Essays
So, I'm rewatching the entire fourth season before I intro, to reacquaint myself to Donna and her voice and the canon relationships and well, with the rest of my cast doing it, I've decided to essay about that stuff too! I'm going to do it in a slightly different way, though, and go through each episode with my thoughts and feelings about The DoctorDonna and so on and so forth.
But, until I can completely do that, have a quote:
The Doctor: We're going to the country. Fresh air and geniuses - what more could you ask?
Donna: I'm not coming with you. I've been thinking. I'm sorry. I'm going home.
The Doctor: Really?
Donna: I've got to.
The Doctor: Well, if that's what you want. I mean, it's a bit soon. I had so many places I wanted to take you. The Fifteenth Broken Moon of the Medusa Cascade, the Lightning Skies of Cotter Palluni's World, the Diamond Coral Reefs of Kataa Flo Ko. ... Thank you. Thank you, Donna Noble. It's been brilliant. You saved my life, in so many ways*. You are... ...you. You're just popping home for a visit, that's what you mean.
Donna: You dumbo.
The Doctor: Then you're coming back.
Donna: Know what you are? A great big, outer-space dunce.
Doctor: Yeah...
Donna: What's more, you can give me a lift. Come on. Broken moon of what?
Doctor: I know, I know.
*Oh, you better believe I'll be talking about that.
Okay, you know what, before I even do this episode by episode, let me talk about one thing in particular.
DOCTOR: See, the energy converted takes the lava, uses the power to create a fusion matrix which wields Pyrovile to human. Now it's complete, they can convert millions.
DONNA: Well, can you change it...with these controls?
DOCTOR: 'Course I can, but don't you see? That's why the soothsayers can't see the volcano. There is no volcano. Vesuvius is never going to erupt. The Pyrovile are stealing all its power. They're gonna use it to take over the world.
DONNA: But you can change it back.
DOCTOR: Well, I can avert the system, so the volcano will blow them up, yes, but...that's the choice, Donna. It's Pompeii or the world.
DONNA: (shocked) Oh my God.
DOCTOR: If Pompeii is destroyed, then it's not just history, it's me. I make it happen.
DONNA: But the Pyrovile are made of rock. Maybe they can't be blown up.
DOCTOR: (working on machinery) Vesuvius explodes with the force of 24 nuclear bombs. Nothing can survive it. (looks at DONNA) Certainly not us.
DONNA: Never mind us.
DOCTOR: (puts his hands on the lever) Push this lever and it's all over. 20,000 people.
The DOCTOR seems unwilling to be responsible for so many deaths even in the course of saving the planet. DONNA puts her hands on the lever with his. They look at each other before pressing down.
I CANNOT EXPRESS the love I have for this scene. This single bit completely encapsulates their entire relationship. Donna understands. She's willing to share the burden of 20,000 deaths, just because it will make it easier on the Doctor, even if only a small bit.
As much as I love them, I honestly cannot see Rose or Martha doing the same thing here. They'd know it was a terrible thing that had to happen, but they would be conflicted, and spend time trying to figure out how to console the Doctor after the fact. Donna understands. She knows there's nothing that can make killing 20,000 people okay. But there is something you can do to make it better. And that something is sharing the burden. But that's not the only thing you can do to make it better.
INT. TARDIS
The DOCTOR is at the console, preparing to dematerialise.
DONNA: You can't just leave them!
DOCTOR: Don't you think I've done enough? History's back in place and everyone dies.
DONNA: You've got to go back! Doctor, I am telling you, take this thing back!
The DOCTOR releases the brake and the TARDIS starts to dematerialise. His face shows no emotion, whereas DONNA has tears streaming down her cheeks.
DONNA: It's not fair.
DOCTOR: No, it's not.
DONNA: But your own planet, it burned.
DOCTOR: (looks at her) That's just it. Don't you see, Donna? Can't you understand? If I could go back and save them then I would, but I can't. I can never go back! I can't! I just...can't! (softer) I can't.
DONNA: Just someone. Please. Not the whole town. Just save someone.
The DOCTOR just looks at her.
INT. CAECILIUS' VILLA, MAIN ROOM
CAECILIUS and his family huddle together as ashes fall. They hear the sound of the TARDIS and a bright light fills the room as it materialises. The door opens and the figure of the DOCTOR is silhouetted against a white light. He reaches out his hand.
DOCTOR: Come with me.
CAECILIUS reaches out his hand and grasps the DOCTOR'S.
...
INT. TARDIS
DONNA: Thank you.
DOCTOR: Yeah. (pauses) You were right. Sometimes I need someone. Welcome aboard.
DONNA: Yeah.
They smile.
Honestly, it's kind of hard to think of ways to essay on this part that isn't just repeating what it says in the script. He needs someone. More than someone, he needs her. Not just to stop him, but someone to remind him that he can help even when everything seems lost. Someone to share the burden.
In conclusion, this episode, and those scenes, are everything I love about the Doctor and Donna, and they embody their relationship to me.
