When The Doctor said "If I could go back and save them, I would, but I can't. I can never go back, I just can't," I imagined that as him talking about Pompeii, but also about Gallifrey and the time lords.
Man I saw Catherine Tate and was like she's gonna be too funny. Then this episode hits me like a ton of bricks. AlsoPeter Capaldi is my favorite actor in Dr Who. That's all I'm saying 😂
I consider this to be my favorite Doctor Who episode. It perfectly displays the Doctor-Companion relationship. The "just save one" scene to me is a moment that defines this series.
Nebula! It's nice to see someone in the background that is familiar. And Capaldi always wanted to be in Doctor Who as a kid. He wrote into the BBC fan mail ad nauseum. There is also this brief moment as the Doctor & Donna talk about him needing someone where it just has this ultimate S1/RTD look & it makes me so happy. The lighting, the colors, the lack of HD, it's just one small moment but god I love it.
this episode got me so excited that i nearly commented a spoiler from future series. Its freaking hard to maintain a level head but i managed some how because i know that you will have a fantastic reaction to it. #CantWaitForThatDay
To summarise the sooth battle: The Doctor & Donna are acting like the Trickster Donna's surname is Noble The Doctor is from Gallifrey (not southwest Italy) Gallifrey is lost Gallifrey burned Donna is from London (also, not southwest Italy) She is RETURNING There is something on Donna's back The Doctor's name is not Doctor The Doctor's name burns something within the Medusa Cascade The Doctor is a Timelord
There is always a danger when you save someone who wasn't meant to be saved that they're impact could massively change the world as we know it, so I get where the doctor is coming from but I'm glad that donna convinced him. Imagine if the son ended up becoming a mass murderer who killed Donna's ancestors which meant she never existed. Risky business.
This is the episode of Season 4 I rewatch the most. Just an absolute classic, and still emotionally effective after seeing it repeatedly. Also Katrina's knowing looks at the camera are everything!
So, remember last episode, when we all thought this would be a very comedic season? Er, no. Great, great emotional episode. Just gets better every rewatch.
That whole section after the volcano erupts is so good. I'm here to watch you two react to it and instead I'm staring at the little box trying to watch the episode. I had to watch it twice to see how you two took it. But man Capaldi breaking down and saying "All those people!" Makes me have salty discharge from my eye every time.
Love this episode. Love Donna. My favorite NW companion. Amazing reaction. It is a really emotional episode. Such a great done dilemma. And I adore how Donna questions him and is such a great moral compass.
Ugh this episode is so damn good. I loved Donna's character anyway but THIS episode really confirmed how amazing she is. I honestly forget how upsetting this series actually is, it's a heartbreaking one. Cannot wait for the next episode!
Mr Firewater I think you mean the Thick of it! Although I did like him in Liaisons, loved how all the upper class were Americans and the servants were Scottish.
My favorite episode. I love the way Donna refuses to be deferential to the Doctor. She's impressed but not awed by him. She's never afraid to express her own morality and challenge his. I also like the science fiction element to it, the Doctor being able to recognise a fixed point but not able to perceive his role in it; the moral dilemma, and Donna's willingness to share the weight of responsibility.
This is one of the episodes that I will usually rewatch But then again... Series 4 is like one of the series that I will usually rewatch... Usually I prefered when they travel in the past, and met (or meet) historical figures. But this... this is visiting a past event. A fixed point past event even, which is hard to come by.
A lot of foreshadowing in this story about prophecies! That aside, I did (as a hardened Doctor Who geek) like the running gag based on the Tardis' translation circuits, though I suspect much of the humour is missed by non-British reactors who, unsurprisingly, are not as familiar with Welsh idioms etc.
The downside of saving Caecilius's life, is what would happen if one of those descendants turns out to, say, swing WW2 against the Allies, allowing Hitler to win? What chaos would that unleash? (This is the plot to the Classic Star Trek episode "City on the Edge of Forever" btw) Or, what if one of those descendants ends up becoming the creator of the Dalek race? (this is the plot to the Classic Who episode "Genesis of the Daleks") Or, what if one of those descendants becomes a villain of *TORCHWOOD / DOCTOR WHO SPOILER* PS. "Genesis of the Daleks" is a heavy influence on this episode. 10:37 is an almost word-for-word re-enactment of the "Do I Have the Right" scene from Genesis of the Daleks.
In this campaign I'm running, the BBEG is a tortured man cursed with god-like power who is struggling to understand the message of "you can't save everyone, but you can still save someone." It's heartbreaking, but those are the best ones.
