Doctor Who (TV Series)

The Fires of Pompeii (2008)

David Tennant: The Doctor

Photos 

Quotes 

• Lucius : Is that so? Man from Gallifrey.

  The Doctor : What?

  Lucius : The strangest of images; your home is lost in fire, is it not?

  Donna Noble : Doctor, what are they doing?

  Lucius : And you, daughter of... London!

  Donna Noble : How does he know that?

  Lucius : It is the gift of Pompeii, every single oracle tells the truth.

  Donna Noble : But that's impossible.

  Lucius : Doctor, she is returning.

  The Doctor : Who is? Who's she?

  Lucius : And you, daughter of London, there is something on your back.

  Donna Noble : What's that mean?

  Evelina : Even the word Doctor is false. Your real name is hidden, it burns in the stars, in the cascade of Medusa herself. You are a Lord, sir. A Lord of Time.

• Donna Noble : What if I said something in actual Latin? Like, "Veni, vidi, vici"? My dad said that when he came back from football. If I said, "Veni, vidi, vici," to that lot, what would it sound like?

  The Doctor : I'm not sure. You have to think up difficult questions, don't you?

  Donna Noble : [excited]  I'm gonna try it!

  Stallholder : A'ernoon, sweetheart. What can I get ya, my love?

  Donna Noble : Um, "Veni, vidi, vici."

  Stallholder : Huh? Sorry?

  Stallholder : [slowly and loudly]  Me no a-speak Celtic. No can do, missy.

  Donna Noble : [sarcastically]  Yeah!

  Donna Noble : [to The Doctor]  How's he mean, Celtic?

  The Doctor : Welsh. You sound Welsh. There we are. Learnt something.

• Donna Noble : But I'm history, too. You saved me in 2008, saved all of us. Why is that different?

  The Doctor : Some things are fixed, some things are in flux. Pompeii is fixed.

  Donna Noble : How do you know which is which?

  The Doctor : Because that's how I see the universe. Every waking second, I can see what is, what was, what could be, what must not... That's the burden of the Timelord, Donna. And I'm the only one left.

• [as Donna lays tied to a sacrificial alter] 

  Spurrina : The false prophet will surrender both her blood... and her breath.

  Donna Noble : I'll surrender you in a minute. Don't you dare!

  Spurrina : You will be silent!

  Donna Noble : Listen, Sister. You may have eyes on the back of your hands; but you'll have eyes on the back of your head by the time I'm finished with you! Let me GO!

  Spurrina : This prattling voice will cease, forever!

  [raises her knife to finish it] 

  The Doctor : [sardonically]  Oh, that'll be the day.

• Lucius : There is nowhere to run, Doctor, and Daughter of London!

  The Doctor : Now then, Lucius, my Lord Pyrovillian, don't get yourselves in a lava.

  The Doctor : [to Donna, on "lather" pun]  "In a lava"? No?

  Donna Noble : [Donna gives a disdainful look]  No.

  The Doctor : No. But if I might beg the wisdom of the gods, *before* we perish: once this new race of creatures is complete, then what?

  Lucius : My masters will follow the example of Rome itself! An almighty empire, bestriding the whole of civilization!

  Donna Noble : But if you've crashed, and you've got all this technology, why don't you just go home!

  Lucius : The heaven of Pyrovillia is gone.

  The Doctor : What do you mean, "gone"? Where's it gone?

  Lucius : It was *taken*! Pyrovillia is lost. But there is heat enough in this world for a new species to rise.

  The Doctor : Yeah, I should warn you, it's 70% water out there.

  Lucius : [contemptuous]  Water can boil! And everything will burn, Doctor!

  The Doctor : Then... the whole planet *is* at stake. Thank you. That's all I needed to know. Donna?

• Donna Noble : [she and the Doctor have returned to find the TARDIS missing]  You're kidding. You're not telling me the TARDIS is gone?

  The Doctor : Ok.

  Donna Noble : Where is it?

  The Doctor : You... told me not to tell you.

  Donna Noble : Don't get clever in Latin.

• Donna Noble : Hold on a minute.

  [points at a sign] 

  Donna Noble : That sign over there is in English. Are you having me on? Are we in Epcot?

  The Doctor : No, no, no, no. It's the TARDIS translation circuits, makes it look like English. Speech as well. You're talking Latin right now.

  Donna Noble : Seriously?

  The Doctor : Uh-huh.

  Donna Noble : I just said seriously in Latin?

  The Doctor : Oh yeah.

  [she laughs] 

• [When The Doctor or Donna talk to the Pompeiians, foreign phrases are not being translated into Latin] 

  Caecillius : [discussing a prior earthquake]  After the great earthquake 17 years ago... An awful lot of damage, but we rebuilt.

  The Doctor : Didn't you think of moving away? On, no, then again, San Francisco.

  Caecillius : That's a new restaurant in Naples, isn't it?

• The Doctor : But who designed this, Lucius, hm? Who gave you these instructions?

  Lucius : I think you've babbled enough.

  The Doctor : Lucius, really, tell me. Honestly, I'm on your side. I can help.

  Lucius : You insult the Gods! There can be only one sentence.

