Unfortunately, there are a lot of spoilers in the comments of this episode. I've mostly been staying away from reading the comments for this episode, which saddens me as I do love to read and reply when I can. When commenting, please can I ask that you don't mention ANYTHING past that particular episode you're commenting on. This includes future companions, doctors, if we will see X again... everything! Spoilers make the experience worse for not only me, but for you too. And I miss out with interacting with the comments to keep myself safe which results in a better viewing experience for you all 😊 My lovely moderators have had to delete a LOT of comments for this episode and it really shouldn't have to be this way. Thank you for your understanding 💜
That's so sad, I've been impressed by the lack of spoilers in the comments thus far. Hopefully people will manage to temper their excitement going forward and be more mindful.
@@julesreacts I don't know if you will see this, Juliette, because of the sad influx of spoilers that make you scared to read comments. However, I noticed that you are trying a new method in this video of keeping the copywrite baddies away. I hope it works and I wanted to let you know that your efforts to keep uploading this show are appreciated!
I hope mine didn't contribute to your problems, being mainly about casting. :( If it did I am so very sorry. Perhaps the issue isn't that people want to ruin things for everyone, rather that this season is so good people are finding it hard to contain their enthusiasm for it. Not that this would make things better....
Makes me wonder if Captain Jack is scamming someone as all this is going on. Though I guess he’d have a different name and blended into Pompeii. Wondering if there’s more than one there.
The Doctor tells Donna he had been to Rome once before, and that he "had nothing to do with that fire." The First Doctor, William Hartnell, visited Rome in The Slave Traders/All Roads Lead to Rome/Conspiracy/Inferno. Episodes originally broadcast in 1965. Although The Doctor did not directly start the fire, he did hold a map a bit too close to an open flame, giving Nero an idea.
donna this episode cemented what a real companion should be. someone who challenges the doctor and keeps him grounded. i’ve never had more respect for any companion than when she says i don’t know who you’re used to travelling with but you’re not going to tell me to shut up. and when she finally understands pompeii has to burn she still stands firm. just. save. someone. this episode is so underrated imo
This episode perfectly capitalises why the 10/Donna dynamic is my favourite out of any TARDIS pairing, because Donna challenges the Doctor instinctually. While all companions do challenge the Doctor, keep him grounded and remind him why he travels the way it does, I don’t think anyone does it as well or as naturally as Donna. To her, saving people isn’t an option or a choice or something you can leave to his spaceman code, it’s what you do because you have the ability and knowledge of how to do it. Her constant berating the Doctor about this point is incessant and no matter how he tries to get her to see the Time Lord view of the universe, she’s not budging. The clash between his big picture view of history and her very personal, on the ground view of the situation is characterised so well and you understand both perspectives perfectly so when the flip happens and it’s the Doctor unwilling to personally cause the deaths of all 20,000 people, it’s Donna who helps him enforce it because the rest of the world is at stake. It’s a tragic, heartbreaking choice but you understand why she accepts it needs to happen, much as both of them are distraught at the consequences of it. And right at the end, as the Time Lord returns to his detached, emotionless view of history, Donna still doesn’t let up and reminds him of why he travels the way he does - to save someone. In a series of consistent bangers like S4, FOP stands out early on as one of the most gripping, powerful and emotional stories of the era.
This is really well put and the whole of S4 is just banger episodes, DT and CT really elevate every episode with their acting, they bounce of each other so well, even the weakest episode "Unicorn and The Wasp" is well done because of their chemistry.
It was so nice to finally put the 'will they/won't they' romance dynamic behind us and finally have a full season of The Doctor and a companion who actually challenges/fights him on his decisions. It's what makes this the best season of Doctor Who ever.
@@mayotango1317as someone who's seen the majority of the classic series, no companion defined the doctor as much as Donna. The only ones that even came close were Susan, Sarah Jane and Ace. Even then, none of them effected the doctor as a person as much as Donna.
This is a perfect example of why Donna is the best of all the new companions. She reminds him that he changes things in his travels all the time. And to stop pontificating about the rules he always breaks and just make a choice to do the right thing because he can. God I love Donna Noble.
I love Donna so much this episode. Her insistence that the Doctor save SOMEONE, that the fixed point doesn't mean EVERYONE has to die, and she's right. It's beautiful, and it's something both she and the Doctor needed that day. But even more, I love her willingness beforehand to set the volcano off WITH the Doctor so he doesn't bear that burden alone. It's a monumental crime for the sake of the greater good that she commits with him for the sake of friendship, so it's easier for the Doctor. And she doesn't hesitate, and she does it out of compassion. Donna earns my respect forever for that.
It also mirrors a scene from The Day Of The Doctor (with The Moment- you know the one (hopefully- trying to avoid spoilers)). The Doctor is reliving the scene alone and Donna snaps him out of it. Not only that, but shares half the burden of the lives of Pompeii. I love her- Donna and The Doctor are truly soulmates (emphasis on 'mates', as they are entirely platonic lol)
Ten definitely needed Donna in his life. They have the best friendship. And Donna is just so good at making the Doctor realize things he wouldn't see otherwise.
I don’t know why I never really noticed this line until watching this reaction video. I’ve watched the episode several times before but this line never registered in my head!!
"I'll tell you where the wind's blowing right now, mate." 😂 I adore Donna. Also, one of my favorite lines from Ten: "I love not knowing. Keeps me on my toes."
The trope that the Tardis always seems to coincidentally end up at a time of trouble goes all the way back to the beginning, and generally creates the feeling the Tardis really goes where the Doctor needs to be rather than where he wants to be!
Donna Noble = Woman Noble (Noble Woman), and her name is truly reflective of who she is. She's my favourite companion because as well as being utterly hilarious she has a strong moral compass that is presented in an authentic way. She has a lot to teach The Doctor, and vice versa; they're such an excellent pair. Doctor Who really gave Catherine Tate the opportunity to show her range and talent to a wider audience; she was primarily known as a comedian with her own very popular sketch show before Who. My god, though, her ability to portray serious, emotional content is superb! I'm not surprised you're crying! 💛
17:51 "Why am I crying so much when watching Dr Who?" C'mon Jules - you're not a newbie anymore - you've known since "Dalek"/"Father's Day" in season 1 that DW delivers at least a couple heart-punches a season... If Donna winds up your favorite companion you'll have a lot of company (myself included.)
Calling the Tardis modern art is a reference to a classic storyline featuring Tom Baker as the 4th Doctor where it materialised in an art museum and critics started discussing it's merits as a work of modern art.
This is one of my favourite episodes of the whole show! It's epic, tragic, but not without hope, as while The Doctor cannot prevent the thousands of deaths of those in Pompeii, he can at least save a few people, and that still matters. It's also where it really hit me for the first time just how *good* of an actress Catherine Tate is. She puts on an acting masterclass as Donna in this show, and in this episode especially! The scene where she convinces The Doctor to go back is brilliant! I *LOVE* that we have a companion who is completely unafraid to challenge The Doctor, but I love even more that she's willing to shoulder the burden of destroying Pompeii to save the world with him. I've been to Pompeii, as well as visiting Herculaneum (another town destroyed by the eruption) and the summit of Vesuvius, and it's quite a trip - couldn't recommend it enough! I definitely thought of this story at least once while I was there. One more fun fact: The family in this one - Caecillius, his wife Metella, and their children Quintus and Evelina are all characters from the Cambridge Latin Course textbooks! I used to attend Latin lessons after school for fun when I was in Middle School, so I was amused when I realised they'd reused the names in this episode! Peter Capaldi who plays Caecillius is also great! A very memorable actor!