This is just a great episode, I adore it. It's honestly strange to think of a standalone episode as a part one, but it indisputably is one, showing the Doctor's two reactions to the same issue, but that's besides the point. The actual heart of this episode is towards Donna's very human reaction to how the Time Lords view the universe, of seeing tragedies and disasters as necessary to maintain the web of time, which is repugnant to someone like Donna who simply wants to save everyone. Of course, they both learn their lesson this episode. The Doctor wanted to see himself as an impartial observer in this manner, just like the Time Lords of old, sworn never to interfere and all that. That way, the deaths of those 20,000 wouldn't be on his hands because he knew they had to happen. (Quite WHY this had to happen, I'm not sure. What would have changed if the people of Pompeii had survived Vesuvius? I-I don't really get that, but I digress.) But when confronted with what the Pyroviles wanted to do, he was faced with the impossibile choice of those 20,000 on his hands or the entire world. He HAD to do it. Likewise, Donna wanted to save absolutely everyone because she is so overly emotional, which is a good and bad thing in certain circumstances, but here, she could not bear to imagine any of these people dying when she knows she could have saved them. But assuming Pompeii's population had to die, it wasn't something she was willing to accept right until the last moment when she also realised the city had to be sacrificed to save the world. That's why it's so powerful that they did it together - they both overcame their original perspectives to recognise that not only did this have to happen, so to speak, but that they had to be the ones to take their own blood on their hands. Not because it was easy or simple but because it was just. But just because the city had to fall didn't equate to being heartless or merciless in every single circumstance. Even then, Donna wasn't willing to leave the people they had gotten to know and care about. Yes, Pompeii had to disappear under the ash but did everyone have to die? No. They could have saved their family, and the Doctor never would because that is how he sees the world. Yet Donna still clung to her emotionally driven character who couldn't see anyone die, which kept the Doctor's "humanity," so to speak as he saved Caecilius and his family. Not because he had to, but because this was the right, and just, thing to do.
0:23 - Daleks are not cute/adorable. Don't believe me? Check out this clip from a video taken at the 2011 Galifrey One convention in LA (The biggest Doctor Who convention in America): th-cam.com/video/c4lw_pICr50/w-d-xo.html
This episode sets the tone for series 4, which ramps up with every episode (well, nearly every episode). Series 4 is Russel T. Davies' masterpiece (just my opinion).
Wonderful video! Some of our crew got to meet Catherine Tate once and she was so lovely! :) We love watching people's reactions to episodes as it really helps us plan ideas for our fan films. Great job! x
The good thing is about Donna is this: she doesn’t ever consider leaving the Doctor for his bad or dark choices. She chooses to stay with him - so that SHE can be the light when he needs it.
I am catching up way late, but Donna is my FAVORITE companion and I'm so excited that she is returning to the series. They better freaking fix her ending properly this time. 15 years later and I'm still mad!!
Caecilius and his family is loosely based on characters in a Latin teaching book in the UK (and, I assume, other English-speaking countries). The Cambridge Latin Course's character, in turn, is based on a real Caecilius, a banker whose house was discovered in Pompeii's ruins. Part of the house still stands today, including... the shrine to the household gods. :) The Wikipedia article on the real Caecilius contains spoilers, so I don't recommend you look at it. The Wikipedia article on the Cambridge Latin Course's version of Caecilius does not have any spoilers, and you can see it here: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cambridge_Latin_Course
Loved the reaction and love Donna bc of all the companions I am Donna ,I relate to her so much and Newbie Sweetie💙 you are going love her too & this season so much!!💙📘
sibyl originaly a specific oracle from asia minor in the 4th century bc eventurly became a term for any oracle wasnt realy a religion or order just the association of her name her proper name was Sibylla
I love this episode! Most people really like this episode, but I'd go as far as to say it's a classic imo. Tennant and Tate are just incredible. The moral dilemma is done so well. It really shows what a tough situation the Time War is for the Doctor. If he really wants to, he could go back and try to change everything, but he can't. what happened that day must always happen. Quite like the volcanic eruption in Pompeii, it's a fixed point in time. His difficulty in seeing past that and being unable to bring himself to save that family is so heartbreaking. The responsibility of being the last of the Time Lords certainly weighs heavy on the Doctor's shoulders. It was a genius idea to put the Doctor in Pompeii and draw similarities between the Time War and Pompeii. The twist that he has to set off the eruption in Pompeii (just like he had to destroy Galiffrey and wipe out all the Time Lords and Daleks on the last day of the Time War) in order to save the world is also brilliant! However, this time he isn't alone. He has a companion in Donna to share that burden with. A small, but very important difference. You really have to ask yourself though (I'm sure the Doctor does), why is it always him in situations like this? Why does death and destruction always follow him? Why is it that in trying to save everyone, he becomes the reason they all end up dying? What you have to remember is that the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few. The Doctor needs someone, that was made abundantly clear in this episode. They help him keep level-headed. They are able to bring their humanity and compassion to situations even the Doctor struggles to. At times, they're able look at a situation with more clarity because they're not as jaded as the Doctor is. Donna's reactions to seeing all those people dying are so heartbreaking. We'd all react in the same way, of course we would try to save everyone. The most difficult part for Donna to accept is that she can't save everyone. All those people are already dead anyway, they're part of history. Life isn't always fair, which the Doctor understands better than most and now Donna is beginning to understand that as well. Donna shows her growing maturity in being able to accept that, but she also shows the depth of her compassion by convincing the Doctor to save just someone. I love how this episode develops Donna's character and brings the Doctor and Donna closer together. I love her so much! Miss Foster from the last episode mentioned the Adipose had lost their home world and now the Pyrovile say they lost their home world too. Could there be a connection..... I can't wait for the rest of series 4! The scary thing is, as good as this episode is, it isn't even close to being the best story this series has to offer. Series 4 is a hell of a series! Also, that guy playing Caecilius is Peter Capaldi, who goes on to become the Twelfth Doctor in the future. BTW, he's amazing too.
