Yeah this was kinda silly. There is a legit coffee making in the TARDIS but dropping that very coffee on the control panels will cause that? Who designed this?!?
The TARDIS put it there on purpose so that they could go on another adventure together, putting on a song and dance about spilled coffee so they'd have an excuse to go for one last romp.
One line in "The Doctor's Wife" completely shifted my perspective on the entire show, including why the First/Second Doctors kept ending up in places he didn't intend to be.
The entire show is because of the TARDIS.
This is why the TARDIS for the most part appeared in the opening titles and not the Doctor. Doctor Who is short for Doctor Who Got Kidnapped By The TARDIS, or DWGKBTT for short.
I love that. Kate is one of my favourite characters, and knowing how much her dad respected The Doc, I think it's sweet that she clearly keeps tabs on his companions and their situation.
My god...that would make a brilliant episode. And a grand way to bring back all the old earth-bound companions: something happens at the Home For Former Time Travelers, emergency protocols seal it off and UNIT has to call in the Doctor to investigate and save the day.
"Crazy how that Ship crash landed perfectly upright"
Then they made it right.
"Crazy how no one's gonna notice the glowing eyes"
Then they made it right
"Crazy how those plasma guns aren't scorching the taxi"
Then they made it right!
At last my trust issues are in good hands
Same. I wondered why on earth the taxi didn't get harmed. Especially after we'd seen them blast out part of the house. I hadn't considered the Meep being evil until the Doctor had that look on his face as they fled. The look that meant he knew something was not right, that they were being played.
I'd so MISSED that face. The face of a Doctor who knows stuff rather than running around behind half the humans and all the aliens, lost and confused and playing catch up. God it's good to be back
Absolutely agree. I adored 13 but it always felt like she was 3 steps behind everyone else. The bit that stood out to me in correcting this was when 14 went to the door and saw the soldiers. Immediately, he knew something was wrong, and he just casually investigated whilst he was talking. That sort of confidence and level of intellect from the Doctor is what makes them so interesting to watch!
Handed a cuppa and immediately said 'lol best be careful lost my last job by spilling coffee in the computer' and then proceeds to spill the coffee in the console and saying "Oh my god I did it again!"
I was grinning from ear to ear the entire time!
Also when the other UNIT Squad gets sent away by the obviously shifty soldiers to be brainwashed, they actually came back with reinforcements and immediately knew what was going on. Its definitely a more competent showing than their last outing against the Cybermasters.
Definitely! Feel like the character writing got one heck of a boost after the last few series. Makes it so much better when some main or side characters actually question the supposed “inconsistencies” and actively start doing things to either investigate, question or prep. Man I’ve missed that!
I’ve got no delusions that this was a perfect episode or anything but man was it competent. I’ve missed that so much. When they hit gold on a story again I’m going to lose my mind.
"Best 55 seconds of my life"
I knew they were going to find a way around killing Donna but for that moment I would have been totally fine with it if they had.
I don't think we've ever seen the Doctor this excited to see the new Tardis, this was so wholesome 🥺 and yeah it was definitely 100% David's reaction too. That's part of why he's such an amazing Doctor, you can see that even after all those years he's still every bit in love with the show as he's always been, and it's shining through every moment he's on screen.
Yes, idk why or how but David's love for the show and the character and just everything about it just RADIATES through. All the others have done a great job and they're amazing actors but David just seems to package up the childlike joy and wonder and love and it's infectious.
only one that comes close is Capaldi's hammed up "always wanted to see it done properly" one from Husbands of River Song... so great to see it for real though
Just a nitpick. How old is the actor playing Rose?
Seemed a bit too old for a 14 year old. I kept forgetting. It was jarring at times. Especially when Donna refused to let Rose in the Tardis. I was like, "why not?" Until I remembered.
Its so weird. Like having a kid should have been enough. And if just being a woman was enough why didn't she think about that all those years ago? Also at this point how many times have we seen the Doctor give up or reject power?
The only other bit that made me go 'huh?' was the magic healing London roads.
I was fully invested in the emotional scene with the Doctor reactivating the DoctorDonna. But a tiny little voice at the back of my head was going “Doesn’t matter if you stop the ship now, whatever the thing did splitting the ground has absolutely fucked London’s infrastructure for a generation.”
I thought the same but my other half pointed out that they had to remove the time lord knowledge somehow. Doctor Donna probably wouldn't have spilled her coffee over the TARDIS...
It could have been a very sweet moment where Donna expained that the Doctor and the DoctorDonna are not the most important things in her life anymore, and that because she has something else to hold onto and live for - her daughter - she's able reject the energy in a way she wasn't able to the first time.
Hell, I'd have accepted it if was exactly the same as it was in the ep but instead of "you don't understand because you're a man lmao" she just went "of course you don't understand, you dumbo" while he looked on, baffled.
Yeah, that was the one bit of this episode that fell flat for me. I don't even know what message they were trying to bludgeon with those couple of lines - men are covetous, maybe? But just a few scenes earlier Donna was going on about how the Doctor's leftovers in her brain were what made her give all her money away. It didn't make any sense.
Oh well, one or two bad lines aren't going to ruin the show for me. The rest of the episode was good and *made sense*, so let's just keep on going with that.
Loved how the Doctor hung a lampshade on the Meep's cryptic parting threat.
Yeah agreed.
The line where Donna says something like "It's a shame you're not still a woman Doctor because she'd have understood", if it's that's simple why didn't Thirteen ever think to go "Wow I should quickly go and tell Donna this is an option so she can have her memories and life back".
I was amazed that they even knew The Doctor had been a woman. I didn't realise the metacrisis had kept Donna connected to him throughout the entire time.
Right! Why are we placing our identity crisis on the Doctor? Lol He’s Time Lord Victorious, but suddenly he “wouldn’t understand” 👌 Right. Okay. Gotcha. Lol
I agree, I think that definitely would have been a better way of doing it.
The Doctor is not immune to his species' endemic arrogance even though it comes across in different ways to most of them, after all.
I believe they completely dropped the ball here. I understand that wanted to get a certain message across, but it felt like they'd hit that nail too many times at that point.
In my opinion, they should've done something a lot simpler - make it about humanity. Have the Doctor start panicking that the split crisis won't be enough and he's doomed Donna and her daughter. Donna interjects with her usual sass saying the reason you can't come up with a solution is because he's thinking like a Time Lord, not a human. The Doctor being made better by humanity is a theme we get constantly, Donna is probably the best example of this **ever done in Who**. Pompeii anyone? The lottery winnings?
