Doctor Who 4x02 "The Fires of Pompeii"
Apr. 13th, 2008 06:46 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
kerravonsenYay Donna!
Characters:
I really liked the Doctor - Donna interaction here.
- that she didn't just go along with what the Doctor wanted, because trying to warn people was more important
- that when she realized it was Pompeii or the world, she made the gesture of pushing the switch with the Doctor, taking equal responsibility
- that she begged the Doctor to rescue someone, just one person, even though everyone was supposed to die
She was also ace in how she gave the Sisterhood what-for for trying to sacrifice her.
And lovely the way she was all sympathetic about Gallifrey burning.
She has heart. And will. And mouth.
I think it was someone on my flist (or someone on my flist quoting someone else) who said that Donna was "Tegan done right", and I'm beginning to agree with that. Not that I disliked Tegan, but Donna manages to complain and disagree without whining, which is good.
The Doctor was the Doctor, I think this one was one where Donna was the one to shine, really.
"You're right, sometimes I do need someone."
Note that he said sometimes. Fair enough, nobody wants to admit to weaknesses.
I'm a bit of two minds about the portrayal of the Roman family; on the one hand, they felt a bit too "modern", on the other hand, I expect they were meant to feel modern, because the Roman Empire was similar in a number of ways to our times, particularly in the way they were cosmopolitan and such.
For a moment, when the family were weeping on the mountain, watching Pompeii burn, I was wondering if there was a point being made, that the Doctor was right, they were better off dead, because here they are, witnessing everything they know being destroyed, the only survivors, and who wants to suffer like that? A parallel with the Doctor being the only survivor of his world. But it became plain that that point wasn't even being dreamed of by TPTB. Fair enough.
Plot:
I expect there was a lot of playing fast and loose with history, but hey, Doctor Who, aliens, sinister conspiracies, yeah.
As soon as the soothsayer-girl said "someone has to make a terrible choice" I knew it was going to be the Doctor making the choice (c'mon, he's an angst-bunny), and I suspected what was going to happen, but it was a good twist anyway.
Creepy the way the two soothsayers were nailing it one after another about the Doctor and Donna.
And they managed to get a "Rose is returning" reference in after all.
Style:
Pretty costumes! Especially the Sisterhood.
The fire-stone monster wasn't bad.
I liked the "Celtic" jokes. 8-) And the witty exchange between the Doctor and the City Augur near the start.
"Modern art!" (tee hee, reference to "City of Death" in Old Skool)
Niggles:
Circuits made of marble? Or is the argument that they're silicon-based lifeforms, so that's how they build their stuff?
Turning to stone, again, handwave, handwave -- it was nicely creepy. So probably not a niggle.
The "household gods" thing at the end was silly, a bit twee, but also an "awww" moment. I want to know what happens to that plaque.
Random thoughts:
I like how the Doctor finally explains (or "non-explains") why it's sometimes okay to change history and sometimes isn't. I mean "he just knows" isn't really much of a reason, it's handwaving, but it's been a long-term problem with Who, that they've just ignored before, that anywhere and anywhen that the Doctor goes, is going to be "history" from some future point of view, and yet in some places he gaily rushes in andinterferes participates in events, and others, he adamantly says "can't change history, not one jot". Of course, we know, from an external viewpoint, that they have to write stories where the past (from our viewpoint of the late 20th - early 21st century) is going to remain history, because having history change is too complicated and messy if one is going to write a time travel show.
Also, interesting with the language thing "what would latin sound like?". I interpret that as "if you don't know what the words mean, neither will anyone whom you speak to", because it's a telepathic thing, which means it's about understanding, rather than words.
Okay, so they've repeated the Thing About The Doctor's Name. Probably means we'll never ever ever be told what his name is. (frown)
With the preview, it makes me wonder -- are they going to have a running joke about people thinking that the Doctor and Donna are married?
More yay of Donna! I need to make a Donna icon, but I need a good caption for it...
Characters:
I really liked the Doctor - Donna interaction here.
- that she didn't just go along with what the Doctor wanted, because trying to warn people was more important
- that when she realized it was Pompeii or the world, she made the gesture of pushing the switch with the Doctor, taking equal responsibility
- that she begged the Doctor to rescue someone, just one person, even though everyone was supposed to die
She was also ace in how she gave the Sisterhood what-for for trying to sacrifice her.