The whole idea of this channel is for us to rewatch the series with a fresh, unspoiled POV through Paula. We have no idea how many of the comments she happens upon, so please stop spoiling future plot points and characters.
MrAzmatMahmood it’s absolutely one of the best, and bears up to many, many rewatches. And what a tough first trip for Donna. She is just put through the wringer.
MrAzmatMahmood Your final paragraph of your original post. Leading questions and connections to future characters. Better to err on the side of caution, not highlighting points that will eventually come to fruition. Your previous paragraphs were wonderful, though, and very thought-provoking.
@@Luv2Dnce4 Well, I don't think mentioning Capaldi is a future Doctor is much of a spoiler. Every reactor I've seen has been aware of future Doctors because there's jjust no way to avoid pictures and promo stuff. *SPOILERS* I can see where you're coming from with me mentioning the planet stuff, however I think you're just drawing more attention to the fact that this will become a major plot point. I was simply stating facts that it's two episodes in a row that the aliens have mentioned their planets have been lost. I didn't say definitively that it will become important later on. It's up to Paula to make that connection or not. I just wanted to plant that seed in her head, but for all she knows it could just be a happy coincidence.
Peter Capaldi!!!!! I don't find him that amazing in this, but in Torchwood "Children of Earth" he was perfect. And then he was my favorite Doctor, though the episodes he was in were mostly subpar. But Heaven Sent combined the best actor and an amazing script. And of course Karen Gillan!
I have a super special request-- after you finish David's run as the Doctor, can you react to his and Catherine Tate's performance of Much Ado About Nothing???
MrAzmatMahmood I guess we will disagree...most of Russell’s finales are deus ex. Rose looks into time vortex in S1, “every one say Doctor” in S3, the Doctor (spoilers) twiddles a few knobs in S4. RTD couldn’t think of a way out of his set up without waving a magic wand. I’m sure you can list similar for Moffat, but I don’t notice them as I don’t lose my suspension of disbelief. Presumably the same for you in Russell’s era 😉
@@lawrencegough S1 and S3 had been set up beforehand. The Tardis being alive and being able to change time was set up in "Boom Town". Bad Wolf was the main arc of the series and seeing that mystery being solved was great, but it was also satisfying because Rose becoming Bad Wolf was the culmination of Rose's character arc in that first series. It also wasn't an easy fix, there was a heavy price paid because the ninth Doctor had to sacrifice his life to save Rose, which justifies it narratively. The arch angel network was a major plot for the last two episodes of S3. In fact, the ideas of words having power and a transmitter powered by psychic energy was shown in "The Shakespeare Code". Humans having latent psychic abilities was also shown in the aforementioned episode, "The Girl in the Fireplace" and "Human Nature"/"The Family of Blood". The religious undertones in the S3 finale was also something that had been explored in "Gridlock". It was just flipped because in that episode the people's faith was shown to stagnate their lives and kept them from taking a stand. However in the finale, the people's faith in the Doctor is what enabled them to rise up and defeat the Master. They rejected the fear they had for the Master in favour of believing in the Doctor. Obviously I can't go into detail with the S4 finale, but I will admit that it's the closest to a deus ex machina. It still doesn't bother me though because it's more of a character arc and that had been set up and lead up brilliantly to that point. It's also justified narratively because of what happens to the characters later on....
The finale of season one was literally the definition of deus ex machina. The finale of season three was also a big reset button. There are several legitimate criticisms you can aim at Moffat, but I don't feel that this is one of them.
Yet another wonderful and insightful reaction to one of the best episodes of one of my favourite shows. SPOILERS!!!! When Katrina said Donna Doctor I immediately thought "Doctor-Donna" and the series finale
Katrina love your hair like this. You look super hot big fan of your reactions been Doctor Who Fan since I was 8 when it first came back in 2005 I’m 22 now and from England 🏴
“But that’s what you do, you’re the Doctor and you save people” *squeal* Also, totally agree with the comments of you being fake fans. Obviously, y’all cut the video and go cut some onions or something so that you could cry. So fake.
How did you discover our secret?!! Are you spying on us? Where have you placed these secret cameras?! And we would’ve gotten away with it too had it not been for your pesky sleuthing skills. I suppose we should probably shut down our channel now. But before we do, since you have us all figured out, you might as well see the rest of the episode in full length over at Patreon.com/FanTheoryTV I know, I know... you already know what goes on behind the curtain, obviously. But why don’t you take a look and see for yourself? Who knows what else you might expose for yourself!
Okay, I want to ask something hopefully without giving away spoilers - did a certain actor have his hair coloured darker here or did it just go grey in 8 years?
One of the things that I've never quite got... Did Lucius understand that the Pyrovillians are aliens, or did he still think they're gods? if he just assumes this is what Vulcan et al look like, fine, makes sense why he would serve them willingly. But if he realises that they're aliens...why is he serving them so willingly? He talks about the "work of the gods," but acknowledges that Pyrovillia was another world which was "taken." So how much did he understand about what he was doing, and if he knew they were aliens, why was he so keen to watch the world burn?
I think Lucius saw a prophecy where the Pyrovillians were successful and ruled the world. So he wanted to be on the side of the victors. The head of the Sybelline sisterhood saw a similar one, and acting similarly.
I have watched doctor who reaction channels that took years to get up to the Capaldi era or present era. Why would I want to watch your reactions going back to square one huh!