Perhaps The Doctor was remembering what Mr Copper said in Voyage of the Damned, "But if you could choose, Doctor, if you could decide who lives and who dies... that would make you a monster."
This episode was a gateway to get my mom watching Doctor Who. Caecilius and his family were characters in the Cambridge Latin textbooks she used in school (though they made a few changes for this episode).
Donna is one of my favorite companions. She's incredibly brave (for example, being laid out on an altar for sacrifice and quipping back with the Doctor) and aggressively compassionate. No powers, no extraordinary skills, but fastest temp in Chiswick. One of the themes I love in Doctor Who is the ordinary folks that join him on his adventures learn just how powerful they really are.
The chemistry between the Doctor and Donna is amazing. True friends, with a lot of bickering but a true connection - you're gonna love it. Brilliant episode this, with more insight into what the Doctor can and can't do, and a lot going on under the surface. Doctor Who has always played with your emotions, even at the risk of portraying him in a bad light at times, but always, ironically, human. He is not a perfect hero, and that is part of the strength of the show. Keep 'em coming Jules.
It's not a spoiler, but the seer with the red hair that was following the Doctor and Donna actually ends up being a Marvel character in the in Guardians of the Galaxy. Her name is Karen Gillian, and she plays Nebula.
This one was actually the very first episode I saw, and it’d be a really great one for anyone to start with. It’s got the Doctor explaining things about traveling in the TARDIS like the Translation thing and, of course, the rules of time travel; it’s got aliens mixed with history; it’s got Donna Noble being Donna Noble; and it’s got the Doctor being quintessentially the Doctor. Love it.
@@julesreacts I did have a good time, though the Rain Gods had followed me from Britain and the rain poured down all day! (And the next day, when I went to the Colosseum!) It was interesting to walk in the footsteps of the Doctor - but, hey. I live near London so I'm walking in his footsteps all the time! 😉
I'm afraid almostevery episode I'd expect to cry, very few non emotional episodes this season. Happy, sad, maddening, some of the darkest and most powerful I think!! Can't wait to watch em with you ❤
Donna is definitely one of my top 2 companions. I didn't even like Catherine Tate when she was cast. She had a comedy show here in the UK, which did nothing for me at all when it was first broadcast. But she was so good as Donna Noble that she grew on me to the point where I even started enjoying her show. If you haven't already seen/heard of it, look for clips on RUclips. She has so much range!
I just adore this episode Jules. So much humour and emotion. Catherine Tate is fantastic, and the moment she places her hands on the plunger to share The Doctor's burden, is the moment she became my favourite companion. Every companion has an episode where they prove their worth, and this is Donna's. Loved your reaction Jules, as always.
I think its quite unnerving that some bodies in Pompeii have been found completely covered in the remnants of the Volcano eruption fully in tact full of thick ash. Eventually the bodies would decay away but the shapes were kept of the people in their final moments. Mt Vesuvius has erupted many more times since with the last one being a mini one in 1944 and scientists think its overdue for another one. This episode has some good performances and this episode was recorded at Cinecittà Studios in Rome and even reused some of the sets from the TV series Rome which is cool if you have seen it. Some other scenes were also filmed in Wales and Malta which are very different locations lol. It was also the first episode filmed abroad since the 1996 movie
If you accept that Doctor Who novels and audio dramas took place in the same continuity as the TV show, then there are at least 3 Doctors all having their own adventures in Pompeii during the events of this episode, 2 Seventh Doctors and 1 Tenth Doctor, additionally, there's potentially a few Captain Jacks around the place
This is such an incredible episode and one of my favourites of Season Four, which is saying a lot. When it first aired I was actually studying Pompeii and Herculaneum (another city destroyed by Vesuvius) for Ancient History in high school, so I was extra excited by this episode. I even tried to convince my teacher to let us watch it in class. 😆 Right off the bat you can see how Donna's relationship with the Doctor is different to the previous New Who companions, and both Tennant and Tate give phenomenal performances in the final act. Fun fact: The Doctor's joke about not starting the Fire of Rome, is a reference to the First Doctor story, 'The Romans'. There, the Doctor accidentally gave Nero the idea to burn Rome to the ground. Whoops!
This show will make you laugh, make you cry, make you scream, make you hide behind the sofa and make you dance around the room. That's why we love it and we love that you're loving it too, Great episode, great reaction, Jules.
You're catching me up on my re-watch. I watched this recently thinking it was a fairly middle episode but the power and angst in the ending with Donna screaming to save the family brought me to floods of tears. Genius writing and performance.
I think the people of Pompeii could've done with some REALLY sturdy umbrellas! I'm glad that Donna is growing on you and you're starting to like her already. She's my favourite companion of NuWho. And I agree, it's refreshing to see no romantic attatchment or subplot, just friends on an andventure together.
this impeccable episode! it perfectly introduces shows off the dynamic with 10/Donna and her difference as a companion to challenge him at every turn and win ugh sooo good! YES DONNA BEING A FAV
In keeping with the Doctor being involved in historical events, there was a casually uttered line about the Ninth Doctor clinging to an iceberg after the Titanic mishap, which is now canon as having been caused by hia future self. Wibbly wobbly timey wimey goodness.
The Verity podcast (a great Doctor Who podcast) often describe Russell T Davies scripts as "ripping out your heart and setting fire to it..." RTD is very good at putting us through the emotional ringer... Glad you are enjoying the journey.
As I said before Donna is exactly what he needs, she knows when to push him and when to reign him in. The problem the doctor has is he knows the consequences of changing history, he probably knew the family wouldn't have an impact on future events so he took a chance and saved them.
If you're at all interested in seeing it, its the fourth serial of the second season of classic who, called The Romans. The first Doctor visits Rome and gets confused for a famous lyre player and then gets introduced to Nero. Hijinks ensue. It's pretty fun and definitely one of my favorites from the first Doctor's run.
Shoutout to amazing (and unfortunately necessary) moderators - Buffy and Dr Who both seem to have a bunch of extreme fanatics who struggle to let people enjoy the journey themselves. I totally get it, but I'd hate to prevent someone the joy of discovering a twist or plot throwback for the first time. I think classic Who references are acceptable though imho - 60-year-old spoilers aren't really spoilers and quite often fill in the blanks for younger/non-UK viewers who may not get some references. Thanks for the reactions, Jules, excited for more as always and fingers crossed the new format helps with the copyright police!
Two faces in this episode are worth remembering. Well, other than Tennant and Tate. In Los Angeles I used to go to the Getty Villa. Different than the now more famous Getty Museum. The Villa is a reconstructed villa from Herculaneum that was buried, intact, but the same eruption. It is perched on a hill in Malibu overlooking the ocean. It is one of my favorite places on earth. If I could choose a home to live in, it would be the Getty Villa. I have visited several volcanoes around the world. A couple in Japan, a couple in the US, one in Greece (got engaged overlooking that volcano)...Never went to Pompeii though.
Its pretty hard to get me to like episodes about Rome in anything but Doctor Who does it. Also wow. The sparkles and watermarks. Looks very nice. I hope it works. I want you to take a moment and think about The Doctor's senses. The man can can feel the rotation and orbit of the earth. Not only that but he can sense fixed and fluctuating points in time. Also what's really amazing is this is an episode about foresight and the amount of planned and unplanned foreshadowing is off the charts. Can't wait to see more reactions. Especially for a particular favorite.
