When Doctor Who Killed The Doctor

[@HarboWholmes]

Click this link for a free trial of Skilllshare! skl.sh/harbowholmes04211

[@fortunate4260]

After you’re done with the Davies era, are you going on to Moffat or are you going to finish up with torchwood first?

[@HarboWholmes]

I won't be starting Moffat until next year

[@fortunate4260]

@@HarboWholmes thanks for letting me know.

[@mrmeerkathead6871]

@@HarboWholmes Would you ever do Sarah Jane Adventures?

[@-haclong2366]

@@mrmeerkathead6871 Yes please, it was a gem. Sure it was targeted towards a younger audience, but it was still very "Doctor Who'ie".

[@barry1369]

When Wilf said “labour camps. That’s what they called them last time”, it gave me chills

[@ShadowKamehameha32]

"It's happening again" is so heartbreaking

[@franl155]

@@ShadowKamehameha32 - but this time it's us doing it to us, which makes it even worse.

[@mil9102]

I never knew what he meant when it first aired

[@robbiesmith8055]

@@mil9102 Same, I was way too young to appreciate how grim this episode gets as a kid.

[@EmonEconomist]

My favourite line of my favourite episode.

[@charlesmaddison212]

The idea behind Sarah Jane and the Torchwood Team dying filling in the Doctors role was just so captivating.

[@stevenhale2935]

I found it particularly emotive on rewatch follwing the death of Elizabeth Sladen. Too real

[@MarkusAldawn]

It's a fantastic plot idea. "Anyone can do what the doctor does. But usually just once."

[@alim.9801]

I love how they made the time beetle part of the tricksters brigade like THAT is good fan service lol

[@theauthorii1751]

It makes sense in a dark way, especially with both the darker spin offs I can think of Torchwood and Class. Whenever the cast tries to take on these hug threats at ab worldly level that might just be monsters of the week for the doctor are threats that chew humans up and victories are hollow with real consequences. I appreciate it, and it emphasizes how larger than life the doc is

[@terrifical8620]

The thing is: it shows that the only thing stopping others from being the doctor is the fact that he’s practically immortal. They aren’t.

[@Livingroomset799Dep]

Who would have thought an actress known primarily for comedy would be such a great emotional method actress too

[@Roboshi2007]

pity she didn't manage it in the rest of the series though

[@mrmeerkathead6871]

@@Roboshi2007 How?

[@cassielipton7209]

@@Roboshi2007 fires of Pompeii? Planet of the ood? Journeys end? Hell, silence in the library?

[@franl155]

I knew she was a comedian, but I'd never seen her in anything but Doctor Who; she can hold her own with any professional actor.

[@johngreen8344]

'But for one moment, for one shining moment, she was the most important woman in the universe.' 'She still is. She's my daughter.' 'Maybe you should tell her that.' Everything in that scene hurts. The Doctor's constant attempts to remind Donna how important she was, which could never fully atone for the sting of his initial words to her about not being important. Donna's own refusal to even hear a word of praise or encouragement from Rose. The crushing fear of being sent back to her old life, after finally finding her purpose as the Doctor Donna, only to be stripped of her memories and her newfound courage and improved sense of self worth, all the while knowing how far she had come and how much the Doctor had to take away from her to save her life. What hurts the most is the fact that Sylvia would step to Donna's defence without a second thought, but that she couldn't find the words to tell Donna just how special she was to her. Even if the Doctor hadn't just had an emotional farewell with Rose, if he hadn't projected his bitterness at Donna, her sense of self worth was so low already, that it wouldn't have taken much for her to internalise the words and accept that there was nothing else for her, beyond the lot that she'd been dealt. Words can cut deeper than any knife. Doctor Who taught me just how powerful words can be, the destruction they could cause. But it also taught me just how vital they can be, when used to build someone back up. The message hit even harder when I became a stutterer, where every word I could speak felt like a physical object that I had to force out of my throat. It was then when I learnt the true value of speech. I'll always treasure that.

[@overlydramaticpanda]

"'Labour camps'. That's what they called them last time" hands-down has got to be one of the most chilling lines ever spoken in Doctor Who.

[@ewanayres9576]

Yep and we don’t get lines like that anymore

[@DeanLeake]

Gets me every time

[@samuelazzaro]

I love how this handled that idea with the gravitous it deserved.....and then a few seasons later they literally have a character refer to a darlec concentration camp and its played like its no big deal.........thats what I miss about RTD, he knew when to be light and when to be heavy

[@awaywiththefaeries9464]

This episode has London being destroyed, an entire species going extinct, sixty million people dissolving into fat, millions choking to death on car gas… but out of all the things that happens, the one that has the biggest impact is this. The least ‘alien’ incident is the one that people feel strongest about.

[@Kez_DXX]

What I think was happening in those camps was just as cruel and determined as the scene implied but much easier for the emergency government to rationalize. To restore things for the country to get out of the crisis, it's likely that the new government needed very physically demanding work to be done and deemed the lives lost while pushing the workers to get it done was an acceptable price for whatever destructive labor was happening at the camps, but not the ultimate goal of the camps. But, again, there were examples of that in the "it" Wilf was referring to so it doesn't make very much of a difference. I guess the point I was trying to make is that if I'm right then the British will be put through the work when they start running out of immigrants. Either way, it's a really messed up situation.

