Doctor Who, S4E2 - The Fires of Pompeii
My thoughts on the latest episode. It was good and there were many fun (and funny!) things in it. And scary bits (but scary in a good way).
I loved the hug between the Doctor and Donna in the beginning. I think that it felt platonic, which is nice. The affection that the Doctor and Donna are building up in this episode; it really feels like later episodes will be full of UST. (At least, that is my hope. Hee hee!)
I love how she noticed the sign in English, just because it shows that she's got a brain. You can tell that she is constantly thinking: the seven hills of Rome (and the realization that it was Pompeii), her thoughts on how to evaculate people to save the population of Pompeii. I hope that this puts to rest some of the clamoring I've been reading in fandom that Donna is stupid. She's not. She's smart, funny, and capable. She moves the Doctor, compels him to right his bad decision. YES! That makes me so very happy.
Is there a prophecy for the Doctor in every culture, I wonder.
And to think that they sound Welsh? That was hilarious. The references towards the Latin being translated into Celtic amused me. I can imagine the TARDIS having that type of humor.
Peter Capaldi! I love him very much. And there's something about his face that just screams "Ancient Roman" for me. I blame all the British productions set in Ancient Rome for that (I, Claudius, Rome, etc). I wish he did less of the "looking up at the sky and looking grave" expression that he had during the middle bits. His angst is understandable, but he's just so much more attractive looking when he's not filled with angst.
I really enjoyed the discourse between the Doctor and the augur. MAN FROM GALLIFREY! That was a total shock to me. The prophecies and what they could mean worry me. I presume that "She is returning" is a reference to Rose, but the "there is something on your back" towards Donna was very ominous. I have no idea what that means, and if the rumors of evil!Donna are true, then I think it is inadvertently-evil!Donna because I think she's demonstrated having a real heart and isn't just putting on an act.
Donna is so gorgeous in purple! Ginger plus purple equals love.
I found the baddie this episode as really terrifying. I especially loved the effect of the creature breaking up. How widespread the baddie has taken over the city. I like the tie-in to history, how the "people were turning to stone before the eruption". Oo.
Interesting that the episode is about choices. Terrible choices. I think that's a seed for the finale (this thought is completely based on conjecture and not from rumor mill stuff I've been reading). The Doctor discovers that it was his choice that destroyed Pompeii and I think that throughout this season, it's possible that it will be something that the Doctor has to face over and over this season. The ending was really moving. How much do I love fierce!Donna, in tears, begging him to go back. I totally teared up. And then the later scene together when he welcomes her aboard, SO WONDERFUL. I love it. The Doctor makes a choice in Donna and is expressing no regret in that choice. *love*
I also liked some of the more... physics-y bits of the game. How Pompeii is fixed as an event, but other things are not and that the Doctor intervenes in those instances. I like bits like that help get into the Doctor's mind, just because a lot of it can influence some great fanfic.
Alas, no Jack.
Oh, and the trailer for the next episode wasn't as exciting as I hoped it would be and I can't put my finger on it.
Edited to add: The Shadow Proclamation. I bet that the Doctor will break a rule or something and they will intervene somehow. And the Doctor will have to make a choice... and it will be a terrible and horrible one for him. (OMG, SHADES OF TWO AND *WOE*!)
I loved the hug between the Doctor and Donna in the beginning. I think that it felt platonic, which is nice. The affection that the Doctor and Donna are building up in this episode; it really feels like later episodes will be full of UST. (At least, that is my hope. Hee hee!)
I love how she noticed the sign in English, just because it shows that she's got a brain. You can tell that she is constantly thinking: the seven hills of Rome (and the realization that it was Pompeii), her thoughts on how to evaculate people to save the population of Pompeii. I hope that this puts to rest some of the clamoring I've been reading in fandom that Donna is stupid. She's not. She's smart, funny, and capable. She moves the Doctor, compels him to right his bad decision. YES! That makes me so very happy.
Is there a prophecy for the Doctor in every culture, I wonder.
And to think that they sound Welsh? That was hilarious. The references towards the Latin being translated into Celtic amused me. I can imagine the TARDIS having that type of humor.
Peter Capaldi! I love him very much. And there's something about his face that just screams "Ancient Roman" for me. I blame all the British productions set in Ancient Rome for that (I, Claudius, Rome, etc). I wish he did less of the "looking up at the sky and looking grave" expression that he had during the middle bits. His angst is understandable, but he's just so much more attractive looking when he's not filled with angst.
I really enjoyed the discourse between the Doctor and the augur. MAN FROM GALLIFREY! That was a total shock to me. The prophecies and what they could mean worry me. I presume that "She is returning" is a reference to Rose, but the "there is something on your back" towards Donna was very ominous. I have no idea what that means, and if the rumors of evil!Donna are true, then I think it is inadvertently-evil!Donna because I think she's demonstrated having a real heart and isn't just putting on an act.
Donna is so gorgeous in purple! Ginger plus purple equals love.
I found the baddie this episode as really terrifying. I especially loved the effect of the creature breaking up. How widespread the baddie has taken over the city. I like the tie-in to history, how the "people were turning to stone before the eruption". Oo.
Interesting that the episode is about choices. Terrible choices. I think that's a seed for the finale (this thought is completely based on conjecture and not from rumor mill stuff I've been reading). The Doctor discovers that it was his choice that destroyed Pompeii and I think that throughout this season, it's possible that it will be something that the Doctor has to face over and over this season. The ending was really moving. How much do I love fierce!Donna, in tears, begging him to go back. I totally teared up. And then the later scene together when he welcomes her aboard, SO WONDERFUL. I love it. The Doctor makes a choice in Donna and is expressing no regret in that choice. *love*
I also liked some of the more... physics-y bits of the game. How Pompeii is fixed as an event, but other things are not and that the Doctor intervenes in those instances. I like bits like that help get into the Doctor's mind, just because a lot of it can influence some great fanfic.
Alas, no Jack.
Oh, and the trailer for the next episode wasn't as exciting as I hoped it would be and I can't put my finger on it.
Edited to add: The Shadow Proclamation. I bet that the Doctor will break a rule or something and they will intervene somehow. And the Doctor will have to make a choice... and it will be a terrible and horrible one for him. (OMG, SHADES OF TWO AND *WOE*!)