Doctor Who: Soaring Through the Skies Review: A Thrilling Blend of Fun and Familiarity

Anticipation for the second Doctor Who 60th anniversary special, "Wild Blue Yonder," began with rumors of it pushing boundaries for the iconic sci-fi series. David Tennant further fueled the excitement in a October 2023 interview, calling it "unlike any Doctor Who episode ever."

The BBC's blackout of "Wild Blue Yonder" fueled speculation, indicating something worth spoiling. However, now that the special is out, it seems the fuss was unwarranted. While gripping, the Doctor Who episode doesn't break new ground for the franchise. Spoilers for "Wild Blue Yonder" ahead.

A big little Doctor Who adventure

"The Wild Blue Yonder" features the Fourteenth Doctor (Tennant) and Donna Noble (Catherine Tate) marooned on an abandoned spacecraft at the outer reaches of the universe. In order to escape, they must unravel the mystery of the missing crew. As if that weren't challenging enough, a malevolent duo of shapeshifters arrives, capable of mimicking the Doctor and Donna, heightening the tension even further.

The second Doctor Who 60th anniversary special can be considered a bottle episode, albeit with significant investment from the BBC and Disney in mechanized corridors and body horror transformations. It proves to be a captivating bottle episode, allowing Tennant and Tate ample opportunity to display their acting prowess and their exceptional on-screen chemistry for nearly an hour.

The "Wild Blue Yonder" narrative reveals a new, stripped-down side of the Fourteenth Doctor, shedding light on the pain hidden by the Doctor's cheery facade. Unlike the previous special "The Star Beast," this episode fully exposes the Doctor's trauma, thanks to the efforts of showrunner Russell T Davies and director Tom Kingsley. The Doctor's past, which he has been trying to escape, is brought to the forefront as he faces evil versions of himself and his best friend. This allows actors Tennant and Tate to showcase their talent in a villainous role, highlighting their chemistry and relishing the opportunity to play opposite each other.

If you’ve seen The Thing, you’ve seen Wild Blue Yonder

These scenes are undeniably thrilling, despite being undermined by CGI that is so poorly done it's cringe-worthy rather than creepy (or even endearing). The Doctor and Donna’s faulty lookalikes are not the only culprits in this aspect. For every magnificent shot of a spaceship exploding in “Wild Blue Yonder,” there are several more of Tennant and Tate sprinting down hallways clearly added in post-production with greenscreen effects.

The lack of innovation, not the uneven visual effects, is what ultimately holds the middle entry in the Doctor Who 60th anniversary trilogy back. Instead of delivering something new, we got a Doctor Who version of John Carpenter’s 1982 classic, The Thing. "Wild Blue Yonder" feels like Davies and Kingsley rehashing another Doctor Who outing from 2008, "Midnight," with its alien imposter-induced suspense. This is disappointing, especially after the promising set-up of "The Star Beast," which set the stage for Davies and co. to really push the boundaries.

Doctor Who: Wild Blue Yonder review score: 3/5

It appears that we will have to wait for the third and final Doctor Who 60th anniversary special, “The Giggle.” The cliffhanger ending of “Wild Blue Yonder” certainly suggests this. However, if we have learned anything from this second, overly familiar special, it is that Doctor Who occasionally makes promises it cannot keep.

Doctor Who: Wild Blue Yonder is streaming on BBC iPlayer (UK & Ireland) and Disney+ (everywhere else) now. For the latest Doctor Who news and updates, check out Dexerto’s full coverage here.

Editor's P/S

As an enthusiastic fan of Doctor Who, I have mixed feelings about the second 60th anniversary special, "Wild Blue Yonder." On the one hand, I enjoyed the thrilling blend of fun and familiarity that the episode offered. The return of David Tennant and Catherine Tate as the Fourteenth Doctor and Donna Noble was a treat, and their on-screen chemistry was as strong as ever. The episode also featured some great body horror transformations and a creepy atmosphere, which were reminiscent of classic Doctor Who stories.

On the other hand, I was disappointed by the lack of innovation in the episode's plot. The story felt like a rehash of previous Doctor Who episodes, such as "Midnight" and "The Thing," and didn't offer anything truly new or groundbreaking. Additionally, the CGI effects in the episode were often poor, which detracted from the overall experience.

Overall, I would say that "Wild Blue Yonder" was a solid episode of Doctor Who, but it didn't live up to the hype that had been generated around it. I'm hoping that the third and final 60th anniversary special, "The Giggle," will be able to deliver something more innovative and exciting.