[@jackjordan5833]

Only doctor who could make an episode for budgetary reasons and it inadvertently ends up being a masterpiece.

[@matthewford6715]

I mean, blink was the same thing

[@KarlTheBee]

Heaven Sent is a low-budget episode too

[@olived9560]

The same thing happened to Midnight

[@wooloosus6866]

What this thread is telling everyone is that Doctor Who thrives on budget episodes lmao

[@redcr33perproductions]

@@wooloosus6866 well, til series 11 it basically did

[@CaspianMidnight]

I think rather than remembering her alt-universe self, that the strength of Donna's core character is what caused her to run towards the danger. It adds to her character because it proves that even without the doctor in her life she's still someone that would risk it to help others.

[@akikom1331]

Absolutely. It's why she's my favorite companion.

[@mediamanjamessmith251]

I kind of feel it's bit of both. The character she is naturally drives her, while remembering her alt-universe self pushes her that bit further

[@hilitesky9462]

That moment with Wilf saluting makes me cry every time.

[@hirvatrivedi3901]

... just wilf on his own make me cry

[@brandonbaka1375]

@@hirvatrivedi3901 when them eyes of his get red and puffy It's over for my sight

[@shallendor]

There is a reason that Wilf is one of the most loved Doctor Who characters of all time!

[@firestone7666]

If wilf is not ok im not ok

[@drneotech7254]

I have been watching that and Shaun of the Dead until I don’t cry

[@janAlekantuwa]

I'd never thot about the idea that The Doctor died because he had completely given up. The more I think about it, the more it makes sense. Damn, that's dark

[@franl155]

Me neither. It took Donna to pull him back from that dark place.

[@orangeapples]

I think both are weird because they could have let him regenerate and explain that regenerating underwater means he’s still drowning. We don’t need to see a face because it is still his suit and screwdriver.

[@adamcupples8082]

The idea of the doctor committing suicide is traumatising

[@TorchwoodLinger]

I don’t know if it’s just me but I wouldn’t say the doctor would just give up, even 12 who delayed regeneration gave in, the urge to save humanity would keep him keeping on

[@Daniel-zg5mb]

@@TorchwoodLinger Here's the way I see it. 9 is fresh out of the Time War. I'm thinking only days after his regeneration. He is consumed by guilt and grief and ready to die. I think the War Doctor even says that to the Moment. That he wanted to die with the rest of Gallifrey. I don't think 9 had a plan to get away from the Nestene Consciousness. The only reason he got out of there was because of Rose. She represented everything the Doctor loves about humanity. An utterly normal person with ingenuity, courage, a love of adventure, and a strong conscience. Rose was untapped potential that, over series 1, gave 9 hope for the future again. So when he regenerates into 10, he is a young man in love. The almost childlike giddiness he expresses around Rose is a manifestation of this new beginning for him and his outlook. But that old, bitter, guilt ridden man is still in there. Any time we see Rose threatened during Series 2, 10, in a way, relapses to the man who ended the Time War. He has hope for the future and he is excited to see it with Rose, but he hasn't healed from that trauma. And then Doomsday happens. The symbol of his hope for the future, and the person who was supposed to be there with him is gone forever. He failed to protect her and he even screwed up his last chance at expressing his feelings in his goodbye. The Doctor is raw and vulnerable. He is grudgingly pulled into this new danger with Donna which ends up with him committing ANOTHER genocide. Another race wiped out by his hands for the greater good. His symbol of hope is gone and he is back to the worst moment in his life, pressing an extermination button, and betraying all of his principles. I have no problem seeing that he would want to die and not regenerate in that scene with the Racnoss. 12 may have been a somewhat similar situation, but he made the same choice. He chose not to regenerate on the battlefield with the cybermen. He was tired and beaten and hopeless. Idk if he unconsciously started to regenerate when he was back in the TARDIS, or if Bill and watergirl somehow forced it, but that was not his choice. And he fought it off, still wanting to die until he saw the Christmas Armistice. He saw an unprecendented moment of hope and kindess in the middle of one of the worst wars in human history. If 10 had been transported out of the Racnoss lair at the moment when he had to make the choice to regenerate or not and then shown a similar inspiring sight, reminding him that there is hope, then maybe he would have done the same as 12. But in that moment? nah. I think he would choose death.

[@aaron2k026]

I loved the tiny little details during turn left. If u notice when the hospital disappears, and the camera is on the hole of where it stiff, u can see Trish, Martha's sister, which of course we saw in Smith and Jones, but now seeing on a news report, demoted to just a passer-by and unimportant civilian. And another thing I noticed, in runaway bride, when the tanks roll up and fire at the racnoss, there's a small teaser for the master when the phrase "order from Mr Saxon: fire at will!" But in turn left that isn't there and it's just the soldier shouting "fire!" Of course the doctor died so.he never went to the end of the universe, where the master remains trapped. So the master never comes to earth and becomes Saxon. It's small details like this that show how much changed when Donna didn't turn left.

[@uchrisdaley]

Well said!

[@MichaelBristow137]

Wow, that was a detail I never noticed, and I'm impressed that if they were recycling footage, that they would change it, but it really does push the story along...