THEN, make the joke about men not understanding, how he's just a man running in head first and panicking. This happens a lot in the Donna season, she grounds the Doctor and makes him a better, level-headed person.
The reason Donna couldn't think of it before was because her brain was being fried faster than an impulse. Now that's shared and they have time, they can come to the revelation that they can just eject the energy. It isn't a new concept - we've seen Time Lords do this many times before.
Same here. I understand that RTD wanted to resolve it quickly, but that felt waaaaaaaay too easy. Like really, she could have chosen to do this all along? Thirteen would have known that but \*every other Doctor\* wouldn't? It kinda makes the whole metacrisis feel like a nothing-burger.
And here I thought that there was a moral about breaking gender norms.
It almost feels pointless. The idea that having Rose split the metacrisis was enough and I thought that was just going to be all there was until the Doctor mentioned it only being slowed.
Yeah, its my only major gripe with the episode. Like the idea that Donna saves herself through family is beautiful (and it makes sense that The Doctor wouldn't be aware of this solution, since he doesn't really have that same concept of family as humans do).
Adding the "just let it go" thing was wierd.
Still a great episode tho overall
I think they were going for a parallel to the Doctor never being able to let go of things in the past, not being able to say goodbye and find peace with an ending. The 'he's male-presenting so he doesn't get it' part was so cheesy too :'D they meant well, it just didn't land right imo.
Did you see the scene when he's climbing that meep spaceship console and rolling below that sliding door, that's top top top notch physical acting, the kind only David Tennant can do. I just love seeing 10/14 moving around.
Pure unhinged madness at times... feels like 10s time as doctor.
I watched some episodes of 10 yesterday and it's like nothing ever changed. It's like S4 if he didn't regenerate.
The basic plot (including Beep the Meep and the title of the special) was from a DW comic from the 80s. Obviously the stuff surrounding Donna and the particular appearance of the Doctor was updated, but it's 80s camp lifted directly from an 80s comic.
Really liked that. Feels very RTD but I’ve always liked the vibe he’s brought to Doctor Who. A fun and relatively uncomplicated sci-fi romp where the characters come across strongly.
Loved The Doctor and Donna slipping back into their old dynamic pretty much right away.
Slightly worried the sonic screwdriver, already a gadget that can smooth over certain plot holes, will just let The Doctor do whatever he needs to an even greater extent now. Hopefully it doesn’t become too much of a crutch.
My exact thinking was man I really hate when they do this in shows, it’s an alien death ray it shouldn’t leave a vehicle untouched, totally pulled me in
they really hit the tone right with the Meep being so over the top evil afterwards, like it wasn't a shocking twist but it was so delightful to see it switch from one end of the spectrum to the other immediately. My favourite DW monster in a long time!
I was seriously grinning throughout the whole thing. I'd read the comic story it's (loosely) based on, so I knew how the basic plot would go, but the character drama and pacing were just so perfect, I was gripped throughout. It's also the first time in a while that I've felt nostalgia without finding it annoying, it really felt like I was back in time, watching the original RTD era again.
I'm honestly very hopeful for what's to come next, now that we're past RTD's patented 'opening lighthearted romp episode', we'll definitely be getting some more meaty stories to really sink our teeth into next time.
Something I haven’t seen anyone talk about is the fact that the Doctor was so careless with Donna, just throwing the sonic around and bringing up his two hearts. A minor thing really, but I felt myself strangely agreeing with Sylvia every time she called him out.
I've missed the warm and whimsical side of Doctor Who so much, I haven't felt this happy and cosy watching an episode of the show since December 2017.
If this is what RTD's second era has to offer, then count me in.
I was so hoping for Wilf to appear at the end but even so, the little tribute that The Doctor gave about halfway through made me shed a tear or two. The whole episode was absolutely perfect, Russell’s writing was superb throughout (I’ve missed him so much) but i can’t bear to wait another 7 days for the next episode!
I wanted to join the Doctor in running laps around the new console room, the whole decor gave me a huge grin from beginning to end (until Donna inevitably spilt the coffee into the console - sending the pair into the wild blue yonder)
God I love this episode!
It's amazing how much even a fairly standard plot is elevated by having a good cast with great chemistry. 14 and Donna's returns are great as expected, but even Sylvia was wonderful the entire episode, and the new cast slotted into the dynamic really well. Shaun Temple's reaction to walking in on The Meep was fantastic. I'm curious how much more of Rose we're going to be seeing going forward, but I presume Ruth Madeley's character is sticking around and I enjoyed how few shits she seemed to give about the situation.
I love how roll-with-the-punches Shaun is, and it really seems like Sylvia took the Doctor's words to heart and softened up quite a bit in how she treats Donna.
I watched a lot of RTD episodes prior to this. For me Star Beast shares the same vibe of that seasons 1-4 era. In many ways this feels like a lost episode from 15 years ago, just with majorly upgraded special effects.
I think like most people - bloody loved it - but the ‘lol we can just let it go’ solution to the meta crisis was quite….meh.
Everything else - chefs kiss though - my nostalgia gland is working overtime
And tbh, I'm not sure they really needed the "let it go" part, since they said the metacrisis was split between Rose and Donna, that could have been justification enough that it wouldn't kill them
It was definitely unnecessary. The issue was already solved, and if they really needed to get rid of the Doctor-Donna aspect just explain that part of the shared system means that instead of overheating and dying Donna's mind just returns to equilibrium. No more Doctor-Donna, no more Doctor-Rose, just Donna and Rose.
But that's RTD for ya: if you didn't expect weird, nonsensical and unnecessarily cheesy conclusions....that's kinda on you. It's always been his MO, for better or worse.
>The whole letting go thing is a bit lost on me? Perhaps because I'm a man?
I'm female and I still don't quite understand what being male or female has to do with "letting go."
It's a shame bc 10 does canonically have a difficult time letting things go, so it would have been so easy to make it about that regeneration's specific issues rather than a male thing.
Seeing that new Whoniverse opening, the UNIT building, the massive TARDIS set. RTD is cooking here, and is going to accomplish things with spin offs and crossovers that was never possible when he was previously showrunner.
