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Best Producer/Showrunner? This poll is closed. |
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| Verity Lambert |
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49 | 7.04% |
| John Wiles |
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1 | 0.14% |
| Innes Lloyd |
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1 | 0.14% |
| Peter Bryant |
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3 | 0.43% |
| Derrick Sherwin |
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3 | 0.43% |
| Barry Letts |
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12 | 1.72% |
| Phillip Hinchcliffe |
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62 | 8.91% |
| Graham Williams |
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3 | 0.43% |
| John Nathan-Turner |
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15 | 2.16% |
| Philip Segal |
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3 | 0.43% |
| Russel T Davies |
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106 | 15.23% |
| Steven Moffat |
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114 | 16.38% |
| Son Goku |
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324 | 46.55% |
| Total: | 696 votes | ||
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The Axons are fantastic, I don't know what you're implying.
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Aug 1, 2014 22:57
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From what I heard, Moffat thinks the Mondasian Cybermen are rubbish and not scary, proving he has clinical blindness or is so numb from fear he himself made. I think the Cybermen work best when you can see those last remamnts of their humanity, like the human skull in The Pandorica Opens, as opposed to BEEP BOOP ROBOTS.
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Aug 2, 2014 00:20
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Solaris Knight posted:From what I heard, Moffat thinks the Mondasian Cybermen are rubbish and not scary, proving he has clinical blindness or is so numb from fear he himself made. That's something I really liked about the "Cybus" Cybermen. The faces gave the impression of a stylized skull, while the new ones are just too flat for my liking. Plus, I really liked the bulkiness of the Cybus suits. They really conveyed a sense of strength. The new ones just are just too slim. People mention "Blink" being the scariest of the new series, but for me, the graveyard massacre in "The Next Doctor" is just chilling.
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Aug 2, 2014 00:31
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Solaris Knight posted:From what I heard, Moffat thinks the Mondasian Cybermen are rubbish and not scary, proving he has clinical blindness or is so numb from fear he himself made. Oh jesus, the noises in Spare Parts did more to make my skin crawl than the worst body horror in the Divergent Universe. They're the best, hands down, for portraying what the Cyberman 'are'. By the way, reminder for anyone else bored and with $9 in their bank account - Hulu has Enemy of the World and Web of Fear up! They got me to resubscribe for one month on that alone. Hell, still cheaper than even one DVD.
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Aug 2, 2014 00:41
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So none of the offers from Big Finish today are for the Doctor Who main range? 
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Aug 2, 2014 01:31
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Burkion posted:The Axons are fantastic, I don't know what you're implying. I actually quite enjoyed The Claws of Axos, but the Axons are kind of a villain out of nowhere to want back. It's like all those people that keep clamoring to see BOSS from The Green Death come back.
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Aug 2, 2014 01:50
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Gordon Shumway posted:I actually quite enjoyed The Claws of Axos, but the Axons are kind of a villain out of nowhere to want back. It's like all those people that keep clamoring to see BOSS from The Green Death come back. It can't, the Cracks in Time got it  
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Aug 2, 2014 01:52
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The Feast of Axos was a really fun BF audio.
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Aug 2, 2014 01:53
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Jerusalem posted:So none of the offers from Big Finish today are for the Doctor Who main range? Nah, looks like they're using today's to promote the new series of Gallifrey they're doing.
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Aug 2, 2014 02:03
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Jerusalem posted:It can't, the Cracks in Time got it There's a perfect photoshop of that somewhere.
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Aug 2, 2014 03:12
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Rhyno posted:There's a perfect photoshop of that somewhere. Well this IS is a photoshop (I made it at the end of season 5), but if there is an actual good one out there I'd like to see it 
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Aug 2, 2014 03:32
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Just got back from Guardians of the Galaxy. Awesome movie, and once again Karen Gillan did not remind me of Amy Pond at any point during her time on screen. Of course, they ran a trailer for her new ABC show Selfie in front of it. I'm not on board with this. It's just another attempt to remake The Opening of Misty Beethoven.
