"I thought it was just the Doctor we needed. But it's both of you."

[such_heights]

All right, and now some thoughts/enthusiasm about 'Turn Left' and one of the series arcs that was continued therein.

I could say lots of things about 'Turn Left', but I think what I loved most about it (out of a great many things that I loved) was the way it continued the companion arc that's been going so strongly this series. To wit, I have a few examples out of the many, many discussions about what it is to travel with the Doctor, and what it is to live afterwards:

*

"Still on your own?"

"Yup. Well, no. I had this friend, Martha, she was called, Martha Jones, she was brilliant. And I destroyed half her life. But she's fine, she's good. She's gone."

"What about Rose?"

"Still lost. I thought you were going to travel the world?"

"Easier said than done. It's like I had that one day with you, and oh, I was going to change. I was going to do so much. Then I woke up the next morning, same old life. It's like you were never there."

Donna & the Doctor, 'Partners in Crime'

"Oh, I have missed all this, but you know. I'm good here, back at home, and I'm better for having been away."

Martha, 'The Poison Sky'

"I've got the whole universe. Planets to save, civilisations to rescue, creatures to defeat, and an awful lot of running to do."

Jenny, 'The Doctor's Daughter'

"Are you sure about this?"

"Yeah, positive. I can't do this any more. You'll be the same, one day."

"Not me, never! How could I ever go back to normal life after seeing all this? I'm gonna travel with that man forever."

Donna & Martha, 'The Doctor's Daughter'

"When you run with the Doctor, it feels like it will never end. But however hard you try, you can't run forever. Everybody knows that everybody dies, and nobody knows it like the Doctor."

River, 'Forest of the Dead'

"But if he was so special, what's he doing with me?"

"He thought you were brilliant."

"Don't be stupid."

"But you are. Just took the Doctor to show you that, simply by being with him. He did the same to me, to everyone he touches."

Donna & Rose, 'Turn Left'

*

We all know all of this, of course, have done since 'Parting to the Ways' especially, but ooh how I'm enjoying it coming up again and again this series. Because, gradually, the tone's changing. Rose and Martha were broken, destroyed in some way by their experiences with the Doctor, with Sarah Jane and Jack serving as previous examples of the same heartbreak. And now it's all turning around, because all four of them are back, and they've found resolution and because they all are irrevocably changed by the Doctor, they've got new purpose, defending the Earth in all their different ways. They've become the Doctor, and this is made very clear time and again, reinforced once more last night with Rose even talking like him.

The influence spreads outwards, as Martha tries to improve UNIT, as Rose's travels end up making heroes of Mickey and Jackie too, as Jack and Sarah Jane find their teams and change their lives. And now, with Donna at the crux of it, it's all coming back around.

In 'Turn Left' we have the bleak version, where one by one they all die saving the world (I cannot begin to describe how much it kills me that Martha dies heroically when she hasn't even met the Doctor, gah). Now it's time for the flipside, for this chain reaction of heroism all started by the Doctor to come into play and save the whole multiverse, looks like. Because he isn't alone, not any more, and one of my favourite things about the newer series has been how the world of Doctor Who has been expanded outwards, through Torchwood and UNIT and recurring characters and a whole scale much grander than when it was just one lonely alien in a leather jacket with a blue box, who met one girl that led to all this.



The universe is in good hands, don't you think?

Comments

[samincittagazze.livejournal.com]

I'm really trying to construct an intelligent answer to this but having just this second finished watching Turn Left, all I'm coming up with is "IT BE NEXT WEEK NAO? NAO?!" That and the fact that I love Donna with my entire heart and soul.

[such_heights]

... It still isn't Saturday? Really? But WHY? I NEED MAH DONNA.

[multiclassgeek.livejournal.com]

Yes, yes, and yes.

