In the set of 3 ‘bridge’ episodes which were designed to transition Doctor Who away from the nu-Who era of production which began in 2005 to the co-pro era in which Disney had a significant part of bankrolling, there was no ‘time’ available for the currents which viewers had come to expect from a 13-episode run of stories, but in looking back at this set of stories, one could see how it book ended the basics of an RTD season as it came to be understood.
The Star Beast was big, perhaps loud, but ultimately grounded in the found family which the Doctor has become involved with. The Giggle, as a season-ender, was also big, most likely messy, and ended the underlying story begun at the season start. But in the middle, somewhere, would lie the imaginative story, which played with a concept, perhaps tethered to the larger season-long story, perhaps not, and often became the darling for fans for years to come. That’s where Wild Blue Yonder dwelled.
Although essentially a two-hander with Donna, Wild Blue Yonder dealt with identity and the (now) long-relationship with a companion and the ramifications of that, along with some good dollops of body horror thrown in for good measure.
It’s also a slow build, where the creepiness doesn’t assault the viewer but lingers in sly smiles and crooked necks, at least until the freakiness becomes a full-frontal confrontation.
Shades of Midnight crossed with a dollop of Heaven Sent, there’s a surprising amount of revelation between the leads, even if they didn’t know who was who. It was wonderful.
The new caps for Wild Blue Yonder are also wonderful, and in especially wonderous 4K resolution.