[@haydenvalenciohernawan9249]

Exactly! I was hoping others would notice they cut out, “Orders from Mr Saxon!” This just goes to show exactly how good Davies was at world-building, to the point the timeline was so cohesive that they could make an entire episode with a captivating theme by removing The Doctor, and the line of dominoes come toppling down, but it makes perfect sense.

[@gremlinwc8996]

Also, the unit soldier who reports the death of the doctor is one of the soldiers who got mind controlled in the sontaran stratagem

[@mendelevium2768]

Bro. Sylvia actually managed to kill the doctor, something the daleks have been trying to do for centuries

[@everest2677]

I’m just thinking of that Harry Potter meme - “tell me your secret!” 😂

[@connormatthews9674]

The fact that I've watched this episode a hundred times as one of my faves, but never even caught on to the fact it might be a cost saving measure, is testament in my mind to how great a storyteller RTD is

[@alexpotts6520]

See also Blink, Midnight, Flatline... budget episodes are often among the best of Nu Who. (But when they tank, they tank *hard.)*

[@ahumanbeingfromtheearth1502]

@@alexpotts6520 I don't think midnight was a budget episode, RTD has said its am idea he had years before writing it. I think it's more a case that RTD had a good idea that conveniently could be done on a low budget.

[@TheClownThatHidesFromGayPeople]

Boom Town is another great one people haven’t mentioned. I think budget constraints are honestly sometimes a good thing for doctor who, because it forces the writers to be creative and come up with interesting concepts, instead of just saying “what if we had 10 million daleks/cybermen/etc in this episode” which usually end up being the least interesting stories in my opinion

[@ShadeSlayer1911]

@@alexpotts6520 Some people are really good at doing a lot with very little, and some even perform best with very little. Series like Doctor Who, Star Trek, and Power Rangers seem to be such series that are at their best when they don't have a lot. And when they do have a lot, they don't do quite so well. Recent Who has great production value, but low quality of writing.

[@tomforsythe7024]

Respect to Jacqueline King for her fantastic performance as Sylvia. She plays the role so perfectly you don't even notice her. You only experience the character.

[@TheSmart-CasualGamer]

The episode where Russell T Davies says "You know that spinoff that your kids watch? Well, in this alternate timeline, they're all dead!"

[@willwh9228]

One thing i like about this episode is how quickly and casually people like Sarah jane, martha, torchwood team etc die. It happens so suddenly and unexpectedly but it kinda get glossed over. Having character we know and grew to love get taken away like that makes the audience feel like donna.

[@danielshore1457]

I also love that it shows something that Harriet was right in tennants first episode, that they can't rely on the doctor all the time and this episdoe proves that, yes humans were able to survive but at a loss, like if Harriet was allowed to stay in power and prepped without the doctor it wouldn't be as catastrophic.

[@willwh9228]

Yeah alot of these monster wouldn't be as bad with hairret Jones as prime minister. We already seen how when the daleks attacked she was already prepared. In a world like this where at this point everyone is paranoid about the next threat it would be super easy for her to do stuff like make a new torchwood. Granted humanity would still be doomed thanks to the daleks tho.

[@DJtheBlack-RibbonedRose]

I love the way this story delves into the idea of the domino effect, how one seemingly, inconsequential decision can cause/predict a whole host of future events. It really makes you take a look at your own life and wonder how it can happen to you, only in a less Sci-fi influenced manner. Plus, realizing that the Time Beetle was subtly hinted at in earlier episodes in the season makes this story all the more chilling, now knowing Donna was technically being warned about it from the beginning.

[@HaxeRoxas13]

when was it hinted at? i can't recall

[@DJtheBlack-RibbonedRose]

@@HaxeRoxas13 Prime Example: The Fires of Pompeii. When Evelina and Lucius were each revealing their individual knowledge of the Doctor and Donna, Lucius says "You, daughter of London, there is something on your back!" Pretty sure there was another hint or two later on but that's the one I always remember the most.

[@HaxeRoxas13]

@@DJtheBlack-RibbonedRose ahhh yeah it’s all coming back. Thanks!!

[@stevenhale2935]

@@HaxeRoxas13 OMG another Hale!!!

[@themellonman9886]

To me, Turn Left is one of the best episodes of the Davies era, possibly in the revived series overall. The idea that the doctor is truly dead and his devoted companions sacrifice themselves while taking his place. Plus how the general population react to all these events and the impact that they have on their world.

[@GeorgeMarionerd]

An extremely disturbing and impactful episode. So many goosebumps. Also I think Wilf will forever be the most lovable Doctor who character.

[@TheAstip]

This episode feels so epic it feels like a 2 parter even while being a single episode

[@TheSmart-CasualGamer]

I mean, you could say that it's the first part of a three-partner, along with The Stolen Earth and Journey's End.

[@GusMcGuire]

What's particularly clever about the writing of this episode is that it's the first story to definitively bring Rose back in an active role, but in a way that doesn't disempower Donna. There was a huge amount of excitement over the return of Rose for this season, and it would have been very easy for this to overshadow Donna's story. Instead, Russell has Rose's involvement kept to a minimum, guest star, role that flows naturally with the story, doesn't seem forced and also doesn't nullify the impact of the full return of Rose in the very next story.

