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Off the Mark

Doctor Who
Season 4 Episode 2
The Fires of Pompeii

In Which I Recap before the next episode is even on...Oh, my goodness!

Today we are in Ancient Rome! Can you feel the excitement in the air? I know I can. Oh, yesh!

Hey, this is Donna's first trip in the TARDIS that doesn't involve flying around London. She can't believe she's actually in Ancient Rome, and this deserves a big hug. Yes, please, let's have hugs while everybody still likes each other.

But Donna observantly notes this sign...which is in English. Good catch. This is the TARDIS translation whatchamathinger at work. It also makes you hear English when everybody is talkin' in Latin.

Donna's just going to take that at face value and we'll just continue on right? Nah. She wants to know what happens if she speaks in Latin. The Doctor doesn't know, so we're going to try it out right now.

Veni Vidi Vici says Donna, and the Shop Keeper's all, I don't speak Celtic! And even if the TARDIS hadn't translated that, what a weird thing to blurt out to some random shop keeper.

The Doctor explains what the Shop Keeper means by Celtic...she sounds Welsh. Okay, so if the Romans speaking Latin translate into English, why does the English Speaking Latin translate into Welsh? Aren't they the same words? And what would Welsh Translate into? So many questions, so irrelevant to the plot. I'm just going to have a chuckle and move on...

Anyway, there's some shady looking character tailing Donna and the Doctor

Donna worries about standing out with their clothing, but it's ancient Rome, anything goes! I dunno, I think Donna would stand out in any century with that Top she's wearing.

So they make it out to this open area where they can see this big mountain towering over the town...which means something is amiss, because this is so not Rome after all. (As if you didn't know where we were by the episode title.)

Pompeii! We're in Pompeii!! And it's Volcano Day!

Meanwhile, we learn who these people are...the Sibylline Sisterhood. There is a prophecy about the blue box...

And the Doctor and Donna beat a hasty retreat...but alas, you can tell by the look on their faces...

that the TARDIS is AWOL.

Back to the shopkeeper from the beginning of the episode, and the Doctor frantically wants to know if he's seen a big blue box around anywhere.

and he's quite pleased with himself, because he sold it.

The Doctor's not so pleased with this development, but the shopkeeper doesn't really care. Take it up with the guy who bought it, Caecillius. Thank you for making me look up how to spell stuff, Doctor Who!

And off goes the Doc...Wait, not so fast, let's ask what anybody would want to do with a great big blue box anyway?

Cut to the man, Caecillius, himself. Connoisseur of "Modern Art."

And here we have, Rhombus (The Servant Dude). I only point that out because Rhombus is the best name ever. Caecillius sending Rhombus for some chow, so what's on the menu? Ants, Honey, and a Door mouse. My favourite!

So what does the wife think of the new purchase...A great big waste of space! I have to say, as an art major myself...I'd have to agree with her. I mean, unless they happen to get the door open and check inside, in that case it's actually a great big addition of space.

Anyway, why the new art? Lucious Dexterous is coming over for a visit! They're moving up in the world! Evalina is about to be elevated!

Here comes daughter Evalina, and she's all, Daaaad.

Mom laments the fact that Evalina could have been a Vestil Virgin if only they'd chosen to live in Rome.

Of course the son, Quintus, appears as soon as the word Virgin is uttered.

Mom is scandalized by his rudeness and commands him to apologize to the household gods lest they be upset...and right on cue, Earthquake! Positions!

And then the each go to their designated area to keep their nick-nacks from falling over and breaking.

Okay, Fine. That's enough to get get Quintus to apologize to the gods. He seems to be going through his teenage rebellion stage what with the attitude and the short skirt.

Looks like Evalina is part of the sisterhood. She has the gift of sight.

And she has to breath the Vapors from the mountain as part of her...well, she has to breath the vapors to hone her psychic skillz. Sometimes she sees a face of stone.

It'll make sense one day, now keep inhaling fumes from the volcano. And off Mom goes.

