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Series 4 Episode 2: “The Fires of Pompeii”Broadcast on BBC1, Saturday April 12th, 2008 As premiered ondanowen.blogspot.com
Series 4 Boxset:
Series 4 Part 1:
Series 3 Boxset:
Director:
- Colin Teague
(TV: Doctor Who: The Fires of Pompeii, The Last of the Time Lords, The Sound of Drums, Torchwood: Meat, Ghost Machine, Greeks Bearing Gifts, Sleeper)
Screenplay:
- James Moran
(Severance, TV: Doctor Who: The Fires of Pompeii, Torchwood: Sleeper)
Cast:
- The Doctor: David Tennant
Donna Noble: Catherine Tate
Caecillius: Peter Capaldi
Lucius: Phil Davis
Metella: Tracey Childs
Soothsayer: Karen Gillan
Stallholder: Phil Cornwell
Spurrina: Sasha Behar
Evelina: Francesca Fowler
Quintus: Francois Pandolfo
Thalina: Lorraine Burroughs
High Priestess: Victoria Wicks
Majordomo: Gerard Bell
Synopsis: The Doctor and Donna arrive in Pompeii, on the eve of Mount Vesuvius’ eruption, and argue about whether to change the course of history…
As is almost customary now, the second episode is an historical adventure; thistime focusing on the real-life disaster of Pompeii in 79 A.D, but with fictionallinks to alien goings-on beneath the surface.
Writer James Moran (who penned Torchwood’s excellent Sleeper) crafts afar more expansive story here; in size, scope, emotions and impact.
The episode’s big theme is something Doctor Who has touched on before: whetheror not The Doctor (David Tennant) should change history, if it means savinglives. The Fires Of Pompeii did a much better job of answeringthat question; as Donna (Catherine Tate) is amazed The Doctor just wantsto leave everyone to their doom, as some things are “fixed events” in time.A later speech, revolving around a Time Lord’s intrinsic ability to knowwhich events are in “flux” or “fixed”, is also a handy explanation of how TheDoctor operates and the burden he’s constantly under.
As is typical, an extra-terrestrial explanation is offered for Vesuvius’ eruption,in the form of dormant creatures called Pyrovillians; secretive “underworldGods” local soothsayers are being controlled by. One such “seer” is Lucius (ascowling Phil Davis, right), while another girl called Evelina (lovelyFrancesca Fowler) also has the gift, and is destined for recruitment bya fanatical group called the Sibylline sisterhood — a group of psychics ledby a High Priestess (Victoria Wicks), hidden behind a curtain.
There’s an invigorating mix of pace, comedy and action throughout this episode,which is indicative of Doctor Who at its most playful, deceptively emotive,best. Some of the gags worked into the script are cheesy (“he’s armless enough!”exclaims The Doctor, after ripping someone’s stone arm off), while others areacknowledged as naff by its characters (“don’t get yourself in a lava!”)
But it’s all good fun, and there are some genuinely amusing japes — fromDonna and The Doctor claiming they’re both called Spartacus, to a Fawlty Towersreference when The Doctor apologizes about Donna, explaining “she’s fromBarcelona…”
In the dramatic stakes, the connection between the psychics and subterranean aliensisn’t obvious from the start, and the mystery managed to unpeel logically — witha mounting sense of urgency and peril. When the knockabout story shifts intofull-on action spectacle mode — with The Doctor and Donna battling creaturesunderground and the (inevitable) city-wide destruction — the scale and ambitionof the episode becomes second to none…
Yes, visually it’s a sumptuous treat for the eyes. The production design is exemplary(they filmed on the awesome sets built for the HBO/BBC series Rome), thespecial effects are magnificent — from Balrog-like rock-beasts (in Roman helmets?),to a climactic volcanic eruption that’s usually beyond a TV budget. Its superficialin some peoples’ eyes, but well-polished visuals always enrich episodes of DoctorWho making it easier to invest in the world being presented.
Catherine Tate wasn’t too bad, although the way Donna suddenly lurches into anaggrieved caricature undermines a few scenes. But generally, Donna’s involvementin the storyline was well-handled, and her viewpoint on how to deal with the situationwas nicely at odds with The Doctor’s. It was particularly great how everythingboiled down to a big decision for The Doctor: to save the world, but at the costof 20,000 lives, all with the throw of a lever.
That dilemma reminded me of the classic moment with Tom Baker’s Doctor, deliberatingabout whether or not to commit genocide by wiping out the Daleks, by just connectingtwo wires…
While there a few gripes with minutiae (especially an unnecessary and silly denouementset 6 months later in Rome, and contemporary “yoof” in Ancient Rome), the generalsweep and urgency of the episode was a welcome tonic after last week’s simplemindedstart. The comedy and dramatics were balanced well, and there were even somenods to season 4’s “masterplan” in a scene of combatative prophesizing: “Sheis returning” The Doctor is told (Rose, surely), and Donna has “somethingon her back” according to Lucius. Interesting…
The Fires Of Pompeii was a very strong episode, visually one ofthe best in Doctor Who’s history, and yet no slouch when it came to telling afast-paced, dramatic and funny adventure story. The guest cast were all good(especially Davis as Lucius and Peter Capaldi‘s patriarch Caecillius – above-right), and thepace never let up for one second delivering humour, thrills and gorgeous visuals,with a potent moral dilemma at its core.
Join in the discussion about this episode atDan’s Media Digest
Reviewer of movies, videogames and music since 1994. Aortic valve operation survivor from the same year. Running DVDfever.co.uk since 2000. Nobel Peace Prize winner 2021.