Wild Blue Yonder is INCREDIBLE

[@Joe_Brennan_]

Please let me know your Wild Blue Yonder thoughts!

[@terminatrix92]

I would say this is a great episode of Doctor Who. But it's not really what I want from the 60th anniversary. Honestly I miss Smith and Capaldi more than I miss Tennant and his Season 4 Companions. If they still find a way to satisfy that craving I'll be happy. But can the 3rd Special really deliver on the Toymaker on its own? And will the Christmas special follow up as a two-parter or be Ncuti's episode??

[@Joe_Brennan_]

I imagine they would’ve tried to make a big multi-Doctor special happen, but it may not have been feasible. I understand the desire to see them back, Capaldi is absolutely my Doctor

[@lio1234234]

They didn't do multi-doctor because it was done so recently with The Power of The Doctor @@terminatrix92

[@johnburn8031]

I really enjoyed it. An original story that was genuinely creepy and funny.

[@akshaytrayner1960]

@@Joe_Brennan_ calpadi is busy so Is Matt Smith

[@jparry5305]

The Doctor taking that step to confide his pain, then finding out he was talking to something manipulating him and didn’t care was heartbreaking

[@Joe_Brennan_]

So awful and horrible and amazing! What good shit. Every time I talk or think about that scene in particular I just wanna go watch it.

[@danthomassolo]

It’s utterly devastating, isn’t it? Seeing that raw vulnerability on The Doctor’s face only to have it be thrown back in his face is a special kind of cruelty. Tennant plays those kinds of moments SO WELL, not just in Doctor Who, but across his career.

[@margretrosenberg420]

Steven Moffat did a disservice to both the show and The Doctor with his unwillingness to allow The Doctor to grieve for Clara. I think that MAYBE that's why Chris Chibnall made Jodi Whittaker's Doctor so emotionally closed off - he didn't know how to deal with a new Doctor who suddenly had so MUCH grieving to do. Chibnall did see one problem he could fix, though - The Doctor has not only run out of regenerations, s/he has just kept regenerating, with only half-hearted attempts made to explain this, so Chibnall gave us The Timeless Child. And unfortunately, he also gave us the Flux, and didn't properly resolve the story. 🙄 So now we have Russell T. Davies, who has been presented with a severely traumatized Doctor. Davies doesn't have to deal with the regeneration anomaly, but The Doctor still needs to grieve for Clara, and has just found out that he's had numerous other incarnations that have been ripped from his memory (as Clara herself had been ripped away, and as Donna's memories of The Doctor had been taken, by The Doctor himself). He's also having to deal with both grief and guilt because of the Flux, and has discovered how evil his adoptive mother was. I don't care how many lifetimes you've lived out - that's a LOT to deal with. So, does The Doctor need a doctor? Yes, I think he does. But where can he find a doctor who will actually believe him when he talks about his trauma? Because it would not be helpful for his doctor to have him involuntarily committed, and we have to admit that his story sounds insane. I think it's time for The Doctor to ask Unit for help. And I'm very glad that RTD isn't trying to keep sweeping the traumas under the rug.

[@ooooneeee]

​​@@margretrosenberg420agreed so much. UNIT providing him with therapy would be fascinating to explore. I was so frustrated when it turned out the Donna he poured out his heart to wasn't Donna. And I was more sure this really was Donna than I was sure this was the Doctor. Amazing scene.

[@margretrosenberg420]

@@ooooneeee Have you seen _The Giggle_ yet? I suggest checking it out. There's another possibility.

[@gwinnellheald8592]

"My arms are too long" is genuinely so disturbing, davids vacant expression as he says it. Super creepy, eerie and very well done. Loved it

[@Joe_Brennan_]

He was creepy when they were still figuring their existence out, he was equally creepy when he actually started to nail the Doctor’s mannerisms. What a performance and what a script.

[@gwinnellheald8592]

@@Joe_Brennan_ yeah i agree! David playing a villain will always be great.

[@MauseDays]

The part with the tye as well oh my god. "Ohhhhhhhhhhhhh i ssssse now things that are GONE dont stop exsiting ahahahaha DONNA DONNA DONNA DONNA"

[@beesinpyjamas9617]

It's right up there with "Are you my Mummy?" "Don't Blink" and "Hey, who turned out the lights" already for me

[@decofmanythings]

One of my favourite things about the tie moment (and really the whole episode) is it showed us just how clever Donna is and how much she has taken on from the doctor. The tie trick is not just a doctor thing but specifically a ten thing, I could see him doing that in any other scene!

[@cronosx5749]

When the "Nothing" Doctor realised that he'd forgotten the tie on the ground and did the whole "Oh when somethings gone it keeps existing" cue maniacal laughter it really felt like Tennant was summoning Kilgrave back from the Jessica Jones days. Last weeks episode was 6/10 but this episode is definitely a 10/10 for me, honestly felt like something you'd hear in a Big Finish story. Im really hoping next week manages to stick the landing.

[@loislane7482]

Totally agree. I thought that line was so Kilgrave-esque.

[@Joe_Brennan_]

That was such a great little moment. I don’t know how you’d even think of stuff like that as a writer, it’s so jarringly inhuman. Let’s hope next week’s episode is more on this level the Star Beast’s!

[@Hiforest]

I've watched it 3 times now lol. It's a great episode! My favourite in ages.

[@tastypastry04gaming91]

Seeing wilf made me tear up I was not prepared for it

[@MauseDays]

That part gave me chills. this whole thing is basically what would happen if AI image gens manifested with a hatred for humanity.

[@60wattmoon]

Am I the only one who thought the giant CGI Not-Things were absolutely terrifying? People keep saying it's silly or shoddy CGI, but they genuinely look unreal and outside of human reference. There's some real Attack on Titan body horror type stuff happening there and I love it.

[@Joe_Brennan_]

I wasn’t scared by them in that form, but I don’t think it detracted from their scariness. All the uncanny moments playing with shape and scale were really great.

[@cranberrijuicc]

I also thought of attack on titan! Good fun

[@DolanDuking]

It's funny because it was rendered in Unreal

[@theductductgoose]

I also thought of attack on titan!

[@flyrockarts]

It was mainly the part with the hands that scared me but I agree, seeing them in that tangled mass was so unsettling

[@faelanohara]

This episode was exactly what Doctor Who needed- a break from the nostalgia speculation fest and just a brilliant, eerie episode that lingers in your brain for a long while after it finishes.