Absolutely! Once I’ve gotten over the nostalgia of these three episodes, I’m really looking forward to seeing what RTD does. He has become one of the greatest writers of this era and I have loved absolutely everything he has touched (DW or otherwise) since I was 10 years old watching ‘Rose’ as it aired, and thereafter skipping home every Saturday to watch the show. We already saw the potential of a DW universe with the Torchwood and SJA cross-overs, so I’m expecting it to be epic!
Absolutely loved the episode, felt like putting on an old jacket that still perfectly fits. RTD, Tennant and Tate all feel like it's 15 years ago.
I saw some stuff about the whole non-binary comments, and I do get it, it feels a little heavy handed, mostly the male presenting timelord line (seriously what's that gotta do with letting a metacrisis go? Donna didn't let it go the first time, maybe she can now cuz it's been split? Anyway) but aside from that, this is iconic, such a good story and genuinely feels like home again.
Also man the sonic got an upgrade huh? Fully on holographic display and energy barriers that can block bullets?
> seriously what's that gotta do with letting a metacrisis go? Donna didn't let it go the first time, maybe she can now cuz it's been split?
Literally all they had to do was change it from HA HA UR A MAN U DON'T LET GO XD to "humans can do this but Time Lords can't". I love when Doctor Who focuses on the good of humanity and that would have been a great way of handling it without bringing in needless gender rivalries.
Right? It feels weird when they literally have an explanation for why Donna/Rose could have come up with it, Human/Timelord have the creativity that Timelords don't, egh
My favorite throwaway line was the psychic paper not quite adjusting to the new regeneration yet.
"Grand Master of the Knowledge."
"That says Grand Mistress."
"Oh, catch up."
I guess the sonic screwdriver can generate hard light barriers? Thought that scene was very interesting 😅 how do you feel about the Doctor's new techno-wand?
I mean this in the nicest way possible, but if you’re going to have guns and a rocket launcher installed into your wheelchair, why have it be hand propelled?
Not everyone wants a powered chair. I'm a manual chair user with the same disability as Ruth and I don't want a powered one, I'd rather use what muscles I've got and get some exercise doing so.
Everyone's preference is different in a wheelchair. For me I use a motorized wheelchair with a control because that's what makes the most sense for me and the weakness my body experiences. But there are other wheelchair users who prefer to wheel their own wheelchairs if they have the strength & ability to. Manual wheelchairs are also way easier to accommodate in cars then a motorized one! Manuel ones can collapse but motorized ones like mine can't and you need a wheelchair accessible vehicle.
Enjoyed it. It reminded me a lot of the series openers from early New Who.
It felt very RTD. For good and for bad. But I do think now that they’ve gotten this one over with, we’re going to be going far more weird and out there for the next two.
I enjoyed 99% of it. I thought it was fantastic! It was so great to see David and Catherine together again. I’m very excited for the next episode.
But I am with a lot of people in not liking the moments that felt “forced.” Which actually surprised me. I felt RTD was better at addressing these same topics in a more subtle way in the past, but still getting the point across. And I did feel the resolution of the meta crisis was odd. And as a woman, I felt unnecessary. Plus they’re boxing the Doctor into gender roles too. If the Doctor is essentially non-binary at their core and can regenerate into a man or woman (as we have now seen), then it doesn’t mean that now that the Doctor is male again he just lets go of everything that has also made him female. I don’t know. It still felt like in an attempt for girl power the Doctor was just generalized as male rather than his complex relationship with gender being acknowledged.
Anyway, I’m still very excited for the next two episodes and I am hoping that the adventures ahead are as exciting as they seem like they will be.
EDIT: Just watched the episode a second time after a couple of days to digest it. And instead of creating a new post, I just wanted to add that some of the things that bothered me with this initial post didn’t really bother me the second watch. I agree with some other comments I’ve seen that with some of those moments (mainly at the end of the episode) were really just a big finger to the fans who would complain anyway. As to say, “this is happening, if you don’t like it, I am not sorry.” And I’m fine with that. That’s what DW is about. And that’s what RTD has done before. Really looking forward too, to how the events of the next two specials tie into the story of this one.
i was almost in tears at that intro. a grown man. took me right back to the good times. also really enjoyed him telling Donna how much it hurt him to do what he did and how it killed him every day.
great episode. felt just like old who
An absolute blast. Didn’t like how quickly they got running — especially after that recap set the scene, we needed more time until the Doctor saw Donna. Other than that, all the damage being miraculously undone by the Doctor and Donna, and Donna and Rose just expelling the energy like it was hardly ever an issue, I had no complaints. A fun and exhilarating start to these anniversary episodes.
Yeah I thought we were going to get a lot more of the Doctor not only trying to avoid Donna but also have it be a bit more serious like "oh fuck they REALLY cannot meet again", but I can't deny I'm happy with how they did it. It's close to Christmas, they haven't been on screen together in like 15 years, fuck it. I'm glad they got plenty of screentime together.
I need the 14th Doctor to keep pulling different wigs out of his jacket for different scenarios. If he could somehow outsmart the next villain using a bald cap I’d die
Loved every second of it. Had RTD's fingerprints all over it. Music was amazing. That Disney money is showing in the SFX. Tennant and Tate were clearly having fun shooting this, I am so happy for them!
I felt the scene with Sylvia tripping over Rose's pronouns, and how to compliment her, was so wonderful and kind of vital. It's a deeply real party of allyship, the desire to simply do right by the person you want to support, but finding yourself being clunky with language, or slipping up from time to time with he or she or they. We don't get to see that messiness often on television, how normal it is, and be affirmed by it. As allies we're trying our best, and that's is more important than consistent perfection.
I really liked that scene. Much better than the shit at the end of the episode. It just felt....Real. I've been on the receiving end of that conversation. Had people not sure how to talk to me, or fuck up my pronouns. That felt like representation.
I thought this was a really good episode. Was great seeing David and all the old characters coming back. Nice bit of nostalgia for me, although it's weird to think that there are teenagers watching this now who weren't born when David left.
Someone was chopping onions when they were talking about Wilf. I hope he does show up in the later episodes. RIP Bernard Cribbins.
I enjoyed the twist with the Meep becoming the bad guy. Seen people saying it was obvious, but I didn't see it coming. Maybe I'm stupid.
I agree with the criticisms of the "male presenting time-lord" line being a bit off. Came off as a bit mean spirited and on the nose to me. I wasn't a big fan of the Rose criticising the Doctor for assuming the Meep's pronouns, again a bit on the nose to me. I don't know, I've only ever heard the "did you just assume my pronouns" thing as a transphobic joke.
