Turn Left

"I see the future, tell me the past."

Writer: Russell T Davies

Format: TV

Released: 21 June 2008

Series: 4.11

Featuring: Tenth Doctor, Donna, Rose

Synopsis 

As Donna Noble's world collapses around her, she finds help from a mysterious blonde woman – but can Donna and Rose stop the approaching darkness without the Doctor?

Verdict 

Turn Left was an outstanding episode to continue my way through the Series 4 rewatch! I’ve been watching the modern era alongside my partner Gemma who is what I would describe as a serious Rose stan so having her back here was good stuff, but she was more interested in this trilogy just being the start of a sensational finale! And she’s right. This is quite the way to start and it’s incredible really to say that two of the best episodes of this and the previous series barely feature the Doctor. However, despite barely featuring this episode is all about the Doctor and what happens when he’s not around. Playing with the idea of the Doctor dying in The Runaway Bride is tremendous and the way the impact of that is felt as the episode rolls on. It’s sublime stuff. Even the start in the alien market is fun and it’s just nice to see the Doctor and Donna enjoying themselves and getting indulged with some local delicacies. Of course, that wouldn’t last long as Donna was invited for a palm reading and it became a rather eventful one! The decision of turning left or right in a car doesn’t seem like a big one in somebody’s life, but it’s significance here was sensational! The fate of the universe literally was at stake. After being teased on a couple of occasions throughout the series, it’s nice for Rose to fully arrive and she shares a strong relationship with Donna. The way she constantly looked at Donna’s back was great in putting notice on the Time Beetle. Her being there to explain a lot of the events that were happening where the Doctor initially stopped them was fantastic. Having the events of Smith and Jones take the lives of both Martha and Sarah Jane was quite something, and Donna’s sacking from her PA job being the background for that was incredible. The comic value of her outburst and comments was marvellous. Her lack of compassion for the hospital and reaction when it was returned was just outstanding. And the wondering hands comment! Truly special. Donna at her very best. Moving from there with Voyage of the Damned and London getting destroyed was obviously traumatic with much of the south of England being consumed by radiation. That sent the Noble to family to Leeds and news quickly hit that sixty million Americans had turned into fat that simply walked away onto an alien spaceship. Capturing Partners in Crime like that was incredible and really sold just how deadly the Adipose threat was! Torchwood sacrificing themselves to prevent the Sontarans capturing Earth in The Sontaran Stratagem/The Poison Sky was fantastic continuity to include them. It was just fun to see the ATMOS running rampant again. The image of the ‘labour camps’ being introduced again as England was for the English once again was so powerful. Wilf’s comment about that being what they called them last time and it happening again was phenomenal. If only the Doctor was around to prevent this situation. Donna being convinced to take the help of Rose due to the stars going out was superb and will tie in nicely with the finale to come. Her horror at realising she’d have to die in order to return the world to normality was played so well, as she sacrificed herself in front of a lorry to create a traffic jam and send Donna left. The Doctor’s arrival at the end and hearing that it was Rose who helped his current companion and gave the message of Bad Wolf was fantastic. Those words being emblazoned on everything was some image and the end of the universe was coming. Overall, a tremendous episode!

Rating: 10/10