Oh look, fake fans who probably never watched the classic series lol, I bet you would rank Christopher Eccelston above Tom Baker. Why would I want to watch your reactions when I have watched reactions that took 2 years to get to the Capaldi era, why would I want to go back to the beginning.
King Edward "Longshanks" I, Hammer of the Scots, Lord of Wales and King of England You are stupid, I am not subscribed but I am a doctor who fans. We find new videos by typing doctor who and refining it to today and this shows up. So you are one thick idiot aren’t you. I’m not subscribed but every doctor who fan will find it via search.
I'm not sure which account you'll see this from, seeing as how it looks as if you've created several TH-cam accounts just to be able to trash talk people behind different disguises. But let me just take two seconds to tell you that you literally know nothing of Paula or myself. Paula is the newb, never seen a lick of Doctor Who in her life. Me? Doctor Who is my thriving life and soul. My literal favorite show of all time. INCLUDING CLASSIC. Because guess what? I've seen a LARGE portion of it. Tom Baker and Peter Davison are literally some of my absolute favorite reincarnations of The Doctor. Honestly I love them all for their very own reasons. Why am I sitting down with Paula and showing her every episode? Because I am a true fan in my opinion. We went through this journey years ago, why the hell shouldn't she? Same thing with me and star trek. People keep saying, "ugh just skip these episodes they suck!" Who the hell are you to decide what we can and cant like? What we will and will not watch? Well, sorry to break it to you, we're not skipping shit. We're gonna watch every last measly episode until we make it all the way to series eleven. Got a problem with it? Bye bye, there's the door! I'm sick of the few of you who sit there and talk shit behind a keyboard because there's a couple of girls who like scifi -gasp- maybe more than you?! How dare they! They must just be all fake and dumb! No. That's what you are. Get off your stupid high horse and get off our channel. Or, keep commenting and helping out our algorithm so more AMAZING whovians can find us down the road. That's fine too. Whatever your little hearts desire. Bye, Sweeties 💋
When The Doctor said "If I could go back and save them, I would, but I can't. I can never go back, I just can't," I imagined that as him talking about Pompeii, but also about Gallifrey and the time lords.
Yeah, i also think that that was implied.
That’s actually exactly what he was referencing👍
He WAS talking about gallifrey
Man I saw Catherine Tate and was like she's gonna be too funny. Then this episode hits me like a ton of bricks. AlsoPeter Capaldi is my favorite actor in Dr Who. That's all I'm saying 😂
1:50 the unblinking eye contact with the camera when Peter Capaldi is introduced was SO FUNNY
My favorite:
*Paula asking questions*
*Katrina just giving saucy knowing looks*
I consider this to be my favorite Doctor Who episode. It perfectly displays the Doctor-Companion relationship. The "just save one" scene to me is a moment that defines this series.
"Who is THAT??"
Oh, you'll be seeing a LOT more of her on this show down the road...
Nebula! It's nice to see someone in the background that is familiar.
And Capaldi always wanted to be in Doctor Who as a kid. He wrote into the BBC fan mail ad nauseum.
There is also this brief moment as the Doctor & Donna talk about him needing someone where it just has this ultimate S1/RTD look & it makes me so happy. The lighting, the colors, the lack of HD, it's just one small moment but god I love it.
this episode got me so excited that i nearly commented a spoiler from future series. Its freaking hard to maintain a level head but i managed some how because i know that you will have a fantastic reaction to it. #CantWaitForThatDay
Oooh yeah! I know what you're talking about, and now I can't wait either. :-D
There is so much more amazingness ahead!
To summarise the sooth battle:
The Doctor & Donna are acting like the Trickster
Donna's surname is Noble
The Doctor is from Gallifrey (not southwest Italy)
Gallifrey is lost
Gallifrey burned
Donna is from London (also, not southwest Italy)
She is RETURNING
There is something on Donna's back
The Doctor's name is not Doctor
The Doctor's name burns something within the Medusa Cascade
The Doctor is a Timelord
WAIT WHAT?! THEY MENTIONE SOMETHING ON HER BACK
That's so wild
I'm fascinated by the idea that the Doctor sees time. Its such a cool concept. One of my favorite 8th Doctor moments was built around that idea.
The prophecies of women are limited and dull; however, their reactions to Dr Who are fantastic. 👍👍
Yeah all my favourite Doctor Who reactors are Women.
So much prophecy for the Whoniverse in this episode
I see what you did there. Good one.
1:49 that smile :D Katrina just lights up
Katrina, Loved your faces when the priestess and Caecilius appeared! Let`s see what comes ahead...
There is always a danger when you save someone who wasn't meant to be saved that they're impact could massively change the world as we know it, so I get where the doctor is coming from but I'm glad that donna convinced him. Imagine if the son ended up becoming a mass murderer who killed Donna's ancestors which meant she never existed. Risky business.
I'm kinda sad that they didn't brought up these kind of details
This is the episode of Season 4 I rewatch the most. Just an absolute classic, and still emotionally effective after seeing it repeatedly. Also Katrina's knowing looks at the camera are everything!
"No man is allowed in the Temple of Sybil!"
Oh, the irony.
"Just us girls" :')
I caught that little wink at the end there; Doctor, Donna indeed. So cheeky! I love it. Fun watching you two. Keep up the great work.
