The Review of Death

📝 SHOW NOTES | 'The Star Beast'

Added 2023-11-30 23:21:42 +0000 UTC

It's been a while since we shared any notes from a review, and seeing as the conversation on Sunday morning's live stream was less structured than usual, here are Billy's full notes from watching 'The Star Beast', including thoughts and observations not covered in the full review.

Started with the stock Disney+ Original intro and no Whoniverse ident. And a BBC graphic where the blocks smooshed together and into a smear of rainbows.
PREVIOUSLY ON DOCTOR WHO! Recap is probably needed for new/returning casual viewers, but felt a bit clumsy.
Love the new "DUH-DUH-DUH-DUH" motif Murray is using.
Love the new titles, but I think they've been truncated. Fully expect this to be Ncuti's intro too. Logo is a flat image, not a CG render, perhaps because Ncuti is getting is own one? (N.B. Turns out a version of the titles exist with a fully integrated, 3D logo, but it was dropped before broadcast. Also, as mentioned in a previous post, some 6secs were cut, apparently featuring both DT and CT's faces).
Hearing 'The Doctor's Theme' just as the TARDIS lands in Camden felt good. Magical.
Love 14's "WHAT?" over Donna calling Rose.
I thought Donna missing the crashing ship would become a plot point or a breadcrumb for a wider mystery.
"You can wear a suit that tight up to the age of 35...and no further."
Psychic paper showing Grand Mistress of Knowledge - first 13 reference.
SONIC: Doctor removes a section of security fence and unlocks a door into the steel works.
Yoofs on their bikes deadnaming Rose.
Sylvia (desperate to protect Donna) making tuna madras while 'Deeper Shade of Blue' plays on the radio - RTD is back baby.
Love Donna and Rose. Nice to have a family dynamic that isn't frosty in the show again (Ryan/Graham + Yaz/her family).
A few mentions of Gramps and Bernard was at the read through, but doesn't appear. Probably there to read lines for the 3rd special. I like how they play up he's dead.
THE MEEP. Realized amazingly.
SONIC: The Doctor draws a big tablet screen out of thin air and uses the Sonic as a stylus.
The Doctor's face returning is the big mystery of the series.
SONIC: The Doctor opens the back of a UNIT lorry.
The little stuffed toys are nice references to past adventures, but I don't feel like the shed being the TARDIS is clear before it is revealed.
"We've got a bloody Martian in the shed." "Get off me you space rat." "Mad Paddington."
SONIC: The Doctor draws protective shields out of thin air and resonates concrete (Shaun and Donna's ADR here is very obvious, as I'm sure they've realised in post that the Doctor is technically resonating mortar, not concrete).
Flying Wrarth Warriors! Get them on my shelf now. But the fight goes on a little too long.
The Doctor drives everyone in the taxi to the Big Finish car park and in a nice reference to 'The Stones of Blood' invokes articles 15, P and 6 of the Shadow Proclamation.
I love how The Meep's appearance changes when it turns heel. And they're a fucking transphobe (calls Rose "weird").
DT is definitely playing the part differently, no matter what he said on The One Show. Not a massive departure, but he's not giving himself enough credit - there's an added level of maturity here.
Westerly. Pelican. Dreams. Tornado. Clifftops. Andante. Grief. Fingerprint. Susurration. Sparrow. Dance. Mexico. Binary.
Donna regenerates! She has a technobabble seizure while Murray drops in a nice 'I Am The Doctor' reference.
Rose flicks some switches and saves the day (for a split second, I thought it was going to be Ncuti)!
THE BOSS? The Rani. Calling it.
The tiny glimpse of the new interior through the crack in the TARDIS exterior doors was such a rush. And then the full thing - wow. Best modern TARDIS interior ever. Needs some throw cushions or something, but damn, what a set. Hats off.
What is it with the breathing over the main titles. FIX THE MIX. (N.B. I've subsequently DM'd people on the production begging them to sort this out in time for 'Wild Blue Yonder' as it's clearly a mistake. The breathing is present in the opening titles, but it's properly mixed as part of the bassline. The end credits version is all over the place.)