DOCTOR WHO: SEASON-BY-SEASON - ANOTHER SPECIAL BONUS: THE SIXTIETH ANNIVERSARY SPECIALS

Well, I've finally got it done. I was supposed to be wrapping this up sometime around late November/early December. Just as the 60th Anniversary was winding its way down. But things didn't quite go as planned. Better late than never, at least!    

Completist that I am, I decided I had to review the Sixtieth Anniversary Specials too. But I chose to give them a special entry of their own. Sure, I could have tacked this on the Series Thirteen Review. But that thing was getting long enough, already. Also, these Specials feel very different from what we were getting during Jodie's and Chibber's final season. They needed a place of their own. 

I still remember when RTD was giving us a "general lay-out" of what to expect from these Specials. How Ten (now Fourteen) was going to get back together with Donna and have three big adventures with her then regenerate into Ncuti. How the first story was going to be based on an old comic strip. 

And there was much excitement amongst Fandom. Whether they hated the Era that had just ended or not, people seemed very happy that the Great RTD, David Tennant and Catherine Tate were making a triumphant return. This was going to be a great Sixtieth Anniversary. Hooray!    

A very interesting vlog came out on Youtube right around this time. The person making the clip phrased himself very carefully. Emphasizing that he was going to give the Specials a fair chance before passing final judgement. And then he proclaimed the most controversial of things: 

He was not excited about the Sixtieth Anniversary Specials. 

He had a few valid points. The biggest one being that the episodes really only seemed to be bringing back one specific period of the show. Yes, it was one of the most popular eras from Doctor Who's past - but the anniversary should be much wider in scope than that. Especially since the vlogger was not a big fan of this particular section of time in the show's history. Surely, there were other people besides him that had the same sort of feeling about this. RTD's whole plan was not being fair to them. A proper anniversary celebration should be more inclusive. Should cover a greater range. Maybe not every Doctor needed to come back. Something similar to Day of the Doctor could have been executed. A few incarnations cross paths and get in a mess. This way, several different periods from the show get represented. But just Ten and Donna was way too narrow. 

We needed something more... 

MY OWN FIRST IMPRESSIONS 

As carefully as he expressed himself, this poor vlogger still got a ton of backlash in the comments. Everyone else in the world seemed happy to see RTD, Tennant and Tate coming back and he was clearly Satan for wanting anything different. In truth, I imagine other people agreed with him but knew better than to stick their necks out in the comments and receive the same level of abuse. 

But there was one person who was brave enough to speak up on his behalf. He agreed whole-heartedly with what the vlogger had said. We should be getting a wider cross-representation of the show's past on its anniversary. He even felt that, if anything was going to feel like a real anniversary tale, it would probably be Power of the Doctor. That particular commentor also got a bunch of nasty sentiments hurled at him, But he defended his views brilliantly and made his detractors look like dribbling idiots. He was truly a mastermind at online debating. He also seemed quite sexy and probably writes really good Doctor Who blogs. 

I'm assuming, by now, you've figured out who this incredible fellow in the comments was. 

If you've been following these Reviews, you should know I am only so fond of RTD's writing. And, unlike most people, Tennant's Doctor doesn't rank highly on my list. I do love Donna. But I think there was no need to try to bring her back and extend her story any further. It went badly enough when they tried that in End of Time. To this day, I'm still not sure how she was able to release a bunch of regeneration energy and take out the group of Masters that were getting ready to eat her for lunch! I'd rather we not re-open the door on her character and have even more of this sort of silliness ensue. 

But RTD was going to do it. Like our poor vlogger, I was willing to give him a fair chance and not truly pass judgement on all this until after I'd watched the episodes and let them sink in a bit. Admittedly, though, I wasn't enthused by what I'd seen so far... 

MORE FIRST IMPRESSIONS 

(SECOND IMPRESSIONS, I GUESS) 

Okay, so I wasn't happy with a lot of RTD's work the first time around. But I also acknowledge that the last script he produced for the show would have been way back in 2009. A writer can grow a lot in that time. As can a grumpy old fan, for that matter. It's entirely possible that the material he creates upon his return will agree with me more. That was one more factor that helped me to keep an open mind about everything that was to come. 