[@DJtheBlack-RibbonedRose]

I love knowing that The Doctor & Donna were given these sole-driven episodes because of Midnight and Turn Left being shot back-to-back (a fact I learned from the 50 Years of DW book). It gave us a nice insight into how they would each handle their own desperate situations despite still travelling together, as well as providing more focus on David and Catherine's individual acting chops. 💙

[@rkah6187]

Midnight: the Doctor almost dying because he didn't have his companion with him Turn Left: the Doctor actually dying because he didn't have his companion with him

[@DJtheBlack-RibbonedRose]

@@rkah6187 Oh wow...good find. Then it was almost like foreshadowing in that case, especially when you consider the brief moment where Rose's image flickers on a computer screen behind the Doctor's head, and he never notices it.

[@Mattswfc14]

Continue to find an excuse to put Finnegan Fox in every single video Harbo, please.

[@-haclong2366]

I like it when people have a standard character like this, like another KZbinr using Tuvok (Star Trek) in videos about stupid fictional villains and civilisation.

[@FahadAyaz]

The fox clip made me lol lots 😁

[@spartanneo1680]

If you take the reality bomb interpretation then it becomes more terrifying to me. Think about, the light from those stars has already traveled thousands of light years to reach us and yet the bomb erases not only the star but the light it gave off all at once

[@unistrike6243]

"She still is. She's my daughter" "Well maybe you should tell her that once in a while!" That exchange hits so much harder because of Turn Left. It always made me feel like the Doctor watched the episode and saw how terribly Sylvia treated Donna. She's claiming that Donna is so important to her in her statement, but the the Doctor feels she doesn't deserve to say that because there is no previous acknowledgement or evidence she feels this way. Just my interpretation.

[@uzairahmed4197]

Sylvia was depressed on that episode tho

[@apanapandottir205]

The "That's what they called them last time" scene kills me every time.

[@franl155]

This episode, and the next two, are my all-time favourite mini-series. Poor Donna; with a mother like that, how could she not be who she was in the Runaway Bride? Loud, abrasive, defending-by-attacking? Wonder what happened in Sylvia's life to make her turn out like that? I loved the little touch of Torchwood theme playing when Rose was talking about who destroyed the Atmos effects. The whole labour-camp thing gave me the chills; never been a good labour camp in human history. And the look that the Italian man and Wilk exchange as they salute, each knowing what's really going on, and the way he holds the kids in the lorry ... heartbreaking.

[@user-is7xs1mr9y]

It always breaks my heart when Rocco (the italian man), the most cheerful person in the whole episode, realizes what is going to happen to him and his familiy, and the look on his eyes... o man, what a great story and a terrific actor. I miss RTD.

[@nicholasprakash3411]

Sylvia thinks she's a duchess. The scene when she's sitting in bed eating chocolates and looking down at Donna & Wilf, tells alot.

[@nicholasprakash3411]

The post-apocalyptic UK is very similar in tone to Threads (1984) a BBC movie about people in Sheffield post WW3.

[@possessedgamer1376]

Plus - Sally Sparrow was sent back - The Mars team died on Mars - Pandora and Stonge Hedge would never be constructed - River is not born - you know what, you do it

[@elliotcrossan6290]

Technically the Pyrovilles would've taken over earth in Roman times. And I have no idea how the Reality Bomb would've been created, because Daleks in Manhattan never happened, and thus Dalek Caan never went into the Time War to save Davros

[@DanTheMan2150AD]

This is very much an Unbound story... wish NuWho would explore alternative what-if universes like this more often.

[@chraketcm8608]

Fingers crossed that is what we have been seeing from the moment Capaldi regenerated.

[@harrybate3620]

Can you imagine if Deadline was made into an episode? That would be amazing

[@NATHAN-gl9ns]

A doctor who animated what if series like what marvel is planning would rock

[@Jackgames-vg7cw]

Sadly dr who hasn't done it again but the sara Jane adventures has done it about 5 times

[@NATHAN-gl9ns]

@@Jackgames-vg7cw that's because SJA is the chad show Lol

[@johannvongenerico9487]

I did like that the beetle was linked to the Trickster, helps make that coherent universe across all of the series, but doesn't steal SJA's thunder by using the Trickster himself

[@Awesome_Pichu]

In SJA, the Trickster did tell Sarah Jane about the kind of chaos he could unleash if one of his schemes can get rid of the doctor

[@danm3882]

I really like that Russell T Davies developed on lots of ideas within Turn Left in Years and Years and make them darker from an already dark episode.

[@nachoburger1]

2021 and this man has managed to make me laugh with an "arrow to the knee" joke, bravo Harbo, bravo.

[@utherteasdale933]

The 2-part series finale is doctor who doing Avengers Assemble before the MCU. One of my favourite stories.

[@uklie01]

So true!

[@1995benthompson]

I love how this episode is basically RTD's practise before he made Years and Years, which is essentially Turn Left + The Sound of Drums - Doctor Who

[@danarnold8989]

The scean with wilf and seeing people getting taken away and donna says its only a work camo and he goes thats what they called them last time was such a powerful moment

[@TheAlmightyGeoff]

The soundtrack of this episode is criminally underrated, honestly raises the creepiness and eeriness to another level

[@bobtomlin6813]

The AMAZING world Russell T. created in these few years at the helm are unparalleled. If you follow all these shows - Torchwood, Sarah Jane Mystery & the Doctor - the overall connectivity and parallel occurrences he has woven throughout all his storylines are truly a pleasure to behold ..... culminating in this absolute treat of an episode and so perfectly feeding in to our series and era climax. Russell really was brilliant in his ability to imagine, interpret and realise his vision on this Doctor Who world. Magnificent .... and we who get it are truly privileged to have had it entertain our lives. A watershed in the Who world. Thank you RTD.