So, remember last episode, when we all thought this would be a very comedic season? Er, no. Great, great emotional episode. Just gets better every rewatch.
That whole section after the volcano erupts is so good. I'm here to watch you two react to it and instead I'm staring at the little box trying to watch the episode. I had to watch it twice to see how you two took it. But man Capaldi breaking down and saying "All those people!" Makes me have salty discharge from my eye every time.
Love this episode. Love Donna. My favorite NW companion.
Amazing reaction. It is a really emotional episode. Such a great done dilemma. And I adore how Donna questions him and is such a great moral compass.
A SOOTH-OFF! *snort*
Ugh this episode is so damn good. I loved Donna's character anyway but THIS episode really confirmed how amazing she is. I honestly forget how upsetting this series actually is, it's a heartbreaking one. Cannot wait for the next episode!
Oh look, it’s Karen Gillan from Guardians of the Galaxy! And Peter Capaldi, that guy from Dangerous Liaisons. Nice to see them pop up!
Mr Firewater I think you mean the Thick of it! Although I did like him in Liaisons, loved how all the upper class were Americans and the servants were Scottish.
lawrencegough That’s 80’s Hollywood for you
Mr Firewater actually I thought it was quite clever, showing the gulf between nobles and servants.
And now from Suicide Squad 2...
I love Donna. She is so compassionate, nothing like her ruined wedding day.
I wish you ladies could have seen how happy I was to see that your video was posted! I literally waved at the screen! 😁
Adorable and I'm so happy you're here with us! Y'all make this journey so much more exciting then it already is ❤
I saw that Katrina, the little look at the camera when Capaldi came on screen, I could *feel* the wink
My favorite episode. I love the way Donna refuses to be deferential to the Doctor. She's impressed but not awed by him. She's never afraid to express her own morality and challenge his. I also like the science fiction element to it, the Doctor being able to recognise a fixed point but not able to perceive his role in it; the moral dilemma, and Donna's willingness to share the weight of responsibility.
This is one of the episodes that I will usually rewatch
But then again... Series 4 is like one of the series that I will usually rewatch...
Usually I prefered when they travel in the past, and met (or meet) historical figures.
But this... this is visiting a past event. A fixed point past event even, which is hard to come by.
that guy who played the farther i don't think we'll be seeing him again
I love re-watching who with you two 🖤
A lot of foreshadowing in this story about prophecies! That aside, I did (as a hardened Doctor Who geek) like the running gag based on the Tardis' translation circuits, though I suspect much of the humour is missed by non-British reactors who, unsurprisingly, are not as familiar with Welsh idioms etc.
The downside of saving Caecilius's life, is what would happen if one of those descendants turns out to, say, swing WW2 against the Allies, allowing Hitler to win? What chaos would that unleash? (This is the plot to the Classic Star Trek episode "City on the Edge of Forever" btw)
Or, what if one of those descendants ends up becoming the creator of the Dalek race? (this is the plot to the Classic Who episode "Genesis of the Daleks")
Or, what if one of those descendants becomes a villain of *TORCHWOOD / DOCTOR WHO SPOILER*
PS. "Genesis of the Daleks" is a heavy influence on this episode. 10:37 is an almost word-for-word re-enactment of the "Do I Have the Right" scene from Genesis of the Daleks.
Love the reactions. Should sprinkle in some classic Who before the 50th. Wanna see if things and faces become more familiar as you go!
There is little better in life than Katrina's knowing smile when Paula hits on something that might/maybe/possibly happen!
In this campaign I'm running, the BBEG is a tortured man cursed with god-like power who is struggling to understand the message of "you can't save everyone, but you can still save someone." It's heartbreaking, but those are the best ones.
This is just a great episode, I adore it.
It's honestly strange to think of a standalone episode as a part one, but it indisputably is one, showing the Doctor's two reactions to the same issue, but that's besides the point.
The actual heart of this episode is towards Donna's very human reaction to how the Time Lords view the universe, of seeing tragedies and disasters as necessary to maintain the web of time, which is repugnant to someone like Donna who simply wants to save everyone.
Of course, they both learn their lesson this episode.
The Doctor wanted to see himself as an impartial observer in this manner, just like the Time Lords of old, sworn never to interfere and all that. That way, the deaths of those 20,000 wouldn't be on his hands because he knew they had to happen.
(Quite WHY this had to happen, I'm not sure. What would have changed if the people of Pompeii had survived Vesuvius? I-I don't really get that, but I digress.)
But when confronted with what the Pyroviles wanted to do, he was faced with the impossibile choice of those 20,000 on his hands or the entire world. He HAD to do it.
Likewise, Donna wanted to save absolutely everyone because she is so overly emotional, which is a good and bad thing in certain circumstances, but here, she could not bear to imagine any of these people dying when she knows she could have saved them. But assuming Pompeii's population had to die, it wasn't something she was willing to accept right until the last moment when she also realised the city had to be sacrificed to save the world.
That's why it's so powerful that they did it together - they both overcame their original perspectives to recognise that not only did this have to happen, so to speak, but that they had to be the ones to take their own blood on their hands. Not because it was easy or simple but because it was just.
But just because the city had to fall didn't equate to being heartless or merciless in every single circumstance. Even then, Donna wasn't willing to leave the people they had gotten to know and care about.