But then RTD started saying weird stuff. This didn't, necessarily, alarm me. But it did seem very ... well ... weird! 

His first odd statement was about the Doctor's transformation into Fourteen. Changing the Doctor's clothes during the regeneration is not completely new. It happened when Hartnell turned into Troughton. It also happened, briefly, during the fourth regeneration - but that was more by accident! 

For me, there was no need for an explanation. But RTD took it upon himself to tell us why he wanted the outfit to change. He felt that, if Tennant was in Jodie's costume, the media would endlessly use that image of him because he would be in drag. That they would love to ridicule him for being in women's clothes. Or something to that effect, at least. His statement wasn't the clearest.

From what I understand of what he said, the whole idea falls apart on several levels: 

1. Jodie's actual costume seems fairly asexual. She even said that's what she was going for. So I don't think David wearing it would even be construed as "being in drag". 

2. Even if it was considered being in drag, I'm not sure if he can be ridiculed for it. Drag has actually become a fairly trendy form of entertainment, these days. Yes, there are still some super-conservative people who object to it. But, for the most part, doing drag gives you street cred as a performer! 

3. I don't actually think the press would really care that much to see him in Jodie's clothes.

The weird statements keep coming after the Children In Need Special. This time, he strikes up some real controversy amongst fandom. During the mini-sode, he actually gives Davros legs! He explains that disabled people have been portrayed too long as being evil. From hereon in, Davros will look like a normal human rather than a strange deformed being trapped in a life support system.  

First off, given the charity that they were supporting, taking Davros out of the chair was a good move. I even get what RTD is saying about how the disabled have been portrayed. It is, however, something that happened more in classical fiction. Probably the best example that comes to mind is how King Richard the Third is often played. It does almost seem like his deformities are a sign of his evil. Or that he's become deformed because he is evil. Or something like that!    

I wouldn't say we really see this going on in fiction, anymore. Even when Nation first conceived Davros way back in the 70s, I don't think he was going for any kind of "disabled = evil" motif like Shakespeare was with Richard III. As high-tech as he may look, Davros is still, essentially, a wheelchair-bound character. But I think the intent was to create someone who was in a transitional state between human and Dalek. And putting him in a futuristic wheelchair achieves that effect. It's also implied that he was this obsessed scientist even before an accident put him in such a state. So, really, the evil was there before the disability. 

So RTD's reasoning for wanting to make Davros completely able-bodied doesn't seem to be on very solid ground. It makes about as much sense as not letting Fourteen first appear in Jodie's outfit. And all of these statements do actually make me wonder just a little about what sort of scripts we're actually going to get out of this guy. If what he's saying to the Press doesn't seem all that reasonable - will his writing lack logic too?!    

STARBEAST 

There was just one more thing that was causing apprehension for me before I actually watched any of RTD's new episodes (Damn! I'm pre-judging a lot, here!). The first story was going to be an adaptation of the famous Starbeast comic strip. This was nothing unusual, of course. The show had done this many times before. One of my favorite stories ever was originally a novel from the New Adventures range. 

What bothered me was that Starbeast did not strike me as the sort of story you put in a series of Anniversary Specials. It's a pretty simple "cute alien bad, ugly aliens good" plot that we first saw over 55 years ago in Galaxy Four. I was expecting something that would be operating on a grander scale for such a momentous occasion. No, we don't need ten different incarnations of the Doctor running around for an hour saving the Universe. But I am still going to want something that feels fairly epic during a time like this. The Adventures of Beep the Meep definitely doesn't achieve that!

As fate would have it, I ended up enjoying what RTD did with the story. While a lot of attention is devoted to updating us on Donna Noble and her family, enough focus is still given to the A Plot. Which was a great sign that the Head Writer had grown since the last time he'd contributed a script. I would have still been happier with something more grandiose to suit the whole celebratory nature the show is meant to be having, but Starbeast was quite passable. 

Of course, there was some backlash about trying to make the adventure also about trans rights. Lots of talk about "Message over Story". A term fans love to use when sci-fi wants to discuss social issues. I don't actually think Starbeast does this, though. Especially since Rose being trans does actually serve the plot a bit. 