[@Joe_Brennan_]

Usually once I’ve made a video about something I’m sick of it but as soon as I’m done promoting this upload tonight, I’ll stick it on again

[@SeanS102]

apparently this is the first episode since 2020's Can You Hear Me or arguably Praxeus not to feature a recurring villain!

[@katonnor]

David Tennent and Catherine Tate were really popular as The Doctor and Donna. This basically felt like just a regular episode with them both in that role. One more adventure from them and that makes it special

[@ooooneeee]

​@@SeanS102about effing time! I'm so sick of the Daleks and Cybermen at this point.

[@rachelcruickshank7269]

David and Catherine are so great together that just having some 'normal' adventures with them is the best anniversary IMO. I loved this episode bc it felt like the series 4 days again - two best friends on an adventure. Getting a 'real' episode with one old doctor rather than cameos from several is so much better. And I'm so hyped for next week

[@Joe_Brennan_]

This is EXACTLY how I see it and I’m glad I’m not alone

[@katonnor]

​@Joe_Brennan_ They are basically exactly the same characters, They only act and seem different because of what they went through over the years. They are back together but the time they spent apart clearly changed them which is why they seem different while still being the same

[@hi-viz]

The fact this episode didn't feel like an episode you'd have to celebrate an anniversary made me appreciate it even more. It instead just being a simple and sincere two hander between the main pair was truly great. It gave David and Catherine the chance to play with some great variety

[@Joe_Brennan_]

This is a lovely way to look at it, RTD in the behind the scenes spoke about how he’d considered putting in big anniversary Easter eggs but kept deciding that restraint was necessary for this setup to work. He was right!

[@hi-viz]

​​@@Joe_Brennan_In all honesty? Wild Blue Yonder is my favourite Tennant performance in Doctor Who. The longer I'm sitting on it the higher it's going

[@katonnor]

David Tennant and Catherine Tate were brilliant. Instead of some grand story filled with Easter eggs we got a regular episode starring them. It was amazing just like being back in their series but with both characters clearly changed from being through so much

[@loislane7482]

Tennant always did play a good villain! Loved his delivery of the line about how when you take things off they keep existing. Absolutely chilling. And yes 'my arms are too long' is an all-timer.

[@Joe_Brennan_]

This is probably one of the best “The Doctor but evil” moments. I don’t know what comes close. Really scary stuff, especially with how close he comes to the real thing.

[@SeanS102]

I hate being one of these "14 is better than 10" people because it feels like being contrarian for the sake of it, but 14 is better than 10! Ok, I'm being a little glib, but this older more sensitive version of the character with less bravado is more compelling to me, and Tennant is doing so much with the material, Russell & David are even making Flux work, for goodness sake! I'm loving Donna too, all in all I'm so glad The End of Time isn't their definitive ending anymore.

[@Joe_Brennan_]

You’re absolutely right and you should say so. Tennant has been spectacular in these specials, and RTD coming in and making Flux the basis of a big emotional beat almost feels cruel to Chibnall because it’s just dunking on him.

[@mikaylaeager7942]

I honestly think they brought Tennant back just to rectify the “I don’t want to go” regeneration. Now he can move on in peace and with closure like all the other Doctors.

[@katonnor]

It is basically the same as 10 but with a lot more experience. The extra years of experience are what changed him

[@AurinneA]

I agree! I also feel that our familiarity with 10 and the subtle but present differences are part of what makes 14 more satisfying. For me, 14 feels extra good BECAUSE we had 10.☺️

[@kaprikorn16188]

I find myself in th same position. I think Tennant's own experience with the franchise is also recognizable. It would be a dilemma if RTD just let David go like that... still am in favor of doing a Metacrisis spin off. 😇Looking forward to the comics for 14.

[@WickedChild97]

This episode is an uncanny valley MASTERPIECE and immediately became my #1 favorite Doctor Who episode of all time.

[@Joe_Brennan_]

Wow that’s high praise to give so immediately but I totally understand it

[@XanDerSon88]

‘Midnight’ was one of my favourite episodes of Tennent’s era, and my one regret was that it was a companion-lite episode. I’m so happy that this episode mirrors it so well and includes Donna this time ❤

[@Joe_Brennan_]

It’s very much enhanced by having the two of them working things out together, and experiencing these things in tandem

[@UltimateKyuubiFox]

It’s so nice seeing a writer in Doctor Who give his characters a lot of interesting things to do, his leading actors something to chew on and stretch themselves with. I feel like Jodie never had a chance to show off, and this is such a show-off episode. RTD just knows how to handle actors. You want to give them the best stuff to work with, and this was really it.

[@supersecret4390]

It's my favourite episode in years it's SO good. And people saying there's not enough fanservice like.. we have David Tennant and Catherine Tate back and this episode has them on screen for literally every single second, it really makes the most out of their return. What more could you want?

[@AurinneA]

I understand what people are craving (I'd really love to see what RTD can do with Jodi or Peter), but I have to agree that getting so much meaty character stuff from these two feels wonderfully indulgent and all I need from a special right now.

[@fredhasopinions]

as though fanservice is the be all and end all of good television. I'm sometimes worried that creators are too motivated to cater to their fans to execute their actual creative visions. So glad this episode didn't go that way.

[@sabinajoh]

I’m getting starting to cook up a theory: I think the theme of the whole special trilogy is going to be actions having consequences you cant run from. I’m calling it: Donna and Rose are going to realize the doctordonna isn’t gone, they have to process the situation, you can’t just “let it go”. The same thing with Flux’s impact on the doctor. Those small mentions of things like “introducing superstitions at the end of the universe” being dangerous and the whole gravity becoming “mavity” thing. Such a small change, but will probably have big consequences

[@katonnor]

If the DoctorDonna isn't gone then than also means DoctorRose exists. She inherited it which was the reason Donna could survive. If it still exists in one then it must in the other

[@JulieAiken]

I wondered about "mavity". They both acted like it was now the correct word, like that little scene had indicated a huge change to history. And that can't be good!

[@katonnor]

@JulieAiken Donna did not The Doctor. Notice how Doctor said the captains body was "caught in the gravity field" when Donna was confused he said "mavity field"

[@breathinghumanperson3855]

​@@YaBoiJoosh i think the reason IS that the metacrisis was passed down to rose because she's donna's child. Her being nonbinary is just a symptom of it, since donna is binary, to balance it out. At least that's how i understood it

[@ooooneeee]

I love this theory.