Being serious here, Pompeii is a pretty cool place to visit. One of the houses still has some intact pictures on the walls. Then you look closer to what is depicted, and you realize that you are in the town brothel, with the pictures showing the specialty of the room.
There is something incredibly beautiful to me how of all the things to survive a tragedy, to survive the fog of ages, it's humanity's desire to be a bunch of horny freaks.
Hi Jules, one of the things I loved about Dr. Who back in the very beginning (Classic Who), was the fact that historical events would be interwoven in some stories. If or when you react to Classic Who, you will come across several such historical occurrences. They potentially give alternate explanations for those events which are a fun thought. :)
Donna Noble is a legend of a companion. Once they firmly established that there wasn't going to be some kind of romantic element to their relationship it really set the tone and allowed for something great.
Your reactions make me just so happy. I love watching you getting the joy that I did when watching through this show the first time. Never change girly
18:07 Yeah. Like I said to you back in Season 2... Tennant's run is really hard as it goes on. A lot of fans were not happy when he left, of course, but... I think, when that time does come, it was the right time. Chris had the angst of the time war, but Tennant really carried it, and suffered with reflections of it, whether its in the Series 3 two parter, or The Master, or killing off the Ragnoss, or here... He keeps getting smacked in the face with the trauma of making that hideous choice. and his catchphrase very rapidly has become "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." How many times has he said that so far? It's beautiful tragedy, and any time I see a first timer watching those early episodes in season 2 and they fall so in love with Tennant, I actually get a little wet in the eyes. That romantic period is so fleeting... But that's quite like love in real life isn't it?
This is a seriously undervalued episode. That scene with Lucius Dextrus and Evelina trying to out-soothsay one another is fantastic. I love how much you've become invested in this show! 😊
"Water can boil!" I wish I can scream to people like that, just with the exact quote. XD Also, the line ""It's not fair" by Donna, I have use that line countless of time everytime I see a tragic that happened when I was other TV Shows... the sad tone of "it's not fair..." makes me realise how great Catherine Tate is~
So many people seemed to dislike Donna in The Runaway Bride, finding her too abrasive and shouty, and were dubious about her returning as the companion. But I feel this episode in particular put all those doubts and concerns to rest. Yes, she’s prepared to challenge and argue with the Doctor, which I find really refreshing by the way, but she also demonstrates exceptional compassion and relatability. Catherine Tate’s performance here is outstanding, and shows just what a talented and wide-ranging actor she is. You’re not alone in thinking she could be your favorite companion, and I can only say your appreciation of her is likely to only increase as the series progresses. Believe me, expect much laughter, but also the potential for flooding tears. Keep those tissues handy!
perhaps the first historical episode that's not about fantasy adventure or a kind of meeting your idol thingy (like with Madame De Pompadour, Queen Victoria and Shakespeare) and it doesn't just capture the weight of the actual tragedy, but makes the doctor feel that weight as well, without jokes or attempting to lighten it or make it less serious. It's heartbreaking but I also kinda found it epic
I love the way the Romans are portrayed. It can seem at times they have imposed some modern things onto the Romans, such as the father not wanting his daughter to go out wearing the latest fashion, but there are some wonderful surviving documents, well tablets, that go all the way back to ancient Babylon, in which a father for example complains he pays a fortune for his sons' education, and all his son seems to do is sneak out school to hang out with his mates in the marketplace. The ancient Babylonian equivalent of hanging out at the Mall. Technology changes, society changes, people it seems, don't. And this episode rather nicely encapsulates that relatable human quality to the Romans.
This is the episode that completely sold me on Donna, I liked her before in the Christmas special, but I knew this character was something special after this. Catherine Tate is such a great actress, not just comedy but her dramatic acting.
Sometimes the doctor needs someone to tell him to stop, but sometimes he needs someone to tell him to go. Donna is, in my opinion, the best companion of all at both.
Early in most of RTD's seasons tended to be fluffy. And made it look like S4 would have been as well. And I don't think that's a bad thing. But then Fires of Pompeii happened and... Showed we were getting something else this season. My only thoughts about the episode I can't go into until later in your journey. Remind me later if no one beats me too them.
Donna is my favourite companion and many other people's for good reason. The characters counterbalance each other and Donna's humanity helps bring out his better side. I like that shedoesn't automatically defer to him or worship him like so many companions. She's also very funny. When Catherine Tate was first cast, people mostly saw her comedic potential. However this episode shows what an excellent dramatic actress she is; the scene where she pleads with him to save someone brings me to tears everytime. The chemistry between David Tennant and Catherine Tate is wonderful; they are the best doctor/companion pairing IMHO.
The first doctor episode “The Romans” is a fun watch (even with its old time TV pacing). He had nothing to do with the great fire of Rome. Well, a little bit. :D. This was a good episode. And yes… doctor who has you laughing one minute and crying the next.
Your reactions bring me so much joy!! I’m so glad you’re watching and enjoying this series. Been watching your reactions since ‘Rose’ & will support you all the way 😊
That scene with Donna and The Doctor in the Tardis was brilliant. Tates acting was amazing there. This episode prove you cannot save every one but you can just save a family even in a fix point in time. Remember this episode because it becomes important later in the show.
Fantastic it's more Doctor Who and he's in ancient Pompeii when the volcano is about to erupt, this is going to be a very good episode thanks my friend Juliette.🇦🇺🙀🙀🇦🇺
This is a really interesting episode with how it explores the laws of time that the Doctor is bound by and how much it limits what he can do to save people sometimes, as well as Donna being very effective as a companion in challenging him and trying to be his moral compass, demonstrating why the Doctor needs someone. It was fun to have a little nod to a First Doctor story where he did play a role in accidentally giving the emperor Nero the idea to burn down Rome, with the TARDIS being treated as art being a call-back to a brief scene in a Fourth Doctor story. I guess by this point they felt able to start throwing in a few nods to old stories like that. I'm glad you like Donna so much. She might be my favourite companion from the revival, and as you pointed out it's nice that there isn't a romantic element this time. Even to this day she still stands out among female companions for not having anything of that nature with the doctor instead being friends who bicker good-naturedly and challenge each other. She has quite a story arc as well but obviously I'll have to let you discover for yourself what that means.
And with that scene as well, it just make you wonder how long can Donna last with The Doctor. She now know that this life with The Doctor is not all fun and game.
This has to be nod to the Fourth Doctor story The City of Death (by some little-known writer called Douglas Adams) where John Cleese and Eleanor Bron mistake the TARDIS for an artwork the Louvre.
I didn't particularly like the idea of Donna as a companion when the Doctor invited her in The Runaway Bride. But the two remain my favorite pairing. What a great follow up to the start of the series.
Fun fact: Caecilius and his family are partially based on real people who lived in Pompeii (though a few years before the volcano), but a lot of their characterisation is taken from the Cambridge Latin Course, a series of Latin textbooks for kids.
Ok, I've thought about it, and I've officially adopted you as my Doctor Who companion, and I won't take "No" for an answer !!! You are just an awesome, enjoyable reactor to watch, in general, but on this particular series ... the best !!! Now that we've gotten that out of the way, this was a great episode, showing all sorts of different things going on, and you were so funny, yet affected. I think the pair are a great couple together (well, not "TOGETHER"), and Donna is a blast !!! I've been busy doing other things and I'm trying to get caught up now, but things do pile up. I really like Donna, and it was great to see her take her character out for a stretch and show off her bossy and caring sides. She's makes for a great character and she is a great actress. Can't wait for you to see what's next 🤗🤗💕💕👍👍.
