With "The Star Beast," 'Doctor Who' Turns 60 By Reaffirming Its Commitment to Hope and Heart
Iconic sci-fi series Doctor Who turned 60 years old this weekend, the sort of milestone which in and of itself is worthy of commemoration. That it did so with "The Star Beast," the first of three special episodes dedicated to this achievement is perhaps even more remarkable, an episode that not only manages to offer emotional closure to a story from fifteen years in its past, but also reminds us why we'll all be (hopefully) watching this show for decades more to come.
Doctor Who is a story about many things: A two-hearted alien who travels the stars in a blue police box, a series of (usually) human companions who have the opportunity for the adventure of a lifetime, a world (alien or otherwise) that is made better not through war or weapons, but compassion and kindness. Not only does "The Star Beast" bring back two beloved performers --- and we'll get to how wrong I was about David Tennant's return in a minute --- the episode encompasses everything that makes the franchise great: Heart, hope, deep and abiding friendship, the reminder that we are never defined by our worst mistakes, that our connections with one another are ultimately what saves the world. It is a beauty of an hour, drenched in nostalgia and respect for all that has come before, but with a forward-looking sensibility that should excite fans both old and new about where this show is going.
The return of former showrunner Russell T. Davies -- armed with a heavy dollop of Disney money, just look at those sets! --- is a triumph, leaning fully into the show's most ridiculous elements, complete with over-the-top villains, nonsensical explanations for complex events, exploding houses, meaningless technobabble, and lots and lots of running. There is no moment of this episode that doesn't feel entirely like coming home, and while its solutions to several major events (such as the DoctorDonna metacrisis) are wildly convenient and/or handwave-y, the emotional beats are all so spot-on, you won't care.
