Review: Doctor Who 4.2 - The Fires of Pompeii (10th Doctor)
This is the Review Post for Doctor Who 4.2 - The Fires of Pompeii. James Moran once again lands the episode two spot, just like in this last series of Torchwood. I’m glad that I got the chance to tell him that I liked his work. Anyway, on with the review.
You can find the Monster Files for this episode here.
The Big Questions for the episode is located here.
If you want to read a transcript of the episode, you may do so here.
Have any burning questions? Why not pop past the spoiler barrier and discuss them with me.
Episode: The Fires of Pompeii by James Moran
Rating (1 to 5): 4
Time: 79 A.D., 23 August and Volcano Day, and Rome six months later.
Place: Pompeii (and a moment of Rome)
Baddie: The Pyrovile with the help of Lucius.
The Doctor enjoys: Not knowing. It keeps him on his toes.
The Doctor dislikes: People selling his TARDIS without permission
The Doctor apologizes to: Not much from The Doctor this time. Donna apologizes to Evelina when she tries to warn her about the next day.
Signs & Portents: There’s a whole scene of Signs and Portents in this one. “Doctor, she is returning.” “There is something on your back.” “Your real name is hidden. It burns in the stars and in the Cascade of Medusa herself.” The Doctor carries starlight in his wake. Pyrovillia is lost.
Rose? She is returning?
Doctor-y Strangeness: He sees the timelines every waking minute.
One Last Chance? No one is offered a chance this time. It’s Pompeii or the world.
Scary Stuff: Beings made of rock and fire. Being stuck in Pompeii on Volcano Day.
Does someone local help out? Quintus helps The Doctor. His family isn’t too shabby either, even if Evelina does sort of betray Donna.
What we learn: If you try to actually speak the language that is being translated by the TARDIS, it sounds like you’re speaking Welsh. Well…at least to the folks in Pompeii. That fire last time The Doctor was in Rome had nothing to do with him (in the 1965 adventure The Romans.) The Doctor once met the Sybil (she had a bit of a thing for him.) Some things are in flux and some are fixed in time. Pyrovillia is lost. The Doctor and Donna are the ones that blew up Vesuvius.
My Favorite Bits: “Veni Vedi Vici.” “-Don’t tell me the TARDIS is gone. -Okay. -Where is it? -You told me not to tell you.” Modern Art. “-I am Spartacus. -And so am I.” “-Don’t tell my dad. -Only if you don’t tell mine.” The Doctor with a water pistol. The Doctor was never there. The word “Volcano” is invented. Love those new household gods.
Observations and musings:
Poor Donna. Instead of Rome with its seven hills she gets…Pompeii. (And no Jack, naked or otherwise.) All she wants to do is save people, and the Sisterhood tries to sacrifice her for it. At least she looks nice in her Pompeiian garb. Luckily for Quintus and his family, she fulfilled her role as The Doctor’s limiter quite well. At least they managed to save one family from Pompeii. It’s never easy traveling with The Doctor. Talk about a trial by fire.
The Doctor actually tastes something in this episode. How long has it been since he did that? He tries a bit of the rock that the soothsayers are breathing in. He also manages a bit of slight of hand to provide a coin bribe, of the correct kind of coin, to get Quintus to help. Awfully convenient to have a water pistol handy under the circumstances. He also had a wee spyglass. I want his pockets. It’s good that the baddies made their point about the whole world being at stake. Still, that’s all The Doctor needs. Another 20,000 deaths on his conscious. (This sort of reminds me of that bit in Boomtown. He saves one family…) I wonder if this event is fixed because The Doctor had something to do with it.
Once again the TARDIS is seen as modern art, just as in City of Death. Not by John Cleese this time, though. Am I the the only one who saw the cloaked figures carrying the marble squares towards the mountain and thought of the Holy Grail? yes? Oh, well.
So, what did you folks think of the episode?
Image Source: The Official BBC Doctor Who Site
The Fires of Pompeii, Review Post, Doctor Who, James Moran
July 15th, 2008 at 1:17 pm
I’m enjoying your in depth posts about these episodes. I missed most of the details and want to see it again. I do remember though enjoying the new house gods and Donna’s role in the adventure.
July 15th, 2008 at 4:28 pm
you are not the only one who thaought ‘holy grail!’ when you saw the monks! i thought i was the only one. i mentioned it to my family and they just looked at me blankly even though they’ve all seen holy grail so i thought it was just me…
July 16th, 2008 at 11:13 pm
Thank you kindly, Sarah!
viv, I am *so* glad to hear that you saw that too.
August 11th, 2008 at 11:46 pm
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