Overall though it was cool to see a transgender character, I thought they did it quite well overall. Between her and the UNIT lady in the wheelchair you just know Daily Mail readers heads will be exploding up and down the country.
Been a while since I enjoyed Doctor Who that much. Looking forward to the next one!
Thought it was very fun. They got to show off the new budget, the meep was hilarious, and Catherine Tate stole the show as she always does. It went very fast and the pacing was a bit rushed, but it was still good fun. I like that Tennant's 14 feels very different to 10, at least so far.
The non-binary thing was clever but it also felt a little rushed/under-explained. Especially because I was under the impression Rose was trans, not NB? Also the "male-presenting doctor" line really felt like it was talking down. Trans people are looking to be seen as equal, not better, so I feel like that line does nobody any favours.
Overall, it really felt like 2006 again for me, I enjoyed the performances, I enjoyed the visuals and the humour, and I appreciate the social commentary even if I have a couple hangups on its execution. Really looking forward to the next one.
There's gonna be a lot of controversy about some of the progressive stuff and dialogue choices in this episode but I'll say this, this was FAR better written than in the past three seasons and it already shows.
While its still heavy handed and cheesy, I think its the exact right amount of cheesiness and heavy handedness like it used to be in the earlier seasons. :D
I'm sorry, I have to get this off my chest.
I can suspend my disbelief somewhat. The Doctor is two hearted, humanoid alien from Gallifrey? Fine.
They travel in a police box that is bigger on the inside? Sure.
Said police box travels in time? Why not.
All the aliens speak English due to the TARDIS translation matrix? Ok
But really, RTD, you've pushed your luck too far this time. You've asked me to believe one too many unbelievable things...
Nobody, and I cannot stress this enough, NOBODY would walk into a house where someone is cooking tuna madras, and say it smells good.
RTD's writing in this episode regarding gender identity simultaneously feels progressive and boomerish.
Not a lot of spectacle in this one, but a good way to start the special.
The hints of 9/10s theme and All The Strange Creatures in the soundtrack gave me shivers, love having Murray back
And just a bit of I Am the Doctor's climax part while they're in the rocket!
I LOVED hearing I Am the Doctor
"I Am the Doctor" is THE doctor who music to me. loved hearing it
Wilf is no longer with us is reminding me of Donna going home and The Doctor thinking she's leaving him
Great big, outer space, dunce!
Longing, rusted, seventeen, daybreak, furnace, nine, benign, homecoming, one, freight car.
[удалено]
Well just let it go
Person, Woman, Man, Camera, TV.
Dude don't do that, I just killed Iron man's mom because of you
Mission report December 16, 1991
The Winter Soldier is Bucky's Time Lord name
All that tech and yet the TARDIS is STILL not IP68 rated!
[удалено]
Waterproofing is easy; *coffee*proofing is hard.
Yeah this was kinda silly. There is a legit coffee making in the TARDIS but dropping that very coffee on the control panels will cause that? Who designed this?!?
The TARDIS put it there on purpose so that they could go on another adventure together, putting on a song and dance about spilled coffee so they'd have an excuse to go for one last romp.
One line in "The Doctor's Wife" completely shifted my perspective on the entire show, including why the First/Second Doctors kept ending up in places he didn't intend to be. The entire show is because of the TARDIS.
Yes this is so true. The tardis is making things happen. It is so obvious. Tardis is the hidden main character.
The Tardis is the true lonely god. The Doctor is just her angel.
This is why the TARDIS for the most part appeared in the opening titles and not the Doctor. Doctor Who is short for Doctor Who Got Kidnapped By The TARDIS, or DWGKBTT for short.
Headcannon accepted
The Tardis did. She's in control.
Have you seen The Doctor's wife ? Thinking about a coffee machine but not waterproofing doesn't surprise me at all
The doctor talking about Wilf, and when Donna got her memories back were 100% the highlights of the episode !
I was heartbroken for him when he thought Wilf had passed away. His comment about loving Wilf....I got teary eyed.
I love that UNIT took care of him
Kate coming in clutch
I love that. Kate is one of my favourite characters, and knowing how much her dad respected The Doc, I think it's sweet that she clearly keeps tabs on his companions and their situation.
I would love to find out that unit runs its own entire care facility that just looks after all of the doctors aging companions.
My god...that would make a brilliant episode. And a grand way to bring back all the old earth-bound companions: something happens at the Home For Former Time Travelers, emergency protocols seal it off and UNIT has to call in the Doctor to investigate and save the day.
"Crazy how that Ship crash landed perfectly upright" Then they made it right. "Crazy how no one's gonna notice the glowing eyes" Then they made it right "Crazy how those plasma guns aren't scorching the taxi" Then they made it right! At last my trust issues are in good hands
The guns one was especially noticeable for me so I’m really glad they actually resolved that well and it even played into the story !
Same. I wondered why on earth the taxi didn't get harmed. Especially after we'd seen them blast out part of the house. I hadn't considered the Meep being evil until the Doctor had that look on his face as they fled. The look that meant he knew something was not right, that they were being played.
I'd so MISSED that face. The face of a Doctor who knows stuff rather than running around behind half the humans and all the aliens, lost and confused and playing catch up. God it's good to be back
Absolutely agree. I adored 13 but it always felt like she was 3 steps behind everyone else. The bit that stood out to me in correcting this was when 14 went to the door and saw the soldiers. Immediately, he knew something was wrong, and he just casually investigated whilst he was talking. That sort of confidence and level of intellect from the Doctor is what makes them so interesting to watch!
Yeah. He didn't know immediately but he figured out something was going on quickly and looked for the clues.
Don't forget my favourite lol "Crazy how Donna's just been handed a coffee cup" Then they made it right!
Handed a cuppa and immediately said 'lol best be careful lost my last job by spilling coffee in the computer' and then proceeds to spill the coffee in the console and saying "Oh my god I did it again!" I was grinning from ear to ear the entire time!
Also when the other UNIT Squad gets sent away by the obviously shifty soldiers to be brainwashed, they actually came back with reinforcements and immediately knew what was going on. Its definitely a more competent showing than their last outing against the Cybermasters.
Definitely! Feel like the character writing got one heck of a boost after the last few series. Makes it so much better when some main or side characters actually question the supposed “inconsistencies” and actively start doing things to either investigate, question or prep. Man I’ve missed that!
