By: Alex Kuhn @magaman28
Before you read this, I will warn you there are spoilers. If you absolutely want to watch Wild Blue Yonder, go right ahead. And then come back to this review.
THE GOOD:
It is still great to see David Tennant and Catherine Tate back on the television screen. Season four of “new Who” was one of the best seasons of all time.
THE BAD:
As with last week’s episode, The Star Beast, so many elements of Wild Blue Yonder went wrong that we need to give each its own section.
Meeting Sir Isaac Newton – In the first few minutes of the episode, the Doctor and Donna run into Sir Isaac Newton. In fact, they run into him at the exact moment that he discovers gravity. Unfortunately, because of their interaction with Newton, he instead calls it “mavity,” for some odd reason. The “mavity” mistake becomes a stupid gag throughout the episode, which is not even corrected in the end. Furthermore, Newton is a real person who existed in history, whom we know to have been a white Englishman. But, in this portrayal, he is played by a person of color. Why did the BBC make this casting choice?
Doctor Comes Out of the Closet? – Once back on a spaceship, after their encounter with Newton, the Doctor and Donna agree that Newton was “hot.” Does that mean that the Doctor is coming out as gay?
The Sonic Screwdriver – Since when is the sonic screwdriver needed to repair the TARDIS? The TARDIS has always repaired and changed itself automatically.
Not Enough Action – After the initial spaceship crash, the episode proceeds for about 20 minutes with no action. Why is this? A Who episode typically has some action every five minutes or so. If not much happens after five minutes, you can expect the viewer to get sleepy and bored.
Shapeshifting Aliens – Half of the episode is spent trying to figure out, over and over again, who the real Doctor and Donna are as two shapeshifting aliens try to impersonate them. Frankly, the scriptwriting is pretty lame.
Timeless Children – Another attempt is made to canonize the failed “Timeless Children” arc from the last series—something that nobody in the audience wants!