[@bobtomlin6813]

@SteveyTheEx-Eevee yes, it appears I was sadly mistaken as the recent shows have truly shown rtd

[@Nameless-pt6oj]

I can’t wait for you to do Capaldi’s era. I know that’s a long way off but he’s my favorite Doctor and I’ve seen people say about him, “Good Doctor, bad writing” and you’ve said you disagree with this so I can’t wait to see those videos.

[@colmcille4388]

I can't wait till seiries 5 reviews

[@frde2190]

A lot of Capaldi episodes have great writing, e.g. Heaven Sent, World enough and Time and The Doctor falls

[@cardsfanboy]

Capaldi is a great doctor, but had way too many lower quality episodes. Between him and Matt Smith, they got the great moments, (speeches etc) but man did he have a lot of bad episodes, either good episodes that could only be watched one time or sub par re-watchable episodes. (Time Heist is the example of the latter, it's definitely rewatchable, but it's not particularly good, Listen is quite good, but not particularly rewatchable. And the Capaldi era is full of these type of things, either good episodes you can't re-watch or lower quality episodes that are rewatchable. ) At the same time I loved Missy, Bill and even Clara's interactions with the Doctor, (and Nardole wasn't bad either) and there are some great stuff there.

[@jgr2637]

I think the problem is the better writing came later on in his era after people made their mind up.

[@littlemissmello]

I absolutely loved Peter Capaldi as the Doctor but I quit watching for years after I think season 8? I just couldn't stand it, any of it. The dialogues, Clara, the angle taken, the narrative Steven Moffat chose to go with. I really couldn't take it anymore. Last year I watched all of Doctor Who together with a friend and the last season of Capaldi's was much better already but the coming of the new "reboot" (sort of) was a relief to me. I hear a lot of complaints about the latest seasons but I don't agree. It's no more flawed than previous seasons and the average is great. And there's a few of the best historically centered episodes in the last two seasons, since 2005.

[@WithADashOfPazazz]

rose is so creepy to me in this episode, all ghostly, and peering over donna's dying body whispering 'bad wolf'...

[@stafdavies6527]

Turn Left is a masterpiece, one of the greatest episodes of Who ever, deeply moving and Tate's acting is incredible

[@elliot1111]

As much as i love stories where the villains win and the hero is dead but this story has done and always will terrify me. Everytime I see this I shiver. And the scene with the family getting on the van still makes me tear up. Wish they did more episodes like this. I miss a good scare in the show that wasn’t a writers lore change

[@DJtheBlack-RibbonedRose]

Gotta love how Donna tries to explain the Bad Wolf warning to the Doctor at the end of the episode and all he can focus on is the implication that it came from Rose. 😆 But at least it led to one of TV's most satisfying character reunions. 💖🌹

[@Ooffoop]

Harbo, I found a 10Rose shipper!

[@DJtheBlack-RibbonedRose]

@@Ooffoop Guilty as charged lol. Since I first became familiar with them through The Christmas Invasion, as that was my first-ever Doctor Who episode, I really became invested in them as a duo. Even when the Series 2 stories faltered, they were very much carried by David & Billie's wonderful chemistry. And I love how they *both* get the chance to save and show their protectiveness over one another, it's not just one-sided. Not only that, but I read an article relating them to Beauty and the Beast recently and that just re-confirmed my investment, as I am an admitted sucker for that trope & the various ways it can be interpreted. 😆 But damn, the way Harbo described the R&J relations in this episode...ouch. 🙃

[@frde2190]

And right after the Doctor sees Rose he gets killed by a Dalek

[@stevenhale2935]

Does it even count as shipping when they are canonically in love with one another, and clearly written that way? I'm all about 10 and Rose.

[@Ooffoop]

@@stevenhale2935 that’s my thought too but I’m a simp for Harbo

[@lp-xl9ld]

When this episode started my first thought was, oh great, they're doing their spin on IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE. And then it turns into...an absolute classic. I'm still blown away just thinking about it.

[@erinella]

I had a toy time beetle that I got from Doctor Who Adventures and my Mum despised it. I used to hide it about the house to scare her. Gives an idea what my priorities of this episode were as a kid. Rewatching it as I got older was a chilling experience.

[@tinykemper2561]

I've always loved what if scenarios, and turn left is possibly my favourite explorations of it, not to mention Russell writes his own show, Years and Years, 11 years early. Also it does a pretty good job at setting up my favourite Doctor Who story ever, and let's not forget that after daleks, cybermen, the master and many other villains, it was Silvia who was the cause for the Doctor's death.

[@livinghistory9701]

This episode gave me chills...

[@Naumaxia]

'Always ready to swoop in and save people. Well... unless it's Torchwood.' I felt that so hard XD

[@arvynbraich9140]

This is truly my favourite episode of any TV show of all time. It’s just a masterclass in the darkness of humanity, told through stellar writing, fantastic music, and fantastic acting. Also, I think that one of the reasons that Sylvia is so cruel to Donna is because of her losing her husband. In “our” universe, the Big Finish dramas expand on how Sylvia feels towards the Doctor and this sort of explains things. She lost her husband and now her daughter is travelling across time and space. She’s probably not only jealous of the fact that Donna is able to escape some of the misery, she’s also very fearful that she will end up losing Donna like her husband. It doesn’t excuse her actions in the slightest, but I love the fact that she’s not some one-dimensional “bad” person - there’s a lot of depth to her characterisation.