Yes, Pompeii had to disappear under the ash but did everyone have to die? No. They could have saved their family, and the Doctor never would because that is how he sees the world. Yet Donna still clung to her emotionally driven character who couldn't see anyone die, which kept the Doctor's "humanity," so to speak as he saved Caecilius and his family. Not because he had to, but because this was the right, and just, thing to do.
And now my week is complete. Thanks gals x
"water can boil"!!!! favorite line. season 4 is so great. welcome back
One of my favourite episode from all the series, this make me cry again, thank you TwT
Ah Karen Gillan so nice to see you again :) (she plays one of the cultists)
Ken Campbell Roadshow? :)
0:23 - Daleks are not cute/adorable. Don't believe me? Check out this clip from a video taken at the 2011 Galifrey One convention in LA (The biggest Doctor Who convention in America):
th-cam.com/video/c4lw_pICr50/w-d-xo.html
I could have predicted this was going to be another great reaction!
This episode sets the tone for series 4, which ramps up with every episode (well, nearly every episode). Series 4 is Russel T. Davies' masterpiece (just my opinion).
Wonderful video! Some of our crew got to meet Catherine Tate once and she was so lovely! :) We love watching people's reactions to episodes as it really helps us plan ideas for our fan films. Great job! x
Thank you!!
Here's an idea, how about...... Paula guests on the next ep? 👀
Damn you people. I'm a sympathetic crier.
The good thing is about Donna is this: she doesn’t ever consider leaving the Doctor for his bad or dark choices. She chooses to stay with him - so that SHE can be the light when he needs it.
I am catching up way late, but Donna is my FAVORITE companion and I'm so excited that she is returning to the series. They better freaking fix her ending properly this time. 15 years later and I'm still mad!!
This was my first episode of Doctor Who.
Caecilius and his family is loosely based on characters in a Latin teaching book in the UK (and, I assume, other English-speaking countries). The Cambridge Latin Course's character, in turn, is based on a real Caecilius, a banker whose house was discovered in Pompeii's ruins. Part of the house still stands today, including... the shrine to the household gods. :)
The Wikipedia article on the real Caecilius contains spoilers, so I don't recommend you look at it. The Wikipedia article on the Cambridge Latin Course's version of Caecilius does not have any spoilers, and you can see it here: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cambridge_Latin_Course
There are several Series 4 episodes that I'm not a fan of, but this is definitely one of the better ones.
Loved the reaction and love Donna bc of all the companions I am Donna ,I relate to her so much and Newbie Sweetie💙 you are going love her too & this season so much!!💙📘
The bae with space hair 😍
when Karen first shows up I live for the look Katrina gives. haha yesss and the next one who shows up, so good.
Cannot wait for the reactions from time left onwards especially this series😇😇
Lool actually every ep, frickin love this series
sibyl originaly a specific oracle from asia minor in the 4th century bc eventurly became a term for any oracle wasnt realy a religion or order just the association of her name her proper name was Sibylla
I love this episode! Most people really like this episode, but I'd go as far as to say it's a classic imo. Tennant and Tate are just incredible. The moral dilemma is done so well. It really shows what a tough situation the Time War is for the Doctor. If he really wants to, he could go back and try to change everything, but he can't. what happened that day must always happen. Quite like the volcanic eruption in Pompeii, it's a fixed point in time. His difficulty in seeing past that and being unable to bring himself to save that family is so heartbreaking. The responsibility of being the last of the Time Lords certainly weighs heavy on the Doctor's shoulders. It was a genius idea to put the Doctor in Pompeii and draw similarities between the Time War and Pompeii. The twist that he has to set off the eruption in Pompeii (just like he had to destroy Galiffrey and wipe out all the Time Lords and Daleks on the last day of the Time War) in order to save the world is also brilliant! However, this time he isn't alone. He has a companion in Donna to share that burden with. A small, but very important difference. You really have to ask yourself though (I'm sure the Doctor does), why is it always him in situations like this? Why does death and destruction always follow him? Why is it that in trying to save everyone, he becomes the reason they all end up dying? What you have to remember is that the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few.
The Doctor needs someone, that was made abundantly clear in this episode. They help him keep level-headed. They are able to bring their humanity and compassion to situations even the Doctor struggles to. At times, they're able look at a situation with more clarity because they're not as jaded as the Doctor is. Donna's reactions to seeing all those people dying are so heartbreaking. We'd all react in the same way, of course we would try to save everyone. The most difficult part for Donna to accept is that she can't save everyone. All those people are already dead anyway, they're part of history. Life isn't always fair, which the Doctor understands better than most and now Donna is beginning to understand that as well. Donna shows her growing maturity in being able to accept that, but she also shows the depth of her compassion by convincing the Doctor to save just someone. I love how this episode develops Donna's character and brings the Doctor and Donna closer together. I love her so much!
Miss Foster from the last episode mentioned the Adipose had lost their home world and now the Pyrovile say they lost their home world too. Could there be a connection..... I can't wait for the rest of series 4! The scary thing is, as good as this episode is, it isn't even close to being the best story this series has to offer. Series 4 is a hell of a series! Also, that guy playing Caecilius is Peter Capaldi, who goes on to become the Twelfth Doctor in the future. BTW, he's amazing too.