@@julesreacts You couldn't shake me off with a stick !!! I love your reactions !!! I just have limited time, and a few other reactors that I watch, so I have to be targeted on what I dive in to, but you are ALWAYS top in my list and I get excited when I see you post a new reaction. You do such a great job ... Ok, enough of that ... on with the show !!! 🤗💕🌹
I agree about the sexualisation of the Doctor, it was never like that in the original era you will be glad to know, and while I loved Rose, it works best with companions as platonic, the Doctor is a god-like alien after all. As I said before he sees his favourite humans in the way we see cats, and that must be good. It still gets better.
One of my series 4 faves this one. They'd already been subtly shifting Donna from her (IMO) slightly annoying start in "The Runaway Bride" but here, when she puts her hand on 10's to press the button together, with that one act she pretty much cemented her place as one of my favourite companions. (as she says, she's not a kid so though the _scale_ is vastly different, just like the Doctor she's lived a life, had her knocks and disappointments and so understands _some_ of how 10 feels. With previous companions there's been a sort of paternal, hero worship aspect to the dynamic but these two are more like squabbling siblings and i'm totally here for it :)
Hello, Jules.💜 A very late entry from me, once again. I continue to find it amusing that so many disliked Donna, in Runaway Bride, because she was abrasive. But they love her companion return - where I think it may be argued... she can be just as abrasive. I have liked her a along. Rose was so often very pouty/possessive, Martha was mopey and feeling sorry for herself. Donna makes sure the Doctor knows when she is bothered - and she is quite often bothered, mainly, as she is here, with the way the Doctor works, the things he accepts things as given.😅 She challenges the Doctor, often, keeping him on his toes, and, being a comedy natural, she is often quite funny.🤣 People will suggest you pay attention to the clues... but, when viewing for a first time, you cannot know what's a clue, and what isn't. They forget that one can only recognize its cluehood after seeing the referenced thing itself. They are so very happy to hop in and giggle behind their hand at clever little words, phrases, and quotes, or, in the worst case, actual answers, often way in advance, so the cleverness of the ruination can be savored by them for a longer time period. And really all this poking and prodding, and revealing gives you absolutely no credit for actually being able to pay attention to the episodes, and recall past events, whilst put together possibilities for yourself. Watching you enjoy an episode, and updating us with your "first-time" emotions, thoughts, predictions, and possibilities, are the best part of reaction videos - as it should be. One cannot truly recapture the first time feeling watching a reactor who has all pertinent facets of the series spoiled (some again, and again with glee, giggles, and oh look at me, I'm just really Enthusiastic)🙄 I wish you less spoilers, as this series continues, so you can return to the comment section without fear of having the next, 3rd from the last, all of series 5, or whatever down the road, episodes ruined, by "ethusiasticity" 🤔 Okay, I just hadn't stood on my milk crate for a while... I'm putting it away now.🤭 Great episode, lots of good moments and you Laughed! So how could that not be fun and very enjoyable. 🥰 Have a great Thursday evening, Jules,💜🤗💜 and I very much look forward to your next. Give a pat and a treat to all your crew - enjoy! Oh, I almost forgot. I honestly said to myself (aloud) - "I don't remember all the sparkles in this episode before. how could I have missed t... oh, I see..."🤣 A great effort at taking it to the BBC! Well done You!🙌🥰
Tom 💜😸 Ah, I love the way your mind works! It is difficult to look out for clues, like a tiny flash of a poster of Mr Saxon, when it's a first time viewing. That's what makes it so fun to re-watch and pick up on things missed previously. I have actually found something recurring but I don't know if it's a thing. Donna has mentioned bees disappearing twice but I don't know and (more importantly) don't want to know if it's a thing. Why can't we just watch and enjoy one episode at a time 🤔 what a concept! I don't use the sparkles again, though personally I like sparkles 🤣 I'll keep experimenting, but I think just the logo in it works well enough. I just am tired of having to deal with re-uploading episodes that have already been published. I don't mind as much if they haven't yet gone out to the public, but otherwise I just worry it's annoying for everyone. Dear Tom, do try and enjoy your weekend. Get some ear plugs. Sit back and enjoy the show 🤣💜
Thank you Jules, I shall try that out.💜 And if the Beeb continues to dog you, maybe strengthen and fade, the logo over the picture. The logo itslef seems to work for a few other channels I checked, to research a bit how they were doing it.
Its a recurring theme that the companions will notice the tardis translation when visiting Rome . Aliens speaking english goes with out notice , a conversation eith gengis kahn goes without notice. I guess they just instinctively know romans spoke latin and they should not understand them
Unfortunately, there are a lot of spoilers in the comments of this episode. I've mostly been staying away from reading the comments for this episode, which saddens me as I do love to read and reply when I can.
When commenting, please can I ask that you don't mention ANYTHING past that particular episode you're commenting on. This includes future companions, doctors, if we will see X again... everything! Spoilers make the experience worse for not only me, but for you too. And I miss out with interacting with the comments to keep myself safe which results in a better viewing experience for you all 😊 My lovely moderators have had to delete a LOT of comments for this episode and it really shouldn't have to be this way.
Thank you for your understanding 💜
That's so sad, I've been impressed by the lack of spoilers in the comments thus far. Hopefully people will manage to temper their excitement going forward and be more mindful.
I'm lucky to have people that delete them before I can see 💜 It IS sad! Maybe a few reminders like this one and we'll be back on track again 😊
@@julesreacts I don't know if you will see this, Juliette, because of the sad influx of spoilers that make you scared to read comments. However, I noticed that you are trying a new method in this video of keeping the copywrite baddies away. I hope it works and I wanted to let you know that your efforts to keep uploading this show are appreciated!
I hope mine didn't contribute to your problems, being mainly about casting. :( If it did I am so very sorry. Perhaps the issue isn't that people want to ruin things for everyone, rather that this season is so good people are finding it hard to contain their enthusiasm for it. Not that this would make things better....
And even in this pinned request, up pops the "enthusiasm" excuse. Spoiling only showcases enthusiasm for Spoiling.
“Pompeii’s nice if you want to make a vacation of it, but you’ve gotta set your alarm for *volcano day.”*
- Captain Jack, The Doctor Dances.
Thanks for saving me the trouble of leaving a very similar comment. :D
Makes me wonder if Captain Jack is scamming someone as all this is going on. Though I guess he’d have a different name and blended into Pompeii. Wondering if there’s more than one there.
The Doctor tells Donna he had been to Rome once before, and that he "had nothing to do with that fire." The First Doctor, William Hartnell, visited Rome in The Slave Traders/All Roads Lead to Rome/Conspiracy/Inferno. Episodes originally broadcast in 1965. Although The Doctor did not directly start the fire, he did hold a map a bit too close to an open flame, giving Nero an idea.
He didn’t start the fire,
It was always burning…
That story bothers me in one aspect; they make Nero a balding overweight middle-aged man.
He was a gangly redhead who died in his thirties.
@@joeb918
You are evol! I can't get the tune out of my head now.
