Doctor Who Reactions: "The Star Beast" (SPOILERS)

[The Baron]

1. We start with a recap of the story of the Doctor and Donna, which I suppose is a good thing for people who weren't watching it fifteen years ago.
2. The new opening is  OK.
3. "From a story by Pat Mills and Dave Gibbons" which appeared in Doctor Who Weekly in 1980 and featured the bFourth Doctor and his created-for-the-comics companion, Sharon. Not a particular favorite of mine, but a fairly popular story in some corners. Of course, the downside of adapting an old story like this is that we borderline geriatric fans are gonna know the reveal of who the heel is.
4. He runs into Donna and her daughter immediately. To my mind, it's a litt;le bit of a stretch for Donna to have a daughter as old as Rose appears to be, but not an unacceptable one, since the show's never been consistent about its timeline, anyway.
5. "Nice to meet you, skinny man." She hasn't changed.
6. "Grand Master of the  Knowledge." "That says 'Grand Mistress'." "Oh, catch up."
7. "She gave it all away tro charity." OK.
8. Rose is trans. Interesting.
9. "It's a long time ago, darling. Fifteen years ago." I love Sylvia's desperate attempts to prevent Donna from remembering.
10. There's no denying that Catherine Tate is a good actress. It's always interesting to see people that are known for comedy doing dramatic stuff.
11. "I am the Meep".  They did a good job of re-creating the Meep for television.
12. "Shirley Anne Bingham, UNIT Scientific Advisor #56."  "I was Scientific Advisor #1."  Wouldn't that technically have been Liz Shaw?  Interesting interoduction for Shirley. This character has potential.
13. I wasn't wild about them bringing Tennat back initially, If it all wraps up Donna's arc, it'll be worth it.
14. "Something smells nice." "Tuna Madras". "Meep Meep."  I've never heard of Tuna Madras.
15. "She's looking after Wilf. Brilliant." A nice nod to Bernard Cribbins.
16. "You're a fashion victim." Har-har-har.
17. The Doctor just happens to  have a judge's wig on him, the same way he did in  "The Stones of Blood" back in 1978. Guess it's  just something that he happens to carry around with him.
18. "Oh, to Hell with this!" I can dig it.
19. "You've got weapons in your wheelchair?" I'm surprised it doesn't fly.
20. "Donna Noble is descending!" I have an image of her coming down from the sky like Sephiroth.
21. "...The metacrisis passed down a shared inheritance." Oh, bullsh*t! That's some  Plot Convenience Playhouse nonsense right there, Russ.
22. "My father would be impressed. I have no higher compliment."
23. "Just wait till I tell the Boss."  It's an insane would-be galactic conqueror, and it has a boss?
24. "Just let it go."  Oh, screw you, Davies, after all that melodrama, it was that easy?
25. The new console room is a little too big, really.

Overall: An OK story.  It could have used a little polishing,but I'm interested to see where they go from here.

[Jeff of Earth-J]

Ah! The 60th anniversary specials are now available on DVD/Blu-ray, I see. I must order them post-haste. Give me some time to order, receive and re-watch the specials, then I'll be back here to post my thoughts and my reactions to yours.

[Jeff of Earth-J]

Okay, I'm back. I watched "The Star Beast" tonight for the first time since it originally aired, second time overall. I don't really have a lot to say other than what you already said. I agree with almost everything you said, but if I concentrate on points where our respective mileage differs I'm going to come off as being argumentative, but I'm not really. For one thing, Rose looks older that 15 to me, but I agree that it doesn't really make all that much difference. I think she'd make a great (future) companion, and if RTD brings her back he can just say that she used to look "old for her age." I rather like those old Mills/Moore/Gibbons comics; I think I slot them in my head canon continuity between "The Invasion of time" and "The Ribos Operation" (the Fourth Doctor stories, anyway). It was odd that "The Star Beast" was half new, half adaptation. I also agree they did an astonding job re-creating the Meep for TV. I, too, like UNIT's new Scientific Advisor. Wilf is still alive even if Bernard Cribbins wasn't. I disagree with you about the metacrisis being passed down through a shared inheritance. That's brilliant! I also disagree with you about the the new console room (well, it is a bit big).

 

[The Baron]

Be as "argumentative" as you like. I'm a big boy, I can take it.