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Aug 2, 2014 03:33
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CobiWann posted:Of course, they ran a trailer for her new ABC show Selfie in front of it. I'm not on board with this. Never heard of this, just read up on it. The description plus the fact it is on ABC both make me cringe. Good lord that sounds awful.
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Aug 2, 2014 03:39
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Jerusalem posted:(I made it at the end of season 5) I didn't know SA'd been around since 1968!
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Aug 2, 2014 03:43
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DoctorWhat posted:I didn't know SA'd been around since 1968! Something something UNIT dating controversy something something I don't know why it was so controversial that Jo and Mike Yates dated but I guess it was a different time 
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Aug 2, 2014 03:45
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Jerusalem posted:Something something UNIT dating controversy something something So how IS The Evil of the Daleks, anyway? And were you fooled by the Brig-is-evil feint in Web? Jerusalem posted:I don't know why it was so controversial that Jo and Mike Yates dated but I guess it was a different time Tumblr beat you to that joke months ago sorry. (It probably goes back even further)
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Aug 2, 2014 03:46
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DoctorWhat posted:So how IS The Evil of the Daleks, anyway? You know how sometimes you can be let down by something after building it up in your head for a long time? Well that's bullshit because Evil of the Daleks is amazing and the best  DoctorWhat posted:Tumblr beat you to that joke months ago sorry. (It probably goes back even further) Yeah I'm pretty sure that date jokes back to decades  Also, just as an aside: CaptainYesterday posted:We had the 50th Anniversary, we've had a regeneration episode, now we have...a long wait for August. It's now August 
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Aug 2, 2014 03:48
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Potsticker posted:Has anyone told Capaldi yet the TARDIS doesn't actually work? #PeterCapaldiProblems: --Stephen Moffat keeps rejecting his proposed canon fix of UNIT dating once and for all --BBC keeps telling his agent "Peter knows he's not actually the Doctor, right?" --Related, BBC also says Tom Baker is a bad influence and they should stop going to the pub daily --BBC has turned down his "Location scouting in Zimbabwe" --Same for the "Doctor Who African Press Tour" with stops in Zimbabwe --What do you mean, "Malcolm Hulke is dead?"
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Aug 2, 2014 04:25
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The baseball pants I ordered for Project Brightcoat arrived. I ordered them intentionally too big (never assuming things will fit again, that's for sure) and the bagginess is perfect in emulating the low-hanging inseam of the pants Colin wore on television. The very large waist is an issue but that's what belts and suspenders are for. So once I've dyed them yellow (the black stripes will definitely withstand that) all that needs to be done is shortening the legs. Reference pic: 
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Aug 2, 2014 04:32
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DoctorWhat posted:The baseball pants I ordered for Project Brightcoat arrived. I ordered them intentionally too big (never assuming things will fit again, that's for sure) and the bagginess is perfect in emulating the low-hanging inseam of the pants Colin wore on television. The very large waist is an issue but that's what belts and suspenders are for. So once I've dyed them yellow (the black stripes will definitely withstand that) all that needs to be done is shortening the legs. You're going to need to tell us how much money you've spent on this dream outfit in all later.
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Aug 2, 2014 04:35
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Burkion posted:You're going to need to tell us how much money you've spent on this dream outfit in all later. Will do, obviously. It's almost done, now! I had to push up completion from October 7 (for Comic-Con on the 9th) to August 23rd (in time for the movie theater showing of S8E1 on the 25th) and it seems like it's gonna be ready! Plus, that means everyone here doesn't have to wait as long for the Final Product. Plus, as it turns out, the stripes on the pants? Very slight zig-zag borders! I mean, they aren't just albino Six Pants, but they're actually more accurate than I thought they'd be! DoctorWhat fucked around with this message at 04:46 on Aug 2, 2014 |
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Aug 2, 2014 04:38
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I feel like this is relevant again, so I'm just going to drop it here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tu2061ieHSc Just saying, like.