So a face of stone you say?

Meanwhile, Doctor's gotten directions to Caecillius' house so they can hop in the TARDIS and go somewhere less likely to explode, and Donna wants to evacuate Pompeii before Vesuvius kills everybody.

So the Doctor has to explain to Donna about Pompeii being a fixed point in history. There's nothing he can do to change that. She, of course, is going to challenge him on this.

Fixed point in history? Says Who?

Me! I'm a TIME LORD.

And I'm DONNA! I'll tell everybody anyway!

And they'll think you're Mad old soothsayer! Off to the TARDIS now!

And then Donna says "I might just have something to say about that, Space Man." But the way she says Space, it sounds like "Spice" and it makes me wonder what kind of Spice Man the Doctor would be? Timey-Wimey Spice I think.

And this one is still hot on the trail. She uses some eyeballs on the back of her hands to tell to the rest of the Sisters that the Doctor thinks Soothsayers are mad.

He'll know different soon enough. This is sister Spirina, she seems to be second in command.

Back at the Temple the sisters consult some Oracles about the Blue Box, which would appear at a time of "Storms, and Fire and Betrayal"

This doesn't jive with the current High Priestess, who is all about predicting candy, and roses, and world conquest for Pompeii. She's going against everything the Sybil has prophesied and if anybody tries to stand in the way they are so dead.

Cue an Earthquake, which means...the Gods Approve!

Meanwhile, at the Caecillius household, everybody assumes the position...well, almost everybody.

The Doctor gets there just in time to save a bust from busting, but Caecillius has to turn him away. The shop is closed, he's expecting a visitor.

And the Doctor's all, Yep, that's me! Caecillius wants to know who exactly he is.

I am Sparticus! says the Doctor, and So am I says Donna. Heh. Of course her silly little joke leads to more confusion...

No, No, totally NOT married. Never, ever, perish the thought!

Brother and sister then? I can see the resemblance.

And the Doctor and Donna are all, "Really?" Because, Really, they look nothing alike.

Anyway, Caecillius, turns out is in the Marble business.

In that case, the Doctor is going to pose as the marble inspector to gain access, and Mom is a bit distressed about this, and dumps Quintus' drink into the pond.

Everything looks good, says the Doctor, except this big blue box...that's going to have to go.

And then Donna tries to convince the Caecillius family that this would be a good time for a vacation, then just blurts out a bunch of stuff about volcanoes while the family looks at her...like she's mad, and Doctor gives her the look of "Stop messing with history, please."

He whisks her off to have this disagreement in some place a little more private. Turns out they won't even have a word for Volcano until Vesuvius erupts, but Donna's not backing down as the Doctor tells her to Stop it.

"Look, I don't know what sort of kids you've been flyin' around with in outer space, but you're not telling me to shut up."

And then she lands the blame for the deaths squarely on the Doctor's shoulders.

Anyway, Lucius Dexterous chooses this time to show up.

"The birds are flying north, and the winds are in the west," he says. What does that mean? Marry Poppins?

Caecillius pretends to know what on earth this guy is on about, and then Introduces the Doctor.

and the Doctor and Lucius exchange poetic pleasantries.

Then he ushers a protesting Donna towards the TARDIS, but this stops him cold. That is so not supposed to be in Pompeii.

Lucius himself designed it, turns out. He got the pattern "On the Rain and Mist and Wind."

While the Doctor gives him a "Yeah, Okay, whatever," face, Donna askes him if he just dreamed it all up in his head. Which of course leads the doctor to explain that he's the town's official psychic dude, since these are the times in which such things are held in high esteem.

And Evalina pops out of nowhere looking like she's near death's doorstep, and announcing to everybody in the room that Donna and the Doctor are mocking them, and the Doctor apologizes.

Quintus seems to be the only one to show concern over his sister's lack of colour. In fact his father pretty much tells him to shut up about it.

Lucius doesn't think much of this woman seer. Their prophecies are "Limited and Dull" he says.