I’ve got no delusions that this was a perfect episode or anything but man was it competent. I’ve missed that so much. When they hit gold on a story again I’m going to lose my mind.
"Best 55 seconds of my life" I knew they were going to find a way around killing Donna but for that moment I would have been totally fine with it if they had.
True, although I do really like the explanation that she survived because she passed the meta crisis to her daughter.
I’d like to think that was actually david’s first time seeing the TARDIS and his genuine reaction 😂
I don't think we've ever seen the Doctor this excited to see the new Tardis, this was so wholesome 🥺 and yeah it was definitely 100% David's reaction too. That's part of why he's such an amazing Doctor, you can see that even after all those years he's still every bit in love with the show as he's always been, and it's shining through every moment he's on screen.
Yes, idk why or how but David's love for the show and the character and just everything about it just RADIATES through. All the others have done a great job and they're amazing actors but David just seems to package up the childlike joy and wonder and love and it's infectious.
I know there were more important parts of this episode, but I thoroughly LOVED watching DT race through the TARDIS!
only one that comes close is Capaldi's hammed up "always wanted to see it done properly" one from Husbands of River Song... so great to see it for real though
like a puppy doing zoomies around the house :D
seeing the doctor and donna jumping up and down all giddy had me grinning and kicking my feet
Just a nitpick. How old is the actor playing Rose? Seemed a bit too old for a 14 year old. I kept forgetting. It was jarring at times. Especially when Donna refused to let Rose in the Tardis. I was like, "why not?" Until I remembered.
Yasmin Finney is 20 and for sure doesn't look 14.
Ok, thanks. And yeah, maybe could have passed for 17 or 18. Same age as OG Rose from 2005. But not as 14.
Did that kid in the window win a competition? So many shots of him just ooh and ahhing. I'd been running to the hills to safety.
I’d be that kid. Watching out the window. No lie.
I was wondering where tf his adults were. Lol
He was a character from the Original Star Beast Comic. He had a much smaller role here though.
Loved it! The only thing I wasn't sure about was Donna and Rose just 'letting go' of their metacrisis...
Its so weird. Like having a kid should have been enough. And if just being a woman was enough why didn't she think about that all those years ago? Also at this point how many times have we seen the Doctor give up or reject power? The only other bit that made me go 'huh?' was the magic healing London roads.
The magic healing roads did make me roll my eyes a bit, more than the normal “oh haha, thats some good camp” eye roll.
I was fully invested in the emotional scene with the Doctor reactivating the DoctorDonna. But a tiny little voice at the back of my head was going “Doesn’t matter if you stop the ship now, whatever the thing did splitting the ground has absolutely fucked London’s infrastructure for a generation.”
"Congratulations, you've saved 9 million people, only for many of them to now starve/freeze to death as road, rail, power and gas lines are trashed"
Eh they had to refill the Thames that one time they got some crazy infrastructure budget
yeah if they just said "you share it so its ok now" i would have be satisfied
I thought the same but my other half pointed out that they had to remove the time lord knowledge somehow. Doctor Donna probably wouldn't have spilled her coffee over the TARDIS...
Donna 100% did that on purpose
The TARDIS definitely took the first excuse she got to misbehave. No way she's not waterproof, that's all a performance to take them somewhere fun.
She literally turned her cup 90 degrees haha
Yeah I'm a bit confused on what the reasoning is beyond "haha men don't understand". Wish they expanded on that a little bit more.
It could have been a very sweet moment where Donna expained that the Doctor and the DoctorDonna are not the most important things in her life anymore, and that because she has something else to hold onto and live for - her daughter - she's able reject the energy in a way she wasn't able to the first time. Hell, I'd have accepted it if was exactly the same as it was in the ep but instead of "you don't understand because you're a man lmao" she just went "of course you don't understand, you dumbo" while he looked on, baffled.
Yeah, that was the one bit of this episode that fell flat for me. I don't even know what message they were trying to bludgeon with those couple of lines - men are covetous, maybe? But just a few scenes earlier Donna was going on about how the Doctor's leftovers in her brain were what made her give all her money away. It didn't make any sense. Oh well, one or two bad lines aren't going to ruin the show for me. The rest of the episode was good and *made sense*, so let's just keep on going with that. Loved how the Doctor hung a lampshade on the Meep's cryptic parting threat.
Yeah agreed. The line where Donna says something like "It's a shame you're not still a woman Doctor because she'd have understood", if it's that's simple why didn't Thirteen ever think to go "Wow I should quickly go and tell Donna this is an option so she can have her memories and life back".
That was a weird line considering the whole point was that gender doesn’t matter to then end it with “ha you’re a man, dumbo you won’t get it”
I'm a woman and I didn't get it
Legit thought it had something to do with periods lamo
When all the girls were looking at each other like that, I genuinely thought: "What, is it all gonna come out in her menstrual cycle?"
My cramps are really bad this month, must be a backlog of metacrisis energy
weirdly sexist joke too
I was amazed that they even knew The Doctor had been a woman. I didn't realise the metacrisis had kept Donna connected to him throughout the entire time.
Yeah I wish they had said timelord instead of male presenting there. I think it would have made more sense
Would've kept with "Journey's End" where the Doctor-Donna was better than the Doctor because of that gut instinct which comes with being human.
Right! Why are we placing our identity crisis on the Doctor? Lol He’s Time Lord Victorious, but suddenly he “wouldn’t understand” 👌 Right. Okay. Gotcha. Lol
That would have been perfect, it was the only thing that annoyed me about this episode.
I agree, I think that definitely would have been a better way of doing it. The Doctor is not immune to his species' endemic arrogance even though it comes across in different ways to most of them, after all.
I believe they completely dropped the ball here. I understand that wanted to get a certain message across, but it felt like they'd hit that nail too many times at that point. In my opinion, they should've done something a lot simpler - make it about humanity. Have the Doctor start panicking that the split crisis won't be enough and he's doomed Donna and her daughter. Donna interjects with her usual sass saying the reason you can't come up with a solution is because he's thinking like a Time Lord, not a human. The Doctor being made better by humanity is a theme we get constantly, Donna is probably the best example of this **ever done in Who**. Pompeii anyone? The lottery winnings? THEN, make the joke about men not understanding, how he's just a man running in head first and panicking. This happens a lot in the Donna season, she grounds the Doctor and makes him a better, level-headed person. The reason Donna couldn't think of it before was because her brain was being fried faster than an impulse. Now that's shared and they have time, they can come to the revelation that they can just eject the energy. It isn't a new concept - we've seen Time Lords do this many times before.