The whole idea of this channel is for us to rewatch the series with a fresh, unspoiled POV through Paula. We have no idea how many of the comments she happens upon, so please stop spoiling future plot points and characters.
MrAzmatMahmood it’s absolutely one of the best, and bears up to many, many rewatches. And what a tough first trip for Donna. She is just put through the wringer.
@@Luv2Dnce4 What plot points or characters did I spoil?
MrAzmatMahmood Your final paragraph of your original post. Leading questions and connections to future characters. Better to err on the side of caution, not highlighting points that will eventually come to fruition.
Your previous paragraphs were wonderful, though, and very thought-provoking.
@@Luv2Dnce4 Well, I don't think mentioning Capaldi is a future Doctor is much of a spoiler. Every reactor I've seen has been aware of future Doctors because there's jjust no way to avoid pictures and promo stuff.
*SPOILERS*
I can see where you're coming from with me mentioning the planet stuff, however I think you're just drawing more attention to the fact that this will become a major plot point. I was simply stating facts that it's two episodes in a row that the aliens have mentioned their planets have been lost. I didn't say definitively that it will become important later on. It's up to Paula to make that connection or not. I just wanted to plant that seed in her head, but for all she knows it could just be a happy coincidence.
Peter Capaldi!!!!!
I don't find him that amazing in this, but in Torchwood "Children of Earth" he was perfect. And then he was my favorite Doctor, though the episodes he was in were mostly subpar. But Heaven Sent combined the best actor and an amazing script.
And of course Karen Gillan!
A future companion and doctor in the one episode.
Great reaction! Cool new hair-do Katrina!
Katrina your hair looks very river song in this episode i love it!
Remember the faces!
I have a super special request-- after you finish David's run as the Doctor, can you react to his and Catherine Tate's performance of Much Ado About Nothing???
RTD DW: "Sometimes you have to sacrifice the few to save the many"
Moffat DW: "We can save everyone through deus ex machina! Weeee!"
ULOIRAR yes, absolutely no deus ex with Russell. Er...
@@lawrencegough Well, never as bad as the ones in Moffat's era.
MrAzmatMahmood I guess we will disagree...most of Russell’s finales are deus ex. Rose looks into time vortex in S1, “every one say Doctor” in S3, the Doctor (spoilers) twiddles a few knobs in S4. RTD couldn’t think of a way out of his set up without waving a magic wand.
I’m sure you can list similar for Moffat, but I don’t notice them as I don’t lose my suspension of disbelief. Presumably the same for you in Russell’s era 😉
@@lawrencegough S1 and S3 had been set up beforehand. The Tardis being alive and being able to change time was set up in "Boom Town". Bad Wolf was the main arc of the series and seeing that mystery being solved was great, but it was also satisfying because Rose becoming Bad Wolf was the culmination of Rose's character arc in that first series. It also wasn't an easy fix, there was a heavy price paid because the ninth Doctor had to sacrifice his life to save Rose, which justifies it narratively.
The arch angel network was a major plot for the last two episodes of S3. In fact, the ideas of words having power and a transmitter powered by psychic energy was shown in "The Shakespeare Code". Humans having latent psychic abilities was also shown in the aforementioned episode, "The Girl in the Fireplace" and "Human Nature"/"The Family of Blood". The religious undertones in the S3 finale was also something that had been explored in "Gridlock". It was just flipped because in that episode the people's faith was shown to stagnate their lives and kept them from taking a stand. However in the finale, the people's faith in the Doctor is what enabled them to rise up and defeat the Master. They rejected the fear they had for the Master in favour of believing in the Doctor. Obviously I can't go into detail with the S4 finale, but I will admit that it's the closest to a deus ex machina. It still doesn't bother me though because it's more of a character arc and that had been set up and lead up brilliantly to that point. It's also justified narratively because of what happens to the characters later on....
The finale of season one was literally the definition of deus ex machina. The finale of season three was also a big reset button. There are several legitimate criticisms you can aim at Moffat, but I don't feel that this is one of them.
Now you shouldn't have told the name because you spoiled the "Not Rome" revelation at the end of the cold open.
Donna Doctor, had to wink back at my screen.
What's up with all the hate in the comments?
it looks like its all one person with different accounts. all the comments are pretty much the same.
@@txalex yeah that's what I was thinking. Someone evidently has too much time on their hands
@txAlex Agreed, but they also have multiple likes, which is very odd.
Idk if that's a like bot or what, but this is very abnormal for this channel.
@@Longshanks1690 could be that person liking their own comments on different accounts though I guess
Yet another wonderful and insightful reaction to one of the best episodes of one of my favourite shows.
SPOILERS!!!!
When Katrina said Donna Doctor I immediately thought "Doctor-Donna" and the series finale
Katrina love your hair like this. You look super hot big fan of your reactions been Doctor Who Fan since I was 8 when it first came back in 2005 I’m 22 now and from England 🏴
Fun fact: they got to reuse the sets from Rome for this episode :)
This is a very prophetic episode for series 4 and the future of the Whoniverse ;)
Yeah. Although it's probably the latter; I've always wondered if the casting was deliberate or if it was just coincidental.
"No-EE speak-o Celtic!!"
Lovely reaction new fan ❤️❤️
the 12th doctor is in this episode
Great Video! Feel free to watch our episode on the Fires of Pompeii on our TH-cam!