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Aug 2, 2014 11:48
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As long as DoctorWhat doesn't drive to the movie theater in a car with 43 bumper stickers and a YOLO license plate, we're good.
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Aug 2, 2014 13:00
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DoctorWhat posted:It's almost done, now! I had to push up completion from October 7 (for Comic-Con on the 9th) to August 23rd (in time for the movie theater showing of S8E1 on the 25th) and it seems like it's gonna be ready! Plus, that means everyone here doesn't have to wait as long for the Final Product. You'll be able to re-enact "A Fix With Sontarans".
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Aug 2, 2014 13:18
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Metal Loaf posted:You'll be able to re-enact "A Fix With Sontarans". Oh no. No.
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Aug 2, 2014 13:54
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Fil5000 posted:Oh no. No. DoctorWhat, are you... are you Gareth Jenkins?
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Aug 2, 2014 15:01
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McGann posted:Oh jesus, the noises in Spare Parts did more to make my skin crawl than the worst body horror in the Divergent Universe. They're the best, hands down, for portraying what the Cyberman 'are'. I think there's an interesting germ of an idea in how much the old cybermen undulating voice sounded like a dial-up modem
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Aug 2, 2014 16:26
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DoctorWhat posted:Will do, obviously. Well, you'll easily beat me to my 8th Doc Halloween costume (and yours will be way more detailed, I guarantee!) but shame we can't find us a few more classics and go out on the town.
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Aug 2, 2014 18:41
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McGann posted:Well, you'll easily beat me to my 8th Doc Halloween costume (and yours will be way more detailed, I guarantee!) but shame we can't find us a few more classics and go out on the town. Just go as Four, I'm pretty sure you can complete the outfit for under $100.
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Aug 2, 2014 20:21
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I've been listening to the first few Eighth Doctor stories with one of my friends the past few weeks. He's been enjoying them, and rather than playing "Minuet in Hell," I played him "The Light at the End." He didn't know what was going on when the projections of the other Doctors and Companions showed up in the TARDIS, and then lost it when Tom showed up and started being Tom. He didn't know it was the big anniversary story, and I figured putting it between "Stones of Venice" and "Invaders from Mars" would fit Eight and Charlie's chronology in the story. Had a pretty good effect on the story, even if he doesn't know much about Colin or Sylvester's Doctors.
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Aug 3, 2014 02:19
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I already own Unit: Dominion, and the first 4 UNIT stories are available for a pound for Big Finish's sale today. It seems a bit silly to ask if it is worth the price considering they're so cheap, but are they good stories in their own right?
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Aug 3, 2014 02:32
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Jerusalem posted:I already own Unit: Dominion, and the first 4 UNIT stories are available for a pound for Big Finish's sale today. It seems a bit silly to ask if it is worth the price considering they're so cheap, but are they good stories in their own right? I can't answer for all of them, but I listened to the ones with Nicholas Courtney (including the free one they have up), and thought they were fine. Didn't find them amazing, but they were OK. Have you heard the free one? It's much shorter than the others, but it may give you an idea. "The Coup," I think it's called.
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Aug 3, 2014 02:41
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Oh poo poo, Nicholas Courtney actually appears in a couple of them? Sold. Edit: It looks like Big Finish is slowly figuring things out, they'll announce a new deal every 24 hours but they run for 48, meaning I won't have to make quite as many small purchases at a time.
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Aug 3, 2014 02:42
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Jerusalem posted:I already own Unit: Dominion, and the first 4 UNIT stories are available for a pound for Big Finish's sale today. It seems a bit silly to ask if it is worth the price considering they're so cheap, but are they good stories in their own right? They're worth 4 quid, certainly. Has kind of an X-Files vibe, though think Doggett and Scully more than Mulder. Jerusalem posted:Oh poo poo, Nicholas Courtney actually appears in a couple of them? Sold. Tennant too.