I know that isn't really an ESSAY, per say. But I don't care because it works, and it's 5:00 in the morning and I haven't slept.
But, until I can completely do that, have a quote:
The Doctor: We're going to the country. Fresh air and geniuses - what more could you ask?
Donna: I'm not coming with you. I've been thinking. I'm sorry. I'm going home.
The Doctor: Really?
Donna: I've got to.
The Doctor: Well, if that's what you want. I mean, it's a bit soon. I had so many places I wanted to take you. The Fifteenth Broken Moon of the Medusa Cascade, the Lightning Skies of Cotter Palluni's World, the Diamond Coral Reefs of Kataa Flo Ko. ... Thank you. Thank you, Donna Noble. It's been brilliant. You saved my life, in so many ways*. You are... ...you. You're just popping home for a visit, that's what you mean.
Donna: You dumbo.
The Doctor: Then you're coming back.
Donna: Know what you are? A great big, outer-space dunce.
Doctor: Yeah...
Donna: What's more, you can give me a lift. Come on. Broken moon of what?
Doctor: I know, I know.
*Oh, you better believe I'll be talking about that.
Okay, you know what, before I even do this episode by episode, let me talk about one thing in particular.
DOCTOR: See, the energy converted takes the lava, uses the power to create a fusion matrix which wields Pyrovile to human. Now it's complete, they can convert millions.
DONNA: Well, can you change it...with these controls?
DOCTOR: 'Course I can, but don't you see? That's why the soothsayers can't see the volcano. There is no volcano. Vesuvius is never going to erupt. The Pyrovile are stealing all its power. They're gonna use it to take over the world.
DONNA: But you can change it back.
DOCTOR: Well, I can avert the system, so the volcano will blow them up, yes, but...that's the choice, Donna. It's Pompeii or the world.
DONNA: (shocked) Oh my God.
DOCTOR: If Pompeii is destroyed, then it's not just history, it's me. I make it happen.
DONNA: But the Pyrovile are made of rock. Maybe they can't be blown up.
DOCTOR: (working on machinery) Vesuvius explodes with the force of 24 nuclear bombs. Nothing can survive it. (looks at DONNA) Certainly not us.
DONNA: Never mind us.
DOCTOR: (puts his hands on the lever) Push this lever and it's all over. 20,000 people.
The DOCTOR seems unwilling to be responsible for so many deaths even in the course of saving the planet. DONNA puts her hands on the lever with his. They look at each other before pressing down.
I CANNOT EXPRESS the love I have for this scene. This single bit completely encapsulates their entire relationship. Donna understands. She's willing to share the burden of 20,000 deaths, just because it will make it easier on the Doctor, even if only a small bit.
As much as I love them, I honestly cannot see Rose or Martha doing the same thing here. They'd know it was a terrible thing that had to happen, but they would be conflicted, and spend time trying to figure out how to console the Doctor after the fact. Donna understands. She knows there's nothing that can make killing 20,000 people okay. But there is something you can do to make it better. And that something is sharing the burden. But that's not the only thing you can do to make it better.
INT. TARDIS
The DOCTOR is at the console, preparing to dematerialise.
DONNA: You can't just leave them!
DOCTOR: Don't you think I've done enough? History's back in place and everyone dies.
DONNA: You've got to go back! Doctor, I am telling you, take this thing back!
The DOCTOR releases the brake and the TARDIS starts to dematerialise. His face shows no emotion, whereas DONNA has tears streaming down her cheeks.
DONNA: It's not fair.
DOCTOR: No, it's not.
DONNA: But your own planet, it burned.
DOCTOR: (looks at her) That's just it. Don't you see, Donna? Can't you understand? If I could go back and save them then I would, but I can't. I can never go back! I can't! I just...can't! (softer) I can't.
DONNA: Just someone. Please. Not the whole town. Just save someone.
The DOCTOR just looks at her.
INT. CAECILIUS' VILLA, MAIN ROOM
CAECILIUS and his family huddle together as ashes fall. They hear the sound of the TARDIS and a bright light fills the room as it materialises. The door opens and the figure of the DOCTOR is silhouetted against a white light. He reaches out his hand.
DOCTOR: Come with me.
CAECILIUS reaches out his hand and grasps the DOCTOR'S.
...
INT. TARDIS
DONNA: Thank you.
DOCTOR: Yeah. (pauses) You were right. Sometimes I need someone. Welcome aboard.
DONNA: Yeah.
They smile.
Honestly, it's kind of hard to think of ways to essay on this part that isn't just repeating what it says in the script. He needs someone. More than someone, he needs her. Not just to stop him, but someone to remind him that he can help even when everything seems lost. Someone to share the burden.
In conclusion, this episode, and those scenes, are everything I love about the Doctor and Donna, and they embody their relationship to me.
I know that isn't really an ESSAY, per say. But I don't care because it works, and it's 5:00 in the morning and I haven't slept.