  Lucius : [to soldiers]  At arms!

  [soldiers pull their swords on the Doctor, who backs away] 

  The Doctor : Oh. Morituri te salutant.

  Lucius : Celtic prayers won't help you now.

• Donna Noble : [outraged]  You can't just *leave* them!

  The Doctor : [bitter]  Don't you think I've done enough? History's back in place and everyone *dies*.

  Donna Noble : You've got to go back! Doctor, I am telling you, take this thing *back*!

  [the Doctor pulls a control and the TARDIS shudders] 

  Donna Noble : [softly]  It's not fair.

  The Doctor : [softly]  No, it's not.

  Donna Noble : [crying]  But your own planet, it burned.

  The Doctor : That's just it. Don't you see, Donna? Can't you understand? If I could go back and save them, then I would, but I can't!

  The Doctor : [pauses]  I can *never* go back. I can't. I just can't. I can't.

  Donna Noble : Just someone. Please.

  Donna Noble : [sobbing]  Not the whole town. Just save someone.

• [the Doctor and Donna think they're in Rome] 

  Donna Noble : Have you been here before, then?

  The Doctor : Mmh, ages ago. Before you ask, that fire had nothing to do with me. Well, a little bit.

• Caecillius : Who are you?

  The Doctor : I am... Spartacus.

  Donna Noble : And so am I.

  Caecillius : Mr. and Mrs. Spartacus?

  The Doctor : Oh, no no no, we're not married.

  Donna Noble : [overlapping the Doctor]  We're not together.

  Caecillius : Oh, brother and sister? Yes, of course, you look very much alike.

  The Doctor , Donna Noble : [looking at each other; surprised and a bit disgruntled]  Really?

• The Doctor : [moving stone tablets]  Put this one... there. *This* one... there. Uh, keep that one upside down. What have you got?

  Lucius : Enlighten me.

  The Doctor : What, the soothsayer doesn't know?

  Lucius : A seed may float on the breeze in any direction.

  The Doctor : Yea, I knew you were gonna say that. But- it's an energy converter!

  Lucius : An energy converter of what?

  The Doctor : I don't know! Isn't that brilliant? I love not knowing! Keeps me on me toes. It must be awful being a prophet, waking up every morning, "Is it raining? Yes, it is. I said so." Takes all the fun out of life.

• Spurrina : No man is allowed to enter the Temple of Sybil!

  [Sybil was a soothsayer] 

  The Doctor : Oh that's all right.

  [mocking] 

  The Doctor : Just us girls. You know, I met Sybil once. Hell of a woman! Blimey, she could dance a tarantella! Nice teeth... Truth be told, I think she had a bit of a thing for me. I said it would never last, she said "I know." Well, she would.

  [to Donna, who is tied to an altar] 

  The Doctor : You all right there?

  Donna Noble : [sarcastic]  Oh, never better.

  The Doctor : I like the toga.

  Donna Noble : Thank you. And the ropes?

  The Doctor : Eh, not so much.

  [cuts her free] 

• Donna Noble : [after the Doctor goes back to save Caecillius & his family]  Thank You.

  The Doctor : Yeah.

  [pause, he works with dials on the TARDIS; finally looks at her] 

  The Doctor : You were right. Sometimes I need someone.

  [beat] 

  The Doctor : Welcome aboard.

  Donna Noble : Yeah.

  [both smile at each other] 

• The Doctor : But, the soothsayers, they all consume the vapors, yeah?

  Caecillius : That's how they see.

  The Doctor : [putting on glasses and leaning into the hypocaust]  Ipso facto.

  Caecillius : [looking over behind the Doctor]  Look, you...

• The Doctor : Cavaet emptor.

  Caecillius : Oh, you're Celtic.

• Donna Noble : What time does Vesuvius erupt? When's it due?

  The Doctor : It's 79 A.D. 23rd of August; which makes Volcano day-tomorrow.

  Donna Noble : Plenty of time. We can get everyone out, easy.

  The Doctor : Yeah, except we're not going to.

  Donna Noble : But that's what you do. You're the Doctor. You save people.

  The Doctor : Not this time. Pompeii is a fixed point in history. What happens, happens. There's no stopping it.

  Donna Noble : Says who?

  The Doctor : Says me.

  Donna Noble : What, and you're in charge?

  The Doctor : TARDIS, Time Lord-yeah!

  Donna Noble : Donna, Human-no! I don't need your permission. I'll tell them myself.

  The Doctor : If you stand in the market place, announce the end of the world they're just gonna think you're a mad ol' Soothsayer. Now come on; TARDIS, we're getting out of here.

  [takes off down the road] 

  Donna Noble : Well, I just might have

  [shouts after him] 

  Donna Noble : something to say about that, Spaceman!

  The Doctor : [shouts back]  Oh, I bet you will!

• Donna Noble : Where are we going now?

  The Doctor : Into the volcano.

  Donna Noble : No way!

  The Doctor : Yes, way.

  [spins water pistol around finger] 

  The Doctor : Have it your way.

• The Doctor : Oh, yes. But don't mind me; don't want to disturb the status quo.

  Caecillius : [to Lucius in undertone]  He's Celtic.