[@terrencered8958]

Good God dude, how in the hell are you pushing these out so consistently? Like theres no dip in quality and your making your reviews even longer, it's fantastic!

[@johngreen8344]

'But for one moment, for one shining moment, she was the most important woman in the universe.' 'She still is. She's my daughter.' 'Maybe you should tell her that.' Everything in that scene hurts. The Doctor's constant attempts to remind Donna how important she was, which could never fully atone for the sting of his initial words to her about not being important. Donna's own refusal to even hear a word of praise or encouragement from Rose. The crushing fear of being sent back to her old life, after finally finding her purpose as the Doctor Donna, only to be stripped of her memories and her newfound courage and improved sense of self worth, all the while knowing how far she had come and how much the Doctor had to take away from her to save her life. What hurts the most is the fact that Sylvia would step to Donna's defence without a second thought, but that she couldn't find the words to tell Donna just how special she was to her. Even if the Doctor hadn't just had an emotional farewell with Rose, if he hadn't projected his bitterness at Donna, her sense of self worth was so low already, that it wouldn't have taken much for her to internalise the words and accept that there was nothing else for her, beyond the lot that she'd been dealt. Words can cut deeper than any knife. Doctor Who taught me just how powerful words can be, the destruction they could cause. But it also taught me just how vital they can be, when used to build someone back up. The message hit even harder when I became a stutterer, where every word I could speak felt like a physical object that I had to force out of my throat. It was then when I learnt the true value of speech. I'll always treasure that.

[@user-is7xs1mr9y]

What a beautiful comment. I think Donna's 'end' is the saddest of the RTD era companions, it utterly crushed me.

[@callycap3]

4:41 oof that still hits hard

[@blakecampbell6549]

Donna is still my favorite companion of the modern era. Her relationship with the Doctor is purely platonic, and she ends up having a great growth of character from beginning to end. Hard to top her acting as well. Also Wilfred. I mean my God that man could deliver emotion.

[@josiahsimmons9866]

I've watched a ton of these reviews you've done and there's always one thing that stands out to me. You seem to really understand the musical side of things. Mentioning leitmotifs and other little pieces that not everyone would get. As a media composer I really love that you point these things out, when someone else would more or less brush it off as inconsequential.

[@theknightsofawesomeness2701]

Ahh yes, RTD's backdoor pilot for years and years

[@JoboVT]

God this episode is so emotional. I couldn't believe I was watching this episode my first time and I really felt for Donna

[@qqqqqqqqqqqq121212]

I always assumed the Time Beetle being seen during the disasters was because the Trickster was feeding on the chaos.

[@berniet1215]

Yh that’s the reason, I’m surprised he didn’t realise. The key disasters cause the most changes which the beetles feeds off.

[@user-is7xs1mr9y]

I have exclusively watched RTD's Doctor Who, so I don't know anything about the Trickster, so thanks for explaining this, it makes so much more sense now.

[@KarenS19]

I really believe that this episode is why Donna is a favorite for so many. Even without realizing it, this episode fleshes out her character so much that you see the deep impact she has on so many lives. Also, because she doesn't see herself as extraordinary, but a nobody, she resonates with more people. She's not a bombshell, she's not a doctor, she's not a love interest. She's a temp. She's the Everyman companion.

[@steroq6699]

The only shame with Turn Left is what follows it, really. No, it's not a bad finale, just not up to par with the best run of episodes the series have had since its inception: Silence in the Library, Forest of the Dead, Midnight and now, that?! Utterly brilliant!

[@samuelbarber6177]

Bernard Cribbins is brilliant in this episode. He just exemplifies that war time spirit. I know neither he nor his character fought in World War 2, but he really does just have that air about him, you know? And his line, “Labour camps. That’s what they called them last night.” Just breaks my heart. Also, I find it curious how many episodes of Series 4 centre around a Donna who never existed. In Forest of the Dead, we meet a Donna in the library who has a family and life of her own, only for it to be ripped away. Then in Turn Left, THIS Donna eventually has to never exist in order to save the world when the timeline comes back to normal. And in Journey’s End, the Doctor has to erase her memory effectively removing the Donna we knew.

[@pikapal91]

Turn Left might be my favorite episode of the entire Davies run.

[@ishaandw]

Turn Left is like watching Doctor Who in a third person perspective. Coincidentally, I just listened to Live 34 yesterday which is also basically in third person

[@aelbion1453]

Sarah Jane is my favourite character so I'm glad you spent time reflecting on the importance of her death stopping the MRI! Hope we get some SJA reviews in future too.

[@chunkystains8950]

Remembering Donna makes me wanna cry. She is my favorite companion.

[@Nuskrad]

Yess, I've been waiting for this. Turn Left is my all time favourite episode of Doctor Who

[@VeracityLH]

I love the idea that "the most important one in creation" is not a single person, but the Doctor's companion(s) because they save the Doctor from himself. River Song kind of alludes to this in Time of Angels when she tells Father Octavius that when you're with the Doctor your one job is to keep him alive. Great video.

