22 June 2008

Doctor Who 4.11: Turn Left (Part One of Three)

With Doctor Who taking a break in 2009 (though four new episode's will be produced and aired in 2009, one airing Christmas this year), it seems the show will go out in a big bang to leave viewers wanting more.

Turn Left marks the second week in a row that show runner Russell Davies has written a taught, well plotted script, the first of the three episode season finale.

While enjoying time on the planet of Shan Shen, which has an ethnic Chinese culture, Donna is offered a free fortune reading. The fortune-teller presses Donna to reveal her past and focuses on a point in her past on modern-day Earth where she was driving to her temporary job at H. C. Clements, despite her mother's wishes to take up a permanent job nearby. As a large beetle climbs onto Donna's back, the teller convinces Donna to change her mind in the past, taking a right at the intersection per her mother's wishes instead of a left.

Thus, we see an alternate version of Donna's life, one far bleaker had she not met and helped the Doctor. Basically, the episode lays out a Dickens style universe were the Doctor died during the Racnoss attack on Earth, as seen in Donna's first episode, The Runaway Bride. From there, the rest of the last two seasons of Who play out differently. Martha Jones and Sarah Jane Smith, along with her companions from The Sarah Jane Adventures ( Luke, Clyde and Maria) were killed during Martha's first adventure, Smith and Jones. We also have mentions of Torchwood and Captain Jack Harkness and, for the first time, mentions of Gwyn and Ianto from that series, who defeat the Sontarans from Posion Sky episode.

Oh, and London was destroyed by the Titanic from Voyage of the Damned.

But through out Donna's alternate universe, one thing is constant: Rose Tyler.

Though Donna never learns her name, Rose knows Donna is the key to all of this, and must convince Donna that history is not right. That the alternate Donna, must die to set the universe, and time itself back to normal.

After everything reverts back, Donna explains all of this Doctor, and tells him two words that Rose spoke to her: Bad Wolf.

Got to hand it to Davies, as he weaves a wonderful, complex story that connects the entire new series, and its two spin-offs (Torchwood and The Sarah Jane Adventures). Once again, Catherine Tate shines as Donna, one of the most compassionate, three-dimensional character created for this, or even the classic, series.

And next week's trailer looks to bring back old companions (Sarah Jane, Martha Jones, Jack Harkness) along with Gywn Cooper and Inato Jones from Torchwood. And Luke from Sarah Jane Adventures and the return of the Daleks.

Plus, it seems, a villan that pops up more than the Master.

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