thrilled to see her get them back. The scene where Sylvia tried to deny that "the skinny man" was even there had me in stitches. Donna advising the Doctor on what suits he's too old to wear was also gold. Over 35? Just wait until you remember!

I loved the nod to Wilf, and I about died when it turned out the character wasn't dead! I wish we could see him again. I had, like the Doctor, assumed he was dead. Unlike the Doctor, I know his actor is dead.
 

Plot? What plot? Very little about the narrative made sense. I don't care. I was totally there for the characters, and I got what I wanted, but now I want more!

Comments

[nialla]

I didn't really care for Tennant's last round of specials either. Nothing really stands out in my memory about those, other than he was moping around about not wanting to leave.

I think Rose being deadnamed might have partly been to make it absolutely clear to the denser viewers that she was trans. Hamfisted, but sadly necessary for some.

I also thing Sylvia and Donna's talk was as well done as it could have been, and again, reinforces to the dense among us that not only is Rose trans, but her family supports her. I do like it when a stumble over pronouns or questioning how you should speak about someone shouldn't be treated as automatically awful. Mistakes are made, but being willing to try is half the battle. I know I was worried misgendering a trans teen a couple of years ago, but mainly because she was out to me and some other teens, but not to family and other adults. I was worried I would say "she" when the wrong person was around. We came to an agreement that "they" was okay, because others might not notice, and it was easier for me to not have to keep switching back and forth depending on who was around.

The Meep is apparently a henchman with delusions of grandeur. :)

I also liked that talk with Shirley Anne Bingham. I wonder if The Doctor talked with her specifically because she was a scientist? I noted he slunk back into the shadows when a soldier approached her, and she helped distract the soldier from noticing him. Something else in that scene that was nice to see is while she's in a wheelchair, she's shown to move her legs. I've since read the actress has spina bifida, so she does use a wheelchair herself. Too many actors think wheelchair = totally unable to move legs, which then reinforces that idea to the public. I wonder how many viewers were surprised by her moving like that?

Donna is definitely my fave from New Who, which is funny to me because I totally didn't care for her first appearance. Was not thrilled when I read she would be back as a companion. Yet her chemistry with Tennant is undeniable, and best of all, they're besties, not romantic. Too many companions just mope after The Doctor, and while understandable, it gets boring after a while. I did kind of like Thirteen/Yasmin, mainly because The Doctor so rarely is shown to reciprocate their interest. Definitely has more in the modern era, but that one just seemed different, and not just because it was f/f.

As for Wilf... Spoilers!

[aelfgyfu_mead]

Too many actors think wheelchair = totally unable to move legs, which then reinforces that idea to the public. I wonder how many viewers were surprised by her moving like that?
I saw someone getting roasted on Bluesky (or maybe Txitter?) for sharing a screen cap of the character with her legs crossed and saying that he could believe in a disabled scientific advisor for UNIT—until she crossed her legs. And how, he went on to ask, did no one else on set notice that slip? Apparently DW cannot even be hamfisted enough for some people! He has been Told in no uncertain terms that yes, some people who use wheelchairs can cross their legs, and the actress is one of them. Whether he took any of that in, I do not know. (I'd seen the actress in Years and Years but could not remember for the life of me why she was familiar. Thankful for the IMDb!)

I have been blown away by how wonderful the Doctor and Donna are together. I wasn't as put off by her first appearance as many, but I did not think she would be a successful long-term companion! I'm so glad to be wrong!

Yasmin and the Thirteenth Doctor were different, and I found myself pleasantly surprised. Partly, Yaz seemed less mopey than I remember certain other companions being! And it was good to see her and the Doctor talk, though I felt like there should have been more of that. Even the Thirteenth Doctor is not great about talking about her feelings. (You're the one who has the icon "Dear Diary, Questioning my sexuality—think I may have one," right? I thought of for a moment that during "Wild Blue Yonder"!)

And as for spoilers: well, I've now seen "Wild Blue Yonder," and I was quite surprised there at the end!

[nialla]

It should be common sense that some people in a wheelchair can move their legs. My own parents use wheelchairs for longer distances, but can totally move their legs. I personally used a wheelchair after surgery and could move my legs. Yet media doesn't portray it that way. There's a sense that being able to move the legs at all should mean they're upright, even if it's with a walker, crutches cane, etc. Doesn't matter if a wheelchair is more comfortable or whatever, walking in pain is preferred.

This kind of thing is why they have to be so strongly ham-flavored about Rose being trans. Otherwise, they just won't get it.

I think I did have that icon before I stopped paying for LJ and lost icon slots. I'll have to dig around on my computer to see if I could find it.

Honestly, I think that icon could apply to Yaz as well. I got the impression she either hadn't realized she was attracted to women, or at least hadn't admitted it to herself. I also think TPTB didn't want to tangle with the idea of whether or not Yaz could still be involved with The Doctor if she became a he again. Honestly, that could be interesting to see how a love interest handles that issue, but it would take a talented writer to do it justice.

I know Alex Kingston had expressed interest in an appearance with Thirteen, just to a few homophobic heads explode. With River, we've already seen her with three incarnations of The Doctor without that being an issue, though Ten didn't really get into the romantic stuff.

Thirteen had a longing for family, yet shut out her companions from what her past entailed. A lot of what they learned didn't come from her. Some of it was from The Master or Jack Harkness, others were revealed due to circumstances, but Thirteen didn't willingly tell them very much. I kind of understand, but it led to so many miscommunication scenes, and I dislike those. With Tennant #3, it's like old times with Donna, and she literally knew his mind, but doesn't remember it now. Still, she does know a lot. Curious to see how Gatwa's Doctor deals with companions. Secretive like Thirteen, or more open?

[aelfgyfu_mead]

Thirteen didn't willingly tell them very much. I kind of understand, but it led to so many miscommunication scenes, and I dislike those.
So true! And that always bothers me. Once in a while, miscommunication makes sense, but so many shows use it as a cheap way to keep drama going.

The Doctor has long been secretive. I'm thinking Eleven was the most open with his companions; what do you think?

[nialla]

I hate miscommunication stories, but so many plots would be over in about 10 minutes if people would just talk.

The Doctor is secretive, but also emotionally constipated. I think they don't generally talk about their past, including previous companions, very often. Eleven was probably most open with the Ponds, but that may be partly because there was a bit more of a "family" vibe since Amy and Rory were together.