Donna, of course, has something to say about that too. The mountain rumbles in response and Lucius tells her that she has displeased the Gods and to watch what she says.

And now the Doctor is showing concern for Evalina, and she wants to know if that's his opinion. As a Doctor.

The Doctor is his name, and Donna is Nobel, and they come from very far away. Lucius, at the risk of looking like a fool next to the girl insinuates that she's making it up.

But the Doctor tells him that no, it's true, and makes the mistake of telling Lucius that he's been out soothsayed.

And Lucius is all, Is that so, man from Gallifrey. Your home is lost in fire. Mwahahaa. By the way, Donna is from London! Who's the seeingest of them all then? How about a couple more ominous portents to freak you out?

She is returning. That's all you get, we can't be more specific at this point in time, otherwise we'd have to spoiler bar this episode.

And Donna. You've got something on your back.

Not to be out done, Evalina points out that the Doctor isn't the Doctor's real name, and that he is a Lord of Time. Then she passes out.

Later on Mom and Donna talk.

About Evalina turning into stone.

And Caecillious proudly shows off the heating system. It was built after this earthquake 17 years before. The doctor wonders why anybody would build right back on top of the site of such a major earthquake, but then shrugs it off because humans always do that sort of thing...look at San Francisco.

And there's something wailing down the vent. Caecillious chalks it up to the gods of the underworld, but forget that for a moment. The earthquake triggered all this psychic accuracy? Yep.

The seers pretty much see everything, But they can't see the eruption. Hmmm. That's interesting.

And the Doctor wonders what it is in the dust of Vesuvius that is making everybody have visions.

Later, Quintus is boozing it up when the Doctor pops by to ask where Lucius lives. It takes a lame magic trick and a bribe to get the boy off the couch.

A little breaking and entering fun! I won't tell your dad if you don't tell mine!

And here they are, the stone circuit boards...what are they...

Before we can find out, Lucius catches them in the act...

Meanwhile Donna is dressed in a more Pompeii appropriate outfit, and mugging like the Goddess Venus. That's two shout outs to Venus, you go girl.

Evalina says this is blasphemous, but she giggles anyway.

And they have a heart to heart...Evalina is stuck betrothed to the sisterhood and not out having a good time like the rest of the kids, because she has the gift of sight. And No, Donna, she cannot see the volcano erupting either.

So Donna makes an ill advised attempt to warn her by telling her that she also has prophecy.

And up go the hand eyeballs.

So the sister can see Donna's new prophecy of destruction, and that is so not what the High Priestess was predicting. They're going to have to do something about this Donna person.

Meanwhile the Doctor is putting together the board...it's an energy converter. For what? He doesn't know, and he loves not knowing. Unlike the seers who know everything.

The Doctor once again wants to know who gave Lucius the plans but instead of telling he sends his royal guards after him.

The Doctor made me do it! Says Quintus.

But the Doctor has a plan. One last handshake. A dying man's request?

And then he rips Lucius's stone arm right off. I'm not sure how that's supposed to make the situation better. I mean, if somebody ripped my stone arm off I'd be a little peeved.

He says it was the Gods that turned his arm into stone...and then the Doctor and Quintus run, run, run.

Need a hand? Oh! hahahaha! *knee slap*

And Lucius calls upon the Gods to go get that rascally Doctor.

These two think they're safe for only a moment before the Doctor notices that something is chasing them after all...but it's underground. So they run run run some more.

They make it back to the Caecillius pad where the Doctor tells everybody to Run! And then nobody runs. Seriously, guys. Listen to the Time Lord. If he told me to run and was acting like something was actually chasing him I'd run...and I'd be out of town before I realized that I was alone and everybody else was still back where I left them gawping at the big alien monster that is about to pop out of the heating vent....

Like this.

And Rhombus gets all up in the fire alien's face. Oh, no! Not Rhombus!

While all this ruckus is going on Donna is getting abducted by the Sisters.

The Doctor asks for some water...heh, and then tries to reason with the fiery rock thing.