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Aug 3, 2014 02:44
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 Edinburgh, 1827. The infamous body snatchers William Burke and William Hare are at large. The local prostitutes dull their fear with cheap whisky. The graveyard owls are hooting. Business is good. When accidental tourists the Doctor and Evelyn Smythe stumble upon one of Britain's most lurid, illuminating chapters in history, a simple case of interest in the work of dedicated man of science Doctor Robert Knox, quickly turns sour. Just what is that time bending Scots mist? Whatever it is may put the very fabric of the universe under threat. As always. Colin Baker is the Doctor in Medicinal Purpopes. Cast Colin Baker (The Doctor) Maggie Stables (Evelyn Smythe) Leslie Phillips (Doctor Robert Knox) David Tennant (Daft Jamie) Glenna Morrison (Mary Patterson) Kevin O'Leary (William Burke) Tom Farrelly (Billy Hare) Janie Booth (Old Woman) Written By: Robert Ross Directed By: Gary Russell Trailer - http://www.bigfinish.com/releases/popout/medicinal-purposes-226 X X X X X There’s no doubt that the Sixth Doctor’s reputation has been rehabilitated by Big Finish. The trials and tribulations of Colin Baker’s time on television are well documented. For many years, he has been considered the “worst” Doctor, with bad fashion sense, sub-par companions, and only one story, possibly two, that could be considered a solid tale. Baker was the only actor to be fired from the role of the Doctor, and it was handed so poorly he turned down the scene where he regenerates into Sylvester McCoy, forcing McCoy to wear a horrid wig and endure weak special effects during his initial debut. Thought it all, Colin Baker definitely had the right to be bitter and angry at his treatment. Truly, the part wasn’t lost because of him. It was lost because of poorly-written scripts, horrible programming schedule choices, and a BBC Controller with a grudge against him. However, the years have shown that Baker came to grips with what happened, and that, while small, there were still fans who enjoyed his time as the Doctor, one who was a bit more brutal, much more sarcastic and pompous, but also compassionate and understanding of the people and places around him. When Big Finish got permission to release stories staring the “classic” Doctors, Baker took the opportunity and ran with it. He had the chance to play the Doctor the way he wanted to play him, able to give input to scriptwriters eager to solicit the advice someone they had grown up watching on television! And the fans were in for a treat too. Now, they could listen to the Doctor and Peri go on grand adventures without snickering at, or being distracted by, the choice of dress the BBC Wardrobe inflicted upon her. Also, they could hear the Doctor meet new companions, such as the historian Evelyn Smythe and, in the future, Flip. Most of all, they could hear Colin Baker enjoy the HELL out of himself, not worrying about the BBC or Michael Grade or penny pinching or the moral guardians. From the beginning, Colin was a fan of Doctor Who and now, with a company of people who supported him, he could have fun and do what he always wanted to do; BE the Doctor. There’s a joke among some of us that the phrase “Colin Baker turns in a great performance” is legally required by law to be included in every Sixth Doctor audio. It’s a bit of a stretch, but Baker is the type of actor who’s performance can elevate an ‘ok’ script to a good one, and a good script into a great one. While Davison, McCoy, and McGann seem like they’ve slept walk through several of their stories, Colin Baker has dived right into each audio and delivered his lines with gusto, always doing his best to be the bright point that plays down any cracks in the story’s foundation. Well, all things must die. Medicinal Purposes doesn’t suffer from Colin Baker turning in a bad performance. He takes the dialogue and characterization given to him and delivers it with the same pride and bombast that the Sixth Doctor has throughout his time with Big Finish. The problem comes from the fact that the material is incredibly and utterly against EVERYTHING the Doctor stands for, but Baker delivers it with confidence and pride that it’s very alien nature and just sheer wrongness overshadows the rest of the story, including a daring performance by none other than David Tennant . The TARDIS materializes smoothly and without hesitation; the first sign to the Doctor that something’s wrong. With Evelyn at his side, the Doctor soon realizes that the pair have arrived in Edinburgh, 1827. The seedy underbelly of the Scottish city drink their worries and problems away, unaware of the fact that walking among them are two of the most infamous