He’s also been to Rome in the form of David Tennant with Rose in The Stone Rose
@@CorlwowI love that story! One of the few DW novels I've really enjoyed.
donna this episode cemented what a real companion should be. someone who challenges the doctor and keeps him grounded. i’ve never had more respect for any companion than when she says i don’t know who you’re used to travelling with but you’re not going to tell me to shut up. and when she finally understands pompeii has to burn she still stands firm.
just. save. someone.
this episode is so underrated imo
This episode perfectly capitalises why the 10/Donna dynamic is my favourite out of any TARDIS pairing, because Donna challenges the Doctor instinctually. While all companions do challenge the Doctor, keep him grounded and remind him why he travels the way it does, I don’t think anyone does it as well or as naturally as Donna. To her, saving people isn’t an option or a choice or something you can leave to his spaceman code, it’s what you do because you have the ability and knowledge of how to do it. Her constant berating the Doctor about this point is incessant and no matter how he tries to get her to see the Time Lord view of the universe, she’s not budging. The clash between his big picture view of history and her very personal, on the ground view of the situation is characterised so well and you understand both perspectives perfectly so when the flip happens and it’s the Doctor unwilling to personally cause the deaths of all 20,000 people, it’s Donna who helps him enforce it because the rest of the world is at stake. It’s a tragic, heartbreaking choice but you understand why she accepts it needs to happen, much as both of them are distraught at the consequences of it. And right at the end, as the Time Lord returns to his detached, emotionless view of history, Donna still doesn’t let up and reminds him of why he travels the way he does - to save someone.
In a series of consistent bangers like S4, FOP stands out early on as one of the most gripping, powerful and emotional stories of the era.
This is really well put and the whole of S4 is just banger episodes, DT and CT really elevate every episode with their acting, they bounce of each other so well, even the weakest episode "Unicorn and The Wasp" is well done because of their chemistry.
I see what you did there 10/Donna nice dodge
@@mayotango1317 not to the extend Donna does.
It was so nice to finally put the 'will they/won't they' romance dynamic behind us and finally have a full season of The Doctor and a companion who actually challenges/fights him on his decisions. It's what makes this the best season of Doctor Who ever.
@@mayotango1317as someone who's seen the majority of the classic series, no companion defined the doctor as much as Donna. The only ones that even came close were Susan, Sarah Jane and Ace. Even then, none of them effected the doctor as a person as much as Donna.
This is a perfect example of why Donna is the best of all the new companions. She reminds him that he changes things in his travels all the time. And to stop pontificating about the rules he always breaks and just make a choice to do the right thing because he can. God I love Donna Noble.
I adore her 💜
I love Donna so much this episode. Her insistence that the Doctor save SOMEONE, that the fixed point doesn't mean EVERYONE has to die, and she's right. It's beautiful, and it's something both she and the Doctor needed that day.
But even more, I love her willingness beforehand to set the volcano off WITH the Doctor so he doesn't bear that burden alone. It's a monumental crime for the sake of the greater good that she commits with him for the sake of friendship, so it's easier for the Doctor. And she doesn't hesitate, and she does it out of compassion. Donna earns my respect forever for that.
100% agreed - that scene, when Donna helps carry the Doctor's guilt and burden, totally made her my no. 1 ever companion of nu-Who.
It also mirrors a scene from The Day Of The Doctor (with The Moment- you know the one (hopefully- trying to avoid spoilers)). The Doctor is reliving the scene alone and Donna snaps him out of it. Not only that, but shares half the burden of the lives of Pompeii. I love her- Donna and The Doctor are truly soulmates (emphasis on 'mates', as they are entirely platonic lol)
Ten definitely needed Donna in his life. They have the best friendship. And Donna is just so good at making the Doctor realize things he wouldn't see otherwise.
6:13 "And you, Daughter of London. There is something on your back."
I don’t know why I never really noticed this line until watching this reaction video. I’ve watched the episode several times before but this line never registered in my head!!
"I'll tell you where the wind's blowing right now, mate." 😂 I adore Donna.
Also, one of my favorite lines from Ten: "I love not knowing. Keeps me on my toes."
Her lines are SO GOOD 🤣🤣
@@julesreacts you have no idea. 😁
The trope that the Tardis always seems to coincidentally end up at a time of trouble goes all the way back to the beginning, and generally creates the feeling the Tardis really goes where the Doctor needs to be rather than where he wants to be!
I love Donna so much. Every Doctor has a defining companion and I know some would choose Rose for the Tenth Doctor but, for me, it'll always be Donna.
You can choose both if Rose can define 9...
Donna.
Donna Noble = Woman Noble (Noble Woman), and her name is truly reflective of who she is.
She's my favourite companion because as well as being utterly hilarious she has a strong moral compass that is presented in an authentic way. She has a lot to teach The Doctor, and vice versa; they're such an excellent pair.
Doctor Who really gave Catherine Tate the opportunity to show her range and talent to a wider audience; she was primarily known as a comedian with her own very popular sketch show before Who. My god, though, her ability to portray serious, emotional content is superb! I'm not surprised you're crying! 💛
17:51 "Why am I crying so much when watching Dr Who?"
C'mon Jules - you're not a newbie anymore - you've known since "Dalek"/"Father's Day" in season 1 that DW delivers at least a couple heart-punches a season...
If Donna winds up your favorite companion you'll have a lot of company (myself included.)
My top three are Clara, Donna and Ace.
Mine are Donna, Ace, & River, but I do also love Clara!
Calling the Tardis modern art is a reference to a classic storyline featuring Tom Baker as the 4th Doctor where it materialised in an art museum and critics started discussing it's merits as a work of modern art.
My favourite story ever, 'City of Death'. Nice catch!
It was John Clease from Fawlty Towers and it was in the Luve in the episode the City of Death.
Both at the beginning and at the end before it dematerialised.
@@TheZebbgaLouvre
@@cornparade6874 I figured I had probably spelled it wrong but I didn't care enough to look it up.
This is one of my favourite episodes of the whole show! It's epic, tragic, but not without hope, as while The Doctor cannot prevent the thousands of deaths of those in Pompeii, he can at least save a few people, and that still matters.
It's also where it really hit me for the first time just how *good* of an actress Catherine Tate is. She puts on an acting masterclass as Donna in this show, and in this episode especially! The scene where she convinces The Doctor to go back is brilliant! I *LOVE* that we have a companion who is completely unafraid to challenge The Doctor, but I love even more that she's willing to shoulder the burden of destroying Pompeii to save the world with him.
I've been to Pompeii, as well as visiting Herculaneum (another town destroyed by the eruption) and the summit of Vesuvius, and it's quite a trip - couldn't recommend it enough! I definitely thought of this story at least once while I was there.
One more fun fact: The family in this one - Caecillius, his wife Metella, and their children Quintus and Evelina are all characters from the Cambridge Latin Course textbooks! I used to attend Latin lessons after school for fun when I was in Middle School, so I was amused when I realised they'd reused the names in this episode!
Peter Capaldi who plays Caecillius is also great! A very memorable actor!
Perhaps The Doctor was remembering what Mr Copper said in Voyage of the Damned, "But if you could choose, Doctor, if you could decide who lives and who dies... that would make you a monster."
This episode was a gateway to get my mom watching Doctor Who. Caecilius and his family were characters in the Cambridge Latin textbooks she used in school (though they made a few changes for this episode).
Donna is one of my favorite companions. She's incredibly brave (for example, being laid out on an altar for sacrifice and quipping back with the Doctor) and aggressively compassionate. No powers, no extraordinary skills, but fastest temp in Chiswick. One of the themes I love in Doctor Who is the ordinary folks that join him on his adventures learn just how powerful they really are.
I love Donna. I ADORE Donna. She is the absolute best, and my favourite ever companion.