If anything troubled me it was a very specific line towards the end of the episode. "A male-presenting Time Lord could never see it." (or words to that effect). It's always a strange moment when something like this rankles me. Oftentimes, I'm not sure if I should be upset by it. It feels a bit like an unnecessary attack on men but, at the same time, I acknowledge that I might just be acting like an oversensitive straight white male! 

So I do what I always do in these situations. I reverse things a bit. I imagined if a line like this had been written into a script last season. Thirteen doesn't understand what's going on during a very important situation but Dan and Vinder do. So they turn to her and say something to the nature of: "You can't see it because you're a woman!" 

I'm pretty sure there would be great yule and cry over such a scene. And there should be. It's pretty sexist. 

The only time that kind of dialogue might work is if it's used in a highly ludicrous and comical context. Like, say, women not laughing at fart jokes while men do (although I do know plenty of women who think farting is hilarious!). I do even get that, in certain situations, one gender might be a bit more intuitive or even adept at something than the other might be. But to say something to the nature of: "You just can't see this because of the type of genitals you possess" is just a bit on the sexist side. Regardless of who it's delivered to or who is saying it. I acknowledge that RTD wrote that line and that he's actually male. But it is more-than-feasible for a gender to, sometimes, be sexist against itself! So the whole moment does leave a sour taste in my mouth and I do think I'm entitled to feel that way.

Other than that, though, I'm pretty happy with Starbeast. It's still laying some decent foundations for what could, potentially, be an interesting series of Specials. RTD definitely needs to ramp things up in the next two stories to really get it all to work, though. But he is, at least, off to a fairly solid start. 

As apprehensive as I've been, my curiosity is piqued... 

WILD BLUE YONDER 

Once more, controversy kicks in. This time, it's concerning the pre-titles. If I'm being honest, I didn't actually notice that they'd changed the race of Isaac Newton until people brought it up. But I do notice it, now. And, once more, we can resolve all the hostility with the "Reverse It" Principal. 

Imagine we're watching Rosa back in Series Eleven. Ryan follows Ms. Parks back to her home and meets Martin Luther King. And he's played by ..... a white guy! The outrage would be tremendous. And, just like in my last Reverse It Scenario, it should. You really can't do something like this with an actual figure from history. If Disney wants to change the race of the Little Mermaid, I got no problem with that. Because she's not real. Actual people, however, really should be kept the color they are. It seems like a pretty simple idea to live by when you're producing TV. 

Truth be told, however, I was more upset that the whole scene was contradicting the story Four tells about Newton in The Pirate Planet! I'm a little disturbed that messing with canon bothers me more than racism. But I guess that's just the type of fan I am!   

RTD also kinda messes things up with the Press again. As he's being asked about Wild Blue Yonder, he proclaims that it's "like nothing you ever saw before on Doctor Who"! This sounds like a pretty cool thing until you, actually, watch the episode. Before it concludes, you can easily see strong resemblances to both Midnight and The Rebel Flesh/The Almost People. 

I like to note, however, that Yonder looks like one more story. I'm also reminded of those first few episodes of The Sensorites that everyone loves to complain about. Where they're moving ever-so-slowly through the ship and absolutely nothing is happening. This is, essentially, the first half of Wild Blue Yonder. It's, pretty much, a whole bunch of nothing. You can almost just skip to when the doppelgangers show up and not feel all that particularly lost. But, even when the Doctor and Donna's doubles do show up, it doesn't get that much more exciting. 

If we're being brutally honest, Wild Blue Yonder had one purpose: to have the Doctor perform an act of superstition at the Edge of the Universe so that all kinds of evil beings could start coming into our reality. Beyond that, it's a fairly boring story. Seriously, even re-watching this episode in order to do this Review was not without pain! 

Which adds a whole new layer of disappointment. This isn't just a normal episode that missed the mark. This is part of a series of anniversary specials that should all be excellent as they build towards an amazing climax. Everything should be at its absolute best, right now. 

We shouldn't have to be sitting through duds like Wild Blue Yonder. 

