The Star Beast (2023) Review

 

The Star Beast is almost sickeningly sentimental and overdoes it with identity politics, but I cannot resist the Meep. Who could?

WRITTEN BY

Russell T. Davies, returned to us after a long absence. He was always my favourite showrunner, and he certainly brings back a certain joie da vivre that was missing with Chibnall, but boy is his writing past its prime.

PLOT

A war between the Wrarth Warriors and the Meep reaches fever pitch in Donna Noble's house, leading the newly regenerated Doctor to suspect that reality is once again bending around the Meta-Crisis. Meanwhile, a spacecraft threatens to destroy London. 

ANALYSIS

There was a lot of this that I really loved, and a lot that I hated. Although the pace is manic, I think the actual invasion storyline is very entertaining, mainly thanks to Miriam Margoyles' scenery-chewing performance as the Meep and simply the nostalgia of being back in RTD's version of Doctor Who with actors like David Tennant and Catherine Tate not having lost a beat. Callbacks to previous eras were sparse (I hope the next two episodes will lean on them heavier, it is the 60th after all), but the ones that we did get, I just adored. Russell is very capable when it comes to balancing action with humour so there was no chance of getting bored or zoning out as one often did during the Chibnall era. 

I really enjoyed some of the aesthetics, like the glorious new TARDIS, the mysteriously upgraded sonic screwdriver and Tennant's "old-but-new" look. The Wrarth and especially the Meep were both memorable and well executed. In general, I think the budget definitely shines through the screen and gives this an extra gloss the show couldn't afford before. 

This is where my positives end, however. I cannot at all abide by Russell's misandry in the final scenes. I have a feeling this will age the story very badly. There will come a time when demeaning men becomes as offensive as demeaning women. When it does, The Star Beast shall unfortunately be the poster child for Doctor Who's failure in that regard. 

I was also disappointed by the decision to make Rose's transgenderism be related to the Meta-Crisis (implying that the Doctor somehow changed her) and giving her superpowers. Rose does not need a spotlight on her being trans in order to be a great character and role model. These scenes were so heavy-handed. The encounter with the bullies at the beginning and a final declaration that she feels happy with herself was all that was needed to give across a positive transgender message. 

On a less serious note, I just found the story a bit lightweight. Rewrite a few pages, and it could easily just be a missing 2008 episode. As I mentioned earlier, we have two more episodes to explore the history of the show, but even just a stronger examination of the Doctor as a character or maybe just a few more returning callbacks/characters from eras other than Tennant's would have helped to make this more of an occasion. Instead, it's a novelty directed purely at fans of 2008 Doctor Who. 

CHARACTERS

It was wonderful to have David Tennant back, of course. The age and the gravel in his voice only serve to make him more Doctor-ish than he already was. 

I felt mixed on Catherine Tate's performance. To be fair, it's been a long time since I've seen any stories with her, but I miss the vulnerable side she brought to Donna in series 4. The more boisterous she gets, the less I like her. 

Miriam Margoyles stole the show. Beep the Meep is easily one of my favourite villains now. Her unfiltered megalomania was hilarious (especially after how adorable she was in the first half!), and the puppetry/CGI during those scenes cracked me up constantly. The Meep is so ridiculous and evil that she becomes so much fun to hate. 

Yasmin Finney brings a nice understated charm to Rose (with the exception of the final scene, but I've already talked about that). In fact, I probably liked her more than Donna. She seems far less prickly than her mother and grandmother. I can easily imagine her getting along quite well with Wilfred. Hopefully, they have a scene or two together. 

I'm very neutral on Ruth Madeley. Her character comes off as pandering and smug. Obviously I've nothing against disabled representation, but similarly to Rose, they could easily do it just by drawing minimal attention to it. You don't need rockets in your wheelchair to be cool and useful. 

NOTES

• I was terrified that they'd killed off Wilfred! I assume he was originally meant to appear in this story, but they pushed the scene back to give it more impact. 
• Tennant running around the new TARDIS like a giddy schoolboy with an infinite bag of candy was delightful. 
• The Fourteenth Doctor's outfit is splendid. I especially love the checked trousers, a lovely callback to the very early days of Doctor Who. 
• Is it just me or is RTD's writing very schmaltzy now? Everyone's constantly hugging and being supportive and talking about how they care for one another etc. I noticed the same thing with Tales of the TARDIS. I'm sure it's delightful for people who are very attached to these characters, but it's so unrealistic that it can take me out of the episode sometimes. People are generally more reserved and keep things under a tight lid. 
• What was the point of the kid? (I've heard he was in the original comic, but he just kind of disappears after a while in this adaptation)
• Apparently, UNIT has 56+ scientific advisors. I kind of like that, makes them feel like a more large-scale operation. I'm assuming it's also meant to imply that Osgood and Malcolm are still around.
• How did London become repaired after the damage that the Meep's ship did to it?
• Also, given that Russell's original era focused quite heavily on the effect that alien invasions had on England, I wonder if we'll see any consequences to London's near-destruction. I wouldn't be surprised if he didn't care, though, given that retconning and multiverses seem to be the show's new modus operandi.
• In recent years, it seems there's been less complaints about the sonic screwdriver being a deus ex machina. I imagine that's about to change with its new energy shield/hologram features. 
• I still have no idea how or why time is supposed to "revolve" around Donna, drawing people in. It made no sense when RTD introduced the concept in series 4, and it makes no sense here either.

CONTINUITY ADVISOR

• The Star Beast is adapted from the 1980 comic strip Doctor Who and the Star Beast (which featured the Fourth Doctor).
• Donna, Shaun Temple and Sylvia Noble were last seen in The End of Time. The Doctor is briefly trapped behind a glass panel, referencing the 'four knocks' scene from that story. 
• The Doctor makes use of his barrister's wig from The Stones of Blood. 
• Donna's memories are restored by having the Doctor mention the words she spoke during her initial breakdown in Journey's End.
• The Meep was corrupted when the sun of his planet turned "psychedelic", possibly referencing 42. 
• Rose Noble knitted toys of Daleks, Cybermen, Judoon, Ood, Adipose and Lupari. 
• Kate Stewart is revealed to be paying for Wilfred Mott's retirement home. 

BEST QUOTE

"Oh, to hell with this! Exhibit C: no stun guns for me! Just die!!" - Beep the Meep

CONCLUSION

There is definitely promise here for a new golden age of Doctor Who... if Russell can get out of his own way.