[@joelkanamuli227]

Ive just deeped that rose in this episode is exactly how jackie predicted rose would turn out in army of ghosts

[@NessysSanctuary]

Donna is my favourite companion. Turn Left was a brilliant episode. The way that her stint ended was like a hot coal in my soul. Let me explain. If she died or got left on a planet I would have shed a tear. But to make her forget the best thing that had ever happened in her life. The fact that aliens were singing about her through out space. The fact that the Dr needed some one like Donna not to go off the deep end, plus the fact that she did not fancy him. She gave as good as she got, And told the Dr the truth because she did not fancy him. Turn left showed that Donna was actually the most important person in the universe as Rose said it goes deeper than that remember all the times that the Dr would want to do some thing with out a thought an unfeeling thought he was judge and executioner. Donna reminds him of his humanity and saves people he would have just though Oh well. I howeled like a wolf who had just lost his mate. Took me months to be able to watch or hear anything about Dr Who.

[@NoahIsCanned]

This was a dark episode. I loved it.

[@lordbuss]

8:30 I think the idea “the companion wasn’t there to help the Doctor and he dies” is great, and it would work for both rose (who helped with the Mannequins that trapped him) and Martha (who saved him from the Judoon AND Plasmavore, being the true hero of the episode), but not with Donna who just said “Hey Doctor, let’s go”. What Donna did was not help with adventures and defeating monsters, she was the voice of empathy and humanity. So it is very possible that the absence of Donna, instead of dying, the Doctor would die metaphorically, truly becoming the “Time Lord Victorious“ (I am just now writing a fanfic when the plot of Waters of Mars change because the Doctor remembers Donna and what she asked of him).

[@flyhyland]

This is an INTENSELY underrated story. I love this one and how depressing an atmosphere it creates, it does such a great job and is just fascinating to watch, I love it!

[@misterbubbles6389]

This is honestly one of the best episodes of the entire franchise. It shows just how much the universe *needs* the Doctor.

[@piros100]

Series 4 was the first I saw of DW and the ending of this episode was still very terrifying despite me not knowing who or what Bad Wolf referred to. Absolutely brilliant episode.

[@davewaring73]

The scene with Rose and Donna with the spider on her back is my top scary Who moment. It was just the way Catherine Tate expressed sheer terror and helplessness.

[@robertkaye5135]

I want Big Finish to do something that explores how in the Turn Left universe Rocco was living in a squat in Leeds, but in the Turn Right universe he became Pope.

[@suburbohemian]

This was hands-down my fave DW episode since being a fan from classic days for the precisely the reasons that it shows how one small decision can impact the world and how wrong we are when we believe we are insignificant. We often don't know and never will know how we helped (or not) the world while we are on this side of eternity, but we should never sell ourselves short. I mean that's one of the reasons The Doctor loves humans..because we are what we are and we *can* make the choices to be so much more...even when we don't realize we are.

[@Tubajubaduba]

This is, imo, one of the greatest doctor episodes ever.

[@redcr33perproductions]

Fax

[@silvermoon332]

turn left reminded us who donna was before the doctor, showed that she was always destined to travel with him and save countless lives in the process (including his), right before taking away her memories and reverting her to her OG character model. it bums me out every time. my only hope is that sylvia listened to the doctor's passive aggressive advice of telling donna that she loves her occasionally, which could maybe bring about donna's "increased sense of self worth" arc in a more grounded way. third time's the charm!

[@AJTaiyou]

I do kinda like how, when you think about it, Martha, in the 'Year that Never Was', could've been telling her story in the same house that Donna was living in as a refugee, in another alternate timeline, at roughly the same time. Either that or evoking the same imagery.

[@brianbks02]

An absolutely brilliant video for an amazing piece of television, thank you very much Harbo 😁

[@apebeats6631]

I've got a theory that the Doctor actually has traveled to the parallel dimension where Rose ends up being trapped. All the way back at the beginning of the reboot Christopher Ecclestons Doctor continuously refers to Mickey as "Rickey" and even states that Mickey doesn't know his own name. Later, we discover that Rickey IS Mickey in the other dimension. That's always kind of bothered me because how could he know about Rickey if he's never been to the other dimension? If anyone has any insight into this matter I'd love to hear it.

[@joelkanamuli227]

This episode has the best next episode preview in doctor who history i remember going absolutely ape shit when i seen all the companions just flash on the screen like that live

[@SketchyDoodles]

We need to see reviews on the Sarah jane adventures!

[@aelbion1453]

If I could like this comment more than once I would

[@uchrisdaley]

Yes pls!

[@mastertadakatsu]

Still remember the first time I sore the Bad Wolf scene! Best "Well.....shit" moment of NuWho

[@jbcatz5]

Manipulation of time through individuals is the Tricker’s MO. His Sarah Jane Adventures appearances have him use someone to make sure someone who shouldn’t have survived does, and fixing the timeline comes at the cost of sacrificing them (someone close to Sarah Jane in these instances). Here the person Donna has to sacrifice is herself, the last person to survive a dark timeline and ending herself to prevent it.

