one more thing
For all that the Doctor's saving the Cambridge Latins (I started calling them that in comments to my last post, and now I cannot turn it off) is a major moment, and a good one (though slightly spoiled by the brilliant white light, which--again--is all about making him godlike, rather than trying to do the best, the only, thing he can under horrifying circumstances, which is what's *actually* happening, and does the TARDIS even glow like that inside?), the moment that I found more telling about the Doctor's possibly being different this season is when he tosses off that comment about Quintus: "I thought your son was brilliant, aren't you going to thank him?" Just because it *wasn't* the huge, pivotal scene. Maybe it says more about me than about the Doctor, in that I'm *surprised* by those moments of natural, casual kindness now, after his aloofness from Martha and the clubbiness of the Ten and Rose dynamic (see: Mickey), but--good on you, Doctor. He's actually paying attention to things beyond himself, even beyond the praise that he could give, picking up on the fact that Quintus' *family* needs to tell him that he was brilliant. Much better than "Not her--she'd only hold us up."
Also--is it just me, or does the Doctor only seem to be concerned about the companion's clothes in Victorian episodes? The question comes up in several of the historical eps--Nine makes Rose change; Ten apologizes for Rose's nakedness--but while Shakespeare points out how fitted Martha's clothes are, the Doctor's take on everything to do with fitting *in* is "just walk around like you own the place," and Donna's comment about their clothes being out of place is met with the comment that "anything goes" in supposedly-Rome. Not that I think the writers have any policy on when one has to dress to match one's surroundings (early 20th-c. New York, not so much, but don't you dare show up to a party without black-tie), but it's still a bit odd.
Also--is it just me, or does the Doctor only seem to be concerned about the companion's clothes in Victorian episodes? The question comes up in several of the historical eps--Nine makes Rose change; Ten apologizes for Rose's nakedness--but while Shakespeare points out how fitted Martha's clothes are, the Doctor's take on everything to do with fitting *in* is "just walk around like you own the place," and Donna's comment about their clothes being out of place is met with the comment that "anything goes" in supposedly-Rome. Not that I think the writers have any policy on when one has to dress to match one's surroundings (early 20th-c. New York, not so much, but don't you dare show up to a party without black-tie), but it's still a bit odd.