I'll admit I was very cynical out Rose being brought back as a cheap ratings ploy, but I'm pleased to be wrong - It fits perfectly with the 'Touched by The Doctor' theme (which has been apparent amongst the companions in New Who, but is also a running theme in Old School Who; It could well be argued that The Doctor's greatest power is not his brains, or his wit, or his technology, it's his ability to bring out the best in people)

And I think that whether or not (as the rumours speculate) The Doctor is getting incapacitated in the two-parter, It seems a cert that we'll see every songle one of those companions/allies/friends doing their thing, kicking arse in their own special ways. And thus, things come full circle as those whose lives have been touched by The Doctor (even tangentially; cf. Torchwood and Team SJ) come into their own - All of the inspirational self-improvement vibes the Doctor has sent out over the years are coming back three times over

[such_heights]

Yeah, I completely agree - also, originally I was worried she'd only be coming back for some sappy reunion with the Doctor without any agency of her own, so I'm delighted to be wrong as well.

I'd imagine he's going to have to be put out of the way for some of it, else everyone else just doesn't get time! And this full circle thing is also making me think that it might be a bit of an end of an era, which will be interesting as all the new people come into the show.

[luzdeestrellas.livejournal.com]

Aw, I love this post. And I have nothing to say but yes, yes, and yes.

[such_heights]

Hurray! And... is it Saturday now? Now?

[bornofstars.livejournal.com]

I second the person above me - I agree with everything. And God, it also broke my heart that Martha died. She's so amazing, and I wish that her run hadn't been tainted by the memory of Rose, as lovely as Rose is.

It's odd. I don't think I've ever loved Rose as much as I did after watching this episode. The Rose fangirls annoy me to no end, but I did enjoy the playful relationship that she had with the Doctor, and now she's matured so much as a character and still retained the quality about her that's so likable and filled with wonder. I wanted to hug her when she said, "It's a time machine" with that wonderful smile.

[such_heights]

Oh, I know. Especially now in contrast to Donna as well, the story of Martha Jones is something of an epic tragedy. :(

I was beyond thrilled by Rose this time around. She was so great! "It's a time machine!" Epic win.

[fairlilith.livejournal.com]

Hear hear! Well said!

This was a very coherent and beautiful and touching post. I think that is one of the Doctor's finest qualities, being able to reach out to people in a certain way so they feel they can fight and make Earth a better and safer place.

I used to be Rose fangirl but I honestly can't say whether I like her as much as Donna. Her relationship with the Doctor is very different from Rose's, she's perhaps the personification of everything a "companion" ought to be. Especially after the long hug in Midnight. That really convinced me.

[such_heights]

Hurray, and thank you! Absolutely, yes, that's why he's such a great lead character, he's all for the education and self-improvement and so on. "A better way of living your life," as Rose says in S1.

Donna is moving quite rapidly into Ultimate Companion territory, isn't she? I love Rose as a character, but I love the Doctor-Donna interplay the most of all.

[vivien]

Yes, yes, yes. What a fabulous post.

You know, it makes me really happy to see that Donna is well-liked by all the folks I follow. I loved her from Runaway Bride, but I know she put off many people then. I think it helps that she is so damn real to me. Companions have always allowed for self-insertion, and I think Donna appeals to me because she's older, assertive, not a tiny thing - she's imperfectly perfect to me.

I am not that fond of Rose, but I agree - this version of her as the Doctor in his absence is a much more appealing one.

Yeah, the universe is in damn good hands.

[such_heights]

I adore how much fandom seems to adore Donna (possibly more than less fannish folks?), we all appear to have banded around the idea that She Is Amazing. She feels so real, you're quite right, in this episode more than ever which is part of why it broke my heart. Catherine Tate is stellar.

[tattooedsiren.livejournal.com]

Great post!

[such_heights]

Thank you! :D Something to pass the time until NEXT SATURDAY OMG.

[lorannah.livejournal.com]

Squee. I agree. I agree.

I adored this episode. But then I was bound to, I've been in some frustrating arguments with people who dislike the Doctor and think the world would be better off without him recently and this is the perfect response to that. I love how it showed how vitally important the Doctor is, but without diminishing the companions importance at all. Because he does need them.

Plus I always love a good what if and a good dystopian future.

