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alexiscartwheelRTD hit another one out of the park this week! Let’s hope this keeps up for the remainder of the season. :D As always, spoilers under the cut.
When “Turn Left” started, I thought, “Hey! Did the BBC accidentally show an episode of Firefly?” but then there was the TARDIS and the Doctor and Donna, and all was good. It’s nice to have that moment at the beginning wheb the Doctor and Donna are simply exploring the planet and enjoying each other’s company. No emotional turmoil. No running for their lives. Just the Doctor and Donna, BFFs.
But then Chantho shows up as a fortune teller, and we’re done with happy fun time for the remainder of the show. The concept was simple—who doesn’t at some time wonder what might have happened if they had done something in life differently—but highly effective. I don’t think many fans anticipated the huge consequences of Donna not meeting the Doctor. It wasn’t just her life that changed; it was the entire world. I was glad to see that RTD took the story all the way back to “The Runaway Bride.” She wasn’t just a problem for the Doctor; she was there for him at one of his lowest moments, and she saved his life.
Catherine Tate was utterly brilliant. She let us see different sides of Donna than have been visible this season. Donna lacked confidence in herself, so we saw her shouting at the world, not out tackling problems independently, as she was reintroduced in “Partners in Crime.” Unbelievable events and circumstances far beyond her control are destroying the world, and she doesn’t have much hope left. “But there isn’t a war,” she says. “There’s no fight. There’s just… this.”
Sylvia and Wilf were also excellent. Sylvia was cruel, but I don’t think she was malicious. She’s not as strong as Donna, and in Leeds, it seems like she’s completely given up on life. The expression on her face when she says “yeah” to Donna… it’s such an awful thing to say, but I only felt sorry for her, because she’s just broken. Wilf is such a wonderful man. When he and Rocco saluted before the immigrants were taken away to the labor camps—heartbreaking. (The scene where they all sang “Bohemian Rhapsody” was so campy and hopeful and Sylvia actually smiled.)
I of course can’t forget Rose. How awesome was it to see her again? So far, she’s very mysterious. She’s not even supposed to be in the same universe, yet pops in and out of Donna’s life multiple times over the years. As many people have pointed out, she was very, very Doctor-ish. She doesn’t give out her name (because “the wrong word in the wrong place can change an entire causal nexus”), knows about future events, spouts random techno-babble, and of course she recognizes how amazing Donna is. I liked the interactions between Rose and Donna, particularly because of Donna’s “I don’t have time for this shit!” attitude. They both have stubborn personalities, but they’re able to work together—a very good thing, since I suspect they’ll have to work together again.
And this right here is why Donna is so amazing. Without ever meeting the Doctor, she still takes on this huge responsibility. She’s terrified, but determined to save the world.
”I’m ready… ‘cause I understand now. You said I was gonna die, but you mean this whole world is gonna blink out of existence. But that’s not dying, ‘cause a better world takes it place. The Doctor’s world. And I’m still alive. That’s right, isn’t it? I don’t die. If I change things, I don’t die. That’s… that’s right, isn’t it?”
Donna died to put the timelines back in place, so does that mean she’s off the hook now? Or not? I’m still very scared for her. (And in denial, because Donna is simply not allowed to leave. She has to stay forever.)
Then finally… Bad Wolf is back! (And is not subtle at all. But BAD WOLF all over the TARDIS? That means serious shit is going down.) The cloister bell! The end of the universe! Ahhhh!! So what’s up with Rose? Does she still have Bad Wolf powers, or did she leave the warning before? How can she just walk around through time and space? Why is Donna the most important woman in the whole of creation? Choice has been a major theme this series, so what kind of choice will she have to make in the finale?
When “Turn Left” started, I thought, “Hey! Did the BBC accidentally show an episode of Firefly?” but then there was the TARDIS and the Doctor and Donna, and all was good. It’s nice to have that moment at the beginning wheb the Doctor and Donna are simply exploring the planet and enjoying each other’s company. No emotional turmoil. No running for their lives. Just the Doctor and Donna, BFFs.
But then Chantho shows up as a fortune teller, and we’re done with happy fun time for the remainder of the show. The concept was simple—who doesn’t at some time wonder what might have happened if they had done something in life differently—but highly effective. I don’t think many fans anticipated the huge consequences of Donna not meeting the Doctor. It wasn’t just her life that changed; it was the entire world. I was glad to see that RTD took the story all the way back to “The Runaway Bride.” She wasn’t just a problem for the Doctor; she was there for him at one of his lowest moments, and she saved his life.
Catherine Tate was utterly brilliant. She let us see different sides of Donna than have been visible this season. Donna lacked confidence in herself, so we saw her shouting at the world, not out tackling problems independently, as she was reintroduced in “Partners in Crime.” Unbelievable events and circumstances far beyond her control are destroying the world, and she doesn’t have much hope left. “But there isn’t a war,” she says. “There’s no fight. There’s just… this.”
Sylvia and Wilf were also excellent. Sylvia was cruel, but I don’t think she was malicious. She’s not as strong as Donna, and in Leeds, it seems like she’s completely given up on life. The expression on her face when she says “yeah” to Donna… it’s such an awful thing to say, but I only felt sorry for her, because she’s just broken. Wilf is such a wonderful man. When he and Rocco saluted before the immigrants were taken away to the labor camps—heartbreaking. (The scene where they all sang “Bohemian Rhapsody” was so campy and hopeful and Sylvia actually smiled.)
I of course can’t forget Rose. How awesome was it to see her again? So far, she’s very mysterious. She’s not even supposed to be in the same universe, yet pops in and out of Donna’s life multiple times over the years. As many people have pointed out, she was very, very Doctor-ish. She doesn’t give out her name (because “the wrong word in the wrong place can change an entire causal nexus”), knows about future events, spouts random techno-babble, and of course she recognizes how amazing Donna is. I liked the interactions between Rose and Donna, particularly because of Donna’s “I don’t have time for this shit!” attitude. They both have stubborn personalities, but they’re able to work together—a very good thing, since I suspect they’ll have to work together again.
And this right here is why Donna is so amazing. Without ever meeting the Doctor, she still takes on this huge responsibility. She’s terrified, but determined to save the world.
”I’m ready… ‘cause I understand now. You said I was gonna die, but you mean this whole world is gonna blink out of existence. But that’s not dying, ‘cause a better world takes it place. The Doctor’s world. And I’m still alive. That’s right, isn’t it? I don’t die. If I change things, I don’t die. That’s… that’s right, isn’t it?”
Donna died to put the timelines back in place, so does that mean she’s off the hook now? Or not? I’m still very scared for her. (And in denial, because Donna is simply not allowed to leave. She has to stay forever.)
Then finally… Bad Wolf is back! (And is not subtle at all. But BAD WOLF all over the TARDIS? That means serious shit is going down.) The cloister bell! The end of the universe! Ahhhh!! So what’s up with Rose? Does she still have Bad Wolf powers, or did she leave the warning before? How can she just walk around through time and space? Why is Donna the most important woman in the whole of creation? Choice has been a major theme this series, so what kind of choice will she have to make in the finale?