[@abigailxmary]

the distorted faces of the giant no-things were lowkey horrifying. It was giving Miss Evangelista after her botched upload & she absolutely terrified me as a kid

[@Joe_Brennan_]

Yeah I think if I’d saw this at a young age it would’ve made a very lasting impact

[@arthurmccauley3020]

I loved it so much. It did feel strange watching an episode of doctor who and at the end feeling, “that was bloody fantastic”

[@Joe_Brennan_]

Haha you know what, I agree. I’m not used to that.

[@Neutral_Tired]

If Timeless Child has to remain canon, I'm glad they're at least finally starting to address the consequences.

[@Joe_Brennan_]

I think it was addressed in the perfect way here- the core of an effective emotional moment, but not a huge lore drop of nonsense

[@ness3421]

Yes definitely! It was nice to see The Doctor show remorse. I feel like 13 was sometimes devoid of all emotion except "Hurray, genocide!"

[@Aaron-ld1lu]

Honestly, I wasn't too sure about the first episode of the specials, but this one definitely sold me. It was absolutely incredible, it felt like old doctor who but new. Loved it

[@Joe_Brennan_]

Yeah this really sold me on the Specials, and I retroactively appreciate the work The Star Beast did to get us here

[@mzple]

@@YaBoiJoosh I did not hate the first episode and I am not one of these oh no a trans person is in it which ruins it, but the whole trans binary non binary thing was way too on the nose. Like there is nothing wrong with having trans representation but why can' they be just treated like anyone else without them being trans the most essential plot point. I think that would be more respectful honestly.

[@crystalcove99]

While this episode certainly isnt perfect (I thought the ending was too Deus Ex Tardis for my liking), it's probably my favorite episode of the series since The Doctor Falls. It gave me a lot of Midnight and Listen vibes (and even a bit of Mummy on the Orient Express where the Doctor has a very short o amount of time at the end of the episode to piece together the puzzle), which is good because those are all masterful episodes. The villains were kind of silly at times, but in a very uncanny valley way that just added to the horror of them... AND WILF It's a shame that this is apparently the last we will get to see of Wilf, but given how warm and loving of a scene it was, I think I'm okay with it. Rest in Peace, Bernard Cribbins.

[@Joe_Brennan_]

I’m glad I’m not alone with Deus Ex TARDIS, though I honestly don’t think it has much of an impact on my thoughts on the episode

[@venmis137]

Completely agree. I personally wasn't a fan of the newton thing at the beginning, but the rest of the episode was fantastic! Easily the best in a long time.

[@AlchemistJay]

Their acting was fantastic - really gave us the chance to revel in their reunion.

[@Joe_Brennan_]

Such a brilliant idea to say “we’ve got Tennant and Tate back- let’s make the most of it by making a whole episode of just the two of them”

[@markenetube]

It was much better than last weeks. Loved Bernard Cribbins. He died in July 2022. I wonder how long ago they shot these episodes? I feel sorry for Ncuti Gatwa. David Tennant will be so hard to follow. I bet he say "I'm ready to go now" as opposed to "i don't want to go"

[@Joe_Brennan_]

They shot this in the Summer of 2022, his health and death prevented him having a larger role in the third special

[@markenetube]

@@Joe_Brennan_ I always liked him. He came over as a nice guy. I stopped watching Who, after a few of the Jodie episodes. The stories were awful. Almost childlike. I felt sorry for good actors having to be part of that shambles. Tom Baker and DT are my favorite Dr's.

[@danieljames6899]

I really enjoyed the episode, I like how RTD managed to give a decent scene in The Flux, also giving Jodie's Doctor an introspective veil because in all those moments where it seemed like she didn't care about anything, now we know she was faking it and inside she was exploding with rage and pain, I can only say wow. The only flaw, in my opinion, is not making a cameo of the other Doctors, they didn't have to be in the Doctor's shoes, but it would have been nice if the shapeshifters took the form of the old Doctors like Smith and Capaldi and the old Companions to torture the Doctor.

[@Joe_Brennan_]

Any time I try and imagine using the other Doctors in that way, I just think it would immediately detract from the effectiveness and become all about cameos

[@danieljames6899]

I understand what you mean and I partly agree, but it is still the 60th and every decade (When the series has been broadcast) has had a story with multiple Doctors, so this would have been an acceptable compromise in my opinion.

[@kateglew580]

Would've been completely tonally off, but I couldn't help but imagine a scene where the two Not-Things ran into each other without realising it and tried to keep up the charade

[@Joe_Brennan_]

Yeah I wondered if that was gonna be a twist but, as you say, potentially just a little too farcical

[@WritingChampion407]

The only thing I wish about this episode is we could have gotten some 14 specific storylines, being we only get 3 episodes, I wish we would focus on this plot line and focus on why 14 is back and how his Doctor is now. This honestly could’ve been an episode with 15 and Ruby.

[@Joe_Brennan_]

That’s an interesting point, maybe something I’ll consider when I’m weighing up the specials as a whole. I think I’m worried it might get a bit messy so I’m kind of glad the burden falls entirely on The Giggle, and we get something so great in the meantime

[@Melissa.Garrett]

The only possible problem with giving this story to a new Doctor and companion is that it relied heavily on how well the two protagonists knew other. This Doctor and Donna know enough to tell each other from the copies, which would probably not be true with a new companion.

[@wachyfanning]

Not quite, as it did play on Donna's particular character traits to help distinguish her from her doppelganger, and her and the Doctor's long time friendship.

[@TheShiningEnergy]

if that was the case, then why did the Doctor choose the wrong Donna at the end?@@wachyfanning

[@spaceylatte]

​@@TheShiningEnergycus she was 99.9% identical. Tell me if you were in the same boat, would you have been absolutely certain when making that choice.