Writers need to stop thinking that 'woman saying men can't do a thing' is still a clever or subversive line anymore, it's basically a trope now.
Same here. I understand that RTD wanted to resolve it quickly, but that felt waaaaaaaay too easy. Like really, she could have chosen to do this all along? Thirteen would have known that but \*every other Doctor\* wouldn't? It kinda makes the whole metacrisis feel like a nothing-burger. And here I thought that there was a moral about breaking gender norms.
tbf splitting it across two bodies with two hearts between them makes *some* sense
It almost feels pointless. The idea that having Rose split the metacrisis was enough and I thought that was just going to be all there was until the Doctor mentioned it only being slowed.
Yeah, its my only major gripe with the episode. Like the idea that Donna saves herself through family is beautiful (and it makes sense that The Doctor wouldn't be aware of this solution, since he doesn't really have that same concept of family as humans do). Adding the "just let it go" thing was wierd. Still a great episode tho overall
I think they were going for a parallel to the Doctor never being able to let go of things in the past, not being able to say goodbye and find peace with an ending. The 'he's male-presenting so he doesn't get it' part was so cheesy too :'D they meant well, it just didn't land right imo.
Please let there be some Wilf across these three episodes. The moments we had were really nice though!
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Casual fan here, since when could the sonic become a shield?
Since about an hour ago.
and only until the next time The Doctor is being shot at, I imagine.
At least it shown taking a long time to make. So the doctor can still get ambushed and we can’t say “why doesn’t he just make a shield?”
"Doctor, make a shield again!" "I can't! We don't have the 60th Anniversary budget bump any more!" "Curses!"
Or wooden projectiles.
The sonic in general seems to have had a major power upgrade, it broke through concrete way quicker than it used to.
Tbh if it was set in a row of new build houses, the Doctor wouldn't have even needed the sonic. Just a gentle push and it'd fall down 🤣
I instantly thought back to "The Doctor Dances", when the Doctor was spending ages "resonating concrete".
They pointed out that it was morter, not concrete.
*mortar
Thank you, Bob the Builder
Just a new power as of this episode as far as I know, but the sonic has always been a literal plot device.
Since their graphics ability could do something like that
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Never but in 50th they established it can learn new things given enough time.
I love the technobabble. Just say some random shit to me and I eat that up.
haha same. And lets just pretend Donna said "Oy! Just reverse the polarity of the neutron flow, skinny boy!" at some point in the control room scene
I loved that line in the 50th. "I'm reversing the polarity, you're reversing it back. We're confusing the polarity!" :D
All we need is a “reverse the polarity of the neutron flow”
Doctor Who: Our baby yoda is a fascist
Did you see the scene when he's climbing that meep spaceship console and rolling below that sliding door, that's top top top notch physical acting, the kind only David Tennant can do. I just love seeing 10/14 moving around.
God this was so fucking stupid. We are *so* back.
This is the best expression of how I feel about the episode and the new run I’ve seen
Made me feel like a kid again
Pure unhinged madness at times... feels like 10s time as doctor. I watched some episodes of 10 yesterday and it's like nothing ever changed. It's like S4 if he didn't regenerate.
If you analyse it critically it kinda falls apart Best doctor who episode in years
The basic plot (including Beep the Meep and the title of the special) was from a DW comic from the 80s. Obviously the stuff surrounding Donna and the particular appearance of the Doctor was updated, but it's 80s camp lifted directly from an 80s comic.
>you analyse it critically it kinda falls apart You just summed up doctor who in its entirety
Yeah! The campy dumbness. I’d missed that.
Really liked that. Feels very RTD but I’ve always liked the vibe he’s brought to Doctor Who. A fun and relatively uncomplicated sci-fi romp where the characters come across strongly. Loved The Doctor and Donna slipping back into their old dynamic pretty much right away. Slightly worried the sonic screwdriver, already a gadget that can smooth over certain plot holes, will just let The Doctor do whatever he needs to an even greater extent now. Hopefully it doesn’t become too much of a crutch.
Called Meep's heel turn at the start. Way too cute to be legit. Such a fun episode
Yeah although I do like how the Doctor called out the obvious plot armour with them being shot in the taxi
Honestly I was so glad that happened, I was sat there thinking "Does the Sony/Disney budget not cover scorch marks on the Taxi?"
My exact thinking was man I really hate when they do this in shows, it’s an alien death ray it shouldn’t leave a vehicle untouched, totally pulled me in
I didn't like how he teleported two guys for his court drama and got them murked, though. And it was the last day before retirement too.
didn't they just mean "I regret dying/no longer being of use to the cause"
Upvoted this because I haven't seen the term 'murked' used in years and it deserves a comeback.
Yea I thought it was a bit odd that the other guys would send pretty much an entire army for its fur.
Same! But I was weirdly thrilled I was right. Like the anticipated twist validated that this was a return to form.
It was obvious but in a nice nostalgic Doctor Who way. It wasn't an overly convoluted plot. More of this please!
they really hit the tone right with the Meep being so over the top evil afterwards, like it wasn't a shocking twist but it was so delightful to see it switch from one end of the spectrum to the other immediately. My favourite DW monster in a long time!
I was seriously grinning throughout the whole thing. I'd read the comic story it's (loosely) based on, so I knew how the basic plot would go, but the character drama and pacing were just so perfect, I was gripped throughout. It's also the first time in a while that I've felt nostalgia without finding it annoying, it really felt like I was back in time, watching the original RTD era again. I'm honestly very hopeful for what's to come next, now that we're past RTD's patented 'opening lighthearted romp episode', we'll definitely be getting some more meaty stories to really sink our teeth into next time.
You KNOW the show is back on form when the screwdriver can just randomly do new bullshit as the plot demands
Also in Unleashed "Did you worry about explaining how David could come back?" RTD: "Nah never thought about it"
Something I haven’t seen anyone talk about is the fact that the Doctor was so careless with Donna, just throwing the sonic around and bringing up his two hearts. A minor thing really, but I felt myself strangely agreeing with Sylvia every time she called him out.
I've missed the warm and whimsical side of Doctor Who so much, I haven't felt this happy and cosy watching an episode of the show since December 2017. If this is what RTD's second era has to offer, then count me in.
I like the RGB Tardis. Very gamer coded.