criminal in the history of Britain; William Burke and Billy Hare, men who dig up the graves of the freshly dead and sell the corpses to Doctor Robert Knox for medical study. And when graverobbing doesn’t make ends meet, the pair aren’t afraid to indulge in a little light murder to obtain a test subject. Evelyn is disgusted by this…and even more disgusted by the Doctor’s delight. He admits the pair committed horrible crimes, but their contributions to science are, in the end, immeasurable to the advancement of human medicine. He wants nothing more than to shake the hands of Burke and Hare and thank them for all they’ve done. But when he meets William Burke, the Doctor is shocked to hear that the criminal has never even HEARD of Billy Hare… The second half of the above paragraph should raise the flags of anyone remotely familiar with Doctor Who. The Fourth Doctor quietly asked “do I have the right” when confronted with the chance to destroy the Daleks before they become a threat to the entire universe, before deciding that he does not. The Fifth Doctor looked at the corpses around him in the underwater base, wondering that “there must have been a better way.” The Tenth Doctor breaking the laws of time just so he could be the “Time Lord Victorious” and save the Mars expedition, which ended up backfiring as time reasserted itself. These moments all hammer home one of the core tenants of Doctor Who – no matter what, the ends do NOT justify the means. The Doctor has killed, but only when there is no other option. Life, all life, is precious and must be defended, and that means saving the one person whose death might save thousands. It’s a tough choice and a moral quandary that will be debated long after we’re all dead and buried. But for the Doctor, it’s not a choice and it’s not a quandary. Every life is sacred, everyone is important. No matter what, the ends do not justify the means. So imagine Colin Baker, who turns in yet another grand performance, cheerfully, almost with childlike glee, saying he can’t wait to shake the hands of two graverobbers and murderers who’s chilling activities have pushed science forward. It is any wonder that my first thought upon hearing this was the image of the Doctor shaking the hands of the people behind the Tuskagee Syphilis Experiment?!? The concept of the Doctor condoning something so horrible under ANY circumstance is completely anathema to his entire character, as out of place as the “secret” of the Doctor’s past in Master. If the Doctor had talked about the murders and criminal acts in terms of “it’s a fixed point in time that can’t be changed, so we might as well look on the bright side…” I typed those words, and I can hear Colin Baker delivering them with a weary sigh as only old Sixie can. With a bit of apprehensive appreciation, I would have bought his looking forward to shaking hands with Burke and Hare, admiring them even as he admonishes them. It would have perfectly been in line with Six’s characterization. Instead, it is with pure glee as the Doctor greets Burke warmly, like an old friend, and that’s just flat out wrong. This is the first of three Big Finish audios penned by Robert Ross, known for his books on the history of British comedy, from Marty Feldman to the Carry On series. There are some great concepts in Medicinal Purposes that get lost under the dubious morality and sub-par writing. People are getting sick in Edinburgh, if not being murdered on the streets, and behind it all is the noted doctor Robert Knox. It’s obvious from the beginning that there’s more to Knox than meets the eye, and his verbal sparring match with Evelyn reveals that he just might be the Doctor’s equal…and with the revelation that his house is a TARDIS, perhaps even a renegade Time Lord! Leslie Phillips plays Knox. Phillips is well known in Britain as a comedy actor, who starred beside Jon Pertwee in the sitcom The Navy Lark as well as playing Hactar in The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. Knox oozes charm and plays cat and mouse with the Doctor through three episodes, including laying a very clever trap for the Doctor, but his very confidence brings about his own downfall. He’s smart, he’s clever, and most of all, he’s politely upper class English, as he lets everyone around him know, making his comeuppance very satisfying. While Knox’s performance is great at the hand of Leslie Phillips, his actual plan and scheme is incredibly complex and falls apart under scrutiny. Knox was perfect as a one-off villain who should have gotten what was coming to him…but history shows that Knox washed his hands clean of the Edinburgh mess, so listeners aren’t surprised when he gets away. He’ll show up again in a future audio in an attempt to give Six a reoccurring