The Fires of Pompeii Discussion…
Plot Synopsis: For her first trip in the TARDIS, Donna is taken to what she and the Doctor think is ancient Rome. However, they soon come to realize that they are actually in Pompeii the day before its eruption. Add to that an alien menace and no means of escaping and you’ve got yourself trouble with a capital “T” that rhymes with “D” and that stands for “DOOM!”
Well I’ll have to say if this was my first outing with the Doctor I’d ask to be taken right back home. I really felt this was a seriously dark, but enjoyable, story. One question I’ve always had was that if the TARDIS translates whatever language to your own native tongue, what happens if you speak the other person’s language? This question is finally answered. This episode is also very cinematic in scope having reused the set’s from HBO’s Rome and The Mill’s awesome effects work in creating both the Pyroviles (which remind me of the krags from Shada) and the eruption of Pompeii. As for Donna as the Doctor’s companion, well, the jury is still out for me. Though I do hope that this time around there will be no romantic overtones between the two. It’d just be a nice change of pace. One thing I wish they would have done is used Jack Harkness in a cameo. Maybe a bit gimmiky, but he did use Pompeii a lot in his con-man days so he would have been there.
Feel free to add your two cents. For those who have not seen the episode yet, SPOILERS may abound…
4 responses so far ↓
1 Blackwolf // Apr 13, 2008 at 5:38 pm
I just wanted to comment about the TARDIS translating if you speak the other person’s language? What about in the xmas episode where he speaks to the Sycorax in their own language? Or perhaps I’ve confused myself some where.
2 Richard Kirsch // Apr 13, 2008 at 5:45 pm
The Sycorax had to have their own translating device in order to communicate with Earth. So when the Doctor calls them a bunch of poopyheads in their own language, it would get translated for them.
3 Taryn // Apr 14, 2008 at 10:44 am
I know they’ve said that there’s not going to be romance between the Doctor and Donna (thank goodness), but I feel like they’re drawing too much attention to making that obvious in the scripts, particularly with the preview clips for Planet of the Ood. Can’t they just let it alone and let them be friends?
4 Richard Kirsch // Apr 14, 2008 at 11:07 am
Well, RTD has said there will be no romance this time around. He’s also said there will be no daleks, all Timelords are dead, Rose will not come back, and he’s giving up men (okay, I made that last part up…). I think the romance between Rose and the Doctor worked because it was a build up. At first Rose is put out by the fact everyone thinks they are a couple. But as she continues traveling with him, her feelings deepen. Martha on the other hand was hot for him from day one. Just didn’t really care for that. Seemed too forced.
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