The chemistry between the Doctor and Donna is amazing. True friends, with a lot of bickering but a true connection - you're gonna love it. Brilliant episode this, with more insight into what the Doctor can and can't do, and a lot going on under the surface.
Doctor Who has always played with your emotions, even at the risk of portraying him in a bad light at times, but always, ironically, human. He is not a perfect hero, and that is part of the strength of the show. Keep 'em coming Jules.
It helps that David Tennant and Catherine Tate are best friends in real life. They have been even since before getting these roles.
It's not a spoiler, but the seer with the red hair that was following the Doctor and Donna actually ends up being a Marvel character in the in Guardians of the Galaxy. Her name is Karen Gillian, and she plays Nebula.
This one was actually the very first episode I saw, and it’d be a really great one for anyone to start with. It’s got the Doctor explaining things about traveling in the TARDIS like the Translation thing and, of course, the rules of time travel; it’s got aliens mixed with history; it’s got Donna Noble being Donna Noble; and it’s got the Doctor being quintessentially the Doctor. Love it.
I was in Pompeii two weeks ago, and kept thinking, 'It's only two weeks until Jules meets Volcano Day'!
Oh wow, that is SUPER awesome! I hope you had a great time exploring, Mark (if you were there for pleasure!) 💜
@@julesreacts I did have a good time, though the Rain Gods had followed me from Britain and the rain poured down all day! (And the next day, when I went to the Colosseum!)
It was interesting to walk in the footsteps of the Doctor - but, hey. I live near London so I'm walking in his footsteps all the time! 😉
Do you ever visit Cardiff? I think he visits there a lot 🤣
@@julesreacts 😃😃
You're going to need those tissues a LOT this season! It is a masterpiece.
I'm afraid almostevery episode I'd expect to cry, very few non emotional episodes this season. Happy, sad, maddening, some of the darkest and most powerful I think!! Can't wait to watch em with you ❤
Donna is definitely one of my top 2 companions.
I didn't even like Catherine Tate when she was cast. She had a comedy show here in the UK, which did nothing for me at all when it was first broadcast. But she was so good as Donna Noble that she grew on me to the point where I even started enjoying her show. If you haven't already seen/heard of it, look for clips on RUclips. She has so much range!
I just adore this episode Jules. So much humour and emotion. Catherine Tate is fantastic, and the moment she places her hands on the plunger to share The Doctor's burden, is the moment she became my favourite companion. Every companion has an episode where they prove their worth, and this is Donna's. Loved your reaction Jules, as always.
Some day we’re gonna tell you to come back and re-watch this episode.
I think its quite unnerving that some bodies in Pompeii have been found completely covered in the remnants of the Volcano eruption fully in tact full of thick ash. Eventually the bodies would decay away but the shapes were kept of the people in their final moments. Mt Vesuvius has erupted many more times since with the last one being a mini one in 1944 and scientists think its overdue for another one.
This episode has some good performances and this episode was recorded at Cinecittà Studios in Rome and even reused some of the sets from the TV series Rome which is cool if you have seen it. Some other scenes were also filmed in Wales and Malta which are very different locations lol. It was also the first episode filmed abroad since the 1996 movie
If you accept that Doctor Who novels and audio dramas took place in the same continuity as the TV show, then there are at least 3 Doctors all having their own adventures in Pompeii during the events of this episode, 2 Seventh Doctors and 1 Tenth Doctor, additionally, there's potentially a few Captain Jacks around the place
This is such an incredible episode and one of my favourites of Season Four, which is saying a lot. When it first aired I was actually studying Pompeii and Herculaneum (another city destroyed by Vesuvius) for Ancient History in high school, so I was extra excited by this episode. I even tried to convince my teacher to let us watch it in class. 😆
Right off the bat you can see how Donna's relationship with the Doctor is different to the previous New Who companions, and both Tennant and Tate give phenomenal performances in the final act.
Fun fact: The Doctor's joke about not starting the Fire of Rome, is a reference to the First Doctor story, 'The Romans'. There, the Doctor accidentally gave Nero the idea to burn Rome to the ground. Whoops!
I love this show because this one episode in early S4 ties into a separate episode in S9 in such a perfect way.
This show will make you laugh, make you cry, make you scream, make you hide behind the sofa and make you dance around the room. That's why we love it and we love that you're loving it too, Great episode, great reaction, Jules.
It's.... perfect. Just perfect 💜
You're catching me up on my re-watch. I watched this recently thinking it was a fairly middle episode but the power and angst in the ending with Donna screaming to save the family brought me to floods of tears. Genius writing and performance.
This episode was when I knew Donna was a top tier companion.
I think the people of Pompeii could've done with some REALLY sturdy umbrellas!
I'm glad that Donna is growing on you and you're starting to like her already. She's my favourite companion of NuWho. And I agree, it's refreshing to see no romantic attatchment or subplot, just friends on an andventure together.
this impeccable episode! it perfectly introduces shows off the dynamic with 10/Donna and her difference as a companion to challenge him at every turn and win ugh sooo good! YES DONNA BEING A FAV
My necessities when watching Dr who, drinks, snacks, box of tissues.... I've watched this episode so many times, tears every time at the end....
In keeping with the Doctor being involved in historical events, there was a casually uttered line about the Ninth Doctor clinging to an iceberg after the Titanic mishap, which is now canon as having been caused by hia future self. Wibbly wobbly timey wimey goodness.
Tears are perfectly natural with many episodes of Dr Who. I had some when I watched this episode too.
The Verity podcast (a great Doctor Who podcast) often describe Russell T Davies scripts as "ripping out your heart and setting fire to it..." RTD is very good at putting us through the emotional ringer...
Glad you are enjoying the journey.
Dona is such a great companion. I'm glad you're having a good time with this show
As I said before Donna is exactly what he needs, she knows when to push him and when to reign him in.
The problem the doctor has is he knows the consequences of changing history, he probably knew the family wouldn't have an impact on future events so he took a chance and saved them.
In classic who the Doctor actually indirectly gave Nero Ceaser the idea to burn Rome to the ground so he could rebuild it as he wanted lmao
If you're at all interested in seeing it, its the fourth serial of the second season of classic who, called The Romans. The first Doctor visits Rome and gets confused for a famous lyre player and then gets introduced to Nero. Hijinks ensue. It's pretty fun and definitely one of my favorites from the first Doctor's run.
And here we see Donna's acting chops and character growth!
A lot of people say they dislike Donna because she's just shouty.....but she's a great character. Definitely 1 of my favourites
Shoutout to amazing (and unfortunately necessary) moderators - Buffy and Dr Who both seem to have a bunch of extreme fanatics who struggle to let people enjoy the journey themselves. I totally get it, but I'd hate to prevent someone the joy of discovering a twist or plot throwback for the first time. I think classic Who references are acceptable though imho - 60-year-old spoilers aren't really spoilers and quite often fill in the blanks for younger/non-UK viewers who may not get some references.
Thanks for the reactions, Jules, excited for more as always and fingers crossed the new format helps with the copyright police!
Two faces in this episode are worth remembering. Well, other than Tennant and Tate.
In Los Angeles I used to go to the Getty Villa. Different than the now more famous Getty Museum. The Villa is a reconstructed villa from Herculaneum that was buried, intact, but the same eruption. It is perched on a hill in Malibu overlooking the ocean. It is one of my favorite places on earth. If I could choose a home to live in, it would be the Getty Villa.
I have visited several volcanoes around the world. A couple in Japan, a couple in the US, one in Greece (got engaged overlooking that volcano)...Never went to Pompeii though.