villain, much like Nimrod, but Ross doesn’t fully take advantage of the possibilities that a villain with his own TARDIS would entail. It makes Knox come off as nothing more than a second rate Master, Rani, or even a Meddling Monk; not exactly something that would inspire a future appearance. It’s funny that a story about William Burke and Billy Hare sees one of them pushed to the side. Poor Billy Hare as played by Tom Farrelly barely gets any screen time, absent save for a few scenes of moral dilemma and his execution by hangman’s noose. Kevin O’Leary’s Burke gets the large bulk of the pair’s screen time, successfully pulling off the “will do anything for a coin” type. It’s not about the science or the advancement of knowledge, its one more drink and another pass at a soiled dove, specifically Mary Patterson as played by Glenna Morrison. As a lady of ill-repute who wants more in life, it was very refreshing to hear her call the Doctor out when he reveals that her destiny has been set in stone and there's nothing he can do to help her, an angry outburst as opposed to hopeless pleading. Maybe I was just happy someone was calling the Doctor out during this audio... ...because it sure wasn't Evelyn. If the Doctor's characterization is the biggest misstep that Medicinal Purposescommits, then the way Evelyn is handled is easily its second biggest. After her character arc's progression in Project: Lazarus and Arrangements for War, sitting back and “tut tutting” the Doctor mildly is incredibly out of place. She's seems to be more upset at the way Knox treated her and how Mary kept thinking she was the Doctor's wife than she was at the Doctor! She gets in a nice bit of verbal sparring with Knox as she walks into his trap, but that's the high point of her time here. Evelyn's presence is barely felt in this story, and she really needed to be more prominent to counter the Doctor's attitude. Instead, Ross just has her mild disagreement noted, even at the very end when everything happens the way history said it should. Medicinal Purposes biggest claim to fame is the presence of one David Tennant, returning to the Doctor Who main range one final time before departing to official become the Tenth Doctor. Tennant is the standout in the supporting cast as he plays Daft Jamie, a historical figure who would be one of Burke and Hare's final victims, a young man who's best described by Mary as “touched in the head.” Jamie knows what's going on, as his mental condition allows him to see the truth behind Knox's plan, but he struggles to explain what he sees. Tennant really sells the frustration of Jamie as he sputters and tears at his hair, all while doing what he can for Mary. The Doctor, with a soft spot for “a young man named Jamie,” does his best to help him even as he knows his ultimate fate. Tennant's performance is really moving, and I've found myself saying the words “Jamie famous!” every now and again in recent days. Everything about this story, however, falls back to Colin Baker. It doesn't matter that the story is decent enough and the supporting cast is solid and, as always for Big Finish, the sound puts the listener right into the heart of 19th century Edinburgh with footsteps on cobblestones, drinks clinking together, and Knox's house/TARDIS materializing and de-materializing. It doesn't matter that the Doctor finds quiet frustration and resignation in the fates of those he meets during his time in the city. It doesn't matter that the Doctor appreciates someone to match wits against in Robert Knox, a man almost approaches being close to his level of intellect. It doesn't matter that the Doctor manages to save the day even as he, regretfully, puts history back on course. All that matters is that Colin Baker turns in his standard top-notch Big Finish performance across the board. But in doing so, he gives credit to the concept that the Doctor would be gleeful when it comes to the act of murder, and that doesn't fit with any single aspect of the Doctor's personality. The strength of Colin's performance only adds to the overall cognitive dissonance. I can’t call Medicinal Purposes a “bad Colin Baker” performance, but it’s definitely the first one I didn’t enjoy.  Synopsis – A decent plot and a strong cast are sadly overshadowed by a script that gets a major aspect of the Doctor's personality wrong in every way possible and a performance by Colin Baker that only serves to support it. 2/5. Next up - The Multihaven, a vast array of religions and faiths housed in one harmonious community, appears to offer the perfect sanctuary in which to convalesce. But under the guidance of the charismatic Laan Carder, one religion seems to be gathering disciples at an alarming rate. Paul McGann is the Doctor in…Faith Stealer.