My heart broke about a million times this episode - seeing the Doctor die basically because he was too broken to care anymore, Sarah Jane and the gang which was so unexpected and another element of companions filling in for the Doctor, team Torchwood sacrificing themselves and, most of all, Martha. (Is it wrong that I sort of want to write Donna's parallel universe Oliver Morgenstern fic... no time, no time). And Donna, always Donna.

I loved Rose coming back so much more than I expected to. I adored that she had moved on and changed and developed - and yes she was harder while still being Rose, it reminded me of Martha in a lot of ways. But what I loved most was that I had some problems with Rose in series 2, because her whole idea of self worth was tied up in the Doctor - without him she stopped believing in herself - but in that conversation with Donna where she tells her she's brilliant it takes her away from that idea of herself - for me that's a hugely cathartic moment for Rose as well.

I love this post.

P.S. The quote you used for your title has all my plot bunnies tingling. Right now that is very inconvenient.

[such_heights]

I love how it showed how vitally important the Doctor is, but without diminishing the companions importance at all.

Absolutely! The interplay is the key thing there, I share your irritation with people who swing too heavily one way or the other.

Plus I always love a good what if and a good dystopian future.

Mmmm, yes, it was like the Year That Never Was all over again, yay. I'm such a sucker for that stuff, even if is inevitably going to get all retconned.

My heart broke about a million times this episode

Oh, I know. *wails* It was so tragic! I mean, the SJA kids, really? Was that necessary? And just as a side note, in a gap in the conversation, like no one was there to mark their passing, good grief. RTD really pulled no punches.

but in that conversation with Donna where she tells her she's brilliant it takes her away from that idea of herself - for me that's a hugely cathartic moment for Rose as well.

Yes, that's an interesting point! Because I agree, I was really worried her return was going to be All About The Doctor, and was relieved that it wasn't, that actually she has a whole existence of her own that involves saving multiple universes, awesome! This, this is the grown-up Rose that I would always have hoped for, she's looking fantastic.

The quote you used for your title has all my plot bunnies tingling. Right now that is very inconvenient.

I am not sorry in any way whatsoever, I'm afraid. :P (I'm kind of dreading the finale because of the AMOUNT OF FIC that clearly will have to be written afterwards, gah.)

[iltaru]

Now it's time for the flipside, for this chain reaction of heroism all started by the Doctor to come into play and save the whole multiverse, looks like. Because he isn't alone, not any more, and one of my favourite things about the newer series has been how the world of Doctor Who has been expanded outwards, through Torchwood and UNIT and recurring characters and a whole scale much grander than when it was just one lonely alien in a leather jacket with a blue box, who met one girl that led to all this.

I was reading your post seriously until I read this and just, yes, sort of collapsed into squee.

And felt like crying for poor, lonely Nine, who actually flipped my world upside down when I switched the TV on one random Saturday night, didn't even know what happened, and was completely bloody hooked halfway through the Charles Dickens episode.

[such_heights]

Hee, yaaaay for squee! I am so ruined for normal society this week, it's shocking.

Oh, Nine, yes. You never forget your first Doctor, as they say. ♥

[sunnyrea.livejournal.com]

Ok, first off I am too excited by the fact that our remaining Torchwood crew is going to be in the episode!! Lots of other things i am damn pissed about but we get my IANTO JONES in Doctor Who!

*ahem* Now I was a little pissed about Rose being the stand in Doctor, being all confusing and all knowing. However, I did like the mention of all of our past New Who people (Sarah Jane included) being invovled and helping the world. It is very interesting, as you said, to see them all being heroic even after the Doctor is 'gone.'

What I am really interested in is Donna, why is Donna so special, what it is about her. I want to see what's up with Donna. God I love her so much!

[such_heights]

IANTO IANTO IANTO OMG. Is it Saturday yet?? Eeee!

Definitely interesting - and actually, something I only picked up from watching the Confidential is that apparently Pete's World is a bit ahead of ours, timeline wise? I really don't remember that, but it explains how she knows things without being overly omg magic powers.

Donnnnaaaaa! ♥ ♥ ♥ I want to keep her forever, I really do.

[sunnyrea.livejournal.com]

*huggles Donna to the end of time*

I seriously cannot wait for my Ianto. Oh. My. God.!