[@lolface_9363]

This episode is the first time I’ve had goosebumps at an episode of doctor who in a while

[@Joe_Brennan_]

Me too, it’s really nice to be wowed by the show for all the right reasons

[@jamesgibson773]

This episode also perfectly sums itself up in the "humans can be 2 things" idea. Doctor who can be 2 things at once: it can be scary and funny, it can be huge epic stories and small intimate ones. It's an excellent metaphor for dr who as a show

[@samgonzalez8662]

THIS is the stuff I love from Doctor Who and RTD. Wild Blue Yonder feels just like RTD thought, “I’ve got three Tennant/Tate episodes... I’m going to spend one on a classic Doctor/Donna story.” It just feels like a flex of every muscle that’s been in hibernation for 15 years (there’s a couple twinges here and there) but shows that he hasn’t lost his strength. On the note of Donna, I think she could remember but especially because she describes it as a furnace, it would hurt to look at and burn her up if she lived with what it’s like to be the Doctor; Donna could remember, but she doesn’t want to. The Doctor’s life is unimaginable pain and unbearable loss, and they often have to bear that burden alone. Donna has the choice to not have the Doctor in her head, but she still wants to get inside the Doctor’s head which is why she asks what happened- on offer for the Doctor to share that burden on his terms.

[@jameskoss6804]

Having David Tennant back but as a version of his Doctor that's gone through The Ponds, Clara, Trenzalore, Hell Bent/Heaven Sent, Timeless Child, everything with the Master, I love it so far and hope more of it comes through in the next special

[@wachyfanning]

"It's just talking!" Yeah! That's where the tension comes from. First the dual conversions with both characters happening at seemingly the same time despite the characters not actually being able to be in two places at once. Then the characters using their intellects to figure out precisely who they're talking to. The four way confrontation. Just the drama of being uncertain if the person you're talking to is the real person, the difficulty finding it out, and the critical thinking required to spot the fake.

[@Joe_Brennan_]

Absolutely! It’s thrilling

[@KrisJoshJones]

Donna getting her own Timeless Child retcon by actually being born in Southampton!

[@Joe_Brennan_]

She used to be my favourite companion and now she’s a friggin scummer

[@VonPatzy]

The way Donna looks away from the doctor and then her eyes dart about while claiming she didn’t see anything lends itself (or at least Tate’s performance) to the idea she was able to absorb a bit of his journey. I like what you said about consent.

[@Joe_Brennan_]

Yeah I think that definitely seems to be how she’s playing, which is a really lovely interpretation. It’s times like these I wish we had another 10 episodes with these two.

[@charg1nmalaz0r51]

@@Joe_Brennan_ honestly i got the feeling that she remembered but that she couldnt make heads or tails of it because its too much. But had a feeling it was bad

[@StrayMaverick]

I also love the thematic weight to this episode. Having the enemies get stronger when you otherthink and having them be defeated through a slow process is great. This relates to the consequences of the Flux, and Donna even asks 14 "when will you be okay" and he says "in a million years." All of this says that some things need time to truly be dealt with, and can't be solved immediately. Brilliant stuff.

[@katonnor]

It also shows the captains character which is really good since we never meet them when they were alive. Set up a slow process and then commit suicide so that she wouldn't have any thoughts at all. Died to stop the creatures from learning what was set up and keeping them trapped unable to control the ship

[@Joe_Brennan_]

The Captain is just brilliant, so cool to have her save the day without even seeing her

[@TheKellster94]

WBY was brilliant! I love how it was just an episode of Dr Who. The Star Beast has to do a lot of reintroduction and The Giggle will be the conclusion, so its nice just to have an adventure with these characters.

[@Joe_Brennan_]

Yeah I’m even more appreciative of the Star Beast now that I know it paved the way to something brilliant

[@MRdaBakkle]

This was amazing, the horror elements of Dr Who are really great. Especially this uncanny valley sort of horror. I wonder if we will get anymore references to the name change from gravity to mavity. Especially since at the end of the episode the Doctor says gravity again.

[@Joe_Brennan_]

I think it would be a fun thing to slip into a script here and there

[@captain_lisa4688]

"My arms are too long" will be the new "Are you my mummy". It was terrifying. While it had it's faults, this episode was amazing and great for the new series.

[@stephen-dfc]

Tennant’s acting is frighteningly good here. The short conversation the 2 Doctor’s have while the salt counting is going on is so so chilling yet it’s almost hard to say why. Like you said in your video, the duplicate is 90% The Doctor, but with just a TINY bit of him missing that makes it hauntingly strange. The way he says “We drifted here in the lack of light” is a good example of him being so subtly different that it makes you uneasy. The pronunciation of single letters in a sentence or just a little change of tone is enough. And when he asks what’s made them so bad and the copy replies “the things we felt they shaped us”, WHY IS IT SO SCARY 😮 Aw Doctor Who is BACK ❤

[@kateglew580]

I noticed that David used a very very slightly more RP accent as the duplicate, a subtle difference but an effective one in my opinion. Just goes to show how detail-oriented he is as an actor.

[@Joe_Brennan_]

He jokes about how easy this has all been for him but he is so incredibly skilful and measured in these roles

[@christianwise637]

In a similar vein, within the same scene where Donna tries to insist there's more to people than that, and then not-Donna just responds with "love letters don't travel that far", Catherine Tate's delivery of that last line is utterly chilling

[@Joe_Brennan_]

Yeah I think Tennant casts a huge shadow but that’s not to say Tate doesn’t have her moments

[@robintob1407]

14:51 he said clum, scongo confirmed for next week

[@Joe_Brennan_]

Sorry I can’t confirm (I signed an NDA when I allowed them to use Scongo in the 60th)

[@SupaKen74]

Im going to have nightmares of people i know, friends and family, calmly telling me, "My arms are too long"

[@Joe_Brennan_]

It’s just so so scary

[@buttonsforbooks]

TBH despite all the strides in diverse representation and stories that doctor who has done, i genuinely never would have thought theyd have Davids Doctor confirm his attraction for men, let alone through a stupid Issac Newton 'mavity' joke 😂

[@Joe_Brennan_]

Donna’s reaction was so so funny

[@combogalis]

tbh I've been expecting it since Ncuti Gatwa was cast and RTD was coming back. I think we'll be getting significantly more than that soon enough.

[@buttonsforbooks]

@@YaBoiJoosh I'm not sure I understand what you mean here? The Doctor has always operated in the ambiguity of asexuality with a couple of romantic attachments to women across the timeline, so in that ambiguity of asexuality as well as the ability to be fluid in ones sex, it stands to reason that the Doctor could very easily form attractions and attachments to men as well as women.

[@combogalis]

@@YaBoiJoosh What do you mean by "that sort of character"? He was just a woman. If his sex and gender and face and personality can change, why can't his sexual orientation? Seems like you are working with some biases.

