This episode is an interesting mix of comedy and deeper, darker drama. The comedy works well as you might expect with comedy star Catherine Tate as Donna but Tate's brilliance in the hugely emotional scenes and the dramatic challenging of the Doctor's code of conduct was a wonderful surprise. It turned out that Donna would be equally great in all the forthcoming episodes both in the humour and in the serious dramatic scenes.
Future Doctor Peter Capaldi appears in a nice support role which is later used in a strange but interesting flashback in The Girl Who Died when Capaldi as the 12th Doctor realises he has the same face as this person he met before and feels it was to remind him of his vocation to save people. Future companion (and now Hollywood star) Karen Gillan also appears in an early cameo. The dialogue, story, setting and action is all really good and David Tennant matches Tate with another great performance.
The involvement of the Doctor and an alien threat in the volcanic eruption that destroys Pompeii is a great scenario and this episode works really well. There are good effects, good action scenes, strong dialogue and superb emotional drama. The story is a modern spin on what could easily have been a classic era adventure, it is classic Doctor Who.
9/10.
Future Doctor Peter Capaldi appears in a nice support role which is later used in a strange but interesting flashback in The Girl Who Died when Capaldi as the 12th Doctor realises he has the same face as this person he met before and feels it was to remind him of his vocation to save people. Future companion (and now Hollywood star) Karen Gillan also appears in an early cameo. The dialogue, story, setting and action is all really good and David Tennant matches Tate with another great performance.
The involvement of the Doctor and an alien threat in the volcanic eruption that destroys Pompeii is a great scenario and this episode works really well. There are good effects, good action scenes, strong dialogue and superb emotional drama. The story is a modern spin on what could easily have been a classic era adventure, it is classic Doctor Who.
9/10.