THE GIGGLE 

I will say it outright: The Giggle was definitely the sort of thing I was looking for in an Anniversary Special. First and foremost: it's actually got a fairly strong plot. Which is not something you always get in this sort of story. Even good 'ole Day of the Doctor was a bit on the threadbare side when it came out ten years ago. Giggle doesn't just tell a good story, however, I also like the social commentary it makes with everyone wanting to be right. It's quite clever. 

The Giggle also gives us a lot of that Nostalgia Factor that an Anniversary Special needs. There's the return of an old villain from the 60s. A companion from the 80s also comes back. UNIT's involved. We even get some multi-incarnation action! It ticks a lot of the boxes that this sort of episode needs but actually does it more subtly than usual. Which is a nice change. RTD talks to the Press about how he wants to do a different kind of story for the Sixtieth Celebration. This time, he seems to make sense with what he's saying. 

Neil Patrick Harris is completely brilliant as the Toymaker. He just might be the best villain the show has ever had. Casting him in the role was a brilliant choice. Bringing back the character was exciting enough. But getting such a solid actor to play him was an absolute treat. He had to live up to the excellent portrayal Michael Gough gave way back in the day. Harris goes in a very different direction, of course. I can't really see Gough dancing and lip-synching to Spice Girls! But it all works within the Lore. The previous Toymaker did explain that he and his dimension would reform into something new and different after it was destroyed by the Doctor's victory in the tri-logic game. Which, for me, allows for such liberties to be taken. 

The bi-generation was an interesting twist. Sadly, I had read a leak about it, already. So it was a lot less surprising for me. But it was still very cool. There's a pretty big symbolism to it, of course. It's like RTD is trying to say that the old Doctor Who that we've known and loved is still around somewhere. But, at the same time, we're getting something new and different on its way. It's also a neat sort of gift to give the protagonist on his Anniversary. He gets to finally slow down and rest a bit. It makes continuity even more contrived than it already is. But, really, Doctor Who seems to almost thrive on having a convoluted Lore! 

If I had any real complaint, it would be that I would have liked Ncuti to have, eventually, gotten some pants on! 

FINAL CONCLUSION

So, yes, I really did enjoy The Giggle. It does a fairly decent job of celebrating the Sixtieth Anniversary. But we do have two other episodes in this arrangement. Sadly, neither of them really live up to the standards I would put on stories that are normally produced during this occasion. I don't mind Starbeast - but it's also nothing all that special. And Wild Blue Yonder is definitely a snoozefest. Having so much mediocrity precede Giggle really cheapens its impact. Which causes me to feel underwhelmed by the whole thing. So much more could have been done with these three episodes. 

While I do applaud RTD for trying to give us something different from what we usually get during these celebrations, I almost think it might have been smarter if he had just played it safe. Haul out a bunch of previous incarnations and give us some kind of universe-threatening event for them to thwart. Throw in a few old monsters that we all love, too. Admittedly, such a premise lacks originality. But it would have worked better than what we got. 

It doesn't help that the episodes do feel like they were designed more to facilitate the transition into the next re-boot RTD is planning rather than actually commemorate sixty years of the show. Both Meep and the Toymaker do some heavy foreshadowing of a villain that is coming. And the Doctor pouring salt at the Edge of the Universe sets in motion a terrible cosmic event that he must now sort out. All of this seems to be leading us toward some major events that will be taking place in Fifteen's first season. And, quite possibly, beyond. 

I don't mind that RTD used these episodes to set some of this stuff up. But it seemed like more focus was on that process than it was on actually celebrating Doctor Who turning sixty. Which kinda ruins the whole point of making these three episodes. 

If we go back to that story I was telling about that poor unfortunate vlogger, you may recall something I said in my comments. I mentioned that Power of the Doctor might end up feeling more like a "proper" anniversary special than anything we were going to get from RTD. I was attacked quite heavily by other commenters for saying that. 

I wonder if, maybe, they're eating their words, now. 

At last, the task is done. It took longer than I planned, but I enjoyed the whole process. Writing a nice solid comprehensive Review of every Season of Doctor Who was oddly cathartic. 

I've gained some interesting new audiences from these Reviews. Folks that don't normally look at blogs but enjoyed the discussions I created about the seasons I was covering started following along on this journey. I hope some of you will stay with me as I go back to my regular entries. They can spark some fun discussions too!