[@AnythingMachine]

Midnight crossed with Impossible Planet crossed with 25kg of cocaine

[@Joe_Brennan_]

But enough about my friggin friday nights!

[@Bizzyb33z]

I LOVED the new episode. It was really reminiscent of my favorite episode “Midnight”. I just love seeing the Doctor confronted with a threat he doesn’t entirely understand

[@Joe_Brennan_]

It’s one of the best ever episodes for seeing the Doctor thinking about and realising things. Tennant does moments of realisation so well.

[@judgemario]

This reminded me of Midnight, but it was better by miles. Going to the edge of the universe made me think of the Doctor’s Wife episode, where they went somewhere similar (edge of the universe). I had a hard time hearing the dialogue and it hurt my immersion in the story. That’s my only real complaint. Otherwise it was spooky fun. I wondering if next week will be the Toymaker’s chance to influence the timeless child storyline. Seems funny to bring it up in episode two if you aren’t going to delve into it in episode three.

[@Joe_Brennan_]

I’ve heard that about the sound mix from a few people, what a shame. I watched with headphones and had no trouble, but I know how much that can let an experience down

[@Snuzzled]

The closed captioning calls them "the Not-Things" and individually, "Not-Doctor" and "Not-Donna." So that's what I'm going with. The best scene for me was when I first realized something was wrong. They were swapping back and forth between Donna and the Doctor in the orange room, and Donna and the Doctor in the blue room, and at first I just thought it was some weird cutting with shifting back and forth in time. Then the Doctor says in this passive, almost blase way, "My arms are too long," and the penny dropped along with my stomach. That delivery and setup was 👌

[@Joe_Brennan_]

The dread you can feel in your stomach in that moment is superb, and justifies all of the secrecy. I seemed to gravitate towards calling them Not-Doctor and Not-Donna without even knowing, so it’s clearly a good name

[@Snuzzled]

@@Joe_Brennan_ I've personally been avoiding spoilers, leaks, and even trailers as much as possible. I prefer going into these things without any knowledge because it can absolutely ruin a great twist or suspenseful moment. It definitely wouldn't have hit nearly as hard if, say, someone had leaked an image of David with the big arm prosthetic on.

[@Joe_Brennan_]

I’m too deep into the online fandom to avoid trailers (thanks to this channel) though I wish I could know less, but leaks are something I’ve definitely tried to avoid

[@nirmalsuki]

Seeing Bernard Cribbins for what would be one of the last times just tied my stomach in a knot. What a legend.

[@Joe_Brennan_]

It’s so amazing that he was able to return, albeit briefly

[@trenchardjj]

The bit about invoking superstition at the end of the universe having dark consequences has me more excited for future storylines than anything in Who has for years.

[@sci-fier]

I think that's a reference to the great tv writer Nigel Kneale who incorporated magic and superstition with scifi. The giggle is RTDs reference to a banned unproduced play called 'The big giggle ' about a TV signal which drove people to suicide. Kneale reworked the idea in the film Halloween 3. Another story about a mad toymaker and an evil TV broadcast.

[@nathanielk7415]

wild blue yonder was fucking crazy absolutely peak the kind of episode someone might love to have a long conversation about on a discord server for sure

[@Joe_Brennan_]

I don't use discord sorry

[@AurinneA]

After this episode, I feel reassured that RTD has realised one thing we really need at the start of the new era is the Flux and Timeless Child things somewhat addressed. Not necessarily "resolved," but we've been left feeling unsettled and unsatisfied, not really knowing how the universe stands, what is going to be ignored, how the Doctor is feeling, whether this is something that will matter at all in the future etc. etc. It feels like the specials are the perfect place to do this and Tennant/10/14 is the perfect actor/character to deal with this. We can see more clearly just what effect this has had because we are so familiar with how 10 was affected by and dealt with things previously. An episode like this might not be full of spectacle, but I think it's done some pretty significant work for the show. I might not like the TC or the Flux and wish they weren't canon, but if this is how they are going to be handled in the future, I am no longer feeling unsettled about their effect on the series. And I think Tennant was fabulous this whole episode, whichever version he was playing. There was a real grounded, earthiness to his performance that made the creepy parts more worrying and the emotional parts more real and impactful. Last week had elements of this, but it felt a lot more like the Doctor was just being like "The Doctor and Donna" because that was how he felt he was supposed to be - perhaps wanted to be - but underneath he wasn't really that anymore. I felt this episode David really brought that out beautifully - not just in the dramatic parts, but in his delivery of normal lines and subtle differences in how he holds himself and moves. Anyway, last episode I was still in "wait and see" mode, but after this episode I've started to feel some genuine optimism for the next series rather than just wishfully hoping!

[@AurinneA]

Oh, and thanks for the thoughtful, reflective video!

[@Joe_Brennan_]

The shift from “wait and see” to real optimism is a great one to experience. I feel like we’re in safe hands, and I don’t think anything they do next week could change that. Thank you for the comment!

[@zacbob1149]

I loved the episode, it was absolutely brilliant! The lead actors, especially Tennant, were so amazing!!! And Wilf… 😢 However happy, yet sad I was to see Wilf, the Nothings still gave the chills

[@Joe_Brennan_]

Tennant was on another level this week. It’s as if they’d finally written an episode that matches his full potential.

[@zacbob1149]

Exactly! His ability to flawlessly portray two completely different characters is just incredible. Tate was the same. I was almost thinking they were going to do that spider man pointing to each other in a circle meme when they were all in the same room! 😂

[@mikaylaeager7942]

I just want to say how happy I am that you’re back on KZbin just in time for this new era of Doctor Who! You go in to every episode wanting to love it and have fun with it and are honestly disappointed when you don’t and I really appreciate that.

[@Joe_Brennan_]

This comment really means a lot, I’m so grateful. I’m so glad I’m back in time for this as well, it’s such a delight

[@samfrisby6135]

Well, people were asking for a multi-Doctor story

[@Joe_Brennan_]

I'd literally joked that the funniest thing they could do would be a multi-Tennant special. Obviously I meant 10 and 14, but this is almost the same

[@burgunbeerd]

I definitely thought Donna would die like 3 times back and forth during that ending. Like I knew she was in The Giggle but I've been lied to before

[@Joe_Brennan_]

It’s great how good storytelling can make you overlook pretty fundamental things like “she’s in the trailer for next week”

[@pidgeon2699]

in the tma fandom there are also dopplegangers, we call the not-thems or not-sasha, i invite the dr who fandom to do the same with the nothing creatures.

