You guys, I'm really excited to be recapping this episode for one simple reason - this is the first episode of Doctor Who that I ever saw. I'd had friends telling me for years and years that I'd love it, that I had to watch it, that it was amazing. And I'd always been pretty meh about it. But one Saturday night in 2010, I was home alone in Canberra and had nothing to do (because I'm cool like that), and when ABC News finished, Doctor Who started. And I was still pretty meh about it, but was too lazy to get up and put a DVD on, so I watched it. Conveniently, this is one of those episodes like Blink that requires no prior knowledge of the show, so it was basically the perfect starting point.
We recap part one in the previouslies and then head straight to DOO WEE OOH.
After the opening credits, we pick up right where we left off, with Swarm in a Suit chasing our gang, cornering them in a dark hallway. River stands back and blasts a way out for them.
Little Girl is sitting on her couch and the chase sequence is playing out on her TV. She tells her father that the library is on TV, and he reminds her that the library is all in her imagination.
After the opening credits, we pick up right where we left off, with Swarm in a Suit chasing our gang, cornering them in a dark hallway. River stands back and blasts a way out for them.
Little Girl is sitting on her couch and the chase sequence is playing out on her TV. She tells her father that the library is on TV, and he reminds her that the library is all in her imagination.
Unsurprisingly, this episode which features archaeologists and libraries, is one of my favourites. Because it's freaking amazing.
Marines: I'm with you on the library and the amazing and the favorite and we're already squeeing and the episode hasn't started yet. I'M SO EXCITED.
K: "Close your eyes, and tell me what you see," says a voice. The tinkly orchestra tinkles as a little girl floats over a huge city and says that she sees the library. When she opens her eyes, she's in her living room, talking to a psychologist named Doctor Moon. (M: It's Colin Salmon, who I best know as Walter Steele in Arrow!)
Marines: I'm with you on the library and the amazing and the favorite and we're already squeeing and the episode hasn't started yet. I'M SO EXCITED.
K: "Close your eyes, and tell me what you see," says a voice. The tinkly orchestra tinkles as a little girl floats over a huge city and says that she sees the library. When she opens her eyes, she's in her living room, talking to a psychologist named Doctor Moon. (M: It's Colin Salmon, who I best know as Walter Steele in Arrow!)
The TARDIS lands in front of a manor and the Doctor can smell grass, lemonade and a little bit of mint in the air. It must be the 1920s. Donna disbelievingly asks if he can really tell what year it is by the smell. The Doctor confirms, but Donna's on to his games.
Kirsti: I love the look on his face in the last gif. Equal parts pride and "oh, someone finally twigged..."
Mari: Some swing jazzy music starts. The man driving the vintage car (Professor Peach) is greeted by the manor staff. A reverend bikes up to the manor as well and he exchanges pleasantries with Professor Peach. The Reverend goes ahead inside because Professor Peach needs to check on something before the party... alone.
Kirsti: I love the look on his face in the last gif. Equal parts pride and "oh, someone finally twigged..."
Mari: Some swing jazzy music starts. The man driving the vintage car (Professor Peach) is greeted by the manor staff. A reverend bikes up to the manor as well and he exchanges pleasantries with Professor Peach. The Reverend goes ahead inside because Professor Peach needs to check on something before the party... alone.
We pick up exactly where we left off, with the TARDIS vworp vworping off to God knows where, Martha still on board. The controls aren't responding, and the Doctor says he has no idea where they're going, but his spare hand is super excited about. Donna's all "Your spare WHAT?" and Martha briefly explains. (M: Donna, girl. You never noticed the bubbling hand?) The TARDIS lands, and the Doctor pokes his head out into an underground tunnel, full of barbed wire and shot up sheets of metal. Martha whispers to Donna that she loves this bit, where the Doctor works out where and when they are.
After a recap of the last episode, we jump straight to the credits.
DOO WEE OOH.
The Doctor is trying to sonic his way into the car where Wilf is being poisoned. Sylvia Noble comes out of nowhere with a sledgehammer and busts the windshield open like a boss and because DUH!
Kirsti: But seriously, why did no one think of that earlier?!
Mari: At UNIT, general chaos. Colonel Mace goes into a command room where a helpful woman lets him know that ATMOS has gone wild all over the world.
DOO WEE OOH.
The Doctor is trying to sonic his way into the car where Wilf is being poisoned. Sylvia Noble comes out of nowhere with a sledgehammer and busts the windshield open like a boss and because DUH!
Kirsti: But seriously, why did no one think of that earlier?!
Mari: At UNIT, general chaos. Colonel Mace goes into a command room where a helpful woman lets him know that ATMOS has gone wild all over the world.
We open at Rattigan Academy, which looks a hell of a lot like Francis Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters. But whatever. (M: I'm sure it's totally different.) A bunch of teenagers in red hoodies and tracksuit pants (sidenote: I find it fascinating how many different terms exist for tracksuit pants. In Australia, they're generally trackie daks. In the US? Sweatpants. In the UK? Tracksuit bottoms. TELL ME WHAT YOU CALL THEM, I NEED TO KNOW) drag a well dressed woman out of the building and down a flight of stairs as she yells at them to release her.
