Doctor Who - The Fires of Pompeii (2008)

SPOILER WARNING!!! This Post spoils Doctor Who episode The Fires of Pompeii (2008).

This was regular Doctor Who episode, until it was announced that Peter Capaldi will be 12th Doctor. After that I promised to do this episode. Now I will do that. Peter Capaldi is not only actor, who became regular Doctor Who actor. Karen Gillan, who will later be Amy Pond, companion of 11th Doctor, has also role in this episode. She uses so much face paint and has so small part, that you miss her, if you don't know she is in this. This episode could be written into 12th Doctor story, if writers want to do that. I don't think that was planned, but some times writers get lucky.

Doctor Who and his companion Donna Noble travel to Pompeii one day before the volcano day. When they realize that, they decide to leave, because this is fixed point in time and there is nothing they can do about it. Street merchant has sold Tardis to 12th Doctor and they have to stay little bit longer. Peter Capaldi's character is not called 12th Doctor. It is totally different character. Or is it? You could make that character into 12th Doctor, who has totally lost his memory and started to live regular life in Pompeii. For that reason I call him 12th Doctor. I want to be able to say "I told you so", if they really make Peter Capaldi's character in this episode to 12th Doctor. Him buying Tardis is only hint about tha,t if you don't count, that Doctor saves him in the end and one shot, where Doctor holds hands with 12th Doctor.

Doctor and Donna start to realize something is wrong. Every oracle can tell the truth, but none of them can tell something will happen next day. Oracles tell who Doctor and Donna really are, but they don't know anything about volcano day. Arms of oracles have started to turn into stone. One oracle has started to make alien technology from marbles. Donna tries to tell people that volcano will erupt next day. This annoys Sisters of Sibylla enough to make them kidnap her. Doctor follows them and they meet high priestess of sisterhood. She has completely turned into living stone. She tells that the Pyroviles control the citizens.

Doctor and Donna escape into Mount Vesuvius. There they find out that the Pyroviles plan to turn earth into their new home planet. This would mean end of the world for humans. Then they realize why oracles can't see volcano erupting. The Pyroviles use volcano's energy and that prevents volcano erupting. Doctor has to make hard decision. He has to make the volcano to erupt and destroy Pompeii to save the rest of the world. Oracles see how future changes when Doctor pulls the lever. When they escape the eruption, Donna talks Doctor into saving someone. Doctor comes back and saves 12th Doctor and his family. While watching the destruction 12th Doctor invents word volcano.

If Peter Capaldi's character is 12th Doctor, why oracles didn't say anything about that? Oracles told things that will happen in season finale. There is way to explain that. If the Pyroviles thought 12th Doctor was not threat to them, they may want to keep it that way by not telling him he is 12th Doctor.

This was 4th season episode as was Midnight. Both had hints for season finale. Makes me wonder, should I watch whole season to find all hints I have missed earlier. Next week however is time for 11th Doctor. If I counted correctly, week after that I could write about 50th anniversary. I should be able to see it same time as it is aired around the world.