[@djmarkiez]

As a special it was okay, but as a doctor who episode it is really really good. The guessing of wtf is going in was good. Did enjoy the stupid joke in the beginning and calling it mravity. The perfomance of the actors is good, you just see the actinv eperience of tennant through the years, i have a good hope the new series is going to be enjoyable and im all for it

[@Joe_Brennan_]

I think the fact it’s only been a week since the last special makes it feel more like episodic Doctor Who to me, which does it a favour because I’m judging it as that.

[@EricaGamet]

You weren't the only one who thought Donna wasn't going to make it. He poured his heart out to her (well, fake Donna) and I thought it was going to be another moment of not quite telling the person that he loves them. I watched alone in my apartment and when I thought Donna was done for, I stood up and yelled enough that my neighbors could hear, "Don't you f**kin' take Donna from me, again!" 🤣 I haven't watched much DW since somewhere in Matt Smith's era (just popping in now and then) and I didn't realize just how invested I still was in these two! These two are MY Doctor and companion... and this episode was **chef's kiss**!

[@Joe_Brennan_]

What a relief we have her for at least another episode!

[@Paradise2111]

Last night I had a dream where someone got into weird body-mod stuff and got an extra set of knees put in, and when I woke up I realised it was literally straight out of this episode - I can't remember the last time a tv ep made its way into my dreams. Truly gruesome stuff!

[@Joe_Brennan_]

That’s so fun, clearly had an impact

[@bigspongeyfan1]

I know people are saying Steven Moffat. And it is in the sense it’s the writer placing formal constraints on themselves and showing how brilliant they can be. However, I always think it’s worth crediting Jamie Mathieson for bringing in Boneless creatures and of course there’s a bit of classic dr who episode 1 Terry Nation exploring the world, getting rid of the tardis suspense too.

[@Joe_Brennan_]

The Classic Who comparisons are good too when you realise Donna and The Doctor didn't do anything to stop the creatures, it was all about escaping

[@vividtheprotogen]

8:18 the score was "Last Christmas" from the series 8 Christmas special!

[@Joe_Brennan_]

Any Clara content is so so so so welcome

[@jonathanrreed]

I wanted to thank you for this and your last video, they perfectly put into words all of my emotions and as someone who lives away from home at uni around people who dont even know the show let alone love it as religiously as I do means I dont have anyone to talk to about it, and hearing you talking about it all brings me such catharsis so thank you so much. much love from the netherlands

[@Joe_Brennan_]

Thank you so much for the comment! I’m glad to provide that for you. I hope you’re eventually surrounded by people who you can share the show with, but happy to help fill that void in the meantime.

[@isack_hs]

... wow yeah it's the first episode to be broadcast 1 week after the previous ep since Dec 9 2021 wtf

[@Joe_Brennan_]

That’s so ridiculous

[@ellisr.kinnear164]

Ironically this episode uses the Timeless Child and Flux better than Chibbers, the bloke who wrote it

[@Joe_Brennan_]

I gasped when it was mentioned! Genuinely quite a cool thing for the episode to do

[@VuddyProductions]

6:24 my first thought was that the jimbo robot was doing heaven sent because he was slowly getting closer to his goal with each number of the countdown for 3 years

[@Joe_Brennan_]

The idea of a Jimbo remake of Heaven Sent is so delightful now we have context

[@VuddyProductions]

@@Joe_Brennan_ it should play out in real time and be 3 years long

[@inspector2363]

To be honest the current bar was so low it was a carpet rail.

[@Joe_Brennan_]

That may be true, but this would be a strong episode in any era

[@EditedAF987]

This episode, to me, felt very reminiscent of Big Finish’s Scherzo. Both are two handers featuring only the Doctor and their companion being pushed to their limits. Both open with the TARDIS abandoning our characters in a place outside the normal universe. Both feature antagonists that begin developing corporeal forms due to the presence of the protagonists, which leads into some freaky body horror antics. And both are incredible Doctor Who stories. Granted, whether this was an intentional homage is unclear (if anything, I find it more likely that the recent 10th Doctor audio ‘The Lost’ would’ve been a stronger inspiration). But it’s still interesting to see how elements from a story famously tailored so specifically to the audio medium could be so well translated for tv.

[@Joe_Brennan_]

I’ve listened to Scherzo and I think Wild Blue Yonder is a great example of something that shares a lot of similarities with something that’s already been done, but playing to different strengths. The more tangible and visible nature of a TV story offers it opportunities that Big Finish don’t have, just as the absence of visuals give Scherzo a massive boost. I probably would’ve mentioned it in this video if I wasn’t scared of pronouncing it out loud.

[@genevievemccluer7503]

The subtitles called them the not-things. I'm glad you liked it so much, I want to give it some time but it may be one of my favorite episodes. Though it could also just be that it's so much better than what we've had for a while.

[@Joe_Brennan_]

Yeah I’m hesitant to start ranking it among the best ever, because I know recency bias is a hell of a thing. But right now I’m just buzzing

[@genevievemccluer7503]

@@Joe_Brennan_ Yeah, I'm very curious how I'll view it in a year or so, but it was just exactly what I wanted and I'm so happy we got it.

[@Joe_Brennan_]

I’m the same, in such a state of elation at the show reaching such a high level

[@lorbaborb]

this episode reminded me why i love doctor who so much ive missed this feeling

[@Joe_Brennan_]

I’m exactly the same. What a great way to be.

[@DoctorpooandtheTURDIS]

This episode was amazingly done, the ONE issue I have is the fakeout with the False Donna at the end. If those imposters were so dangerous that just their mere PRESENCE was enough to send the TARDIS running, I find it doubtful that the TARDIS would even allow her aboard.

[@sabinajoh]

You could argue that the Tardis isn’t perfect, so when false Donna became 99.8% Donna, it was just enough for the Tardis to let F Donna in

[@charg1nmalaz0r51]

@@sabinajoh No that isnt the explanation, a better one would be that the tardis sees time in the past present and future and knew the outcome.

[@HarvesterYT]

The TARDIS didn't run from the imposters, it ran from the self-destruct. Once it was turned off, the TARDIS returns.