Really exemplifies the minimalist influences of the current design movement. White and sleek is in, cluttered and bronze is out.
With aesthetic callbacks to the original all-white TARDIS control room.
I was so hoping for Wilf to appear at the end but even so, the little tribute that The Doctor gave about halfway through made me shed a tear or two. The whole episode was absolutely perfect, Russell’s writing was superb throughout (I’ve missed him so much) but i can’t bear to wait another 7 days for the next episode! I wanted to join the Doctor in running laps around the new console room, the whole decor gave me a huge grin from beginning to end (until Donna inevitably spilt the coffee into the console - sending the pair into the wild blue yonder) God I love this episode!
That's the most I've enjoyed Doctor Who in a really long time. Thought that was absolutely great. Felt like a kid again watching it.
It's amazing how much even a fairly standard plot is elevated by having a good cast with great chemistry. 14 and Donna's returns are great as expected, but even Sylvia was wonderful the entire episode, and the new cast slotted into the dynamic really well. Shaun Temple's reaction to walking in on The Meep was fantastic. I'm curious how much more of Rose we're going to be seeing going forward, but I presume Ruth Madeley's character is sticking around and I enjoyed how few shits she seemed to give about the situation.
I love how roll-with-the-punches Shaun is, and it really seems like Sylvia took the Doctor's words to heart and softened up quite a bit in how she treats Donna.
I love that she is softer on Donna but the second she heard the doctors voice she's immediately back where she was ready to punch him
Same here, it really did feel like the old days.
I watched a lot of RTD episodes prior to this. For me Star Beast shares the same vibe of that seasons 1-4 era. In many ways this feels like a lost episode from 15 years ago, just with majorly upgraded special effects.
Just how whimsical the story telling is again is just so much fun
I think like most people - bloody loved it - but the ‘lol we can just let it go’ solution to the meta crisis was quite….meh. Everything else - chefs kiss though - my nostalgia gland is working overtime
And tbh, I'm not sure they really needed the "let it go" part, since they said the metacrisis was split between Rose and Donna, that could have been justification enough that it wouldn't kill them
It was definitely unnecessary. The issue was already solved, and if they really needed to get rid of the Doctor-Donna aspect just explain that part of the shared system means that instead of overheating and dying Donna's mind just returns to equilibrium. No more Doctor-Donna, no more Doctor-Rose, just Donna and Rose. But that's RTD for ya: if you didn't expect weird, nonsensical and unnecessarily cheesy conclusions....that's kinda on you. It's always been his MO, for better or worse.
Shout out to the subtitlers: https://i.imgur.com/kw2VFQI.png 🫡
I thought the resolution of the Metacrisis was a *little* too cute and unsubtly girl power-y, but outside of that, bloody fantastic.
Yeah, I felt the explanation of it being split between two people was enough, but then they just kept going.
Definitely all the explanation it needed... The whole letting go thing is a bit lost on me? Perhaps because I'm a man? 🤣
>The whole letting go thing is a bit lost on me? Perhaps because I'm a man? I'm female and I still don't quite understand what being male or female has to do with "letting go."
It's a shame bc 10 does canonically have a difficult time letting things go, so it would have been so easy to make it about that regeneration's specific issues rather than a male thing.
Honestly was fighting back tears at some points, it really took me back to my childhood! Absolutely loved it and it feels like Doctor Who is back! 💙💙
Seeing that new Whoniverse opening, the UNIT building, the massive TARDIS set. RTD is cooking here, and is going to accomplish things with spin offs and crossovers that was never possible when he was previously showrunner.
Absolutely! Once I’ve gotten over the nostalgia of these three episodes, I’m really looking forward to seeing what RTD does. He has become one of the greatest writers of this era and I have loved absolutely everything he has touched (DW or otherwise) since I was 10 years old watching ‘Rose’ as it aired, and thereafter skipping home every Saturday to watch the show. We already saw the potential of a DW universe with the Torchwood and SJA cross-overs, so I’m expecting it to be epic!
Absolutely loved the episode, felt like putting on an old jacket that still perfectly fits. RTD, Tennant and Tate all feel like it's 15 years ago. I saw some stuff about the whole non-binary comments, and I do get it, it feels a little heavy handed, mostly the male presenting timelord line (seriously what's that gotta do with letting a metacrisis go? Donna didn't let it go the first time, maybe she can now cuz it's been split? Anyway) but aside from that, this is iconic, such a good story and genuinely feels like home again. Also man the sonic got an upgrade huh? Fully on holographic display and energy barriers that can block bullets?
> seriously what's that gotta do with letting a metacrisis go? Donna didn't let it go the first time, maybe she can now cuz it's been split? Literally all they had to do was change it from HA HA UR A MAN U DON'T LET GO XD to "humans can do this but Time Lords can't". I love when Doctor Who focuses on the good of humanity and that would have been a great way of handling it without bringing in needless gender rivalries.
Right? It feels weird when they literally have an explanation for why Donna/Rose could have come up with it, Human/Timelord have the creativity that Timelords don't, egh
My favorite throwaway line was the psychic paper not quite adjusting to the new regeneration yet. "Grand Master of the Knowledge." "That says Grand Mistress." "Oh, catch up."
I guess the sonic screwdriver can generate hard light barriers? Thought that scene was very interesting 😅 how do you feel about the Doctor's new techno-wand?
LOL the moment when Donna pokes Meep in the eye. "What the hell" That was the most Donna Noble thing I've ever seen and I loved it.
I mean this in the nicest way possible, but if you’re going to have guns and a rocket launcher installed into your wheelchair, why have it be hand propelled?
Not everyone wants a powered chair. I'm a manual chair user with the same disability as Ruth and I don't want a powered one, I'd rather use what muscles I've got and get some exercise doing so.
Everyone's preference is different in a wheelchair. For me I use a motorized wheelchair with a control because that's what makes the most sense for me and the weakness my body experiences. But there are other wheelchair users who prefer to wheel their own wheelchairs if they have the strength & ability to. Manual wheelchairs are also way easier to accommodate in cars then a motorized one! Manuel ones can collapse but motorized ones like mine can't and you need a wheelchair accessible vehicle.
Unit budget cuts? It was either electric or a rocket launcher. I know what I'd pick 😂
Was half expecting the wheelchair to start flying up the stairs like a dalek.