And lovely the way she was all sympathetic about Gallifrey burning.
She has heart. And will. And mouth.
I think it was someone on my flist (or someone on my flist quoting someone else) who said that Donna was "Tegan done right", and I'm beginning to agree with that. Not that I disliked Tegan, but Donna manages to complain and disagree without whining, which is good.
The Doctor was the Doctor, I think this one was one where Donna was the one to shine, really.
"You're right, sometimes I do need someone."
Note that he said sometimes. Fair enough, nobody wants to admit to weaknesses.
I'm a bit of two minds about the portrayal of the Roman family; on the one hand, they felt a bit too "modern", on the other hand, I expect they were meant to feel modern, because the Roman Empire was similar in a number of ways to our times, particularly in the way they were cosmopolitan and such.
For a moment, when the family were weeping on the mountain, watching Pompeii burn, I was wondering if there was a point being made, that the Doctor was right, they were better off dead, because here they are, witnessing everything they know being destroyed, the only survivors, and who wants to suffer like that? A parallel with the Doctor being the only survivor of his world. But it became plain that that point wasn't even being dreamed of by TPTB. Fair enough.
Plot:
I expect there was a lot of playing fast and loose with history, but hey, Doctor Who, aliens, sinister conspiracies, yeah.
As soon as the soothsayer-girl said "someone has to make a terrible choice" I knew it was going to be the Doctor making the choice (c'mon, he's an angst-bunny), and I suspected what was going to happen, but it was a good twist anyway.
Creepy the way the two soothsayers were nailing it one after another about the Doctor and Donna.
And they managed to get a "Rose is returning" reference in after all.
Style:
Pretty costumes! Especially the Sisterhood.
The fire-stone monster wasn't bad.
I liked the "Celtic" jokes. 8-) And the witty exchange between the Doctor and the City Augur near the start.
"Modern art!" (tee hee, reference to "City of Death" in Old Skool)
Niggles:
Circuits made of marble? Or is the argument that they're silicon-based lifeforms, so that's how they build their stuff?
Turning to stone, again, handwave, handwave -- it was nicely creepy. So probably not a niggle.
The "household gods" thing at the end was silly, a bit twee, but also an "awww" moment. I want to know what happens to that plaque.
Random thoughts:
I like how the Doctor finally explains (or "non-explains") why it's sometimes okay to change history and sometimes isn't. I mean "he just knows" isn't really much of a reason, it's handwaving, but it's been a long-term problem with Who, that they've just ignored before, that anywhere and anywhen that the Doctor goes, is going to be "history" from some future point of view, and yet in some places he gaily rushes in and
Also, interesting with the language thing "what would latin sound like?". I interpret that as "if you don't know what the words mean, neither will anyone whom you speak to", because it's a telepathic thing, which means it's about understanding, rather than words.
Okay, so they've repeated the Thing About The Doctor's Name. Probably means we'll never ever ever be told what his name is. (frown)
With the preview, it makes me wonder -- are they going to have a running joke about people thinking that the Doctor and Donna are married?
More yay of Donna! I need to make a Donna icon, but I need a good caption for it...
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no subject
Date: 2008-04-13 09:43 am (UTC)And yeah, apparently the "Doctor and Donna are mistaken for husband and wife" thing is going to be a running gag this year. Which is ... sort of weak, but I can see how people draw that conclusion -- they're so comfortable in each other's presence, and (most importantly) they're about the same age.
no subject
Date: 2008-04-14 07:50 am (UTC)PERSONAL CANNON FOR LIFE!!!!!!
no subject
Date: 2008-04-13 09:51 am (UTC)I don't know how Evelina had a living hand on a stone arm, unless only the outside was stone? And surely they'd be Spartacus and Spartaca. As for the Celtic accent, I imagine that the TARDIS translates into perfect Latin, but their attempts to speak it directly were wrongly pronounced; Donna's "veni, vedi, vici" certainly was.
Hmm, text? "You've got to be kidding!" or whatever she said when tied down to be sacrificed?
no subject
Date: 2008-04-13 01:01 pm (UTC)Or even "Veni, vidi, vici!" Because she has.
no subject
Date: 2008-04-14 07:51 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-04-14 07:30 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-04-16 02:42 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-04-14 07:53 am (UTC)I would never want them to. It's one of those things that if we ever found out, the series should end, you know? He's The Doctor.