Its pretty hard to get me to like episodes about Rome in anything but Doctor Who does it.
Also wow. The sparkles and watermarks. Looks very nice. I hope it works.
I want you to take a moment and think about The Doctor's senses. The man can can feel the rotation and orbit of the earth. Not only that but he can sense fixed and fluctuating points in time.
Also what's really amazing is this is an episode about foresight and the amount of planned and unplanned foreshadowing is off the charts.
Can't wait to see more reactions. Especially for a particular favorite.
Being serious here, Pompeii is a pretty cool place to visit. One of the houses still has some intact pictures on the walls. Then you look closer to what is depicted, and you realize that you are in the town brothel, with the pictures showing the specialty of the room.
There is something incredibly beautiful to me how of all the things to survive a tragedy, to survive the fog of ages, it's humanity's desire to be a bunch of horny freaks.
Hi Jules, one of the things I loved about Dr. Who back in the very beginning (Classic Who), was the fact that historical events would be interwoven in some stories. If or when you react to Classic Who, you will come across several such historical occurrences. They potentially give alternate explanations for those events which are a fun thought. :)
Don’t worry about the crying season 1-4 have that effect. That’s why I fell in love with the show 😊
Donna Noble is a legend of a companion. Once they firmly established that there wasn't going to be some kind of romantic element to their relationship it really set the tone and allowed for something great.
Donna and the Doctor remind me of the Second Doctor and Jamie. A perfect friendship as well as a pair of actors who have great chemistry.
Your reactions make me just so happy. I love watching you getting the joy that I did when watching through this show the first time. Never change girly
Thank you so much!! That is incredibly kind of you!
18:07 Yeah. Like I said to you back in Season 2... Tennant's run is really hard as it goes on. A lot of fans were not happy when he left, of course, but... I think, when that time does come, it was the right time. Chris had the angst of the time war, but Tennant really carried it, and suffered with reflections of it, whether its in the Series 3 two parter, or The Master, or killing off the Ragnoss, or here... He keeps getting smacked in the face with the trauma of making that hideous choice. and his catchphrase very rapidly has become "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." How many times has he said that so far? It's beautiful tragedy, and any time I see a first timer watching those early episodes in season 2 and they fall so in love with Tennant, I actually get a little wet in the eyes. That romantic period is so fleeting... But that's quite like love in real life isn't it?
This is a seriously undervalued episode. That scene with Lucius Dextrus and Evelina trying to out-soothsay one another is fantastic. I love how much you've become invested in this show! 😊
"Water can boil!" I wish I can scream to people like that, just with the exact quote. XD
Also, the line ""It's not fair" by Donna, I have use that line countless of time everytime I see a tragic that happened when I was other TV Shows... the sad tone of "it's not fair..." makes me realise how great Catherine Tate is~
Ah, I love this episode. One moment, it's hilarious. The next moment, it's ripping your heart out and stomping on it.
Yay! Welcome to Team Donna! And don't worry, there are some big laughs coming to balance the big tears
So many people seemed to dislike Donna in The Runaway Bride, finding her too abrasive and shouty, and were dubious about her returning as the companion. But I feel this episode in particular put all those doubts and concerns to rest. Yes, she’s prepared to challenge and argue with the Doctor, which I find really refreshing by the way, but she also demonstrates exceptional compassion and relatability. Catherine Tate’s performance here is outstanding, and shows just what a talented and wide-ranging actor she is.
You’re not alone in thinking she could be your favorite companion, and I can only say your appreciation of her is likely to only increase as the series progresses. Believe me, expect much laughter, but also the potential for flooding tears. Keep those tissues handy!
perhaps the first historical episode that's not about fantasy adventure or a kind of meeting your idol thingy (like with Madame De Pompadour, Queen Victoria and Shakespeare) and it doesn't just capture the weight of the actual tragedy, but makes the doctor feel that weight as well, without jokes or attempting to lighten it or make it less serious.
It's heartbreaking but I also kinda found it epic
Love your reaction to this. You have a bit more insight than you may realise. Lots of clues for the future in this episode
Thank you!!
Finally, the best Donna in the world is with us 😍😍😍 We have such a wonderful period ahead 🤩
I love the way the Romans are portrayed. It can seem at times they have imposed some modern things onto the Romans, such as the father not wanting his daughter to go out wearing the latest fashion, but there are some wonderful surviving documents, well tablets, that go all the way back to ancient Babylon, in which a father for example complains he pays a fortune for his sons' education, and all his son seems to do is sneak out school to hang out with his mates in the marketplace. The ancient Babylonian equivalent of hanging out at the Mall. Technology changes, society changes, people it seems, don't. And this episode rather nicely encapsulates that relatable human quality to the Romans.
This is the episode that completely sold me on Donna, I liked her before in the Christmas special, but I knew this character was something special after this. Catherine Tate is such a great actress, not just comedy but her dramatic acting.
Sometimes the doctor needs someone to tell him to stop, but sometimes he needs someone to tell him to go. Donna is, in my opinion, the best companion of all at both.
There is something so special about The Doctor and Donna !
Early in most of RTD's seasons tended to be fluffy. And made it look like S4 would have been as well. And I don't think that's a bad thing.
But then Fires of Pompeii happened and... Showed we were getting something else this season.
My only thoughts about the episode I can't go into until later in your journey. Remind me later if no one beats me too them.
If you ever watch Classic Who , you'll find that The Doctor has played a major role in humanity's history many times over.
12 and Amy in the episode
One of my favourite travelling to the past episodes 👌
Donna is my favourite companion and many other people's for good reason. The characters counterbalance each other and Donna's humanity helps bring out his better side. I like that shedoesn't automatically defer to him or worship him like so many companions. She's also very funny. When Catherine Tate was first cast, people mostly saw her comedic potential. However this episode shows what an excellent dramatic actress she is; the scene where she pleads with him to save someone brings me to tears everytime. The chemistry between David Tennant and Catherine Tate is wonderful; they are the best doctor/companion pairing IMHO.
The first doctor episode “The Romans” is a fun watch (even with its old time TV pacing). He had nothing to do with the great fire of Rome. Well, a little bit. :D. This was a good episode. And yes… doctor who has you laughing one minute and crying the next.
Your reactions bring me so much joy!! I’m so glad you’re watching and enjoying this series. Been watching your reactions since ‘Rose’ & will support you all the way 😊
This season with Donna is the only one I rewatch via reactions now. It's the best.
That scene with Donna and The Doctor in the Tardis was brilliant. Tates acting was amazing there. This episode prove you cannot save every one but you can just save a family even in a fix point in time. Remember this episode because it becomes important later in the show.
I'm glad I'm not the only one who gets a bit teary in Dr. Who! ❤
Ah, we finally have gotten to Volcano Day. Sweet.
Absolutely my favorite season and this is one of my favorite episodes.
“I want a mate” “you want to mate!”
SO FUNNY!!
Fantastic it's more Doctor Who and he's in ancient Pompeii when
the volcano is about to erupt, this is going to be a very good episode
thanks my friend Juliette.🇦🇺🙀🙀🇦🇺
This is a really interesting episode with how it explores the laws of time that the Doctor is bound by and how much it limits what he can do to save people sometimes, as well as Donna being very effective as a companion in challenging him and trying to be his moral compass, demonstrating why the Doctor needs someone. It was fun to have a little nod to a First Doctor story where he did play a role in accidentally giving the emperor Nero the idea to burn down Rome, with the TARDIS being treated as art being a call-back to a brief scene in a Fourth Doctor story. I guess by this point they felt able to start throwing in a few nods to old stories like that.