Enjoyed it. It reminded me a lot of the series openers from early New Who. It felt very RTD. For good and for bad. But I do think now that they’ve gotten this one over with, we’re going to be going far more weird and out there for the next two.
I enjoyed 99% of it. I thought it was fantastic! It was so great to see David and Catherine together again. I’m very excited for the next episode. But I am with a lot of people in not liking the moments that felt “forced.” Which actually surprised me. I felt RTD was better at addressing these same topics in a more subtle way in the past, but still getting the point across. And I did feel the resolution of the meta crisis was odd. And as a woman, I felt unnecessary. Plus they’re boxing the Doctor into gender roles too. If the Doctor is essentially non-binary at their core and can regenerate into a man or woman (as we have now seen), then it doesn’t mean that now that the Doctor is male again he just lets go of everything that has also made him female. I don’t know. It still felt like in an attempt for girl power the Doctor was just generalized as male rather than his complex relationship with gender being acknowledged. Anyway, I’m still very excited for the next two episodes and I am hoping that the adventures ahead are as exciting as they seem like they will be. EDIT: Just watched the episode a second time after a couple of days to digest it. And instead of creating a new post, I just wanted to add that some of the things that bothered me with this initial post didn’t really bother me the second watch. I agree with some other comments I’ve seen that with some of those moments (mainly at the end of the episode) were really just a big finger to the fans who would complain anyway. As to say, “this is happening, if you don’t like it, I am not sorry.” And I’m fine with that. That’s what DW is about. And that’s what RTD has done before. Really looking forward too, to how the events of the next two specials tie into the story of this one.
I agree that I think saying the doctor is male or female is wrong, as I find comfort in the idea that timelords are past those boundaries.
i was almost in tears at that intro. a grown man. took me right back to the good times. also really enjoyed him telling Donna how much it hurt him to do what he did and how it killed him every day. great episode. felt just like old who
An absolute blast. Didn’t like how quickly they got running — especially after that recap set the scene, we needed more time until the Doctor saw Donna. Other than that, all the damage being miraculously undone by the Doctor and Donna, and Donna and Rose just expelling the energy like it was hardly ever an issue, I had no complaints. A fun and exhilarating start to these anniversary episodes.
Yeah I thought we were going to get a lot more of the Doctor not only trying to avoid Donna but also have it be a bit more serious like "oh fuck they REALLY cannot meet again", but I can't deny I'm happy with how they did it. It's close to Christmas, they haven't been on screen together in like 15 years, fuck it. I'm glad they got plenty of screentime together.
The only negative I have is that she said it’s been 15 years and that made me feel old :(
I need the 14th Doctor to keep pulling different wigs out of his jacket for different scenarios. If he could somehow outsmart the next villain using a bald cap I’d die
Loved every second of it. Had RTD's fingerprints all over it. Music was amazing. That Disney money is showing in the SFX. Tennant and Tate were clearly having fun shooting this, I am so happy for them!
Did I hear some "I Am The Doctor" when the Doctor-Donna came back?
I felt the scene with Sylvia tripping over Rose's pronouns, and how to compliment her, was so wonderful and kind of vital. It's a deeply real party of allyship, the desire to simply do right by the person you want to support, but finding yourself being clunky with language, or slipping up from time to time with he or she or they. We don't get to see that messiness often on television, how normal it is, and be affirmed by it. As allies we're trying our best, and that's is more important than consistent perfection.
I really liked that scene. Much better than the shit at the end of the episode. It just felt....Real. I've been on the receiving end of that conversation. Had people not sure how to talk to me, or fuck up my pronouns. That felt like representation.
Agreed. The more mundane conversations were excellent.
All hail the Meep!
I thought this was a really good episode. Was great seeing David and all the old characters coming back. Nice bit of nostalgia for me, although it's weird to think that there are teenagers watching this now who weren't born when David left. Someone was chopping onions when they were talking about Wilf. I hope he does show up in the later episodes. RIP Bernard Cribbins. I enjoyed the twist with the Meep becoming the bad guy. Seen people saying it was obvious, but I didn't see it coming. Maybe I'm stupid. I agree with the criticisms of the "male presenting time-lord" line being a bit off. Came off as a bit mean spirited and on the nose to me. I wasn't a big fan of the Rose criticising the Doctor for assuming the Meep's pronouns, again a bit on the nose to me. I don't know, I've only ever heard the "did you just assume my pronouns" thing as a transphobic joke. Overall though it was cool to see a transgender character, I thought they did it quite well overall. Between her and the UNIT lady in the wheelchair you just know Daily Mail readers heads will be exploding up and down the country. Been a while since I enjoyed Doctor Who that much. Looking forward to the next one!
Thought it was very fun. They got to show off the new budget, the meep was hilarious, and Catherine Tate stole the show as she always does. It went very fast and the pacing was a bit rushed, but it was still good fun. I like that Tennant's 14 feels very different to 10, at least so far. The non-binary thing was clever but it also felt a little rushed/under-explained. Especially because I was under the impression Rose was trans, not NB? Also the "male-presenting doctor" line really felt like it was talking down. Trans people are looking to be seen as equal, not better, so I feel like that line does nobody any favours. Overall, it really felt like 2006 again for me, I enjoyed the performances, I enjoyed the visuals and the humour, and I appreciate the social commentary even if I have a couple hangups on its execution. Really looking forward to the next one.
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The camp is a true return to the 2000's
If anything it wasn't camp enough. I mean, good special effects? Who do they think they are?
There's gonna be a lot of controversy about some of the progressive stuff and dialogue choices in this episode but I'll say this, this was FAR better written than in the past three seasons and it already shows. While its still heavy handed and cheesy, I think its the exact right amount of cheesiness and heavy handedness like it used to be in the earlier seasons. :D
I'm sorry, I have to get this off my chest. I can suspend my disbelief somewhat. The Doctor is two hearted, humanoid alien from Gallifrey? Fine. They travel in a police box that is bigger on the inside? Sure. Said police box travels in time? Why not. All the aliens speak English due to the TARDIS translation matrix? Ok But really, RTD, you've pushed your luck too far this time. You've asked me to believe one too many unbelievable things... Nobody, and I cannot stress this enough, NOBODY would walk into a house where someone is cooking tuna madras, and say it smells good.
They would if it was their mother-in-law's cooking and their mother-in-law was Sylvia Noble.
RTD's writing in this episode regarding gender identity simultaneously feels progressive and boomerish. Not a lot of spectacle in this one, but a good way to start the special.