Warning do not read unless seen episode.
This is another favorite Doctor Who episode of mine as it's not just another adventure but an engaging drama.
Though watching this episode is equally interesting and ironic as Karan Gillian whom we know as Amy Pond plays the Soothsayer. But Peter Capadi whom we now know as the twelfth doctor plays the father. So you can say this episode the tenth Doctor gets to meet both Amy Pond and the twelfth Doctor in this episode.
One of the things that really make the episode stand out is the family of Pompeli that it focuses on as well as both the Doctor and Donnas back and forth with them. You really like and know them. It's interesting seeing what the family dynamic was at that period of time just showing how it's not any different from our own. As the father (whom is my favorite character in the episode, let alone the fact Peter Capadi plays him) is worried about status because having high status would me bigger and better things not just for his career but the well being of his own family. It's much like with ourselves, whom desire a promotion of some sort so our families can have more. This little piece of relatability makes us all the more feel pathos for them, for what's about to come.
The theme of the episode is about heroism, from it's hard choices, prime directives but also limitations. As well as justifies the importance of the companions of the Doctor.
We then see both the Doctor and Donna have to deal with some sort of volcanic alien monster that is set to destroy all mankind. But they are armed and ready as there is a device that can destroy the monster. Unfortunately there is one terrible catch, despite destroying the monster it will also cause the famous volcanic cataclysm that destroyed Pompeli. That's pretty heavy, both the Doctor and Donna both face the Ulitarianism philosophical dilemma which was always about one or few live to save billions.
And of course you can see what comes next, it was heart sinking as we see Donna try to at least get most of the people to listen to her to go to the hills for safety. But their futile gestures as her cries are not heard and she sees most people perish. At that moment she learns the hard way about the limitations of heroism. Heroism is about saving lives but not everyones because logically it's impossible.
It then gets to another emotional tugging moment as we see the Doctor and Donna get to the Tardis but they don't take the family with them despite their pleas for help. Donna of course is yelling at the Doctor to go back and open the doors of the Tardis, but the Doctor says no because of the threat of breaking the rule on not changing the past. But when he says no you can easily see in his eyes it's killing his soul.
Donna then makes a plea which is just to save someone and not the whole town. Personally I think that is a genuine plea, saving the family isn't against the rules of time travel. Not saving them would be dishonorable a violation of Prime Directives 1 and 2 serve the public trust and protect the innocent. But seeing that moment of the plea really justified the importance of the Doctor having companions because they really do help the Doctor make the right choices, steer him away from making a terrible mistake, but most importantly help him continue being a hero.
We then see a nice moment when in the end the Doctor does what he should do, in fact what every good human being should always do.
Rating: 4 stars
This is another favorite Doctor Who episode of mine as it's not just another adventure but an engaging drama.
Though watching this episode is equally interesting and ironic as Karan Gillian whom we know as Amy Pond plays the Soothsayer. But Peter Capadi whom we now know as the twelfth doctor plays the father. So you can say this episode the tenth Doctor gets to meet both Amy Pond and the twelfth Doctor in this episode.
One of the things that really make the episode stand out is the family of Pompeli that it focuses on as well as both the Doctor and Donnas back and forth with them. You really like and know them. It's interesting seeing what the family dynamic was at that period of time just showing how it's not any different from our own. As the father (whom is my favorite character in the episode, let alone the fact Peter Capadi plays him) is worried about status because having high status would me bigger and better things not just for his career but the well being of his own family. It's much like with ourselves, whom desire a promotion of some sort so our families can have more. This little piece of relatability makes us all the more feel pathos for them, for what's about to come.
The theme of the episode is about heroism, from it's hard choices, prime directives but also limitations. As well as justifies the importance of the companions of the Doctor.
We then see both the Doctor and Donna have to deal with some sort of volcanic alien monster that is set to destroy all mankind. But they are armed and ready as there is a device that can destroy the monster. Unfortunately there is one terrible catch, despite destroying the monster it will also cause the famous volcanic cataclysm that destroyed Pompeli. That's pretty heavy, both the Doctor and Donna both face the Ulitarianism philosophical dilemma which was always about one or few live to save billions.
And of course you can see what comes next, it was heart sinking as we see Donna try to at least get most of the people to listen to her to go to the hills for safety. But their futile gestures as her cries are not heard and she sees most people perish. At that moment she learns the hard way about the limitations of heroism. Heroism is about saving lives but not everyones because logically it's impossible.
It then gets to another emotional tugging moment as we see the Doctor and Donna get to the Tardis but they don't take the family with them despite their pleas for help. Donna of course is yelling at the Doctor to go back and open the doors of the Tardis, but the Doctor says no because of the threat of breaking the rule on not changing the past. But when he says no you can easily see in his eyes it's killing his soul.
Donna then makes a plea which is just to save someone and not the whole town. Personally I think that is a genuine plea, saving the family isn't against the rules of time travel. Not saving them would be dishonorable a violation of Prime Directives 1 and 2 serve the public trust and protect the innocent. But seeing that moment of the plea really justified the importance of the Doctor having companions because they really do help the Doctor make the right choices, steer him away from making a terrible mistake, but most importantly help him continue being a hero.
We then see a nice moment when in the end the Doctor does what he should do, in fact what every good human being should always do.
Rating: 4 stars