They drop her to the ground, and throw her stuff after her. A weedy little nerd boy in a grey hoodie and jeans sasses at her and tells her to spell his name - Rattigan - right if she prints it.
They drop her to the ground, and throw her stuff after her. A weedy little nerd boy in a grey hoodie and jeans sasses at her and tells her to spell his name - Rattigan - right if she prints it.
A business-y man watches a commercial for an Ood and talks about it with someone on the other side of a wrist communicator. Business is down so they are dropping the price all the way to 50 credits. After the wrist conversation is over, Business Man tells a nearby Ood to pull some military reports, because the military are always looking for some extra help.
Another call comes into Business Man's watch, just so we're super clear that this man is selling Ood. The Ood from a second ago comes back with a file, but Business Man says it's the wrong one. The Ood says that's irrelevant. A little surprised and a little upset, Business Man asks why that is.
Another call comes into Business Man's watch, just so we're super clear that this man is selling Ood. The Ood from a second ago comes back with a file, but Business Man says it's the wrong one. The Ood says that's irrelevant. A little surprised and a little upset, Business Man asks why that is.
First things first: if that post title brings up all kinds of horrible childhood memories for you, WELCOME TO THE CLUB. For those of you who looked at it and went "Whut", just know that Caecilius was an actual resident of Pompeii, and he and his family form the basis of the first book in the Cambridge Latin Course, used to teach children all over the world - including me - a dead language since 1970. In short, how could I not?!
Marines: Those of us who were never forced to learn a dead language still commiserate with your childhood trauma. The Snark HQ liquor cabinet is open and well stocked.
Marines: Those of us who were never forced to learn a dead language still commiserate with your childhood trauma. The Snark HQ liquor cabinet is open and well stocked.
DONNA THE TOTAL BEST is wearing a business suit and walking purposefully through a busy street. The Doctor is walking in the opposite direction. They both end up in front of the same building: Adipose Industries.
Donna walks in the main entrance and the Doctor sonics his way through a back door. Donna flashes an ID to a security guard and says she's from Health and Safety. The Doctor does the same, flashing his psychic paper. Neither of the guards these two encounter look particularly interested anyway.
Donna walks in the main entrance and the Doctor sonics his way through a back door. Donna flashes an ID to a security guard and says she's from Health and Safety. The Doctor does the same, flashing his psychic paper. Neither of the guards these two encounter look particularly interested anyway.
We start where we left off - with the Titanic crashing into the TARDIS. After his "What?"s, the Doctor fiddles with something on the console panel, and the TARDIS is pulled off the ship. The hole in the side magically fixes itself, and the TARDIS vworp vworps onto the Titanic. The Doctor dusts himself off and heads off to explore. It's all very Downton Abbey, with a piped orchestral version of Jingle Bells. There are also creepy animatronic angels standing around. Because, you know, we haven't had enough angel related trauma already on this show. (M: I just want to blink freely.)
I used to say that this was my least favorite season and my least favorite companion and now I'm not sure if that's true. I do know that I've found a newfound appreciation for Martha and what a capable, wonderful companion she truly is. What hasn't changed is that this season suffers a lot from some crazy plot lines and giant plot holes. Most of the time, and with only a few exceptions, the good episodes are good DESPITE some other bad stuff happening in the background.
We head straight into DOO WEE OOOH after the previouslies, and then a title card lets us know that this episode picks up one year after the previous one. A man standing on a beach signals to a row boat that is approaching the shore with a lamp. Martha gets off the boat and runs up to the man. She asks his name (Tom Milligan) and but he doesn't need to ask for hers: she's the famous Martha Jones. He asks how long it's been since she's been in Britain. 365 days. "It's been a long year."
An alleyway somewhere in London. "VOTE SAXON" posters are plastered all over the walls. A blue swirly vortex appears and out pop Jack, Martha and the Doctor, courtesy of Jack's wrist cuff. They all immediately make NYARGH-y sounds because time travel without a capsule is horrible. Jack's impressed that they made it to the right place and the right time, but the Doctor says "That wasn't luck. That was me."
The TARDIS materializes and the Doctor announces they are in Cardiff. Martha is like, "CARDIFF?" so he has to explain that Cardiff is built on a rift in time and space. He stops here every now and then to refuel. The Doctor says it should only take 20 seconds, but also notes that the rift has been active.
We cut outside. Someone is running toward the TARDIS, but we don't quite see his face. Some of you may notice that the Torchwood theme is playing. I didn't notice but I always watch with closed captioning, so.
We cut outside. Someone is running toward the TARDIS, but we don't quite see his face. Some of you may notice that the Torchwood theme is playing. I didn't notice but I always watch with closed captioning, so.