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Aug 3, 2014 04:22
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Yeah, whatever merits Medicinal Purposes might or might not have, I just can't get past the mischaracterization of the Doctor. It's really, really bad and just detracts from the story. I can't separate it from anything else that happens, I just keep coming back to the Doctor shaking Burke's hand and quietly whispering,"Keep up the good work!" 
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Aug 3, 2014 06:12
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Enough of this gloom over a bad audio! With two weeks to go, I've uncovered this ultra rare footage of the very first appearance of Calpadi as Twelve! It just happened to be in bbcode format, which was really weird, but whatever.quote:Now on BBC One, the new season of Doctor Who. When we last left our heroes...
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Aug 3, 2014 08:01
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That's perfect
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Aug 3, 2014 08:45
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How's "I, Davros?". Would it be somehow be cheaper for me to "subscribe" to the series? Just listened to the first part of "Davros" and really enjoyed it.
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Aug 3, 2014 13:21
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| # ? Apr 25, 2024 11:56 |
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Like the first episode of season 4, The Fires of Pompeii's strength lies in the interaction and excellent chemistry between David Tennant and Catherine Tate as the Doctor and Donna Noble. It's the story of Donna's first trip as an "official" companion, and is notable for just how quickly she establishes the innate selflessness and nobility (no pun intended) she has in spite of her acerbic wit and supposedly self-involved personality. The story features good supporting characters, a hell of a moral dilemma for the Doctor to anguish himself over, some fun casting choices in hindsight... and unfortunately also some very ropey CGI and poor editing that drags the story down a fair bit before the climax. For better or worse, Rose is the companion that revival companions tend to be compared to, as she was the first and had a supposedly "unique" relationship with the Doctor. Martha suffered horribly in season 3 from being the "Not-Rose", a character who seemed to primarily defined by who she WASN'T as opposed to who she was. Donna seems like a reaction to Martha's flaws (I mean no disrespect to Freema Agyeman, who did fine work with poor material), immediately establishing herself as a proactive character with a very defined reason for wanting to travel with the doctor. She also, thankfully, had an immediate and authoritative thing or two to say about the idea of a romance with the Doctor - for the rest of the season, the lack of romance becomes a running joke as they're frequently mistaken for a couple - an idea the two are both quick to reject. There are no lovesick wistful looks going on here, it's a couple of mates traveling time and space having a laugh (and getting the poo poo scared out of them). Donna is also somebody who, despite being brash and loud, is hiding a deep-seated belief in her own inferiority, of being "nobody special". But throughout season 4 she will frequently see things that the Doctor doesn't, come to conclusions that nobody else does, and reveal a touching sense of concern for others. The Doctor will take far too long to realize she doesn't understand how special she is, and I think it plays incredibly nicely into the very important message that there is no such thing as an unimportant person (as the 11th Doctor will note in A Christmas Carol). When she arrives in ancient Rome she is delighted, until she notices that Rome's famed seven hills aren't there and there is only one big mountain, and the Doctor figures out they're actually in Pompeii. She has some fun with the idea of the TARDIS translating what she says which leads to a sadly overused joke about the Welsh, but once she realizes the Pompeii disaster is coming she has a very different reaction to the Doctor. He wants to go, to get the hell out of there before Vesuvius explodes. She wants to warn everybody and get them out and save their lives, and it never even occurs to her that the Doctor would think differently. This actually leads to one of my favorite moments in the entire episode, and a fantastic counter to the wide-eyed worship of Rose and Martha. In Caecilius' home the Doctor is not pleased with Donna's frequent sniping about the coming eruption and snaps at her to shut up. Very quietly and very firmly she tells him she doesn't know what kind of kids he's been flying around with up to now, but he doesn't get to tell her when to shut up. It's a fantastic moment where she establishes a very important boundary, and no she never lets up in providing him with that moral compass. Even towards the end of the episode when he agonizes over having to once again press the button that ends the