Doctor Who: making Roman history fun since 2008!

[locker_monster]

Wow, that was a really good episode. I was rather excited for this one since I learned a little bit about Pompeii in my Greek and Roman technology class. Also, it's easy to convince myself that by watching this episode I was actually studying for the class. ;-) Actually, there were a few examples of some of things I learned in class in the episode, like amphorae and hypocausts. Heck, there was even graffiti on the wall when the Doctor is talking to that merchant.

It's been a long time since Doctor Who has done a vaguely educational historical episode. Seems they used to do them all the time back in the day. Kids could learn about history as they watch the show. Though, this one has more similarities to an episode like "The Time Meddler" than something like "The Romans"; a historical setting but with aliens thrown in. I like it this way. The writer has the challenge of working around actual events. I didn't realize this before the episode, but the Caecilius family is based on a real family whose house still stands in the ruins of Pompeii. Stuff like that just makes the geek in me happy. The Doctor's statement about how everyone in the future will remember Pompeii was such a great line.

But enough about history. How great is Donna? This is the first time in the new series that the Doctor has visited a huge past event that can't be changed, but it doesn't matter to Donna. She's presented with a chance to save the lives of 20 000 people and she'll take it. It really put her at odds with the Doctor. I don't think we've really since the Companion go so completely against the Doctor. I think that's what I like most about Donna; she will voice her opinion and stick with it. At the same time, she'll support you all the way. The Doctor doesn't have to choose to destroy Pompeii on his own. Donna pushes the lever with him. I like that the Doctor acknowledges that he does need someone, echoing what Donna said back in "The Runaway Bride".

Some of the stuff with the rock aliens went by kind of quickly and the pacing in the scenes with the Doctor and Donna running around inside Vesuvius felt kind of off as well. I suppose you really just want to get the point where the Doctor realizes he's the reason Mount Vesuvius explodes. There seems to be a theme going on, with planets disappearing. Last week it was mentioned the Adipose breeding planet was lost and this week the Pyroviles' planet is said to have been "taken". It something being set up here? Is it related to Rose somehow? Like, is the method she's using to travel across realities doing something to the universe. I wouldn't be surprised if that's the case. Because if Rose returns, there has to be consequences.

And whoo, soothsayers! Time to get your prophecy on. I just love it when people who can see the future pop up in TV shows. We get hints of stuff but they're out of context so it doesn't make that much sense. It was slightly eerie when Stone Arm Guy and Prophecy Girl (sorry, Roman names are hard to remember) both start spouting off all sorts of stuff about the Doctor and Donna. They got into his head and that doesn't happen too often. But what did they mean when they said to Donna, "There is something on your back." It was paired with the statement said to the Doctor "She is returning." Clearly, duh, they're talking about Rose, so I assume that bit of soothsaying is talking about something near the end of the series. Is this a reference to doubts Donna has? Or something more along the lines of "You've got a monkey on your back"? Time will tell.

Good episode, and we all learned a few things about Pompeii. Maybe a question about Pompeii will appear on my Greek and Roman technology final. I wish. :-) Thankfully in a week classes will be done and I can watch Doctor Who guilt free after that.

Comments

[sl-podcast.livejournal.com]

Of course there are some historical inaccuracies as well (like the dad of the family died before the volcano hit, etc) but I loved the episode!

[locker-monster.livejournal.com]

Well, with the awesomeness of the episode, I'll overlook the inaccuracies. ;-)

But still, they got enough right, so maybe the kids watching will want to read up on Pompeii.

[sl-podcast.livejournal.com]

Oh totally - I was enchanted by the story of Pompeii as a kid. So I loved this episode.

[hjea.livejournal.com]

Last week it was mentioned the Adipose breeding planet was lost and this week the Pyroviles' planet is said to have been "taken". It something being set up here? Is it related to Rose somehow? Like, is the method she's using to travel across realities doing something to the universe. I wouldn't be surprised if that's the case. Because if Rose returns, there has to be consequences.

Hey, nice spot! I wouldn't be surprised if something like that were true.

[locker-monster.livejournal.com]

It's the cynic in me, but you can't have Rose popping back and forth between the realities to visit the Doctor whenever she feels like it. Because that would mean she and the Doctor could be happy and you can't have happy couples on TV.

And there are always consequences. And angst, too.

[newnumber6.livejournal.com]

Maybe it's just my comic geekery, but when they mentioned something being on Donna's back, I had an image of one of those Starro things from the DC universe (they were in some of the cartoons, too), that latch on and control your mind. While that's not exactly what I thought happened in this case, I wondered if maybe it might be that Donna's quest for the Doctor (after her earlier refusal) was sort of subconsciously influenced by an alien entity that is riding along and wants to be close to him for some nefarious reason.

[locker-monster.livejournal.com]

Oh yeah, that purple starfish alien. They were featured in an episode of Batman Beyond.

Hmm, that's a good theory, too. An evil companion. They hadn't had one of those in awhile. Well, Turlough wasn't necessarily evil, but he tagged along with the Doctor for questionable reasons. It would get Donna out of being the companion by the end of the season; Catherine Tate only signed up to do one. I thought maybe they were being super obvious and Donna has, like, cancer or something.

[cyriljackal.livejournal.com]

In Planet of the Spiders, Sarah Jane and others had huge spiders on their backs, controlling them.

[locker-monster.livejournal.com]

That's right. They were invisible when they wanted to be. Keeping with the spider theme, maybe the Empress Racnoss did something to Donna?