“But that’s what you do, you’re the Doctor and you save people” *squeal*
Also, totally agree with the comments of you being fake fans. Obviously, y’all cut the video and go cut some onions or something so that you could cry. So fake.
There's actually a cutting board right next to us with several chopped onions ready to make us cry.. 😂👏🏻
hahahahaha
we just do it for the millions of dollars reacting to Doctor Who earns us :P
Lmao right? Let me put in eye drops. Lol IDC what anyone says tears for Dr who are never lies 💔❤️
How did you discover our secret?!! Are you spying on us? Where have you placed these secret cameras?! And we would’ve gotten away with it too had it not been for your pesky sleuthing skills. I suppose we should probably shut down our channel now. But before we do, since you have us all figured out, you might as well see the rest of the episode in full length over at Patreon.com/FanTheoryTV
I know, I know... you already know what goes on behind the curtain, obviously. But why don’t you take a look and see for yourself? Who knows what else you might expose for yourself!
@DannyDarko27 💙💙
This episode alone gave me such unrealistic expectations of how many people actually died in Pompeii
Peter Capldi and Karen Gillan first introduced a lot of Scottish coming in the future
Hey, Sylvester McCoy was Scottish. So is David Tennant....
Okay, I want to ask something hopefully without giving away spoilers - did a certain actor have his hair coloured darker here or did it just go grey in 8 years?
The latter
One family did escape
You can skip the Alien Invasion and have a good Story
wibbly wobbly timey wimey... :)
i love watching you guys react, but i wish you guys were posting doctor who all week! like i binged watched you guys in like 2 days!
One of the things that I've never quite got...
Did Lucius understand that the Pyrovillians are aliens, or did he still think they're gods?
if he just assumes this is what Vulcan et al look like, fine, makes sense why he would serve them willingly. But if he realises that they're aliens...why is he serving them so willingly?
He talks about the "work of the gods," but acknowledges that Pyrovillia was another world which was "taken."
So how much did he understand about what he was doing, and if he knew they were aliens, why was he so keen to watch the world burn?
I think Lucius saw a prophecy where the Pyrovillians were successful and ruled the world. So he wanted to be on the side of the victors. The head of the Sybelline sisterhood saw a similar one, and acting similarly.
Why did i choose this face?? 😜😜
Second! Love these reactions. Donna and the Doctor, so many feels.
Have I said how happy I am you are doing season 4?
NGDGU. Signed: TLM.
SPOILER ALERT!!! This episode has a future Doctor (Peter Capaldi) aka the 12th Doctor and companion (Karen Gillan) aka Amelia "Amy" Pond.
Spoilers! There's always one...
I have watched doctor who reaction channels that took years to get up to the Capaldi era or present era. Why would I want to watch your reactions going back to square one huh!
@Christopher Buckingham You don't. And yet you clicked on the video anyway.
...Sorry Katrina, I liked your old hairstyle better.
My hair is too thick and long to keep down at all times. So a messy hair flop is what y'all are gonna get sometimes 🤷🏻♀️
Why is this a relevant or necessary thing to tell her?!
Oh look, fake fans who probably never watched the classic series lol, I bet you would rank Christopher Eccelston above Tom Baker. Why would I want to watch your reactions when I have watched reactions that took 2 years to get to the Capaldi era, why would I want to go back to the beginning.
@Life Upgrade This was uploaded today.
You had to be subscribed to get this. Are you really that much of an insufferable twat?
King Edward "Longshanks" I, Hammer of the Scots, Lord of Wales and King of England You are stupid, I am not subscribed but I am a doctor who fans. We find new videos by typing doctor who and refining it to today and this shows up. So you are one thick idiot aren’t you. I’m not subscribed but every doctor who fan will find it via search.
@ihatetechkid 1000 You just explained how you find videos to hate, lmao, that is sad.
I'm not sure which account you'll see this from, seeing as how it looks as if you've created several TH-cam accounts just to be able to trash talk people behind different disguises. But let me just take two seconds to tell you that you literally know nothing of Paula or myself. Paula is the newb, never seen a lick of Doctor Who in her life. Me? Doctor Who is my thriving life and soul. My literal favorite show of all time. INCLUDING CLASSIC. Because guess what? I've seen a LARGE portion of it. Tom Baker and Peter Davison are literally some of my absolute favorite reincarnations of The Doctor. Honestly I love them all for their very own reasons. Why am I sitting down with Paula and showing her every episode? Because I am a true fan in my opinion. We went through this journey years ago, why the hell shouldn't she? Same thing with me and star trek. People keep saying, "ugh just skip these episodes they suck!" Who the hell are you to decide what we can and cant like? What we will and will not watch? Well, sorry to break it to you, we're not skipping shit. We're gonna watch every last measly episode until we make it all the way to series eleven. Got a problem with it? Bye bye, there's the door! I'm sick of the few of you who sit there and talk shit behind a keyboard because there's a couple of girls who like scifi -gasp- maybe more than you?! How dare they! They must just be all fake and dumb! No. That's what you are.
Get off your stupid high horse and get off our channel. Or, keep commenting and helping out our algorithm so more AMAZING whovians can find us down the road. That's fine too. Whatever your little hearts desire.
Bye, Sweeties 💋
@@KatAlysha Oh my gosh I love you so much.