[@chin70]

One of my favourite examples of Davies creating timeless characters/scenarios is in Damaged Goods, where (in the middle of a very dark book) he basically invents the Karen meme with the character of Mrs Jericho. There is a long section that describes how she goes to stores and buy expensive clothes and when she gets home, she rips seams, cuts off buttons, tears pockets, etc. and then goes back to the store demanding refunds. While, in true Davies fashion, she has a dark and depressing motivation for her actions, this struck me as a pretty damn good description of a Karen in a book from 1996. I’m sure that type of person existed then, but it’s still funny to see it referenced years before the meme. Also, read Damaged Goods, it’s a great book.

[@jbcatz5]

Her cold, calculating attitude is really well realised in the Big Finish adaptation, as there’s a scene where her husband has something important to tell her, and instead of having an emotional reaction she acts like he said he got a different thing for lunch that day, in the same calm tone carrying out something horrific.

[@stitchesandstaples]

How terrifying would it be if stars are just blinking out quickly

[@ministryofmaking7260]

This will always be my ultimate favourite episode in Doctor Who history. Catherine Tate’s performance is exceptional ❤️

[@barbarabenoit3667]

I love how you put the unstoppable Finnegan Fox in there! 12:45 - More foxes in Doctor Who!!!

[@roberthicks1612]

Through out the series before that episode, people kept telling her that she had something on her back. As far back as the episode in Pompeii, people were telling her she had a beatle on her back.

[@ozdocwho5177]

This is my all-time favourite episode from both the classic and new series. Helps that Donna is my favourite companion also. Katherine Tate plays her so well and just shines in this episode. I also like to think that in some way in the back of her mind, Sylvia is aware that she is responsible, although she doesn't know that she knows. This would explain her sudden crash into depression because in some ways, it is not hugely apparent as to why she hits rock bottom. Yes, she's lost friends and family, and life is difficult, but the same could be said for Donna and Wilf and they are less affected. I also love how the Gypsy finds out that Donna is a far stronger character than anyone has ever given her credit for.

[@willadeefriesland5107]

Chan- I always liked the character of the Fortune Teller -tho... Davies use of this actress... sans antennae and blue makeup, was a good choice.

[@adammyers7383]

This episode is the perfect exploration of the “humans as monsters” concept that Chibnall is so desperate to capture. While I really like The Doctor-Donna, I’d kind of prefer that the events of Turn Left is what made her The Most Important Woman in the Universe rather than the meta-crisis stuff-her real ability to bring out the good in The Doctor, and her deep understanding of the best and worst parts of him, instead of some special universal thing connected to a prophecy. Also, I kind of feel like Clara (post impossible girl arc) kind of expands on a lot of things that were first explored with Rose.

[@Kian30398]

I think it's really interesting that Tosh and Owen aren't mentioned in this episode implying that they died before the Sontaran Strategem, that the Torchwood team may have taken some of the Doctor's duties on board between when the Bannerman Road crew died and that moment. Maybe the Lazerous experiment. That seems up Torchwood's alley tbh.

[@UgandanPrinc3]

So my question is what happened to Harold Saxon in this timeline? Speaking of which, 4:33 hey it’s the actress that played Prof. YANA’s assistant

[@BatmannotBruceWayne1]

Doctor never meets Martha, never recharges at the rift above Torchwood, so he never ends up going to the end of the universe, meaning the master never remembers who he is in this timeline

[@UgandanPrinc3]

@@BatmannotBruceWayne1 but my issue is Harold Saxon is the one who fires the shot in The Christmas Invasion, he should already have been around. I mean they probably just had some random joe schmo do it instead, but it’s a loose end I just thought of so I was curious

[@BatmannotBruceWayne1]

@@UgandanPrinc3 that’s actually addressed in episode, where the soldier is just told “fire at will”. He was only already there because the doctor did travel to the end of the universe. But since the doctor died he never did. The timeline had diverged earlier when Donna turned right and the master didn’t arrive until slightly before becoming PM (the doctor locked the tardis with the sonic when the master stole it). Harold Saxon as a person never appeared in this timeline, the order to fire was given by a nameless person

[@sjins1poolboy698]

Ahh my favourite episode's 40minute review comes out at midnight just as I'm like I really need to go to bed for my 5:30 wake up... Why you do this to me Harbo Wholmes!!!!!?

[@alc.awesome7012]

to add to all of this (and yes major spoilers), when the 10th gives donna back (when donna was on a verge of a mind explosion) Sylvia says, of course, she is important, she's my daughter. the most heartbreaking and powerful words of "then say that to her " from the tenth made me cry so hard. those words pointed at Sylvia was a true lesson she needed to learn as a parent and it all condensed into a single sentence.

[@LordFindogask734]

This episode is so brilliant it puts every other recap episode from any other series to shame.

[@WormtailRedemptionArc-nm6sk]

And this is only what we see on earth... I think the biggest thing impacted by the doctor's death is Jethro might have died in Midnight!!😬

[@lawrencelopez9839]

At this point Rose has been jumping from dimension to dimension using the Dimension Cannon looking for one where the Doctor exists.

[@apebeats6631]

You've got some good stuff brother. Doctor Who is an amazing show, and I really love how fans tend to come together to reminisce and discuss all of the incredible moving moments the show is packed with. Thanks for keeping these wonderful moments a mere click away. You, my friend, have earned a new sub. ✌

[@JimiRigg]

"the world is being bent over absolutely railed by the doctor-less timeline"