I'm glad you like Donna so much. She might be my favourite companion from the revival, and as you pointed out it's nice that there isn't a romantic element this time. Even to this day she still stands out among female companions for not having anything of that nature with the doctor instead being friends who bicker good-naturedly and challenge each other. She has quite a story arc as well but obviously I'll have to let you discover for yourself what that means.
And with that scene as well, it just make you wonder how long can Donna last with The Doctor. She now know that this life with The Doctor is not all fun and game.
I can't really blame Cycelious for buying the wooden box. If you could buy the Tardis and store it in your home, wouldn't you do the same?
I would, but I just haven't got the space ;)
This has to be nod to the Fourth Doctor story The City of Death (by some little-known writer called Douglas Adams) where John Cleese and Eleanor Bron mistake the TARDIS for an artwork the Louvre.
Exactly
Also, super handy if you need to call a policeman in a hurry...
@@simongiles9749 Not intentionally. But there is such an episode in _The Big Bang Theory._
I didn't particularly like the idea of Donna as a companion when the Doctor invited her in The Runaway Bride. But the two remain my favorite pairing. What a great follow up to the start of the series.
Fun fact: Caecilius and his family are partially based on real people who lived in Pompeii (though a few years before the volcano), but a lot of their characterisation is taken from the Cambridge Latin Course, a series of Latin textbooks for kids.
Ok, I've thought about it, and I've officially adopted you as my Doctor Who companion, and I won't take "No" for an answer !!! You are just an awesome, enjoyable reactor to watch, in general, but on this particular series ... the best !!!
Now that we've gotten that out of the way, this was a great episode, showing all sorts of different things going on, and you were so funny, yet affected. I think the pair are a great couple together (well, not "TOGETHER"), and Donna is a blast !!!
I've been busy doing other things and I'm trying to get caught up now, but things do pile up. I really like Donna, and it was great to see her take her character out for a stretch and show off her bossy and caring sides. She's makes for a great character and she is a great actress. Can't wait for you to see what's next 🤗🤗💕💕👍👍.
Steve, thank you!! I'm so glad you're still enjoying the episodes 💜😸
@@julesreacts You couldn't shake me off with a stick !!! I love your reactions !!! I just have limited time, and a few other reactors that I watch, so I have to be targeted on what I dive in to, but you are ALWAYS top in my list and I get excited when I see you post a new reaction. You do such a great job ...
Ok, enough of that ... on with the show !!! 🤗💕🌹
I love how you laugh at these stories.
I agree about the sexualisation of the Doctor, it was never like that in the original era you will be glad to know, and while I loved Rose, it works best with companions as platonic, the Doctor is a god-like alien after all. As I said before he sees his favourite humans in the way we see cats, and that must be good. It still gets better.
As I already posted under the last video: The Doctor + Donna = Perfection.
One of my series 4 faves this one. They'd already been subtly shifting Donna from her (IMO) slightly annoying start in "The Runaway Bride" but here, when she puts her hand on 10's to press the button together, with that one act she pretty much cemented her place as one of my favourite companions.
(as she says, she's not a kid so though the _scale_ is vastly different, just like the Doctor she's lived a life, had her knocks and disappointments and so understands _some_ of how 10 feels. With previous companions there's been a sort of paternal, hero worship aspect to the dynamic but these two are more like squabbling siblings and i'm totally here for it :)
Donna is my favorite companion and her story arc is one of the best as well. Looking forward to the rest of the series.
Such a great episode!! Donna Noble is the best companion!
Hello, Jules.💜
A very late entry from me, once again. I continue to find it amusing that so many disliked Donna, in Runaway Bride, because she was abrasive. But they love her companion return - where I think it may be argued... she can be just as abrasive. I have liked her a along. Rose was so often very pouty/possessive, Martha was mopey and feeling sorry for herself. Donna makes sure the Doctor knows when she is bothered - and she is quite often bothered, mainly, as she is here, with the way the Doctor works, the things he accepts things as given.😅
She challenges the Doctor, often, keeping him on his toes, and, being a comedy natural, she is often quite funny.🤣
People will suggest you pay attention to the clues... but, when viewing for a first time, you cannot know what's a clue, and what isn't. They forget that one can only recognize its cluehood after seeing the referenced thing itself. They are so very happy to hop in and giggle behind their hand at clever little words, phrases, and quotes, or, in the worst case, actual answers, often way in advance, so the cleverness of the ruination can be savored by them for a longer time period. And really all this poking and prodding, and revealing gives you absolutely no credit for actually being able to pay attention to the episodes, and recall past events, whilst put together possibilities for yourself. Watching you enjoy an episode, and updating us with your "first-time" emotions, thoughts, predictions, and possibilities, are the best part of reaction videos - as it should be. One cannot truly recapture the first time feeling watching a reactor who has all pertinent facets of the series spoiled (some again, and again with glee, giggles, and oh look at me, I'm just really Enthusiastic)🙄
I wish you less spoilers, as this series continues, so you can return to the comment section without fear of having the next, 3rd from the last, all of series 5, or whatever down the road, episodes ruined, by "ethusiasticity" 🤔
Okay, I just hadn't stood on my milk crate for a while... I'm putting it away now.🤭
Great episode, lots of good moments and you Laughed! So how could that not be fun and very enjoyable. 🥰
Have a great Thursday evening, Jules,💜🤗💜 and I very much look forward to your next. Give a pat and a treat to all your crew - enjoy!
Oh, I almost forgot. I honestly said to myself (aloud) - "I don't remember all the sparkles in this episode before. how could I have missed t... oh, I see..."🤣 A great effort at taking it to the BBC! Well done You!🙌🥰
Tom 💜😸
Ah, I love the way your mind works! It is difficult to look out for clues, like a tiny flash of a poster of Mr Saxon, when it's a first time viewing. That's what makes it so fun to re-watch and pick up on things missed previously. I have actually found something recurring but I don't know if it's a thing. Donna has mentioned bees disappearing twice but I don't know and (more importantly) don't want to know if it's a thing. Why can't we just watch and enjoy one episode at a time 🤔 what a concept!
I don't use the sparkles again, though personally I like sparkles 🤣 I'll keep experimenting, but I think just the logo in it works well enough. I just am tired of having to deal with re-uploading episodes that have already been published. I don't mind as much if they haven't yet gone out to the public, but otherwise I just worry it's annoying for everyone.
Dear Tom, do try and enjoy your weekend. Get some ear plugs. Sit back and enjoy the show 🤣💜
Thank you Jules, I shall try that out.💜
And if the Beeb continues to dog you, maybe strengthen and fade, the logo over the picture. The logo itslef seems to work for a few other channels I checked, to research a bit how they were doing it.
Hello Mrs Jules! Hope you had an awesome day today! Love your work on this second channel. God bless
Ooh sparkles… hope they work Jules.
Thank you, Joe! I'm going to try new things with each episode and fingers crossed the BBC won't hate me too much 🥹
Hi Jules! Always a pleasure!👏👏
I think Donna is my favorite, too! 💚
Another episode that always makes me cry... I love it.. and another wonderful reaction
Its a recurring theme that the companions will notice the tardis translation when visiting Rome . Aliens speaking english goes with out notice , a conversation eith gengis kahn goes without notice. I guess they just instinctively know romans spoke latin and they should not understand them