lives of so many, her decision to push the button with him is an acknowledgement that he doesn't have to share the burden alone - she may refuse to passively accept his decrees, but she is open-minded and can be convinced of the necessity... and share in the consequences of those actions. The difference is, after doing it the Doctor just wants to run away and brood over what he has done. Donna, in contrast, has accepted that what they did was necessary but still believes something can be done, some small gesture to save SOMEBODY even if everybody else must perish. She begs the Doctor in tears not to simply turn his back on the dying, and she convinces HIM to change his mind. He turns back and saves the lives of Caecilius and his family, though this isn't without some very troubling religious imagery that I was hoping was behind us after Last of the Time Lords and Voyage of the Damned. Catherine Tate's performance is quality, in fact in contrast David Tennant is a little over the top in terms of his sullen brooding. He seems to jump between extremes as the scenes dictate, being fun loving and adventurous in one, then bemused and punny in another, then all moral indignation in another. Without Tate to play off, his Doctor would seem a little schizophrenic, the result of a story that seems more concerned with atmosphere than narrative cohesion. The explanation for the prophetic powers really doesn't make much sense, but makes for a great scene where the two psychics show-off and reveal all kinds of information that they shouldn't know. The big showdown inside Vesuvius is TERRIBLE, a mess both in terms of story and visuals where the CGI looks ready to come apart at the seams and Phil Davis is only present to shout exposition at the screen for the Doctor to react to. The Doctor tracks down the kidnapped Donna despite apparently having zero clues to lead him to her (Evelina wouldn't have said anything) and I can't imagine any situation where the Sisterhood would have permitted him anywhere near the High Priestess, let alone allow him to reveal her condition. The final eruption of Vesuvius hasn't aged well at all, in fact all the CGI is pretty messy - individual elements look great but don't work well together, and certain shots are repeated wholesale, presumably due to budgetary limitations. One of the funnier parts in hindsight is in seeing the inclusion of two future stars of the show. Karen Gillan (Amy from Seasons 5-7) has a pretty prominent role as the soothsayer who spots the Doctor and Donna initially and stalks them on behalf of the Sisterhood, perhaps to take notes on how to be a great companion from Catherine Tate. The current Doctor Peter Capaldi features as Caecilius (a name familiar to many from the Cambridge Latin Course), which at the time may have been the closest he thought he'd ever get to being the Doctor. He gives a very good performance which is only to be expected, especially when he thinks he and his family are doomed only for the Doctor to return to save them. Unfortunately he also gets one of the worst lines of the episode ("It's like some kind of.... volcano!"). Also in hindsight it's neat to look back at the parallels between the Doctor feeling trapped into repeating his Time War decision given the events of Day of the Doctor, and I'd like to think it was Donna's gesture to join him in performing the action that prompted he and the 11th to make the same offer to the War Doctor. Those are all just fun bits of speculation/retconning though, there is also deliberate foreshadowing of coming events. Donna seeing things differently to the Doctor will be pivotal to the resolution of the season 4 finale, and this episode makes the first mention of the ominous phrase,"There's something on your back." There are also some neat references to the past, including the Doctor admitting partial responsibility for the great fire that burned down Rome (as seen in The Romans with the first Doctor), as well as the TARDIS being considered the ancient equivalent of "modern" art, just like in City of Death. I guess the poignancy of the Doctor and company staring down at the burning city might have been slightly spoiled by the sight of the 7th Doctor wandering about in the ashes looking for Mel though Basically this is a really good story whose narrative doesn't stand up to closer inspection very well, and which suffers from some poor special effects. It isn't remembered for any of that though, which is only appropriate, because where the story shines and where the plot is truly important is in the continued development of Donna's character, the growing strength of the relationship between her and the Doctor, and the fact that she convinces him to come back to save Caecilius' family. It took awhile for Martha or even the vaunted Rose to be embraced wholeheartedly by the Doctor as a traveling companion. One (official!) trip in the TARDIS in and the Doctor is happily handing Donna a key and welcoming her onboard though, and she more than deserves it.
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Aug 3, 2014 13:22
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