Just before he gets toasted, because this alien isn't in the mood for a chat...Quintus to the rescue!

Mom blames the Doctor for bad luck, but the Doctor ignores this and instead wonders if she's going to be proud of Quintus for a moment since he, like, just saved them all.

the Doctor ponders to himself while Quintus finally gets some parental recognition in the back ground. Donna is called for, but she's nowhere to be seen...

Mostly because she's tied to a sacrificial altar getting all mouthy with Sister Spirina who's trying valiantly to stab her.

"This prattling voice will cease forever!"

"That'll be the day" The Doctor says what we're all thinking.

A Man in the Temple? No Way? "Just us girls" Says the Doctor, and begins telling stories about the time he met the Sybil and how she would be totally disappointed with the path the sisters have chosen to take with the knifing and the bloodshed and whatnot.

After he frees Donna Sister Spirina gets all stabby with him but the High Priestess stops her. She wants to see this guy with the starlight in his wake.

The Doctor asks for an audience and the curtains are drawn back and...

Whoa!

So she's hearing voices and this whole stone thing is necessary to the psychic abilities, which are still not registering huge, giant volcano about to erupt. The Doctor tries and tries again to get the alien to tell him who it is, but it will only tell him that it is the High Priestess of the Sybilline Sisterhood.

but it is the Name of the alien inside of them taking over, that's what he's after.

But she only tells him in some new freaky voice that "We are awakening!"

This new voice starts the sister's chanting creepily.

The Doctor Name Drops the Shadow Proclamation again, still no name. "We are rising" it says again.

Finally he just screams "Tell me your name" Really loudly in it's face. Well, that's the tactic I always use when I'm not getting my way.

And it works for the Doctor too apparently, because she whips off her hood and yells "Pyroville!" right back at him. That's that then. She threatens to set him on fire with Pyrovillian breath...

The Doctor whips out the big guns, and instructs Donna to open a heating vent.

Time for the Villian explains...where they came from portion of this evening's show! Here's the short version:

Fell from the Heavens, turned into dust upon impact...thousands of years ago, the earthquake woke them all up and now they're taking over human bodies, and their psychic abilities. The most important thing the Doctor wants to know is...why can't they see the eruption.

Before he can get a response to that question, Sister Spirina gets all up in his brain and realizes the gun is harmless...quite.

But it's gotta sting! he says, and squirts the High Priestess before he makes escape with Donna down the heating vent into the Volcano.

"You fought her off with a water pistol! I bloody love you!"

Into the volcano they go. Donna doesn't like the sound of that, but really...they're kind of stuck now.

The prophecy must advance! Oh, no, the Doctor is speeding up the schedule yet again.

Off to the mountain with Lucius. Advancing the Prophecy!

Dad: A new day! Trying to reassure the fam. Quintus worries about the mountain, and Mom worries about killing a messenger of the Gods. She uses Evalina for some hopefully reassuring visions...

Quintus is all protective over her.

But Evalina is eager to please. She sees a choice. Someone must make a terrible choice. Well, if that isn't foreboding enough for you...I don't know what is...

Back in the Mountain, speaking about terrible choices, Donna wants to save Pompeii again. Surely since it's an alien menace it's okay to fix? Nah. It already happened, nothing to fix. It is what it is.

He has to explain the fixed point in Time thing again, but Donna doesn't really understand how he can tell the difference, so now he has to explain that as a Time Lord he sees everything. What is. What was. What could be. What must not. My brain hurts just thinking about it.

Now she wants to know how many people died. He doesn't want to talk about it anymore, but Donna's persistent if anything. 20,000 he divulges, and she wonder's if he thinks that's really alright.

Luckily before anybody can get angrier at the other some wailing Pyroville attracts their attention.

Meanwhile Lucius and his hooded minions are delivering the boards.

And the Doctor and Donna make it to the heart of Vesuvius. Also they are surrounded by Pyroville.

The Doctor Spots the space ship and the circuit boards...