[@rudrasingh6354]

​@@HarvesterYTwhy would it run from the self destruct? The bomb was supposed to go off ages from when the Tardis landed due to the whole "slow.ship" thing. The hostile action was the Not Things getting free from.the esge of time and destroying the known universe. When the bomb was set off, the hostile action was over so the TARDIS came back.

[@DoctorpooandtheTURDIS]

@@HarvesterYT It WAS the imposters the TARDIS was running from. It only comes back once the countdown gets too far along for the fakes to stop. The self-destruct was never turned off.

[@FandomLife687]

Donna absolutely knows more than shes letting on, but in a vague, 'oh, that wasnt fun', way, and also a 'you will clam up if i try to turn this into an Actual Conversation' way

[@Joe_Brennan_]

I’m glad you agree

[@jacobharris954]

Am I the only fascinated by the edge of the universe concept

[@Joe_Brennan_]

I wonder if it’s something they’ll revisit, or keep incredibly vague

[@Ba1aamsdonkey]

Was the TARDIS only recognizing the state of the ship as a bomb as the threat and not the "false-entities" as the main threat? If it was the former, why didn't it recognize the bomb as on a very long delay and not an immediate danger? The length of the episode makes it pretty clear that the danger of the ship-bomb was not indeed immediate.

[@Joe_Brennan_]

I think it recognised the evil entities. A ship explosion isn’t a huge deal for a tardis, but an unknown hostile force is quite a danger

[@katonnor]

The entities were there and lurking before they took physical form. If the TARDIS recognised that then it would see the threat they possessed. It disappearing makes perfect sense if the entities were what it discovered. Especially since it returns at the point the entities were no longer a threat but the bomb still was

[@mrgerund3060]

Definitely goes in the top 10 new-who episodes, and yes it 100% feels like a moffat esque episode. Doesn't come close to beating heaven sent, but still an amazing episode, it's a shame how many people resort to making hate reviews for the sake of views.

[@Roximoe]

Just finished watching. I'm absolutely blown away.

[@Joe_Brennan_]

Isn’t it superb!

[@alexmiyamoto4832]

It was ok, no heaven sent, no day of the doctor. Oddly despite RTDs constant claims that Who hadn’t done this before it felt very familiar. Scherzo and Midnight were the big ones that stood out for me personally.

[@Joe_Brennan_]

Yeah I think his verbose showmanship can occasionally do him a disservice, although it’s nice to have a showrunner who can go on a chat show and drum up hype.

[@alexmiyamoto4832]

Definitely a factor; reading back my own comment it’s a weird thing to say. The examples of better episodes I can think of are all from 6 years back or more. That’s definitely better than ok, but it hasn’t cracked my top 10 or rewritten the doctor who rule book; neither of which if not for the hype would I have expected.

[@DotDotDott]

I dont know if I'm just crazy because I listen to a lot of big finish but this episode felt very big finishy in a good way. Like an entity at the edge of the universe that struggles with the concept existence just feels like something big finish would/has done(Like Sherzo or The Eminence). Also the D+ subtitles called them "Not-Things"

[@Joe_Brennan_]

Yeah my mind went to Big Finish too, potentially because this isn’t a story that would’ve been possible on TV until quite recently

[@samwoodson9603]

This and the previous special were my first time watching the show again since Matt Smith left. Not for any major grievance I had with the show, I simply just lost interest and then got overwhelmed by the piling up of stuff I missed that it seemed daunting to catch up again. But I figured I’d just jump in out of curiosity, accepting I’d be missing some context on what’s happened in the last 10 years and also that I may have even forgot some plot points from the stuff I did watch. First special was pretty fun. Donna Noble’s tiger mom schtick is so endearing and it’s fun to see how her character traits show through the type of mom she is. The second special really reminded me of why I used to love the show so much. Just such a simple, horrifying little premise. Immediately the villains seem so ubiquitous that you wonder how they haven’t been villains on the show for decades now. Also the line about reading their goosebumps like braille was just hard as hell too. So I think I’ll continue to watch new specials and episodes as they come out.

[@Joe_Brennan_]

That’s great to hear, I hope the show keeps you on board

[@paniniboy]

I really loved it, fantastic classic story. Although it didn't feel like an anniversary

[@Joe_Brennan_]

I get into it a little in the episode but I really don't mind taking the opportunity within a wider anniversary nostalgia trip to just tell an excellent Doctor Who story

[@RobTFilms]

I think that Catherine Tate's 'dramatic' performances are always way better than her being 'funny'? Bit of a hot take considering her career is from comedy but... I she's better when she's not doing funny lines to me.

[@Joe_Brennan_]

I think she’s incredibly funny when she’s given a good script, but yeah I don’t love the stuff she writes for herself. As a dramatic actor, she’s vastly underrated.

[@JulieAiken]

Thank you!!! So much of what you said resonated with me, but I think the thing that struck me most and that I immediately agreed with was a LOST echo -- "We're going to have to watch that again." After the episode that is the first thing I thought. I was delighted, sad, impressed, excited and a bit discombobulated. There was a lot! I couldn't sort out all the emotions the episode evoked. And when a TV show does that to me I am thrilled! Great episode, great recap!

[@Joe_Brennan_]

Thank you so much for the comment! I'm glad you enjoyed!

[@petabaigent]

What makes it special is having Ten and Donna back. And Wilf! They did the cameos thing for the 50th anniversary and it was great, but it's done. This episode was fantastic and made me so happy, what else do you need?

[@Joe_Brennan_]

My thoughts exactly!

[@keegansantoroski9042]

I don't think Donna remembers all of what the Doctor went through since she's last seen him. But, I do think she remembers the emotions from it. The loneliness from spending decades in prison, the depression from seeing multiple friends and his wife die, the desperation of trying to save the universe multiple times (The Flux and Big Bang 2 being the stand-outs in my head), and the huge mix of emotions from the Timeless Child and the Master destroying Gallifrey. I think Donna remembers all of how the doctor felt, but not each individual event. Also, I cried when I saw Wilf. When he said "I never thought I'd see you again after all these years." I echoed him. Wilf is a gem and Bernard Cribbins is an outstanding actor. I hope they release any deleted scenes that he had in The Giggle. R.I.P Bernard Bribbins. You will be missed.

[@Joe_Brennan_]

That’s a nice perspective on Donna. And yeah I’m wondering if they got a bit of unusable Giggle footage that we’ll eventually see. I’d understand if they kept it to themselves though.

