Doctor Who "The Star Beast"

 

The Doctor is back and starts this three-part special with the petal to the metal!

As The Doctor returns to earth, he shockingly reunites with Donna Noble, who still doesn't remember him. He tries to keep his distance from her, but soon, a spaceship that looks to be crashing down suddenly lands, and UNIT and Doctor investigate. 

Donna's daughter, Rose, meets The Meep, who happens to be hunted by the Wrath warriors. Donna soon meets The Meep, and in that classic, Donna reacts to the space creature. The Doctor arrives and tries to understand the situation but gets caught in a battle between the hunters and a UNIT, who are under a mysterious possession from the spaceship. 

As Doctor and the rest escape, he questions why no one got hurt, or even the car they took wasn't damaged. He summoned the warriors to meet along with the Meep and learned that the Meep was a creature that went mad and killed its kind. But just as they explained, the Meep kills the warriors and goes on to do its grand plan by using its drill from its ship to destroy London. 

As the Doctor and others were taken in a holden-cell, UNIT's Shirley Anne Bringham helped break them out. The doctor tries to stop Meep but also gets help from Donna, who believes she needs to do something. Trapped in the ship and separate from a glass wall, the Doctor triggers Donna's memories, goes button-pushing crazy, and stops Meep's plans. 

But that doesn't end as Rose takes the sun-possessed soldier's powers away, but there's a game changer: Donna doesn't die because she passed along half of the time lord powers to Rose. 

Just as The Meep is taken into custody, it warns about how its boss will learn about The Doctor.

The Doctor and Donna agree to take the TARDIS to visit Wilford, who is alive and living in a living facility helped by UNIT. But as they look around the new digs of the TARDIS, Donna spills coffee, and the machine catches on fire. 

"The Star Beast" is an hour special that doesn't waste time explaining the plot and keeps the pace well, making this feel like a mini-movie event wrapped with the classic Russell T. Davis style of a Doctor Who episode. 

I loved this episode, and it had me at times in tears with not only seeing Donna and the Doctor together but also hearing about Wilford and even The Meep with Rose, which has me crying. 

The performances from Tennant and Tate were terrific. I loved Yasmin Finney's performance as Rose and Ruth Madeley's performance as Bringhman. 

Overall, I give this episode special a 9/10. 

You can catch Doctor Who The Star Beast on Disney+ with the following special next Saturday. 

What did you think of The Star Beast? Leave a comment below!

Doctor Who 50th Anniversary Special Reflection

 

Seven years ago today, it was pretty much the year's fall event. Here's my reflection on Doctor Who's 50th Anniversary special. 

It is one of those events that you can't forget. Call it the Endgame before Endgame, with the hype of this cultural event in 2013. The Doctor Who 50th Anniversary special was one that I won't forget.

Now, let me go back just a bit; I'll admit I had never been a fan of Doctor Who until 2011. I heard the news around 2008 about the show thanks to the internet and heard of David Tennant leaving the show. But it was after listening to this podcast Talking TV with Ryan and Ryan and hearing them talk about Doctor Who so much I decided to check it out. 

I went through the five series (of the revival) with Matt Smith at the helm. I was hooked on the show, and while tuning in to watch The Doctor and Amy Pond Going on Adventures, I've gone back to the show's other seasons and checked them out as well. 

I caught the Doctor Who fever, and that's where I got my brother hooked on it after telling him so much about the show (one too many times, he would say). 

So now, back to the 50th Anniversary special. I still remember it; it was on a Saturday, and my brother bought himself a fez hat. It was so funny. So, just as we were preparing to watch it, I knew our adrenaline was rising with high expectations. 

As the show began, I was like that's the original title, and it starts just as the first episode began. We loved every minute, from UNIT picking up the TARDIS and seeing Matt hanging on while flying around London to the event. Everyone was excited to see (including my brother) the meeting between Smith and Tennant's Doctors. 

Hell, even seeing all 13 Doctors helping to save their home planet was terrific. 

We thought the special was fantastic, and while it was hilarious, it had some excellent good moments when we saw both Doctors (including the War Doctor) talk about why they left and come up with a solution to help their home planet from the Daleks. 

And, of course, we couldn't stop talking about it after and even re-watched when it re-aired that night. I rewatched it a bit more over the next day. And, of course, it leads to one of the saddest Christmas specials of the revival when we say goodbye to Matt Smith. 

Watching that notable was unique because it brought my brother and me together and got to be our nerdy selves. And that wouldn't happen again until we saw Avengers Endgame in 2019. 

Since 2011, I've been a fan of the series. Matt Smith and Peter Capaldi are my favorites (so far), while Jenna Coleman is my favorite of the Doctor's companions. I did get to watch the eleventh series premiere event with Jodie Whittaker taking over as the new Doctor, but I haven't caught up (which will be something that I should have done this summer but will do this holiday season). 

I want to reflect on what this seventh anniversary of the Doctor Who 50th Anniversary special meant to me. What did you think of the special? 

Leave a comment below!

Doctor Who Gets Season Premiere Date

The first ever female Doctor Who will premiere this October but on a new night!

BBC America has announced that Jodie Whittaker's first season (Season 11) will debut on Sunday, October 7. The premiere will be timed to the UK broadcast, followed by a prmetime encore in its new Sunday night time-slot (which remains TBA). In addition, the basic cabler has revealed the premiere episode title: "The Woman Who Fell to Earth."

Whittaker made her debut as the Doctor at the end of the 2017 Christmas special, when Peter Capaldi's Time Lord regenerated into the franchise's first ever female lead. Whittaker said that at the time of her casting, "It's more than an honor to play the Doctor. It means remembering everyone I used to be, while stepping forward to embrace everything the Doctor stands for: hope I can't wait."

With Whittaker as the Thirteenth Doctor for Season 11, there are three new companions: Bradley Walsh (LAw & Order: UK) as Graham, Tosin Cole (Star Wars: The Force Awakens) as Ryan and Mandip Gill (Hollyoaks) as Yasmin. In addition, Sharon D. Clarke (Holby City) will appear in an unspecified "returning role." Chris Chibnall (Broadchurch) tkaes the reins as showrunner, replacing Steven Moffat.

Are you excited for the new season and premiere date?