And Lucius spots them!

So they run, smack into a giant Pyroville.

The Doctor squirts it...distracting it enough for them to scoot past.

They get cornered near the space ship and the Doctor has a few questions, like what are the Pyrovalle going to do tonight...

The same thing they do every night, Doctor. Try to take over the world.

Donna wants to know why they just don't go home.

Wager any guesses? Yep. It's lost. Pyrovillia is lost, and the Earth is plenty hospitable for fire, despite the massive quantities of water.

The Whole world at stake? That's all the Doctor needed to know. Into the spaceship they go, sonicing the door behind them.

You would think these guys would know that their own ship was fireproof.

anyway, long story short? The Pyroville are using the magma to convert energy to turn people into Pyroville. The reason the seers can't see the volcano? It's never going to erupt, not with the converter stealing all the power. So how is the Doctor going to stop the Pyroville from converting everybody and taking over the world?

Yes, my friends, blow up the volcano. It's Pompeii or the world, and suddenly the Doctor realizes that it isn't just history he's passing through, this time he's the one that makes it happen.

So with the whole world at stake they're going to go ahead with the exploding plan...never mind that they probably will get blown up too...along with 20,000 other people.

The Doctor puts his hands on the lever.

And Donna joins him...and together they save the world. Nope. I'm not crying. It's just been raining on my face, okay.

Some reaction shots from our resident psychics. Sister Spirina sees a new prophecy...The High Priestess and Lucius just scream Noooooo!! really loudly.

and Evalina can see the future changing.

The Pyroville breath their last fiery breath.

and Vesuvius goes KabooM! and sends Donna and the Doctor flying. The Spaceship was an escape pod after all!

They run away from a mountain of ash.

Towards a village of terrified people.

The sisters accept their fate as it was written in the prophecy.

Donna tries to save people to no avail, as she tells them to run for the hills, they run towards the sea, and Donna is heartbroken.

They finally make it back to the Caecillius household where they're cowering in fear clutched in each other's arms...The Doctor pauses for only a moment before making a beeline for the TARDIS..

And Donna hangs back so she can yell at the Doctor to save them, but he's not listening...in fact he's leaving with or without her...so she has to go now...

And the Family is left to their fate.

You can't just leave them! Donna is very upset and very angry and is in tears.

And the Doctor's all, Nope. Can't go back, everyone dies and that's the way it goes. He sounds more than a little bitter.

So she tries screaming at him to go back, that doesn't work, and she tries "It's not fair." He agrees...then she tries comparing the situation to his own planet's destruction.

He's made a valiant effort to avoid eye contact up until this point, but now he's upset too, and he looks at Donna and tells her that if he could go back and save everyone then he would, but he can't. He can never go back.

But she's not asking him to save the city. Just somebody.

And Yeah. She's convinced him.

Back at Caecillius...the family is bathed in the blue light of the TARDIS.

And the Doctor reaches out a helping hand.

They overlook the destruction of Pompeii.

The Doctor Tries to console dad by telling him that Pompeii will be remembered.

Evalina has lost the sight. The Doctor explains that the explosion opened up a rift in Space and Time for a moment and that gave her the sight, but now it's closed so she's Free!

Mom wants to know who the Doctor is with his box that's bigger on the inside, and he's all, Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain, and Don't tell anyone!

Then Dad invents the word volcano.

Hugs for Mom and Dad, Quintus and Evalina hold hands...and the Doctor and Donna sneak away into the night.

Donna says thanks.

and the Doctor admits that sometimes he needs someone to keep him in check I suppose. Welcome aboard the TARDIS, Donna! And away they go! I wonder, does she get a key now...and a working cell phone so her mother can nag her from light years away?

Let's catch up with Caecillius and the gang before we go. They are now living in Rome, moving up in the world. Dad is doing business with the Egyptians.

Evalina and Quintus have switched places...she's the one going out in the short skirt now that she's not tied to some psychic cult, and he's been inspired to become a doctor.