[@stuff31]

It was glorious, just glorious.

[@Joe_Brennan_]

I’m so glad you liked it!

[@android65mar]

Agree that it is better to be surprised

[@Joe_Brennan_]

I wish we could know so little about every episode

[@ZidaneWarner]

In a way this is the closet we got to NuWho pulling off Scherzo

[@Joe_Brennan_]

It is! And plays to the strengths of the visual medium just as well as Scherzo plays to the strengths of audio.

[@Saidriak]

I absolutely love seeing two time lords fully work together in a situation like this, it super cool seeing both of them be very competent and clever while in a life threatening moment

[@J0shJames]

The absolute ONLY issue I had with this episode was how odd the long hallway looked in the beginning. It either improved or I adjusted as the episode went on though haha.

[@Joe_Brennan_]

Yeah the lighting in the digital environment didn’t match the real footage of the characters

[@BigGwenStrikesAgain]

I know form a reliable source that the external CGI was done by bad wolf and the internal CGI was outsourced to a different company, and that was the real reason why we didn't see much in the trailers, they were trying to tweak the dodgy interior CGI to make it more palletable than what they received initial renders. Still didn't look great but didn't affect the story that much imo

[@The_Eyes_Have_It]

Any fans of The Magnus Archives out there? I wasn't expecting the Not Them to show up in DW!

[@evolve991]

The needs of the T.A.R.D.I.S. outweigh the needs of the Silence

[@theavandenberg6876]

I absolutely loved it. I feel the first special gave some fun and a reintroduction of Donna and her family. The second gave us some scares and a lot of David and Catherine (and Wilf) And I fear the last one is probably going to be heartbreaking. (I don't want to go...😢)

[@Joe_Brennan_]

I don’t really know what to expect with tone next week. It may not all happy fun times, but will it looks like there’s fun to be had too.

[@danthomassolo]

A pretty perfect episode. I’m in complete agreement, Joe: What better way to celebrate 60 years than an episode showing what this show does best? Tennant always excelled at the “base under siege” episodes and this is right up there with the best of those. It really felt like an episode that could have been part of the 2008 series. I may be in the minority, but I never expected this to be a cameo-fest. I don’t know why, but the thought never even occurred to me. I’m really glad that so far they haven’t succumbed to the temptation to just get every other Doctor back. I wouldn’t have minded if they did, but that seems such the obvious choice now, it somehow feels refreshing that the 60th anniversary is just being marked with really good episodes starring two of the show’s finest on-screen talents.

[@Joe_Brennan_]

You're so right, I think fans mostly whipped themselves into the expectation-frenzy, aided a little with some cheeky teases. But what we really got was superb.

[@fc8240]

I do think Donna remembers more. And she is waiting for the doctor to open up....

[@Joe_Brennan_]

That definitely felt like how Tate was playing it

[@fc8240]

@@Joe_Brennan_ Agreed. In his time, without Donna pulling it out of him. One of the amazing things about their relationship and friendship. You can genuinely see and feel the arc and growth in both of them. Proper character development. I really enjoyed Wild Blue Yonder...

[@TransDragon]

I laughed my head off for most of the episode. I thought it was the kind of rediculous fun that was seen in Legends of Tomorrow; up until the point where they had 14 pour his heart out to fake Donna. Then it started feeling serious (except for the salt) and when The Doctor took off in the TARDIS I was immediately scared for Donna's life.

[@Joe_Brennan_]

It’s great how well the balance was found

[@Bryzerse]

Honestly couldn't agree more, easily the best episode since Moffat was showrunner. Rather disappointed that their sticking with the timeless child rubbish, but realistically I think it was pretty inevitable. Otherwise I think it was perfect for what I missed about doctor who. So excited to see how things will be in the future! Oh and as for Donna, I'm really not sure if she does know more than she's letting on. This crossed my mind when I watched it, but the delivery was so sincere, didn't feel like a Donna lying moment to me. Also don't know if they'll really have the time to expand on this in the final episode, but we'll soon see!

[@Joe_Brennan_]

I like to think it will be kept as a vague trauma in the Doctor’s sense of self, rather than anything too specific and lore-heavy

[@Bryzerse]

​@@Joe_Brennan_ yeah hope so, I think that's the most reasonable thing we can expect tbf. PS in case you missed my edit, I was thinking Donna was probably being honest, but you never know...

[@Gobeline78]

As a regular episode itself - I love these kinds of concept stories. A truly alien monster that doesn't allow understanding or reasoning, and blocking the Doctor or removing his tools to push characters to figure it out differently. It either gives us some experimental stuff with disturbing conclusions (Midnight), or interesting dynamics in a narrative arcs (Flatline with the ClaraDoctor), or new emotional depths like here. It's always interesting and unexpected! I hope we get some more in the future every now and then. I also loved the idea of a plan so slow that you can't see the pattern to figure it out. It's so simple, but it makes sense and i love it.

[@WillBinge]

Great, a review that actually says stuff I agree with.

[@teresap7562]

This was Midnight pt 2, but with Donna there to experience it with the Doctor. The way they worked together to help each other is how I thought she would be if she were a bigger part of Midnight.

[@vskane]

I did not enjoy The Star Beast - not even slightly. I went into Wild Blue Wonder accepting that Doctor Who was no longer written for me. And then it was awesome! I loved every second of that ride and I’m back in the queue for the next one.

[@Joe_Brennan_]

I'm so glad!

[@combogalis]

As soon as the Doctor said someone got an ancient robot out of storage and set it to walk really slowly down the corridor, I was confident I'd figured out the twist was gonna be that the robot had been walking the corridor for thousands of years and was in perfect shape when it started, and the corridor was just impossibly long

[@Joe_Brennan_]

That would be an interesting setup

[@steveblackie1]

for me the first two have been ok and hoping the money saved on this is put into the next one, Bernard cribbins the legend god bless

[@Joe_Brennan_]

Next week’s definitely does look BIGGER

[@dannyalloy6232]

ME TOO i thought "oh my god are they really about to do this to us" 16:00

[@Joe_Brennan_]

If I’d paused and given it some thought, I’d have known there was no way she was gonna die. It’s far too unpleasant, her family are back home, would add too complicated a wrinkle to The Giggle. But in the moment, I was sure it was all over for her.